Live Better With These Green Habits for the Home and Whole Family

Living green doesn't have to mean turning you life upside down.  There are little

things you can do here and there that make a big difference on the environment, your home life and family. Try these tips out and live better with greener habits for the home and whole family.

Relax While Driving

It doesn't matter what kind of car you drive; fuel-sipping hybrid or hulking gas-guzzler, you can improve your gas mileage, save money, and reduce your impact on global warming just by changing your driving habits. Be relaxed while you drive; when we are in a hurry or irritated and react by speeding, accelerating or breaking excessively, we burn unnecessary amounts of fuel. Calm down.  You will get where you need to go.  When you relax, you'll save gas and possibly yourself from an accident. 

Eat Seasonal, Locally-Grown Food

Eating locally and eating in season are two of the most important parts of a sustainable diet, and they really go hand in hand. Eating locally allows you to minimize the number of food miles your purchases travel, and eating in season is the best way to get the most out of a local diet. Also, your best and most available organic produce will be local and, naturally, in season. Even better, if you can walk or bike to a local farmer's market, you'll really be reducing fuel usage and know that your food is the highest quality and freshest possible.

Skip the Bottled Water - Bring Your Own!

Bottled water typically costs about 10,000 times the cost of tap / filtered water, so by using your own mug instead of buying one individual, disposable plastic bottle every day, you could save $500 a year. Obvious and easy change!

Bring Your Own Bag to the Store

Paper or plastic? How about neither? The fact is both paper and plastic shopping bags impact the environment considerably. Instead, choose more durable, reusable canvas shopping bags. These green bags are popping up everywhere these days, so you’ll have no problem finding one to suit your style. 

Buy Green

Show businesses that consumers want products made responsibly and sustainably. Next time you’re shopping, take the time to look at the labels on the products you buy. Try to avoid over-packaged items, household products with toxic or non-biodegradable chemicals, and choose items made of recycled materials or are organic, fair-trade, or LEED certified. 

Bayes decided to go into business out of a desire to meet the need that so many people are asking to be filled.  Our cleaning products are organic, non-toxic and gentle on the spaces in your homes. We encourage you to make small steps to big change in your home as you make your cleaning routine more green. 

Easy Tips to Make Your Cleaning Routine More Green!

We all want a cleaner and healthier home and while many people are intimidated by cleaning in general, there are simple ways to ensure that your home is a cleaner and fresher place to live.  

Here to make your cleaning more enjoyable, here are some easy tips to make your cleaning routine more green. 

BETTER AIR QUALITY
It's surprisingly common to find that the air inside the home is more toxic than the air outside. It's because the toxins and substances that insulate homes (which is a good thing) are strong and being off gassed on a general basis. Keeping windows open as often as possible allows fresh air in and keeps toxins flowing out. This is especially important when cleaning your home.

BAKING SODA CLEAN
Baking soda not only removes those strange smells coming from your fridge, it's also a great odor-eliminator for your carpet. Just sprinkle on a little baking soda to soak up some of those odors and then vacuum it up.

NATURAL AIR FRESHENERS
Skip the store-bought air fresheners and instead try boiling cinnamon, cloves, or any other herbs you have a fondness for. Fresh chocolate chip cookies also have been known to create a friendly aroma. Also, plants may not make your house smell different but are good for filtering interior air--pretty much any broad green leaf plant will do. Peace Lilies are a favorite choice.

LEAVE IT AT THE DOOR
Imagine what's on your shoes at the end of the day. Everything from car oil, antifreeze, animal waste, pollution, pollen, (and who knows what else) into the house is especially common for kids and other critters that spend time on floor level. Keep the sidewalk out of your home with a good doormat and a shoeless house policy. Many green buildings now include entryway track-off systems as a means of maintaining a healthy interior environment. Less dirt also means less sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming, which means less work, water, energy, and fewer chemicals. You can do it!

GREEN CLEANING PRODUCTS
As the health and environmental impacts of conventional cleaning products become more thoroughly understood, more and more brands of healthy, green, and effective cleaning products have started hitting the market and competing for that coveted place of honor under your sink. Many of these products are non-toxic, biodegradable, and made from renewable resources (not petroleum). 

