Category Archives: Cleaning & Cleaners

Take The KEY Pledge And Be Entered To Win $2500!

Cleaning & Cleaners, Safety, ,

If single-load liquid laundry packets are not safely stored out of reach and sight of young children they can attract dangerous interest from curious little ones. While single load liquid laundry packets are proven to be very effective in cleaning our kid’s dirty, grimy clothes, keeping them safely away, out of reach and sight of small children is the best method to prevent accidents from happening including unintended ingestion and exposure to the eyes.

In July I announced that I am working with the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) on a sponsored campaign to help spread the message about laundry safety, especially when it comes to using, storing and handling single-load liquid laundry packets. Today I’d like to expand on that and share more safety information and tips from a safe laundry room and routine that child safety expert, Kimberlee Mitchell, recently shared with us.

Have children? Chances are that your laundry room is one of the most used rooms in your home. Did you know that your laundry room is also a potential danger zone? In addition to the possible hazards like a hot iron being knocked off the ironing board or closing a tiny hand in the washing machine door, the laundry room is often where many household cleaning products are stored.

Your young children should not be allowed into the laundry room area, it is not a playroom. The best way to prevent accidents from taking place is to keep it an off limits room If this is not possible, always store household cleaning products, including single-load liquid laundry packets, up high out of reach and sight, preferably behind a locked cabinet or drawer.

Making Safety a Top Priority in the Home

Speaking from experience as a mom of two, small children like to imitate the adults in a household. Now if only they would imitate them when we actually want them to! If you are doing laundry then naturally, your young kids will want to help. Many parents allow toddlers to help by letting them add the laundry detergent to the washer or assist with removing clothing from the dryer.

These are chores that are typically delegated to “mommy’s little helpers”.

Instead of this type of activity it would be better to think of tasks that take place outside of the laundry room environment. Then they will not be exposed to household cleaners such as detergents and bleaches which could pose a hazard.

Parents should make the laundry room an Off Limits area of the home. Instead of bringing kids into a hazardous area take the freshly cleaned laundry to another room and then have your children help you as you sort and fold the clothing.

If you prefer to dry your laundry on an outdoor line the kids could be encouraged to help with this task as well. This would be a good way for both you and your child to enjoy some bonding time on a bright, sunny day.

Take the KEY Pledge for your family

KEY PLEDGE for Parents

Every parent should become aware of how important it is to take the KEY pledge to a safe laundry room and routine. Signing up is easy to do, and you will be making a pledge to put safety first to ensure you and your family are clean and safe.

As a bonus, each individual who agrees to take the KEY pledge will have their name automatically entered in a sweepstakes contest. The winner will receive a grand prize of $2500***.

You can commit to the safety and health of your child by taking the KEY pledge today!

When you take the KEY pledge your household will be added to those listed on the site’s heat/tracking map. This is a quick and fun way to determine how many consumers in your state have also agreed to follow a safe laundry routine.

Pledge your support for a safe laundry room and routine and you just might be the one who wins the $2500 prize***

KEY Pledge Heat Map

Always Follow these Simple and Safe Laundry Rules

  • Kimberlee suggests that even adults should never handle single load liquid laundry packets with wet or damp hands.
  • After you purchase single-load liquid laundry packets, as soon as you bring them into your home, store them safely away up high, out of reach and sight.
  • Never let your child handle or play with any single-load liquid laundry packets.

  • Keep the single load laundry packets and other household cleaning products out of a child’s sight. “Out of Sight Is Out of Mind.”

  • Leave the original safety labels on the containers and make sure that you understand the directions before using single-load liquid laundry packets.

  • Store single load laundry packs in locked cabinets or on shelves that are too high for a child to reach.

  • Keep your laundry room as clutter free as possible so you can always have a clear view of any reachable surface to make sure nothing harmful was left within your child’s reach.

  • Teach each child in your family that colorful single-load detergent packets are not something to be played with, they are not toys and must be left alone.

  • *In the event of an emergency keep the Poison Control Center phone number (1-800-222-1222) – available at all times.

Child Safety Expert Kimberlee Mitchell Weighs In

Kimberlee Mitchell is the owner of a California baby-proofing company named “Boo Boo Busters”. She is also recognized as a devoted child safety expert.. Kimberlee has provided baby-proofing services to more than 5000 homes in California and is happy to be able to lend her voice and support to the KEY Pledge campaign.

