Vacuum/Floor Cleaners:

• DustBuster

Invented by Mark Proett in 1979 for Black & Decker, the “dustbuster” has become a genericized trademark for handheld vacuum cleaners.  Perfect for sucking up hard to reach cereal bits in car seats.

• Swiffer: Dry, Wet, Vacuum

Possibly one of the greatest floor cleaning inventions of all time, Swiffer now does just about everything; it sweeps, mops and vacuums.  There is just something so satisfying in seeing dirt and grime and spills get demolished by Swiffer cloths.

• Toy Dozer

A fun and quick way for kids to clean up their toys.  Resorting might be required.

Surface Cleaners:

• Fantastik/409/Vinegar

All-purpose cleaners are essential to have around.  If you run out of store-bought cleaner, try just using a vinegar and water solution.  It may smell kind of bad, but it does the trick.

• Lysol/Clorox Wipes

Have you run out of paper towels, or think they’re a drain on the environment?  Using wipes cuts down on the number of steps in the cleaning process.

• Windex

It is inconclusive if Windex really is a cure-all, a la the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but it does do a wonderful job on glass.

• Pledge

For your wood pieces, nothing is better than good ol’ Pledge.  Especially the lemon scented kind.  Mmmmm, lemons.

• Bar Keeper’s Friend

This is a new one to me, but apparently it’s good for kitchen, bathroom and garage uses.  No need to get more than

one product to clean those countertops and golf clubs.

• Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser

It’s magic!  Well, it seems like it is, anyway.  This little scrubber really gets the grime, and there’s no extra spray needed.

• WD-40

Who knew that WD-40 gets crayon off walls?  Only a mother would figure that out.  Or need to figure that out.

Dishes:

• Steel Wool

Can anything really compete with steel wool for those hard to clean pots and pans?

• Dapple Dish Detergent

Created by 2 women who wanted a safer cleaner for baby dishes and toys (or things that go into a child’s mouth most often), Dapple products natural-based ingredients that are environmentally safe and free of synthetic dyes and fragrances.

Laundry:

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Companies across the globe mark the day with special programs and events to honor our planet and raise environmental awareness.  Philips announced today that they will be offering its most technologically advanced LED bulb to consumers for the first time this Earth Day.  It is the most energy efficient bulb in the world.

“Because the new bulb is 83% more energy efficient than the standard 60-Watt incandescent, consumers can now experience new savings for their pocketbooks by putting this technologically advanced product to use in their homes,” said Ed Crawford, GM of Lamps, Lighting Electronics and Controls for Philips Lighting North America.

Wegmans, rated the country’s leading supermarket chain by Consumer Reports, will be holding an Organic Festival with fun activities for the family including mazes, temporary tattoos and organic planting.  If you bring plastic bags to a Wegmans store on Saturday, April 21 between 11 AM and 3 PM you will receive a coupon for one free Wegmans reusable bag.

Since the introduction of their reusable bags in 2007, Wegmans has reduced its plastic bag use by approximately 4,000 bags.  Over the last year or so, Wegmans has developed a plastic bag for their customers that is comprised of 40% of recycled bags those same customers have returned to the store.  And in honor of Earth Day, the store will be showing their first annual Recycling Report Card at the Organic Festival.  Highlights include:

• Wegmans donated 16 million pounds of food to local food banks and pantries and composted 2.3 million pounds of food waste, keeping the equivalent of 215 tractor-trailer loads of food out of landfills.
• 107 million pounds of cardboard and office paper were recycled, saving 598,000 trees.
• 3 million pounds of plastic bags and wrapping were recycled during 2011 – saving the equivalent energy use of 381 homes for one year.

There are so many ways you can join in the festivities this year.  Nothing is too little or too late.  Try to:

• Use environmentally friendly cleaning products to avoid poisonous toxins for both you and the earth.
• Use less water to help conserve the global supply (and reduce costs to your household).
• Recycle, recycle, recycle.  This goes for everything from plastic bottles and bags to aluminum cans to old electronic devices.

What else can you think of to celebrate Earth Day?

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1. Are Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Companies Interested in The Right Type of Green?

There are easy ways to go green at work:

-Use green cleaning products. Green cleaning products are environmentally safe and save you from harmful toxins used in standard cleaning products. Green products won’t aggravate asthma or other allergies. There are green cleaning products for various different surfaces including carpets, hard floors and desktops. Spoterizer-Non Toxic Carpet Stain Removal and Extract Attack-Carpet Extractor are two examples of green carpet cleaners.