Bayes decided to go into business out of a desire to meet the need that so many people are asking to be filled.  Our cleaning products are organic, non-toxic and gentle on the spaces in your homes. We encourage you to make small steps to big change in your home as you make your cleaning routine more green. 

Going Green at the Grocery Store

Going to the local grocery store several times a month is a necessity for most families. Now more than ever, parents are discovering the health benefits of "going green" at the grocery store and are buying increasing amounts of eco friendly products. These green alternative products are becoming cheaper every day, and usually they are not much more expensive than normal grocery store purchases.

How to Go Green at the Grocery Store
Buy Organic Cleaning Supplies: Every day, new people are discovering that organic and green cleaning supplies are simply better quality products than their traditional competitors. These green cleaning products are completely free of many harmful chemicals. These chemicals can effect your household, as well as the environment. Small children are especially prone to the negative side effects of traditional household cleaners. Because a number of green products are completely biodegradable and contain nontoxic ingredients, you can do your part to save the earth.

Buy Fair Trade Products: Fair Trade Products are products that you can find at your supermarket that have a higher standard in comparison to other food products when it comes to the environment and labor. When purchasing Fair Trade groceries, you are being assured that the farms and everyone involved in farming process receive fair wages and labor conditions, in addition to confirmation that damaging chemicals were not used in any part of the growing or shipping of the products. Fair Trade Products are easily identifiable by the Fair Trade Certified logo displayed on the package. A few popular examples of Fair Trade groceries you can buy at the grocery store are fruits, vegetables, and coffee. Most grocery stores will have at least one Fair Trade coffee brand shelved and available for purchase. There also may be popular brands of your favorite foods that you never knew were Fair Trade Products. Ben & Jerry’s ice cream has many fair trade flavors, so you can enjoy your favorite dessert completely guilt free while doing your part in going green!

Small Things that add Up: There are many small things you can do that make a big impact in going green. The easiest way to start is by bringing your own reusable grocery bags to the market. This prevents thousands of paper and plastic bags from being made and saves landfills from being polluted with the discarded bags. Another place to start is riding your bicycle or walking to the grocery store when your load is light enough to carry without a car. Finally, a, third tip is to purchase items you use on a regular basis in bulk. When you purchase items such as toilet paper, rice, and pasta in bulk, you can cut down on packaging.

Going green is simpler than people think. Bayes Cleaners offers a wide variety of organic cleaning supplies that can help you achieve your goal. By following these few simple steps on your next trip to the market, you can make a big difference. Be brave, step out on a journey to a greener life.

Great Household Ways to Save Water

Conserving water is important, and many people are just now learning that. The surface of the earth is 75% water, however only 1% is available to us as humans for use. Water is a limited resource and, as the population of the world continues to grow, conserving water in any way possible is now more important than ever. There are several great household ways to save water that everyone can learn from and incorporate into their everyday life.

Ways To Save Water in the Household  
Make sure the tap is always turned off when not in use: This is perhaps the most well known water conservation tip. Whenever the kitchen sink, bathroom facet, and shower taps are not in use, they should always be turned all the way. This includes letting the water run while you brush your teeth. According to a study done by the United States Geological Survey, if one faucet in one home drips one drop of water every minute, it can use over 5 gallons of water every day. The water that is leaking is completed wasted. It is an easy fix to make our sure faucets are always turned completely off, and it plays a big part in conserving one of our most limited, but also demanded resources.

Take Showers instead of baths: It is estimated that one shower uses around 10 to 25 gallons of water. On the contrary, an average sized bath which can hold just about 70 gallons of water! For an everyday routine, taking showers conserves much more water than running a bath. As an added bonus, taking a bath can be reserved for special occasions or when you're desperately in need of some alone time to lie back, light some candles and relax.

Water Your Plants and Lawn in the morning: Many people do not realize that watering plants and the lawn in the morning uses much less water than doing the same in the middle of the day. Due to the higher temperature, when plants and lawns are watered in the afternoon, a large amount of the water being used evaporates before it sinks into the roots.
Using a nozzle attachment on the hose versus a continuously running hose also limits the amount of water being used because when the plants aren't being watered, the hose isn't on.

