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germz be gone logo baby car seat cleaning, stroller cleaning baby gear cleaning disinfectant fogging

Category: How To

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    Explore Why We Clean: Looking Back to the Future

    Why do we do clean? What sparked its evolution? If we take the time to think about this subject maybe we can come up with better ways of cleaning, indeed, better ways of protecting ourselves and our families. In this post, I’ll provide my own analysis of why we clean and hopefully spark a conversation bucking current practices and moving us toward a new era of cleaning.

    Paleo Clean(se)

    Long before paleo diets became a lifestyle choice, people dwelled in caves. They hunted animals for meat. They gathered other edible sources of nutrition. More than likely, at first anyway, they consumed their prey and what they gathered on the spot rather than return back to the cave with it. It may not have been long; however, that the necessity to take their food togo was born and back to the cave they went with the day’s meal in tow.

    Caves didn’t come with laminate or tile flooring. Instead rocks and dirt were responsible for the ambience. So cleaning back then was not for the purposes of removing dirt. I’m sure our ancestors found that if they left their old bones and food scraps in the cave, they would invite unwanted predators. Rather than place their lives at risk, after finishing a meal, cleaning consisted of throwing out the unused and unwanted food scraps from the cave. The very crux of modern-day cleaning evolved from there as a means to rid our environment from threats to our survival as an animal species. Simply: cleaning is a human trait we need for survival.

    Vanity Fair

    Some time ago, cleaning became engrained in our instinct and a periodic ritual ensued. Around that same time, families became clans, clans became tribes, tribes became villages, and societal structures shifted from more utilitarian to aristocratic. People sought the advantages of cleaning and “elites” in societies began to exploit their perceived power. Cleaning didn’t necessarily shift from a mode of survival to a status symbol; the survival aspect will always remain. Rather, the reason why folks clean now included a new perception of status, wealth and power.

    As we know today, keeping a clean home requires tons of time, which typically requires more than one or two people keeping it clean. Back then, though–we’re talking since the dawn of civilization as we know it–if the family wasn’t big enough, help was hired or slaves and indentured servants performed housekeeping duties amongst other things. The cleaner the home, the wealthier the family. One could argue this reason of status stills hold true, minus the slaves in most cases (I’ll save the dehumanizing of service workers for a later post).

    Matter of Pride

    For those who couldn’t afford the help or were slaves themselves, keeping a clean home and having good hygiene carried an additional component to the reason: self-esteem. I say “added,” because the perception of wealth and power still exists; however, if not possessed by an individual, the fallback is usually pride, self-esteem and self-respect. This reason of self-respect also holds true today. No matter one’s station in life, cleanliness can always be achieved and some form of self-respect maintained.

    Extremist Thought

    The discovery of bacteria and pathogens not only reconstituted the instinctual, survival reason of why we clean, but took it to the extreme. The idea of “kill everything we can’t see” made sense at the time. People died for no apparent reason. So if there was something we couldn’t see that was killing us, by any means…get rid of it. Our reasons for cleaning now included a fear factor.

    Unfortunately, some people saw a profit to be made and a plethora of concoctions were created and sold in the marketplace. An entire multi-billion-dollar industry that we see today was born from the extreme and overuse of antiseptics. Antiseptics, disinfectants, sanitizers and so on were used in every way imaginable and unimaginable (see Lysol used as birth control and douche).

    What’s Worse?

    The perversion of biological science for profit has proven dangerous. Marketers haunt people’s fears, promise convenience, and hide the negative side effects of the chemicals used in the very products they promote–all while exacerbating the issue. The birth of superbugs has risen more in the last decade as our societies use of anti-life chemicals becomes more ubiquitous. The time, money, and effort spent in fighting respiratory issues caused by chemicals, for instance, shows up in extra doctor visits, inhalers, and missed opportunities at work or in the classroom. Is a $3.99 bottle of bleach for the sake of white socks worth $156 in copays, medication, missed wages, with no real results to show for it? So why, then, do we keep using chemicals to clean? Fear and fear itself.