Spoterizer-Non Toxic Carpet Stain Removal

-Have a recycling bin next to the garbage can. This way, when cleaning up your office, you can easily toss paper and other recyclable items into the bin and help save the earth. If your office doesn’t have one already, see about starting a recycling program for everyone. Get in touch with your local sanitation department to see how you can do this.

-When you start using green products, consider using plant based products and cleaners in recyclable containers. Safe Care All-Purpose Cleaner and optionsforlife cleaning products are both natural cleaning products that are safe for you and the planet.

-Use less Styrofoam. Everyone has at least one cup of coffee a day at work; chances are the cups that are provided for your use are Styrofoam. If possible, drink out of reusable mugs or from biodegradable cups. Styrofoam does not break down easily and is bad for the environment.

-In your office bathroom, instead of using paper towels, see if you can get air hand dryers. Not only are they more sanitary, but they create less cleanup and are more efficient.

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1. Earth Day
2. Are Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Companies Interested in The Right Type of Green?
3. Making Office Cleaning Both Safe and Green

1) For The Inner Peaceful

The product description for The Desktop Zen Garden from the site says it all:

Who would have guessed that “going to your happy place” could mean that you’re at work? With this meditative, desktop Zen garden, you can soothe away all your workday worries in style. Housed in an unvarnished wooden frame, the striking black sand invites you to create calming patterns in its surface using the included handmade brushed aluminum rake. Resting in the black sand, called Black Beauty, which is a byproduct of ore smelting, are three smooth, natural sea stones that can be repositioned to create ever-changing tableaus. Each stone is functional as well as beautiful: one holds the rake and your pen, one has a slot for displaying up to 5 business cards, and one contains a hidden magnet for securing paperclips. Handmade by Arra David and Anne Johnson in New Hampshire.

2) For The Child Inside

Make sure your boss has a sense of humor before putting this one on your desk:

It holds a pen, post-its, tape and even paperclips in the bowl (the “bottom” is magnetized for easy paperclip retrieval).  What more could one ask for in a commode?

3) For Those Who Don’t Get Dizzy

There are a number of rotary organizers, but this one had the best features.  It has places for pens, post-its, tape, paperclips, and other accessories you deem important.

4) For The Neat Freak

This one raises everything off your desk to keep it clear while providing a place for just about anything you might need.  It can hold up to 53 lbs of stuff!

5) For The Constantly Connected

Are you the type of person who has an iPhone, a Blackberry, a regular cell phone, an mp3 player and several other electronic devices?  Well, this organizer is made for you.  You can charge up to 6 different things at once (I assume there are holes for cords for the bottom 3 slots as well).

6) For The Packrat

Have tons of cassettes that are now worthless (either because tape players are virtually extinct or because you realized the music is just so bad)?  Why not do what this person did on Etsy.com?  Glue your cassette tapes into a desk organizer!

7) For The Space-Challenged

Is your desk too small, or the de facto filing cabinet?  This organizer is a space-saver.  The mouse pad lifts up to reveal compartments for stuff, it has a removable calculator, and a ruler.  What more could you ask for?

Which category do you fall under?

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Cyber Clean — Cyber Clean is perfect for cleaning keyboards and things with buttons and small crevices.  The elastic, dough-like substance can reach into nooks and crannies to absorb dirt and other residues where regular dusters or cleaning cloths cannot.  It doesn’t leave a residue, has no harmful chemicals, is reusable and 100% bio-degradable.  Plus, it’s like using a cross between Silly Putty and Gak (remember Gak?).  Who doesn’t like Silly Putty and Gak (without the smell)?

Cyber Clean

Evriholder Slipper Genie — If your office has hardwood or tile floors, this has got to be the most fun way to clean them.  If you have allergies, sweeping the floor can cause breathing problems from all the dirt and dust it kicks up.  And it’s very hard to get it all.  With these, you don’t have to expend so much energy or go into an asthmatic coughing fit.  (For really dirty floors, try the Flip-Flop Mop.)

Evriholder Slipper Genie

Archie McPhee’s Public Toilet Survival Kit — This one is not so much a gadget as I just thought it was hilarious.  It’s handy if you travel a fair amount for work.  The kit includes 1 toilet seat cover, 2 antiseptic wipes, and 1 pair of disposable gloves.