Wash Your Car With Waterless, Organic Cleaning Products: Many cleaning companies have now released fantastic waterless car washes and sprays that eliminate the need for the traditional hose and bucket of soapy water. It takes an estimated 100 gallons of water to wash a car with a continuously running hose. Not only can a waterless washes or sprays cut down on the amount of water that would otherwise be wasted, but it also will help save a significant amount of money on the monthly water bill.
In such a critical time to save as much water as possible, it's important to find out as many simple water saving alternatives as you can to help out. By following these four easy tips, everyone can make their household a much greener place, a much cheaper place, and conserve our most important resource.

The Benefits of Organic Cleaning

The phrase “organic cleaning” gets thrown around a lot, but what exactly constitutes organic cleaning? Green, or organic, cleaning is simply cleaning your house with toxin free cleaning products; free from chemicals that can harm yourself and your family. Organic cleaning products can be made on your own or purchased from a store. One of organic cleaning products best features is that they are held to much higher standards than traditional cleaning supplies. In addition, they are much better for your home and for the environment.

Benefits of Organic Cleaning Products

Better for the environment: Using organic cleaning supplies is a great way of preserving the environment as well as the world for future generations. The use of non organic cleaning supplies has runoff containing dangerous chemicals that, when drained, go into the ocean and can wreak havoc on the ocean life and their eco system. The chemicals contain phosphates which act as water softeners. When these minerals go down into the various drains they can actually increase the growth rate of algae and can pollute the water for the fish and others living in the ocean. Non organic cleaning supplies also often contain chlorine which can contain irritants to various sea animals and can stay in the environment for many years. Finally, many organic cleaning products come in biodegradable bottles and containers. This is opposite to non organic products, whose containers are not biodegradable and rot in landfills for hundreds of years.

Better for your family: Many parents have high priority in keeping their families safe. One way to do so is by purchasing organic cleaning supplies. Some non organic cleaning supplies contain chemicals in the ingredients that can cause skin and eye irritation. This can be extremely harmful to children and even adults. When you use these cleaning supplies, these chemicals remain on the surfaces all around your home. These toxins can make your family sick and can reduce the immune system of anyone who comes into contact with them. Organic cleaning supplies provide a healthier alternative to traditional cleaning supplies and will not contain harmful solvents that damage the body.

Where to Order Organic Cleaning Products?

There are many online stores and companies that are dedicated to providing healthier alternatives to everyday cleaning products you and your household will use. These products often do not cost more than regular cleaning supplies you purchase from the grocery store. However, they are completely non-toxic cleaners and can prevent sickness in your home.

By using organic products, you will be helping keep your children and family as safe as possible. In addition, you will protect the environment from the thousands of harmful byproducts that regular products contain. Organic cleaning supplies are usually not much more expensive than regular cleaning supplies. However, the numerous benefits far outweigh the little added expense.

Money Saving Tips for A Clean Green Kitchen

We all want a cleaner more green conscious kitchen.  But where do you start?  Here are 5 money saving tips for a cleaner and greener kitchen that you can start with today! 

1. Get Rid of Energy Suckers. Coffee makers, microwaves, blenders and other kitchen appliances use energy anytime they’re plugged into a socket, even if they're turned off! Simply unplugging devices you aren't using, will cut a chunk from your energy bill!

2. Time to Upgrade! Appliances that are 10+ years old us 70-90% more power than the newer models. Be smart and replace them with Energy Star appliances to cut down on home energy consumption.

3. Check your faucets. Attach low-flow faucet aerators to kitchen faucets that pour out more than 2 gallons per minute. Save up to $80 per year on utility bills by updating faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms.

4. Make your own cleaning supplies.  Organic household cleaners can an average of $6 for the simplest products. Make your own cleaners for far less! 

5. Granite Counter Tops. Granite is a clean organic material.  It can be a pricey investment, but it doesn't harbor bacteria and is a sanitary addition to your green kitchen. It's generally easy to clean.  You can clean it with mild soap and water, but it's best to get a special granite and stone cleaner that will provide a protective thin film. Granite stays is beautiful good shape when applying a conditioner; the cleaner linked above will do both the cleaning and conditioning. 