    Snake Oil

    We’ve been brainwashed to think certain chemicals clean and sanitize better than others. That a specific smell means clean. That all microbes are bad. Folks, the snake oil is still being sold like it’s 1895. Let’s take Original Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner, made by Clorox. They market it stating it: “powerfully cleans, deodorizes and has a clean, fresh scent, disinfects and kills 99.9% of germs, longer-lasting scent, even stronger on bathroom soils (soap scum, rust and hard water).” Looking at the ingredients on the Clorox website, not only do they list what’s in there, but they even provide their own definition of each ingredient–albeit pretty rosey and vague. The further down the list, the nastier the ingredients get. For instance, according to the site, Pine-Sol contains a preservative known as Methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT). Clorox says CMIT is “a class of ingredients used to help prevent products from deteriorating over time, maximizing their shelf-life, and ensuring efficacy and safety.” Meanwhile Safecosmetics.org says CMIT additives “may be hard to pronounce, but they can be even harder on the body. These common preservatives are found in many liquid personal care products, and have been linked to lung toxicity, allergic reactions and possible neurotoxicity.” Once again, the snake oil does more harm than good.

    Silver Lining

    With the rise of superbugs and science pointing to antibiotics as ineffective in managing microbes to safe levels, people’s minds are shifting back to the original reason of why we clean: survival. We are seeing that chemical cleaners, even some claiming to be antibacterial, are actually harming us. Our cleaning practices are contributing to poor air quality and respiratory issues, cognitive issues, even reproduction complications. Chemical cleaning practices are no longer on our side; instead, they are quickly becoming outlawed. The FDA banned soaps with antibacterial ingredients because they are not safe for long-term daily use and less effective than plain soap and water in preventing illness and the spread of certain infections. For the FDA to take a stance like that, there must be something really bad about our prior and current practices which are only symptoms of our fear.

    Fortunately, there are more studies and research being done on probiotics and other non-toxic means that get the job done and protect us in the process.

    The Future of Clean Is In The Why!!!!

    How do we change our practices when we’ve been doing them for so long?

    First, let’s highlight our reasons for cleaning. This will give us a baseline to refer to when seeking answers on our quest for change:

    • survival – rid our environment of dangerous threats, including those we can’t see
    • status, wealth and power
    • self-respect – pride
    • fear – we’ve been duped for a long time by folks selling snake oil

    Use Common Sense. Since we now have the knowledge we didn’t have years ago, we need to apply it and use common sense. We know chemical cleaners aren’t really working and they’re harming us physically. Listen to your body the next time you step into a room recently cleaned with chemicals or sprayed with a deodorizer. Your nostrils and sinuses will likely plug up, your breathing will become shallow, your eyes might water. That’s your body telling you to, “Get out! It’s not safe!”

    To avoid chemicals in cleaning, use natural cleaners. If you can’t find a probiotic cleaner, use vinegar or some of the If you find your place of business or the company you contracted using chemicals, simply require they switch or look for a company who does use alternative methods. Your health is not worth taking the chance.

    Vote With Your Wallet. Question the studies you read, hear and see. Believe in your own experience. Chemical companies will tell you anything for you to buy their products. Challenge their claims and do not buy their products until they can prove they are effective and safe to use. For every dollar you spend on nontoxic products, you are signaling to the market your demand for such products.

    Education Is Key. A quick google search can lead you in all sorts of directions, but one word from a trusted friend and a person’s mind opens a little more to new information. The more educated people are on using harsh chemicals to clean, the less use of them in our homes and other environments there will be. Common sense will prevail at some point.

    Change Regulations. Many people, especially in organizations, would have you believe their policies and procedures cannot change. For instance, in most preschools, a spray bottle of bleach and water is “required” to be used to wipe down surfaces. Why? We know there are better, less harmful alternatives out there. Why harm our kids in trying to stick with an archaic regulation that doesn’t work?

