“What’s the difference between all the products?”

Usually everyone wants the strongest odor killing available, but the great news is both the regular and “Plus” versions are excellent at knocking out any odor. Seriously; either will work GREAT. The difference is cleaning ability in addition to removing odors. The regular X-O definitely cleans, but the “Plus” seems slightly more effective at stain removal so that’s the one to choose if you want cleaning power.

“I have a pet, which one do I need?”

You’re probably interested in the Plus which is great on urine and other pesky stains like vomit so you get cleaning action plus the odor destroying.

“Should I buy ready to use or mix my own with the concentrate?”

It depends on the laziness factor and how ambitious you are. Our ready to use bottles go to town immediately.  The concentrate has to be mixed with water. You’ll need a Pet 1 bottle (no big deal you probably have some lying around. Just make sure they’ve never held bleach! Rinse thoroughly.) Add 2 ounces of the X-O and fill the 16oz bottle with water. Not so tough, eh? Whether or not you mix it yourself, you’ll find no difference in efficacy (if I spelled that right).

“What’s the best stain fighter?”

We love the Suppressence, which is the site’s signature product. We are constantly amazed at what this stuff does.

“I just need major deodorizing – but I’m tempted to get the cleaning power.”

One thing people agree on is how pleasant the scent of X-O odor neutralizer is. It’s our most popular product – tried and true. Some people think it smells like bubble gum.

So that’s Supressence on the stain front. It is incredible on odors, working to my nose a slight bit faster than the regular X-O (which is already fast). For example, we have a little girl cat who was abandoned because she went to the potty standing — instead of hitting the litter, she would hit the wall as the urine was going straight out, horizontally. We now have a litter box with tall walls (constructed from a giant rubber storage bin), with a door cut in the middle so kitty can walk inside. This powder room as you’d expect takes a lot of abuse on its walls. They are always covered in urine splotches which produce a lot of odor. Thankfully, we have the box in the garage, but still….anyway, I spray the walls with Supressence and everything is instantly fresh. Just like X-O, I don’t worry about the cats coming into contact with any toxic chemicals.

Supressence is a new idea: what if you could get rid of most every household chemical and just have one product in your cleaning bucket as you move around the house? The idea is simplicity, healthiness and environmental responsibility without giving up actual results! I want my house to be sparkling. I won’t use a product that doesn’t get the job done, even if it is natural. The name indicates what it does…it removes odor, dirt and pet smells all throughout your house. If you can clean the bathroom, kitchen, floors, pets, upholstery, laundry and air with it….what more do you need?

Look for Supressence to start shipping later in February.

How do you know if these chemicals are present in products? Unfortunately the article states it can be hard to know as there is no law for disclosure for fragrance ingredients (apparently a common source). I know I’ve certainly wondered about the component parts to “fragrance” on various bottles. Call me paranoid, but I recently tossed some aromatherapy bath lotion made in China. No offense, but I don’t think their quality control can be called exactly rigorous these days. How do I know I’m not bathing in arsenic? The AP article does tip parents to look for phthalate clues such as DEP and DEHP on labels.

It isn’t even 9 AM and Jolene has made a series of decisions that can cause her — and her family — to ingest human carcinogens. Repeated over and over again, month after month, year after year, this accumulated exposure is steadily building up in her body and in those she loves. Let’s take a look at the dangers and ways to counter them.

New studies show that when certain plastics and food and drink mix, minutes amounts of dangerous chemicals may be released into our bodies that may cause cancer, gene mutation and damaging hormonal changes (learn more). Common action that we don’t think much about – say, microwaving that frozen dinner or leaving your water bottle on the seat of the car where it can be heated up by the sun – can intensify the leaching process. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, leading naturalist and integrative medicine specialist, the top plastics to watch out for are Polystyrene (plastic #6), PVC or V plastic wrap (#3) and #7 plastic.

Styrofoam/Polystyrene: commonly used for hot and cold drinks and take out containers. The concern is that the component styrene leaches into your food or drink, a process exacerbated by heat. In lab mice exposed to styrene, damage to their major organs was seen and it’s a potential human carcinogen. What to do: Carry a stainless bottle and transfer your water or coffee into it (it will keep it warmer too). Remove take out food immediately when you get home and transfer to glass. Never, ever microwave or warm this plastic.