Public Toilet Survival Kit

Dirt Devil Kurv Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner — This is basically just a glorified dust buster.  But the shape is terrific.  It’s like having a functional sculpture in your office!  It’s rechargeable, doesn’t require bags, and weighs only 2 pounds.

Dirt Devil Kurv Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

Germ Guardian GG-1000 UV-C Air Sanitizer — Like Glade and Airwick air fresheners, the Germ Guardian Air Sanitizer plugs into the wall.  And like those other products, it helps get rid of odors in addition to keeping airborne germs from spreading.  Best for small offices or bathrooms, the GG-1000 uses UV-C light to kill bacteria, viruses, and mold spores.

Germ Guardian Air Sanitizer

USB Beverage Cup Cooler And Warmer — Don’t have space for a hotplate or mini-freezer to keep your drinks hot or cold?  Tired of cold coffee and warm soda?  Try this USB drink holder.  The device plugs into any USB port in your computer so you don’t have to leave your office (or even your chair) to keep your drinks hot or cold.

USB Drink Holder

Makoto Hirahara Bright Blind — My office has windows.  Three of them, actually.  This may sound impressive, considering the size of the office (think postage stamp), but the windows look out to brick building facades on all sides.  You have to bend in all manner of bizarre positions just to see the sky at all.  I count myself lucky as this is Manhattan, and some offices don’t even have that.  For those poor folk, here’s a funky substitution.  The Bright Blind will convince you the sun is shining right outside your nonexistent window.

Makoto Hirahara Bright Blinds

What cool and interesting cleaning supplies and gadgets do you like?

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Eventually, we were able to make our way up to a barrier, right on the street.  Being near City Hall, the end of the route, we figured we had the perfect spot.  I’m short, so whenever I have a clear view, it’s cause for celebration.  Someone in the crowd said where we were standing was the turn-around point.  He was right; it was the turn-around point…for the marching bands and media trucks!  The floats carrying the players and team personnel were across the pavilion and continued on passed us.  Even with the zoom on my camera all the way out, I could barely see the players waving (although, if you zoom in on one of the pictures even more, you can make out Justin Tuck and the Mara family).

That Drum Looks Heavy

However, we did have a front-row…stand to the talented high school marching bands and the bagpipe and drum troupes for the various city departments, including none other than the Department of Sanitation’s (DOS) award-winning Emerald Society Pipes and Drums band and Honor Guard.  Thinking of this blog, I immediately starting taking pictures, especially when a mini-parade of DOS trucks drove by, some of them sporting ironic shreds of toilet paper stuck in the cabs and wheels.  At that point there wasn’t even a whole lot of garbage to clean yet.

DOS Truck Sporting Some TP Ribbons

We watched the mess of paper and tickertape (actually, it’s just shredded newspaper as tickertape is a thing of the past now) accumulate.  People in the surrounding high-rise buildings threw out shredded and full sheets of paper out of windows.  Others tossed whole rolls of toilet paper around as if trying to TP the whole city.  Poppers filled with brightly colored strips of shiny paper exploded over the crowds, covering people, trees, traffic lights and streets alike.  Bits of paper, large and small, flew and wafted lazily on the wind, eventually adding to the debris on the ground.

Just like after New Year’s at Times Square the DOS was at the ready to clean up the tremendous amount of litter and debris.  Approximately 336 men and women operated 30 mechanical sweepers, 14 collection trucks, 129 backpack leaf blowers, and other street cleaning equipment in order to clear the streets.  Any recyclable paper swept up following the parade was recycled.

Look At All The Paper!

Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty said, “The Department has a long-standing tradition of cleaning up after victory parades.  We congratulate the New York Giants on their phenomenal Super Bowl victory, and are honored to be a part of the celebration.”

In parts of the parade route along Broadway the tickertape and other papers was thick enough to make it seem like it was actually a snowy winter’s day, instead of a balmy 40-odd degrees.  It was a beautiful day, in both weather and spirit.  I’m glad I had the opportunity to go, regardless of how far from the team we stood.  Congratulations to the New York Giants on their spectacular Super Bowl win, and to the DOS for a clean-up job of championship proportions.

