You see the labels in the supermarkets: toxic, poisonous, hazardous. All things that end up on countertops or poured down the drain, and these chemicals can put the health of you, your family, and your local ecosystem in danger. But is it possible to clean your house effectively without these hazardous chemicals?

Green Maids is a cleaning service based in York Harbor, Maine, that is making strides towards greener cleaning practices on a daily basis. Large name-brand cleaning products can be corrosive and damaging to humans and animals. Organicconsumers.org reports that these chemicals can cause both acute and chronic symptoms, ranging from respiratory irritation, headaches, and allergies to even contributing to the development of cancer. In addition, chemical cleaners that are washed down the drain often do not break down organically and end up in our water supply, affecting our drinking water and aquatic wildlife.

Owner John O’Brien said he is committed to providing a kid, pet, and earth-friendly cleaning service with Green Maids. “Dust, pet dander and things like that can aggravate allergies; I cannot stress enough the importance of a clean home when it comes to good health,” said O’Brien. “Keeping up with your home or cleaning it in a professional manner will really help to keep it maintained to improve the overall health of your family.”

O’Brien says that chemicals like 2-butoxyethanol, phosphate and ammonia, chemicals commonly found in traditional cleaning products, are linked to conditions like allergies, asthma, liver and kidney damage, blood disorders, and more. Green Maids uses products that employ the natural cleaning properties of fruits and vegetables. If the maids leave your home smelling like lemon or orange, you’ll know it’s not a chemically synthesized scent – the actual oils and peels of these fruits are in their cleaning supplies.

“Lots of our products are completely plant-derived, from corn, coconut, lemons or limes,” said O’Brien. “They’re hypoallergenic, they’re not tested on animals,  none of our products are going to contain anything that would harm you or your family in any way. Everyone who uses our service can rest assured of that.”

For the discerning homeowner who wants their living space to be free from dangerous chemicals that may be harmful to their pets or children, he said Green Maids has the right equipment and the right mindset to get it done properly. For O’Brien and his staff, this is all part of their environmentally-conscious mission. In fact, every facet of their business is  use all biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning products. Not only that, but its employees wear organic, recycled cotton uniforms, and rely on hybrid vehicles to get them from one job to the next. If you have a child that suffers from allergies or asthma, Green Maids makes the extra effort to eliminate those allergens with the intention that their cleaning service doesn’t just clean your house, it cleans the air you breathe every day in your home.

“A lot of people call me that say their kids have asthma or allergies,” said O’Brien. “They’ve tried other cleaning services, but most don’t eliminate allergens like we do, both with our hypoallergenic cleaning products and our focus on improving the general health of our clients.”

Green Maids does more than clean houses – it’s ready to help clean wherever there is a need. It recently teamed up with Portsmouth’s Blue Ocean Society on Earth Day to clean up Hampton Beach, collecting over 25 pounds of waste and properly disposing of it.

Green Maids partners with the Green Alliance and offers discounts for Green Alliance members. To find out how you or your business can save on cleaning services, go to www.greenalliance.biz.

    

Are you following IJCSA on FB? 

IJCSA is located here on FB! Daily humor and advertisements for the association. 

Maid Simple House Cleaning recently launched a new website to give franchise prospects a comprehensive resource to evaluate and understand its unique franchising process. The website includes advice and videos from existing franchisees, answers to frequently asked questions, and a guide to starting a cleaning business.

A low cost, home-based cleaning franchise model, Maid Simple House Cleaning was created by residential cleaning leader, Maid Brigade, in late 2012 to address the changing needs of the its maid services customers.

“Investing in a franchise business is a huge decision for anyone interested in making a career or lifestyle change,” comments Joel Lazarovitz, vice president of franchise recruitment for Maid Simple House Cleaning.

“We’ve taken the guesswork out of the franchise process by being up front and transparent about all costs, territory, training, and operational details associated with our model. Allowing individuals interested in Maid Simple House Cleaning to hear from our franchisees first-hand is also a critical part of the validation process to decide if our business is the right fit for them before they embark on this journey.”