PVC wrap: polyvinyl chloride is flexible plastic wrap. At the supermarket, it may be wrapping that wheel of brie, pre-made sandwiches or luncheon meat at the deli. At home, it’s the plastic wrap that you use for leftovers or to wrap up that half of an onion. The problem is chemicals called phtlalates and adipates which are known to be highly toxic to mice. What to do: Choose plastic wrap which does not contain these chemicals. Dr. Andrew Weil recommends Glad Cling Wrap or Saran Cling Plus brands. When buying meats, etc., from the store, get them home and out of their original wrap. Interesting tidbit: The EU bans phtlalates altogether.
#7 Plastic: this bad boy is found in plastic forks & knives and some TV dinners. The problem is the chemical Bisphenol A or BTA, another systemically damaging chemical which can contribute to cancers, miscarriages and more. Did you need another reason to get back to nature with fresh foods? Swearing off microwavable entrees is a great way to begin the new year.
So….what about individually wrapped string cheese? What about pre-washed salad greens? Once you start realizing the huge amount of plastics you come into contact with every day, it’s a bit scary. We’re not saying that you have to be hypervigilant. That’s probably an impossible standard to live up to. Think more in terms of the biggest actions you can take which will net you the biggest results. Probably transferring your bottled water to glass or stainless if you drink from a bottle all day long, every day, is a great way to start. Don’t try to save pennies by sending them through the dishwasher (of course recycle them!) which may accelerate the leaching potential. Promise yourself that you’ll give up microwaving in plastic. And learn to look at the bottom of your commonly purchased products for these safer plastics: PET 1, HDPE, LDPE. I finally ditched my beloved collection of plastic storage container and boxes. They’ve been retired to the garage to hold nuts and bolts and non-ingestibles. I replaced them with a $49 Pyrex set of glass containers with plastic lids (cool as long as they don’t come in contact with your food). Good luck and good health in the new year.

Hmmm…candles smoke? Doinnnngggg. Oops. Hadn’t really ever stopped to think about that. Smoke = bad thing. It’s soot. It’s pollution. Why in the world would you willingly introduce this into your house once you thought about it? You really have reason to worry if your walls start showing soot and/or notice a thin film clinging to objects in the house. That means your candle soot level has jumped the track and is now polluting household-wide.

With asthma increasing 60% in the last two decades, the spotlight is turning on indoor air quality as one contributing factor. The EPA says indoor air is five times worse than outdoor air, even city air.
Happily, there is a way candle lovers can clean up their home air and enjoy their flames. Soy and beeswax candles are non-toxic alternatives to common candle wax. They cost more, but at least soy wax burns significantly longer so you make up for it on the back end. Fragrance free candles are the safest as those which add scent may contain toxic additives.

Keep in mind that deliciously scented incense is another pollutant that adds particulate matter into the air you breathe. Yes, it smells good. So does antifreeze. Unfortunately there isn’t a true healthy alternative to incense. I’ve seen some organic incense which is chemical free, prepared under ideal conditions, and has every good intent… yet it still winds up in your lungs.

First, centralize (segregate) all your cleaning products in one place to sort through and then store. I chose the garage to get them out of the house. If you’re in an apartment and have access to a storage unit, why not place your infrequently used chemicals there? Otherwise compensate for in-home storage by purging products and seeking out natural alternatives for some common cleaners. You’ll probably have lots of duplicates (I find buying glass cleaner is like mayonnaise – it’s one of those things I always think I’m out of). I also discovered I had multiple types of the same cleaner, each craftily designed for a slightly different use. Here’s my count:

• Carpet cleaner (2 types)
• Carpet stain remover
• Upholstery cleaner
• Glass cleaner (3)
• Countertop cleaner
• Tub & tile cleaner (2)
• Oven cleaner
• Lime/water deposit remover
• Silver polish
• Chrome & stainless polish
• Toilet bowl cleaner (2)
• Lemon & orange oil wood cleaner (4)
• Disinfectant cleaner (2)
• Floor cleaner, general
• Hardwood floor cleaner
• Bleach soft scrub (2)
• Dusting cleaner (2)
• Drain declogger (2)
• Steamer cleaner solution
• X-O odor neutralizer (all-natural = OK)

That’s 31 different containers, containing mildly hazardous to potentially fatal-if-inhaled or ingested chemical cocktails! Is this necessary? Must I really have two different types of frothy bubbles to handle my soap scum? (I also have Soap Scum cleaner). Nor does this list contain other chemicals such as laundry detergent, bleach, stain treatment, chemical coated dryer sheets, dishwashing detergent, nail polish remover, etc. Do you have paint in the house? Pesticides to handle the roaches? Wood stripper? Candles? Incense? All of these affect your air quality. Are you getting the picture?

Sort through your products and be tough about discarding multiples. Remember your goal is to reduce the concentration of emissions so duplicate items needlessly increase your risk. While you’re at it, root out old paint, strippers and combustible products. Almost every city has hazardous waste collection drop-off. If your paint gallon only has a little paint left, put it in a mason jar for touchups and discard the metal can properly.