Kimberlee has also been collaborating with the ACI on a laundry safety video series which will be rolled out over the next couple of months. Every parent or caregiver with young children needs to watch this eye-opening video to learn about the proper storage, usage and handling of single-load liquid laundry packets. Education and awareness is KEY to avoiding unintended ingestion and eye exposure. View video #1 here: http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/clean_living/safe_laundry_room.aspx

Sweepstakes information:

***NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

Ends on December 31, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Open to legal residents of 50 U.S. and DC, 21 and older. Void where prohibited. Official Rules:http://www.keypledge.com/Keypledge/TermsConditions.html.

My participation with American Cleaning Institute is compensated. All opinions are my own.

Cleaning Up After Kids with BISSELL PowerGlide Vacuums with Lift Off Technology + BISSELL Promo Code

Cleaning & Cleaners

This post brought to you by BISSELL Homecare, Inc.. All opinions are 100% mine.

School is back in session and so are sports.  What does that have to do with vacuuming you ask?

EVERYTHING!

It never fails that as soon as we get home from lacrosse or soccer, along with the sports equipment, dirt and grass get dragged into the house.  It would be very smart of me to hold off on vacuuming until after sports but being the way I am, whenever I see a leaf or dirt on the carpet I immediately vacuum it up.  I can’t stand seeing gunk on the floor.  That goes for my car too. I keep meaning to get a handheld vacuum just to keep in the car but I always forget.  One of these days.

Here are the steps we take when after sports games or practices these days to help combat big messes.. or so I thought:

  1. Wipe off soccer ball, lacrosse stick, self, gear bag, etc… before we get in the car after practice or game
  2. Take shoes off in the car and put them in a bag
  3. Here’s where trouble happens.. my daughter forgets that she wiped her ball off and kicks it from the car to the house getting the soccer ball and her socks dirty
  4. and.. my son just HAS to bounce and pick up the lacrosse ball with the lacrosse stick a few times before making it to the front door.
  5. This leads to grass and dirt STILL getting in the house

BUT.. I’ve learned..

to have my 14-year-old vacuum the messes.. right away!  Yes!! I’m finally figuring this whole parenting thing out.

The BISSELL PowerGlide with Lift-Off Technology makes it easy for parents to quickly and practically effortlessly clean up messes left behind by kids and pets.  This vacuum is powerful, yet lightweight enough to quickly tackle all sorts of messes.  We have two flights of stairs in our home and because I’m so darn smart, 🙂 I came up with the bright idea of having a full size vacuum on both levels of the house.  But.. when one of the vacuums went kaput I had to get the other vacuum up the stairs and I was not thrilled about that.  Which vacuum was left?  Our 20 pound vacuum, that’s which one!  Where many vacuums are around 20 pounds these days because of all of the powerful features, most of the BISSELL vacuums are right around 16 pounds.

BISSELL PowerGlide Vacuum with Lift Off Technology Key Features:

  • No loss of suction
  • One-step removable pod for portable cleaning (love this!)
  • Long-stretch hose (great for cleaning steps and ceiling fans)
  • Swivel steering for easy maneuverability
  • Adjustable handle for easy use and storage
  • 12-inch foot for stability
  • Large capacity dirt cup
  • 27-foot cord (wow!)
  • Included TurboBrush and crevice tool (perfect for car cleaning)

Do you use your vacuum to..

  • clean out kitchen cabinets once every few months?
  • get the dust off your vents?
  • clean your computer keyboards?
  • get the crumbs from under the stove and refrigerator?

Vacuums with crevice attachments and powerful suction like the BISSELL PowerGlide vacuums can help with these daunting tasks that really should be done at least once a month.

Did I miss any odd and end uses?

Check out the BISSELL cleaning tips and enter to win their sweepstakes on Facebook.  To enter to win a BISSELL PowerGlide with Lift-Off Technology vacuum, all you need to do is share a photograph of a spectacular mess that only a vacuum can tackle.  If your house is like my house, that will be a cinch!

BISSELL Promo Code!

Use the promo code POWERGLIDE through 11/30/2013 to get $20 off plus free shipping on the following products:

  • PowerGlide Pet Vacuum with Lift-Off Technology
  • PowerGlide Pet Bagged Rewind Vacuum
  • PowerGlide Pet Vacuum

Alicia, The Mommy Insider blog author

Visit Sponsor's Site

Single-Load Liquid Laundry Packet Safety Tips and Take the New KEY Pledge Today!