Related posts:

1. We Are The Champions! Get 10% Off New Monthly Accounts In Celebration!
2. New Year’s In Times Square: The Aftermath

Players may have taken spills on the field all night, but cups of beer and soda, plates of chips and salsa, and all manner of other foods and beverages were spilled on floors and carpets everywhere else. No matter how much space you had for the party, or how few the revelers, messes are inevitable. Pretzels get crushed into carpets, drinks dry into sticky patches on floors. And who wants the bother of cleaning it all up afterwards?

Four Star General Cleaning will do it for you! In honor of the amazing Giants’ win, we are offering 10% off your first monthly bill. Hurry! Offer ends Leap Day, February 29, 2012. Call 212-741-9400 or check out the Four Star website, 4StarCleaning.com to learn more and get a free price quote.

Four Star General Cleaning is a privately-owned professional cleaning company that has provided personalized and quality cleaning services for over 20 years in the New York Tri-state area. Our cleaning programs emphasize personalization — daily, weekly, or monthly — since each business has different needs.

This press release has been distributed by SalemGlobal Internet Interactive Public Relations. Based in New York City, SalemGlobal optimizes websites to increase traffic from search engines, provides lead generation, and improves conversion of site visitors to buyers. Other services include general website marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), ecommerce solutions, content management systems, website hosting, web design and maintenance. For more information, please contact CEO Raphi Salem at 888-578-6732.

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Kitchens can be difficult to keep clean in the best of circumstances.  In an office, when the “kitchen” is really a kitchenette the size of a broom closet (if not the broom closet itself!) being used by 10, 20, 30+ people, it can get pretty disgusting pretty quickly.  Dirty mugs will accumulate by the dozens on a daily basis, spilled coffee will be ignored, used napkins and other disposable items will miss the garbage can and/or be left stranded on floors, counters or tables making the entire area a cesspool of Gross.

It shouldn’t be difficult to keep a small area clean and tidy.  Make sure everyone who uses the kitchenette (or may potentially use it) knows the DOs and DON’Ts of Kitchenette Etiquette:

1. DO keep paper towels and soap (both dish and regular cleanser) by the sink at all times.  Always have something readily available with which to clean up inevitable spills and messes.
2. DO keep extra garbage receptacles (be it cans or bags) around in case the main one is full.  Not having a place to put trash is one of the reasons why it may be left out on tables and counters, or overflowing to the floor.
3. DO throw out all trash!  Empty sugar and oatmeal packets, used paper goods and plasticware, dirty napkins and paper towels, etc. should all be disposed of right away.
4. DON’T leave the vicinity when you have something in the microwave or toaster.  This is a safety hazard!  If put in for too long and left unattended, some things may catch fire and at the very least set off the fire alarm.  This actually happened at a place I once worked, even though there were signs up everywhere saying not to leave the toaster and microwave unattended.  The smoke alarm went off and the fire department had to come (by law), wasting not only our time, but potentially taking the firemen away from more serious cases.
5. DON’T walk away from a spill anywhere, on the floors, counters, fridge or microwave.  If something drips or crumbles, immediately wipe it up, even if that means going to the bathroom down the hall to get toilet paper to use because you’ve run out of paper towels.
6. DON’T leave dirty dishes in the sink or on other surfaces.  Wash them right away!  There’s nothing more aggravating than going to get your morning coffee and seeing plates with caked on food just sitting there, accumulating bacteria and icky-ness.
7. DON’T leave anything in the fridge for more than a week.  Even if it’s in a container and won’t expire for a month, chances are if it’s left in the fridge for over a week, it’ll stay there for that whole month or longer.  Most office kitchenettes only have a mini-fridge anyway, so leaving food in there for a long time just takes up space that other people could use to put their lunch.
8. DO keep all food in the refrigerator in some sort of container or bag.  No food should be left out to stick to the shelves and drip (which, of course, should then be immediately cleaned, see #4 above).
9. DO keep all food and containers covered in the microwave.  The microwave is just about the easiest thing to get dirty.  No one notices/cares to wipe it out when things (especially food with tomato sauce) splatter on the inside.
10. DO wash out the coffee pot at the end of the day.  The person who finishes the pot should be the one to rinse it out.  Nobody wants to come to work in the morning craving that cup of caffeine, only to see that the carafe still has stone cold, day-old coffee in it.
11. DO keep things neat.  Have places set for extra cutlery, mugs, plates, soap, sponges, etc. is an easy way to keep things organized.  Making sure the area is tidy really helps to maintain cleanliness.
12. DO hang a list of these instructions in a visible spot.  If you have documentation on what is expected of everyone using the kitchenette, no one should have an excuse as to why they ignore the rules.
13. DON’T be lenient; provide consequences for those who disregard the rules.  Make sure that everyone knows you mean business.  The consequences are up to you, but enforce them.