Healthy Cleaning
Ironically many huge companies that make the big brand cleaners actually use natural essential oils because there’s simply nothing better than oils like pine or orange for powerful cleaning. The problem is, they don’t stop there but add other chemicals to make these cleaners more efficient or extend their shelf life.

Many of these cleaning products exist simply for convenience. Did you know that 2 natural ingredients will do 90% of your household cleaning?
A gallon jug of white vinegar is nature’s wonder cleaner. The second is baking soda. Between these two products, you can do most home cleaning tasks including glass cleaning, tub & shower, soap scum, mildew, floors, shining sinks, oven and appliance cleaning, scouring, toilets, mineral deposits in showerheads and faucets, even drain cleaning. The vinegar smell goes away quickly. And straight vinegar kills 99% of bacteria.
Scrubbing paste: 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Use to clean oven, microwave, stove.
Toilets: Use undiluted vinegar – it’s acidic and great on rings. Flush and before water rises, scrub down with vinegar.
Shining sinks: use straight vinegar on a sponge, rinse thoroughly.
Floors: Diluted vinegar works wonderfully on hardwood and tile (just make sure it’s diluted – undiluted vinegar can eat at grout). Mix a bucket of water with 1/4 cup vinegar. For a really dirty floor, add a couple drops of dishwashing liquid or the juice of a whole lemon.
Silver cleaner: mix 1 teaspoon of water with 3 teaspoons of baking soda.
Glass & Shower: 5 cups water, 1 cup vinegar
Laundry: Instead of fabric softener AND to get rid of lint sticking to darks, add 1/2 cup vinegar to your rinse cycle.
Drain Declog: Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda in your drain. Follow with 1 cup of vinegar. Let them froth for 5 minutes then follow by flushing drain with hot water.
Furniture polish: 1/2 cup olive oil with 1/2 cup lemon or orange juice (squeeze direct from fruit).
I mentioned candles and incense earlier. I didn’t realize that my precious candles can introduce far more than good scents into the air. At a minimum they produce soot, but also potential carcinogens like benzene, tolulene, and formaldehyde. Choose beeswax or soy candles which are cleaner burning than petroleum based candles with cotton wicks (no metal wire inside). Avoid “long burning” candles which frequently contain additives.

Good article on candle issues:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls/candle_tips.htm

The feeling of smelling comes from detecting an odorant molecule in the air at whatever part per million (humans, though not as sophisticated as animals, can still differentiate between thousands of scents). The molecules hit your sensory receptors in a handy area called the olfactory epithelium, located high up in your nose, which contains tiny sensory neurons and cilia. Proteins created when the molecules dissolve in the mucus activate a message sent to the brain: “Hey, process this smell, will you?” Smell is really an interaction in the body between inhaled odor molecules and receptors which generate an electrical signal.Some experts speculate that up to 78% of what you taste is really your sense of smell. Both smell and taste (gustation) are called the chemical senses because they’re all about detecting chemicals (and of course everything’s made up of chemicals naturally – even you). Recent gene studies have discovered at least 1,000 genes related to sense of smell – a large proportion of the total estimated 30,000 – 50,000 protein coding genes.

So how do those odor molecules actually make it to your nose in the first place? They need to be “volatile” which sounds scary as if they’re going to explode any moment or go on a rampage. It really just means that the thing which has the odor is constantly emitting or evaporating small amounts of molecules that in turn are tiny enough to enter the nose and dissolve in the mucus. According to the EPA, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) occur in much higher concentrations indoors than outdoors (up to 10X higher). Thousands of products give off VOCs from the magic marker in your kitchen drawer to the cleaning supplies under the sink to the carpet on the floor. Many common household products give off odors that may be undetectable to your nose, but nonetheless are present in the environment. Multiply this by all the cans, sprays, jugs and bottles of products and you begin to think….do I really want all this in my house? But that’s a topic for another time. To learn more about Indoor Air Quality by the EPA visit here.

We’ve all grown up with the baking soda trick. Does it really work to free your refrigerator from food odors? Recently, I experimented with another closed environment: my car. There was a bad smell from spoiled food under the seat. I used one of the Arm & Hammer boxes that are specifically designed for odor removal (you pop the cardboard and a netting-like screen protects the baking soda from spilling out). I gave it a couple of days and while there was some reduction, the smell was still present.

Here’s how you handle the problem with X-O. If you have a food that is causing an unpleasant smell, remove it and then crumple a paper towel into a small cup, pour X-O over it, and set in the refrigerator door to remove odors.

To correct bigger problems like the transfer of odor into refrigerator insulation, perform a thorough cleaning first. Unplug the refrigerator, empty it, and wash walls, rubber seals, everything, down thoroughly with X-O. Place the paper cup containing the X-O in the door afterward. Limit use of the refrigerator for several hours.