Choosing to go green with your kitchen is a brilliant investment in your health and the health of those around you. We would love to hear from you.  Please let us at Bayes, know how we can make your home a healthier one!

Make Your Own Non-Toxic Organic Cleaners With These Affordable Ingredients

You naturally want your family to be healthy and safe so it's understandable that you'd want to avoid toxic household cleaners.  But you need affordable and simple options that make you feel happy about your toxin free choices.  This can be hard, with the hype that companies are jumping on with organic products, inspiring them to spike their prices. We don't think that's fair to your or your family, which is why we both price our products affordably and also provide helpful ideas that you can use to keep your home and family enjoying optimum clean health! 

Below, we want to share with you some simple organic and safe ingredients, found in your home or kitchen, that you can easily make your own non-toxic cleaning supplies from. 

Top Ingredients:

Vinegar

White vinegar is effective at dissolving grease and makes a great surface cleaner in the kitchen and bathroom. Vinegar works well because of its acidic nature and antibacterial effect. Japanese research found that the bactericidal activity of vinegar increased as the temperature of its solution increased, underscoring the need for double benefit of warm cleaning solutions. Mix 1 cup of vinegar with water in a bucket or spray bottle and use it to clean windows and mirrors to toilets and floors.

Baking Soda

Baking soda deodorizes and has an abrasive quality that out shines toxic, powdered cleansers. Use on surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen to remove stains or even clean the inside of a messy oven. Adding salt can provide a boost in scrubbing power.

Lemon Juice

The inclusion of lemon in many commercially available cleaning products is one rare area where they got it right! Lemon juice kills mold, cuts through grease, and leaves a streak-free shine. The applied food science laboratory in Lincoln Nebraska examined the ability for lemon oil to inhibit mold growth by applying a coating of lemon juice and vinegar to roast beef. This was found to support prevention of spore germination and outgrowth. Combine lemon juice with vinegar or olive oil to make compound cleaning products that work harder and provide a natural scent.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide has a bubbling action that is amazing with hard-to-clean situations. Fill a spray bottle with a HP and water mixture, keep it near the laundry area as it can be a great spot cleaner.

Olive Oil

Polishing wood with with olive oil and lemon juice moisturizes it and provides amazing shine with a fresh scent. Blend 1 cup of olive oil and 1/2 cup of lemon juice in a spray bottle, mist onto a soft cloth and polish wood furniture the natural way.                                                                              (reposted with gratitude from the Global Healing Center) 

Cleaning with organic products not only protects your family's health but also furthers the health of the environment and it only takes a few small changes. By buying these low-cost organic ingredients, you save money while improving your life and the quality of the lives around you! 

Or, you can check out the non toxic line of clearners offered by Bayes, including their amazing granite counter top rejuvenator.  Stop by Bayes for the top Counter Cleaner available!!  

Hate Your Messy Kitchen? How to Enjoy a Cleaner Kitchen With Less Work!

Every now and then, it's both wise and necessary roll up your sleeves and really do a deep clean on your kitchen. But how do you maintain that beautiful shine on a daily basis without obsessing and going crazy? Well, rest assured, that it's entirely possible, and today, we are going to share some simple tips to help you keep your kitchen clean on the daily; without the extra elbow grease!

Prepare Your Cooking Canvass

This one is so simple and helpful.  Before you dive into a cooking masterpiece, make sure your dishwasher, sink  and counter tops are empty and cleared; that way, you can rinse and load dishes and utensils right away instead of leaving them to sit out for a few hours (to get all crusty, stay overnight and haunt your morning!) Call in your reserves too!  If you have a partner or children in the home, ask for help.  If you're eating dinner, contribute!

Clean As You Go 

Now that your sink and dishwasher are empty and waiting, cleaning as you go is less intimidating! (And cleaning up after dinner will be a quick piece of cake!) 