These are just a few suggestions.  Feel free to add/subtract more to your own office list as you see fit.  Let me know what your ideas are in the comments section!

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Because they love their customers, for each new client that someone refers to Four Star, they BOTH will get 10% off a full month’s cleaning!  Give your friends and family more than a gift of chocolate this year.  But hurry, this offer only lasts until February 15th.

Four Star General Cleaning is a privately-owned professional cleaning company that has provided personalized and quality cleaning services for over 20 years in the New York Tri-state area.  Four Star’s cleaning programs emphasize personalization — daily, weekly, or monthly — since each business has different needs.

For more information call 212-741-9400, or check out www.4StarCleaning.com.

This press release has been distributed by SalemGlobal Internet Interactive Public Relations. Based in New York City, SalemGlobal optimizes websites to increase traffic from search engines, provides lead generation, and improves conversion of site visitors to buyers. Other services include general website marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), ecommerce solutions, content management systems, website hosting, web design and maintenance. For more information, please contact CEO Raphi Salem at 888-578-6732.

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1. Four Star General Cleaning Announces End Of Year Special: Get 10% off first monthly cleaning
2. We Are The Champions! Get 10% Off New Monthly Accounts In Celebration!
3. Start The New Year Off With A Clean Slate….And Office: Get 1 Week Free Service On New Monthly Accounts

10. Air freshener:

At the very least, it’ll make your office smell clean.

9. Keep Handi Wipes, well, handy:

Emergency cleaning supplies are especially good to have for those unforeseen circumstances.  It’s a shame that only babies and toddlers have spill-proof sippy cups.

8. Hang up coats, jackets, ties, etc.:

If you don’t have a closet, get hooks.  If you work in a cubicle, try suggesting a communal area where everyone can hang up their coats and gear.  Just like in one’s bedroom at home, clothing tossed around equals instant mess.

7. Get a computer brush to get rid of crumbs:

Someone gave me one of those recently and it is my new favorite toy.  As someone who eats at my desk, it really makes [desk] life so much cleaner.  With a simple swipe of the brush crumbs and dust disappear.

6. Keep food in mini-fridge/special drawer, wash out dirty mugs:

I have trouble getting through the day without eating some sort of pick-me-up, so I keep “desk snacks” in a special place nearby.  Keeping lunch or snacks in a designated drawer (mine are under the desk) reduces the amount of visible clutter.  So does getting rid of empty/dirty mugs or cups.  Don’t just get a new cup of coffee; make sure to wash/throw out the old one(s), too.

5. Dispose of extraneous stuff:

Old papers, broken pens, receipts from 2005, a paperweight holding down air…if you aren’t using it, get rid of it.

4. File, file, file:

This one is basic.  Filing cabinets exist for a reason.  Use them!

3. Straighten piles on the desk:

For those things that need to remain on your desk for some purpose, be it they can’t be filed yet, are still being used or whatever, there’s no reason they can’t be neat.  Piles have a way of multiplying themselves like the mops in Fantasia.  At the very least, it won’t look so cluttered.  Keeping the piles contained will probably make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for faster.

2. Have a garbage can nearby:

This is a biggie.  Proximity is everything.  The farther away you have to go to get to a garbage can, the less often you do it and the greater the buildup of trash and junk.  It doesn’t have to be a large receptacle, just something that will fit in your office/workspace near your desk.

1. A place for everything and everything in its place:

As much of a cliché as it is, this old adage is the most important.  For the office or for anywhere in your house, having a drawer, a rack, a shelf, any designated space at all for your stuff is essential.  The counter in my bedroom was always such a mess.  I’d organize it, but within 3 days it would be back to complete chaos.  Someone gave me a small, free-standing shelf, and it has made all the difference.  Along with having little containers to organize other things like medicines, jewelry, etc., my counter has remained organized for weeks.  In- and out-boxes are a blessing, as are desk organizers and pencil holders.  All of these are easily obtainable from Staples or Office Max or any office supply company.

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