With franchises across the United States and Canada, Maid Simple House Cleaning is a complete franchise package that includes a customer acquisition program, national sales center, and on-site training and marketing support.

The model is available for $29,500 including the $10,000 franchise fee. In-house financing is available for qualified prospects. An IFA VetFran Proud Supporter, Maid Simple House Cleaning offers military veterans and their families 15 percent off the initial franchise fee.

For more information about Maid Simple House Cleaning visit its new website athttp://maidsimplefranchise.com.

Citrus Fresh Carpet Cleaning Inc. has earned the service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of service provided to members of the consumer review service in 2013. Citrus Fresh Carpet Cleaning provides premiere carpet cleaning in Charleston, SC and surrounding areas.

“We are so very honored to receive this prestigious award again for 2013. We love our Angies List Customers and take great pride in assuring them the best possible service and great customer satisfaction” from owners Greg and Mary Broome.

“Only about 5 percent of the companies Citrus Fresh Carpet Cleaning Inc. competes with in Charleston and surrounding areas are able to earn our Super Service Award,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “It’s a mark of consistently great customer service.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award 2013 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade; the company must be in good standing with Angie’s List, have a fully complete profile, pass a background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in areas ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality. Members can find the 2013 Super Service Award logo next to company names in search results on AngiesList.com.

About Angie's List
Angie's List helps consumers have happy transactions with local service professionals in more than 720 categories of service, ranging from home improvement to healthcare. More than 2 million paid households use Angie's List to gain access to local ratings, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List Magazine and the Angie's List complaint resolution service.

Dallas Building Maintenance, a Dallas janitorial service company, proudly announces their consumer-friendly blog. For anyone trying to find out more information on janitorial services, how to find the right commercial cleaning company, or how a cleaning company can help their business, Dallas Building Maintenance will be their go-to source.

The writers at DBM are working hard to answer the most pressing questions from current and potential clients. Hiring a cleaning company for a business should not be a snap decision and DBM's 30+ years of expertise can be leveraged to a business owner's advantage. The blog at  Full Service Janitorial.com is already full of great info on finding, utilizing a commercial cleaning service. Visitors can return regularly to find out more great tips on saving money and staying healthy with a clean office.

A Sussex County family is showing residents how to get green and clean. Traci Smith and her family are passionate about the Kleen Green products they've been using in their residential and commercial cleaning business since 2009.
The products: Glass & Hard Surface, Janitorial Cleaning Solution, All Purpose Cleaner and Heavy Duty Cleaner.

New Executive Appointment Brings Broad Technology Experience

Chicago, Illinois; Orlando, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina (PRWEB) December 03, 2013

The owners of the Orlando Enviro-Master Franchise, made huge strides towards expanding their business this past week when Andrew Martin, Reuben Reyes and Jose Paramo (Enviro-Master, Orlando Franchise) acquired the Chicago, Illinois firm Americare-National Hygiene and Supply Inc.

“Some of us are long time Chicago businessmen and we knew the Americare Hygiene owners from the industry,” said Reuben Reyes, a partner in the Orlando, Florida Enviro-Master Franchise. “We knew the Gacs to be well thought of in the Hygiene Business and we are looking forward to working with them in the Enviro-Master Franchise over the next several months.

Richard Gac and Lee Gac are the founders and current principals at Americare Hygiene. Both men have a long history in the Industry and were connected with the Enviro-Master Franchise President and CEO Pat Swisher. The Gacs will continue to be involved with the business during the transition.

“We are excited to be associated with Mr. Swisher’s new company Enviro-Master,” said Richard Gac, principal at Americare. “We actually modeled Americare after the first company Pat Swisher founded, Swisher International,” Gac continued. We are thankful to our loyal customers and employees which made us so successful over the past 21 years,” Richard concluded.

Pat Swisher, CEO of Enviro-Master, considered to be the "Founder of the Hygiene Industry" was in attendance for the closing of the acquisition, which took place at the Americare offices, 225 Laura Drive, Suite A, Addison Illinois.

“I have known all of these people for many years and we at Enviro-Master, are excited for our Orlando owners and what this will mean for their expansion,” said Swisher.