Don't Forget the Sink

Just because the dishes are out of the sink doesn't mean you're done! Use a little of your dish soap or a little baking soda and vinegar as you gently wipe the thin layer of things accumulated on the sink.  This reduces smells and buildup. Added bonus, if you have a garbage disposal, throw an orange or lemon peal inside and let it run! The enzymes will kill the what's resting near the top of the drain and will leave a fresh fragrance behind as well! 

Oil Your Boards

If you use wooden or bamboo cutting boards, it's good to maintain them about once a month and it only takes about 5 minutes.  Just pour about a TBSP of oil onto a paper towel or hand towel and massage on to the board, working the oil into the grooves. The same can be done for wooden utensils.  This saves time, money and allows your board to last much longer! 

Have the Right Tools and Keep Them in Reach

Don't you hate when you're all geared to clean and all you find is window cleaner? ... or dish soap? I'm not saying you need every cleaner known to man, but its good to have a few good cleaners to keep the job easy and efficient. For example, always have a degreaser for stove top burners.  Every home needs an all purpose cleaner, and you can even make your own with vinegar and some essential oils. Lastly, don't be the person that runs out of sponges and keeps using the sour one.  You'll thank me later!

Care For Your Counter Tops

Clear the clutter, folks. Counter tops loose their open appeal when they're lost in the piles that hide them! Clutter makes a kitchen feel chaotic and claustrophobic, whereas tidy and clear counter tops are invigorating and inspiring. They are also very inviting. They inspire you to cook, instead running from your kitchen to order fast food instead. Start by clearing the clutter and you'll see what I mean! Also, if you're one of the lucky ones to have granite counter tops, you have a fantastic, multi-use material to take care of.  Be sure to have Bayes Granite Counter Top Rejuvenator on hand. It conditions the counter tops in a non-toxic and gentle but durable way. Keep extra sponges around. 

It's far more simple than you may think.  Just start with a few ideas each week and work them into your routine.  I promise, you'll see the difference. Then, at the end of the month - see how much easier that BIG deep clean will be! 

5 Tips to Help Save Energy and Money in the Kitchen

Making your kitchen as environmentally friendly as possible is a great new way to help preserve the earth. Everyday kitchen tasks may be causing you to use unnecessary amounts of energy, not only causing your household to have a higher power bill, but more importantly wasting valuable energy that could be put towards other important tasks. By taking a few precautions and following a few steps, you can help save energy and money in the kitchen.

Know Energy Saving Cooking Techniques: There are several simple ways to save energy every month in your kitchen by simply changing a few cooking habits and techniques. One easy tip is to always cover your pots and pans when cooking, preventing heat from escaping. This also cuts down on the amount of time you will be using the stove. Another great tip is to turn off the stove just before your food is ready, letting the heat that is already in the pan continue to cook for the last few minutes. The pan will stay hot for some time even though the stove has been turned off, resulting in a simple energy saver.

Keep the faucet set to cold water: A good habit to be in is to keep your faucet running cold water at all times when hot water is not needed. If you don’t need too much water for a quick clean or for any other small uses, stick to using cold water. Even if you turn the hot water on for a few seconds, energy is still being used to heat the water.

Pick out energy efficient appliances: Another tip to save energy in the kitchen is to find very energy efficient dishwashers or refrigerators when it’s time for a replacement. Refrigerator models that have moisture control are very helpful for saving a large amount of money on your electricity bill.

Set Your Refrigerator to the proper temperature and make sure it is always airtight: Many refrigerators are set to a colder temperature than is really necessary. This can lead to excessive amounts of energy being wasted. The ideal temperature to set your refrigerator to is between 37 and 40 degrees, and your freezer should be kept at around 0 degrees. If you keep your freezer packed, many times it may not be shut as airtight as it could be otherwise. It is always best to pack your refrigerator or freezer with a little bit of extra space instead of packing it tight to make sure it can be shut all the way.

Prepare Large Meals in Batches: If you are going to be making a pasta dinner or a casserole, why not make a large amount and refrigerate or freeze the extra portions? This way, you are getting most bang for your buck by running your oven. Also, for lunch the next day you can reheat the dinner in the microwave instead of cooking something new in your oven or on your stove.

Knowing these helpful tips is a great way to not only conserve energy but also save a little bit of money when it comes to your bills.