Cleaning & Cleaners, Health, Safety, ,

My 13 year old does his own laundry and I am absolutely thrilled about that. I have decided however, not to push my daughter who is 7, into helping me with laundry until she’s a few years older, despite her desire to help. I am a believer that parents should not put their kids at risk just to learn something that they can just as easily learn when they are older and more capable of remembering the proper techniques. You wouldn’t teach a 1-year-old to ride a bike or an 11-year-old to drive would you? My personal belief is that you should consider waiting until your child is about 10 years old before you teach him how to do laundry and hand over laundry responsibilities to him or her.

American Cleaning Institute KEY Plege

It is important to make everyone aware of the need for safety when using, storing, and handling the new, concentrated packs of single-load liquid laundry packets. Single-load liquid laundry packets, when handled, used, and stored properly are a convenient, easy-to-use product to help get your laundry done more efficiently and effectively.

The convenience of these products is a boon to adults but it’s important to remember these packets contain highly concentrated detergent and need to be treated like any other household cleaning product, stored safely up and away – out of sight and reach According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), in 2012, poison centers received reports of 6,229 unintended exposures to highly-concentrated packets of laundry detergent by children 5 and younger..Thanks to ACI (American Cleaning Institute) there is now a safety education program aimed to equip consumers with the proper education and awareness on how to properly use, handle and store singleload liquid laundry packets. The name of this consumer program is the KEY Pledge Laundry Safety Campaign.

Parents should take the American Cleaning Institute’s KEY Pledge keypledge.com, because we all play a KEY role in laundry safety. Parents, caregivers and adults can all BE THE KEY to a safe laundry room and routine; we should all be aware of the simple, safety steps when it comes to properly using, storing and handling the new single-load liquid laundry packets to ensure our family’s safety.

And by taking the KEY Pledge, you will have access to the following:

  • Track KEY pledges and follow pledge progress across the nation and in your home on a heat map. Check out how your area is doing!
  • Enter a sweepstakes** for a chance to win a $2,500 grand prize to help makeover your laundry room

Single-load Liquid Laundry Packets Safety Tips

  • Do not let children handle laundry packets
  • Do not puncture or pull packets apart
  • Store out of child’s sight and reach
  • Keep the packet’s package closed and in a dry place
  • Packets quickly dissolve upon contact with water, wet hands, or saliva so it is necessary to keep them dry

Here are a few additional safety tips to keep in mind when you have single-load liquid laundry packets in your household with children:

1. If there is a reason to believe a child may have been exposed to the contents of a single-load liquid laundry packet call the Poison Help Line immediately. The # is 1-800-222-1222.

2. Store these packets in the same safe manner as you would store any other household cleaning product such as drain cleaners, toilet bowl products and bleach.

3. You know that a child should wear a safety belt when riding in a car. Parents are also aware that they should teach children safety measures when they are crossing a street. Treat the handling and use of single-load liquid laundry packets with this same degree of concern and caution.

4. Take the time to carefully read the warning statement on laundry products. Even if you have been using one of these cleaning products for months (or years).

Be safe. Be careful. Be responsible. Education is the KEY to your family’s laundry safety.

All children are different; even your own children. You might think that because your first child didn’t try to get into the laundry detergent or other cleaning supplies, that your youngest will be the same and so you store cleaning supplies in a less safe place than you might if your first child did have issues with getting into things.

Don’t think that way. Just because your first child always looks twice before crossing a busy street, doesn’t mean that your second child will think the same way, right? You get what I’m saying.

Keep your home safe for you and your children. Visit keypledge.com and pledge to be the KEY to a safe laundry room and routine.

What do you use every day that could have millions of germs on it?

Cleaning & Cleaners, , ,

Bounty DuraTowel review

I have two kids who like most kids make a huge mess in less than 5 minutes so you will never find me far from a cleaning product.  I’m on constant alert, just waiting for the next mess to happen when I’ll need a dishcloth or paper towel, carpet cleaner, or stain remover, for a mess that someone has made.

I used dish cloths to clean up messes in our kitchen for years.  I used reusable dish cloths because I didn’t like the idea of throwing away paper towel after paper towel.

My mom even made me about a dozen beautiful knit dish cloths and I used them to clean anything and everything in the kitchen.   The knit dish cloths are soft and pretty.  However, the knit didn’t help combat the dishcloth smell I experienced with ‘regular’ dish cloths.