    For example, for bleach to be effective, a surface needs to be cleaned and dried first. Then between five and ten minutes of dwell time is required before the solution should be wiped up. I highly doubt cleaning staff knows this–and if they do, I doubt they’re doing it. Nevermind the fact that bleach loses its “power” just 24-hours after mixing with water.

    Stay Vigilant

    The reasons we clean may have been lost in translation over the last few millennia; with a few tweets, posts, phone calls or dollar votes you can change the future and set a trend that cocoons into a lasting legacy for mankind to follow for the next few generations. Do what’s right for your family. Teach your children well. The rest will be history.

  • Superbugs On The Rise. Here’s How We Battle Them

    Superbugs On The Rise. Here’s How We Battle Them

    Are chemicals really winning against superbugs? Short answer: no.

    Antibiotics are getting a lot of attention these days; and not for good reason. It seems their overuse has caused and is causing a spike of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (superbugs) which is infecting people in some parts of the United States. A recent news story caught my attention and reaffirmed my use of steam and probiotic cleaners.

    What’s going on?

    You may have already heard of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, but there is another one on the rise which tops the World Health Organization’s list of dangerous bacteria: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE. In 2013, 39 patients were infected with the superbug at a hospital in Illinois. A hospital spokesperson said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the outbreak to a tainted medical device. Two patients died.

    Today, the Center for Disease Controls reports over 175 CRE cases in the U.S. alone. With the numbers on the rise, folks are looking for solutions and remedies. Too many times, though, the “remedy” turns out to be stronger antibiotics. “We need to be very, very careful about when we use antibiotics because that’s what leads to more resistance,” said Dr. Susan Bleasdale, Medical Director of Infection Control at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “It’s that antibiotics use over years that has led to the problem we have right now.”

    How’d we get here?

    Based on the countless studies and articles I’ve read, there is one trend I see in the overuse of antibiotics that gets a tiny mention, but absolutely no focus: the chemical cleaners being used to clean equipment, bedding, and other components are not effective at all and are being misapplied. The victims of such harmful bacteria often contract the infection from contaminated tubing, devices, even improper hand washing. So if the majority of antibiotic-resistant-bacteria cases come from the environment, why then is the focus of prevention on the ingestion of antibiotic drugs?

    While antibiotics come in pill form, in fact they can also be something topical like an ointment or perhaps a chemical disinfectant like bleach or ammonia. Chemical cleaners, I would argue, are far more prevalent than any antibiotic drugs. Nearly everyone has some form of disinfectants or chemical cleaners in their household. And since you don’t need a prescription for some of the most dangerous chemicals known to mankind, you can certainly pick some up at the store yourself and start cleaning. Being freely available, it’s the widespread use of chemical cleaners that has led us down this slippery slope.

    However, if you’re in the mood to clean or need to sanitize your environment for peace of mind, my suggestion is to leave those chemical cleaners behind as you may be contributing to superbug creation.

    The pitfalls of chemical cleaners.

    You may think they are killing all the germs they touch, but unless the proper amount of “dwell time” is applied, chemicals like chlorine bleach and ammonia are useless. In order to be effective, most bleach manufacturers call for cleaning before applying the bleach then letting the bleach remain on the surface between five and ten minutes. For a contractor, whose profit motive is time sensitive, or for a busy parent having to pick up junior in a few minutes, the likelihood of adhering to those recommendations is low and places your health at risk.