Mr. Swisher, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Paramo and the Gacs are available for phone interviews regarding the transaction. As the companies are all privately held, no terms were available. For more info contact Chuck Robbins

About Americare-National Hygiene Services 
From restroom and kitchen deep cleaning, to exterior hot water power washing, to touch free dispensers for soap, paper towels and toilet tissue, AMERICARE-NATIONAL is known for quality janitorial supplies and specialized cleaning services, in the Chicago area since 1991. They are considered to be the number one cleaning specialist of choice throughout the area. We emphasize germ killing with EPA-approved germicidal disinfectants that have the residual effect of protecting your facilities for 7-10 days after application.

About Enviro-Master 
Enviro-Master offers those with the demonstrated professional skillsundefinedand the genuine desireundefinedan unparalleled opportunity to develop their own successful business. As a company, Enviro-Master is leader in the hygiene industry dedicated to providing hygiene services and products for public restrooms everywhere. We focus on preventing the spread of disease and odors while creating cleaner and healthier facilities that routine maintenance just can’t do. Enviro-Master also augments our services by supplying soap, paper and cleaning products at such low pricing that it often offsets the cost of our hygiene services. Our high-level services that significantly enhance any business’ image, plus our budget-friendly value, give Enviro-Master services an undeniable appeal. With public restrooms nearly everywhere people go. There is practically unlimited business opportunity.

A Step Above House Cleaning is pleased to announce that they are now offering cleaning service gift cards for the holiday season. There are several reasons why someone could use a cleaning service on a temporary basis. 

Giving the gift of a clean house can be the perfect gift for many situations. Perhaps someone has just had a baby and cleaning the house is just not possible. Giving an A Step Above House Cleaning gift card makes the perfect gift to give a new mother. There are few things appreciated more than a clean house with a new baby in the home. Most new mothers need to take it easy for the first six weeks, and giving a gift of a cleaning service during those six weeks would be the perfect gift. A gift card for cleaning service is also a nice gift to someone that has sustained an injury that would make it difficult for him or her to clean his or her house. Most injuries would make cleaning the house very difficult, if not impossible, so consider A Step Above House Cleaning gift card for a friend that is unable to clean their own home. A gift card for cleaning services can also be a nice way to say thank you from a houseguest. If someone has been staying at a friend or family’s home, sending a gift card for cleaning services is one of the nicest ways possible to say thank you. 

A Step Above House Cleaning offers many different levels of cleaning services including weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. They are a family owned business that has 15 years of experience. They are fully licensed and insured to give the most peace of mind to every customer. Call A Step Above House Cleaning today to inquire about giving the gift of a clean home. 

About A Step Above House Cleaning
A Step Above House Cleaning has 15 years of experience in the field and they make a point of going a "step above" their competitors. They will clean a home from top to bottom, from ceiling fans to baseboards, and everything in between. Their attention to detail is unsurpassed and provides customization services to fit the needs and budget of the customer. A Step Above House Cleaning is a local, family owned, cleaning service company. 

To know more log on to http://www.astepabovecleaningservices.com.

Now that we are in the height of cold and flu season, it's time to defend yourself against the flu virus, starting with your home.
Your home may feel tidy once the carpets and floors are vacuumed and counters dusted, but millions of flu particles can linger in the air and on the surfaces we touch each day.
We have all heard time and time again to wash our hands and cover our mouths when we sneeze -- and that the flu vaccine should always be our first line of defense -- but below are five ways to decrease flu survival on surfaces and in the air that you may not have considered at the home or office.
1. Control humidity
In the winter months, temperatures and humidity levels plummet to as low as 10%, which is as dry as the Sahara Desert. People also spend significantly more time indoors, which contributes to the spread of the flu, but recent scientific literature suggests that the low humidity levels may be contributing to the virus' survival.
A review of nearly 40 peer-reviewed studiesconducted over the last decades shows that homes kept at 40-60% relative humidity are likely to have fewer flu viruses lingering in the air and on surfaces like sink faucets, door handles, and countertops.

More at source: CNNk.