To top it off, it seems that everyone in my family feels the need to use a new dishcloth every time we clean a surface.

Why do I use a new dishcloth almost every time I need one?

  1. After just one day there can be millions of germs on a dishcloth.  Read Prevention Magazine’s 10 Worst Germ Hot Spots for more on this.
  2. Used dish cloths smell and I don’t purposely touch smelly things.
  3. I have no idea what my husband or son used a dishcloth on, so why would I want to use it to clean my kitchen counters?   They have been known to clean spills off the floor with a dishcloth and put it back on the sink to reuse later.  Yuck!

DuraTowel paper towel by Bounty

 

Isn’t the idea of re-depositing something that you wiped off one surface, onto another surface gross?  I think so.  So when there was a dishcloth on the sink that I didn’t use in the past day, I put it in the dirty laundry and replaced it with a new clean dishcloth.  Also, it’s a well-known fact that germs thrive on moistness so what do you think happens to a wet dishcloth as it’s hanging on the side of the sink?  The germs on it multiply!  Most people hang a used dishcloth on the edge of their kitchen sink which does not allow the dishcloth to completely dry.   What do you use a dishcloth or paper towel for in the first place?  To clean surfaces and get rid of germs!

DuraTowel paper towel by Bounty

I’m not suggesting that you use dozens of paper towels a day.  I use paper towels sparingly.  This week I tried Bounty’s new DuraTowel paper towel and like other Bounty paper towels I’ve used, 1 wet DuraTowel cleaned all of my kitchen counters.  I used another to clean door knobs and handles.
DuraTowel paper towels are very absorbent and are soft enough to feel like a dishcloth.
Designed with more fibers that hold together even when wet, Bounty DuraTowel feels and cleans like a cloth to tackle the toughest projects.  In a secure P&G lab demonstration, a black  light revealed that even after rinsing a used dish  cloth can still drag around old clean-ups. A fresh  DuraTowel leaves surfaces three times cleaner than  a used dishcloth.*

In a secure P&G lab demonstration, a black light reveals that even after rinsing, a used dishcloth can still drag old clean-ups around. However, when you start fresh with a Bounty DuraTowel, you can feel good about tackling tough jobs knowing your DuraTowel will leave surfaces three times cleaner than a used dishcloth.*

My Dishcloth Germ & Bacteria Test Results

The P&G Research & Development team conducted ATP (see below for explanation) testing on a dishcloth that I used for several days and the results were 18,262!  As you can see, after only three day’s use, my dishcloth harbored millions of germs and bacteria.

The ATP test is a process of rapidly measuring actively growing microorganisms through detection of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.  ATP is a molecule found in and around living cells, and as such it gives a direct measure of biological concentration and health. ATP is quantified by measuring the light produced through its reaction with the naturally occurring firefly enzyme luciferase using a luminometer. The amount of light produced is directly proportional to the amount of living organisms present in the sample.

DuraTowel has a suggested retail price of $3.19.

I am a compensated P&G blogger.  All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Related post: Do you clean like a tortoise or a hare?

Meet My New Kitchen Assistant, Cascade Platinum

Cleaning & Cleaners, ,

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

My son is 13 and one of his household responsibilities is to do the dishes.  Believe you me, it has been difficult to pass that chore on to him.  About 80% of the time I have to go back and rinse the dishes that he’s already put in the dishwasher off, again, before the dishwasher can be run.  You may ask why I don’t catch the fact that he’s leaving food on the dishes in the first place.  Well, that is because I am a firm believer in letting him try then my plan is to go back and correct any errors.  I don’t police the kids while they are cleaning.

My intention is to will check the dishes that he put in the dishwasher as soon as he is finished loading it, but 99% of the time when he is ready for me to check it, I am putting my daughter to bed or in the middle of something else, so I don’t check. I say “I trust that you did a good job” and leave it at that.  Needless to say, it’s about time to have a real lesson in how to rinse dishes and place them in the dishwasher properly.

I was thrilled when I learned about Cascade Platinum Pacs because they claim to “Power away tough, 24 hour stuck-on food”.  It’s a miracle, right?

Cascade Platinum Pacs Review

My Experience with Cascade Platinum Pacs

The bag that the pacs are stored in is easy to open and shuts securely with a durable zip/lock type of closure.  When I opened the package, the first thing I noticed was the scent which is pleasing and mild.  The pacs are colorful and seem to be zoned off into different sections which is the triple action recipe (see ‘how it works’ below).  I have handled other detergent packs and I was worried that they were going to crumble in my hand, they felt flimsy.  These pacs though, did not feel like that.   They actually feel like plastic and Cascade Platinum Blogger Review through Mom CentralI was not worried about it crumbling.