    If you hire a contractor who uses chemicals or you do the cleaning yourself, be wary of the following pitfalls when using chemicals to clean:

    • Chemicals have a limited time of effectiveness once diluted with water. Bleach, for instance, is only effective for 24-hours after mixing it with water.
    • Chemicals kill everything; the good microbes too. When the bad pathogens outnumber the good guys infection occurs.
    • Chemicals do not eliminate biofilm. You may have heard of MRSA, CRE or other “superbugs.” Biofilm acts as their lair or incubator. Biofilm itself is a system of microorganisms working together to survive. Over time (several minutes), biofilm develops a relatively hard outer layer which shields its inhabitants from intruders like chemical disinfectants.
    • Chemical cleaners’ effectiveness are only fleeting at best. Once chemicals are wiped up or evaporate, they no longer kill microorganisms. Then, the harmful germs make their way from under the biofilm to the battlefield, where plenty of food in the form of dead microorganisms exist. These germs feed, mutate, and grow stronger with each generation. The creation of a superbug is now well under way….
    • Chemicals leave behind a trail of negative side effects. Fumes from nasty chemicals can wreak havoc on nervous systems, impair cognitive abilities, and contribute to respiratory issues long after their use.

    What should I use?

    At home and in my own sanitizing business, we use a combination of steam and probiotics. Yes, I said it…”probiotics.” The steam is a given. With its natural cleaning ability it also sanitizes like no other. Heat destroys all things–even microbes resistant to chemicals or drugs.

    The probiotics then work wonders in several ways:

    • Probiotics increase the positive microflora in the environment. If the bad germs are outnumbered by the good ones, infection risk plummets.
    • Probiotics consume food sources pathogens would normally consume. No food for germs means no survival.
    • Probiotics spread out making it difficult for harmful germs to attach to surfaces and colonize; reducing biofilm creation.
    • Probiotics protect for several days since they are a living thing.
    • Probiotics reduce ATP from pollen, dust mite feces, pet dander, etc. which helps naturally purify the air.
    • Probiotics destroy odors at the source and work at the microscopic level.
    • Probiotics are natural and organic which means no negative consequences.
    • Probiotics are able to communicate with other microorganisms and basically tell them to shut down reproduction. What chemical can talk to bacteria?

    I highly recommend purchasing a probiotic cleaner. It will clean better than any chemical on the market without creating superbugs and doesn’t carry a laundry list of warnings.

    Much like drug commercials listing a myriad of bad consequences if you take their pill, when it comes to sanitizing, chemical solutions can do you more harm than good. The costs must be weighed and if an effective, healthier alternative exists you may want to consider exploring it.

  • This Is What The Average Graco Car Seat Looks Like Before We Detail It

    This Is What The Average Graco Car Seat Looks Like Before We Detail It

    Does Your Graco Car Seat Look Like This?

    Graco car seat cleaning – We show you what a typical car seat looks like as soon as we get it from a busy parent. We then show you the before and after pics. The transformation is awesome!

    This customer took advantage of one of our special offer to get her Graco car seat and stroller cleaned. When she received her child’s items back from Germz Be Gone she simply said, “Wow!”

    Reactions like that motivate us to make the next customer feel the same way with our top notch car seat cleaning and baby gear services.

    Besides, imagine what your child will think when she sees her car seat after it being sanitized and detailed…Kids notice everything!

    Feel free to check out this video and more Germz Be Gone car seat cleaning results.

  • Car Seat Cleaning & Safety: Hidden Dangers Should Prompt Car Seat Cleaning More Often

    Car Seat Cleaning & Safety: Hidden Dangers Should Prompt Car Seat Cleaning More Often

    Car Seat Cleaning Is Critical To Your Child’s Health And Safety.

    At Germz Be Gone we take car seat cleaning seriously since the cleanliness of your child’s car seat lends directly to its safety in two important ways: infection risk and reduced functionality. 

    Infection Risk. A dirty car seat carries a lot of germs your child tracks all over the place. Imagine the harmful germs your child picks up and carries from the park, school, stores, sports, etc. From any of those places, you place your child in their car seat repeatedly and, if you’re like most parents, you don’t clean and sanitize their seat each time they come out of it. With the combination of the desert heat, food crumbs, sweat, and spilled milk, conditions are ideal for the harmful germs to thrive and multiply, out number the good protective microorganisms, and eventually get your child sick.

    What’s The Big Deal? Harmful germs can affect your child’s health in the following ways.

    • Skin infection from staph.
    • Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps from infectious e.coli or salmonella
    • Lingering colds and other illnesses from germs still living in the seat.
    • Allergies from mites and fungi (molds).

    Each of the above can lead to health issues, missed opportunities for your child, and missed work for you the parent​.

    Easy, Quick Sanitizing. As a busy parent, you may not have time for a full fledged detailing and sanitizing every day. So what Germz Be Gone recommends as an affordable solution is to make a small spray bottle of good old vinegar (6% acid if you can find it). Set the spray bottle on mist, and each time you take your child out of her car seat, quickly mist the car seat’s fabric being careful not to spray the buckles or straps. The smell will go away after a few minutes (usually before you get back in the car) and the vinegar will kill most germs without harmful side effects.

    When it’s time for a thorough car seat cleaning, detailing and sanitizing, call Germz Be Gone.

    Reduced Functionality. Food crumbs and sticky substances often fall into areas you don’t normally see, but are critical to the safety​ of the car seat. Things like gears and clasps can get stuck or not snap together completely. If this happens, your child’s safety is at extreme risk if in an accidental or sudden stop situation. Your child can be thrown from his car seat and tossed about the cabin or ejected from the vehicle itself.

    Always do a quick check of your child’s straps and buckles by giving them a firm tug. Also be sure to check for and remove debris or other items that may find their way into gears, buttons, and release/locking mechanisms.

    Remember:

    • Keep your child’s car seat clean and sanitized to reduce germs and her chances of getting sick.
    • Check for and remove debris from gears, buttons, clasps, release/locking mechanisms.
    • Perform a quick safety check each time you place your child in his car seat.

    More information can be found at germzbegone.com or safekidsclarkcounty.org.

  • Baby Gear Cleaning to Reduce Infection Risk

    Baby Gear Cleaning to Reduce Infection Risk

    Ever wonder how clean baby gear is? We take an ATP meter to test three car seats. Each car seat had varying degrees of soil on them with different ATP readings. The results are rather spectacular.

    Per wikipedia, an “ATP test is a process of rapidly measuring actively growing microorganisms through detection of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.” The cool science part is that the enzyme used in the test swab is similar to that which makes fireflies glow. When the enzyme comes in contact with living microorganisms, it emits a little bit of light. The meter then measures that light and spits out a number. That number, however, is not a direct representation of the number of microorganisms on the surface, rather it is an indicator of such. A low number is good, while a higher number is bad.

    Any number less than 35 is considered safe enough for food preparation in a restaurant. That means it doesn’t take much to get us sick. Imagine the fallen cheerio your child finds a week later after an explosive diaper you never managed to spend enough time cleaning up. Pretty unsettling, huh?

    Before steaming and sanitizing these three child car seats, we took an initial ATP test of each. Here are the initial test results:

    • Initial Test Car Seat #1 = 503
    • Initial Test Car Seat #2 = 454
    • Initial Test Car Seat #3 = 269

    After our unique process of steam and pioneering application of probiotics, we then took a final reading. Keep in mind that since probiotics are living things, the ATP meter will pick them up in the test too. Not to worry though, probiotics are amazing at what they do and can reduce ATP for days (really!! It’s true!!). In our experience, the probiotics will take the ATP reading down to single digits in a matter of an hour or two. In these cases, we had to get the seats back to their owners so we couldn’t test that far into the future.

    Here are the final test results:

    • Final Test Car Seat #1 = 57
    • Final Test Car Seat #2 = 41
    • Final Test Car Seat #3 = 19

    The moral of the story is it doesn’t take much to get us sick. Keep your child car seat and other baby gear clean and sanitized. When you do that, your child’s risk of infection significantly drops.

    If your child car seat can use a sprucing up and a thorough sanitizing, Germz Be Gone is here to help.