Placing the pac in the dispenser is obviously a cinch.  I was a tad concerned that the strong outer shell might not dissolve completely during the wash cycle, but it did.  During the cycle, the pleasant scent was released into our kitchen, which I appreciate.  I’m always looking for ways to mask the odor of dirty shoes, pets, etc.. This is easy!

Once the wash cycle was complete, the pac was gone and our dishes were shiny, streak-free, and grime-free.   I made a point to not scrub everything off of the dishes for this load so I could see the cleaning power of the pacs for myself.

Another thing that I noticed is that my dishwasher was less grimy and cleaner after using a Cascade Platinum Pac.  Before using the pac, our dishwasher had dull white streaks going down the inside of the door, where the dispenser is, and the sides of the dishwasher had the same streaks.  After using a Cascade Platinum Pac, the streaks were gone.  I haven’t really taken the cleanliness of our dishwasher into consideration in the past but now that it’s clean again, I know that I like it better when it’s clean.

* The story ends with me having a fabulous new kitchen assistant, one that I don’t have to feed, bathe, or pay allowance to, and I have given my son a different responsibility.  His newest responsibility is to deliver everyone’s laundry to and from the laundry room.  Fair trade, I think.

About Cascade Platinum Pacs

How it works:
Cascade© Platinum pacs feature an advanced triple action recipe that is specially designed to leave dishware virtually spot-free and help prevent the build-up of hard-water film on dishwasher walls.* *Use a dishwasher cleaner to remove existing build-up on wall interiors.

Why you need it:
Cascade© Platinum pacs achieve a top-tier clean so powerful that they even help keep your dishwasher machine sparkling and deliver a variety of dish care benefits:

  • Powers away tough, 24 hour stuck-on food
  • Eliminates the need to pre-wash dishes
  • Helps maintain the look of new machines and helps prevent additional hard-water build-up
  • Delivers exceptional dishware shine

As with any household cleaner, it is extremely important to keep this product out of reach of children!

Cascade Partners with Gail Simmons!

Now, more than ever, people eat with their eyes, and the evidence is all over sites like Facebook and Instagram. With that in mind, Top Chef judge and editor of Food+Wine magazine, Gail Simmons, has partnered with Cascade to discuss why presentation is just as important as preparation.

What Gail Simmon’s Says: 

It’s more than just a great-­‐tasting recipe, but also perfect presentation. Sparkling dishes, shining flat ware and spot-­‐free glasses truly let you put your best food forward with culinary creations that pop!Learn more about Cascade’s partnership with Gail Simmons by viewing videos available on the Link to the Cascade Facebook page  and Cascade YouTube page.

Cascade contest

Cascade is hosting “My Platinum” Contest- a four week Instagram contest encouraging fans to upload photos related to the weekly contest themes.   Show off how sparkly Cascade makes all your pots, pan and plates!

  • Visit the contest landing page for information on how to enter and submit images.
  • Each week, two contestants will be selected to receive a brand new Whirlpool dishwasher. Additionally, one lucky grand prize winner will receive a Platinum kitchen makeover!

To win, users have to both register and upload a photo with the #MyPlatinum hashtag and tag @MyCascade.

You must first register here to win!

Each week will have a 6-day entry period where Instagram users can enter the contest with their #MyPlatinum Photo. Cascade will choose two weekly winners and one final grand prize winner after the entry period has ended. Please be sure to include both the #MyPlatinum hashtag and tag @MyCascade in your entries to the contest!

  • Week 1: My Platinum Plate (Entry Period: 6/3-6/9)
    Show us your best dish styled from the sparkling plate up!
  • Week 2: My Platinum Bite (Entry Period: 6/10-6/16)
    Show us your best bite and most creative use of sparkling silverware!
  • Week 3: My Platinum Clink (Entry: 6/17-6/23)
    Show us how you serve up creative concoctions in sparkling glasses. Cheers!
  • Week 4: My Platinum Table (Entry Period: 6/24-6/30)
    Show us your sparkling tablescape for your most special celebrations!
  • Grand Prize Winner (Entry: 6/3-6/30)

Cascade Platinum Online

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.