Cleaning for Less
Provided by:
Goals of Asthma Management
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No asthma symptoms during day
No asthma symptoms at night
No missed school or work
No hospital or ER visits
Few side effects from medicines
Regular cleaning in the home will help
control triggers and lead to better
asthma management!

Three things happen in
all of those millions of
tiny airways during
asthma:
1.
Swelling
Mucus production
Muscle contraction
2.
3.
How do you know asthma is flaring?
Early Signs:
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Cough,
allergies,
tiredness,
cold symptoms,
not sleeping through the night
Symptoms of an Asthma Attack (late):
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Cough,
wheeze,
tightness in the chest,
shortness of breath
Emergency, 911 Signs:
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Color change in lips, fingernails,
Retractions
Can’t talk
INDOOR TRIGGERS

THINGS THAT MAKE ASTHMA WORSE
 EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT
Strong Smells
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Strong smells from cleaning products can cause asthma
flare-ups.
Chemicals used in many cleaning products can be toxic
for everyone - not just kids with asthma.
Surface and Airborne Triggers
What’s in the dust?
Surface and Airborne Triggers
SURFACE issues: Molds and Colds
Categories of Cleaners
Totally non-toxic
Terrible Ten
Somewhere in Between
Before you Clean
Remember to:
 Ventilate.
 Never mix cleaners.
 Rinse thoroughly.

Clean when children are not present.
Terrible Ten
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Drain cleaners
Oven cleaners
Toilet cleaners
Spot removers
Silver and other metal
polishes
Furniture polishes
Cleansers and powdered
cleaners
Window cleaners
Bleach
Liquid cleaners
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Most contain Ammonia
and/or bleach
Ammonia turns into a
gas that is harmful to
lung tissue
Mixing ammonia and
bleach causes toxic
gases (chloramines)
Also avoid aerosols
Example: Adjusting for Drains
Recipe for unclogging drains:
 Pour baking soda in the
drain
 Pour vinegar in the drain
 Rinse with boiling water

What if your drain plug or
drain stopper prevents you
from using this recipe?
Don’t buy Drain Cleaner!
Fantastic Four
Baking Soda
Lemon juice

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Environmentally harmless
Absorbs odors
Mildly abrasive (doesn’t
scratch surfaces)
Combats grease and
acids
Cream of Tartar
 Rust remover
 Removes stains from
white clothing
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Antibacterial
Antiseptic (prevents
growth of microorganisms)
Great scent
Vinegar
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Harmless to humans and
the environment
Acidic (fights stains)
Acts as a disinfectant (kills
bacteria and fungi)
Liquid Dish Soap
Look for:
 Glycerin-based
 Soy-based
 Plant derived bar soaps
Other Saf-“er” Cleaning Products
Borax

Mildly abrasive
 Deodorizes
 Softens hard water
 Disinfectant
 Fungicide, herbicide,
insecticide
 Should not be ingested
Hydrogen Peroxide
 Bleaching agent
 Antibacterial
 Sanitizer
Tea Tree Oil
 Antibacterial,
antifungal, antiviral
 Deodorizes
**Washing soda
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Cuts grease
Deodorizes
Removes wax
Cleaning with Vinegar
Basic Recipe:
 Fill ½ spray bottle with vinegar
 Fill the rest of the spray bottle with water
Add lemon juice or other essential oil for scent!
Vinegar Spray
Use vinegar spray to clean:
 Kitchen counters and appliances
 Cutting boards and knives
 Flooring – vinegar is good for wood
 Bathroom counters and facilities
 Windows, mirrors, and glass
Flooring
Use vinegar spray for all kinds of floors!
 Spray floor
 Wipe clean
 No rinsing
Add 1 teaspoon of glycerin soap for dirtier
floors, but you will need to rinse.
Linoleum Floors
For waxed linoleum floors:
 1 cup vinegar
 1 gallon warm water
 For tough soils or grease, replace vinegar
with ¼ cup washing soda
 Warning: this will remove any wax coating on
the floor.
Re-polish when dry
Windows, Mirrors, Glass

Spray on.
 Scrub with a squeegee scrubber.
 Squeegee liquid down to one corner and wipe
clean with a rag.
Note: When cleaning the first couple times after
switching from commercial cleaners, add ½
teaspoon of liquid soap (traditional cleaners
contain waxes that need extra cleaning).
Shower Curtains
Use vinegar to clean
plastic shower curtains
 Pour 1 cup vinegar with ¼
to ½ cup laundry
detergent in the washing
machine.
 Add curtain with several
old, light colored towels.
 Use a warm water cycle
with a complete rinse
cycle.
Clean with Baking Soda
Baking Soda Blast
 16 ounces of Baking Soda
 4 Tablespoons natural liquid soap
 1 cup warm water
Great recipe when scrubbing is needed!
Baking Soda
Use Baking Soda Blast to Clean:
 Soap scum in bathtubs and sinks
 Mineral buildup around water
fixtures
 Tile and grout

For sanitation, spray with vinegar
spray then hydrogen peroxide, let
sit for a few minutes, then
rinse/flush.
Mold
Mold Recipe
 Baking soda blast
 Add 2-3 drops tea tree
oil
Directions
 Apply paste to mold.
 Scrub.
 Let sit for 30 minutes.
 Wipe clean.

This recipe will clean the
mold, but if the water
source is not corrected,
the mold will come back!
Problem Mold

Hire a specialist
• Restoration
• Water damage
• Carpet cleaning
Special Cleaning Chores
Carpets
Deodorize when needed:
 Sprinkle baking soda on the
carpet
 Wait 30 minutes
 Vacuum
Clean at least once per year:
 Rent a steam cleaner
 1/8 cup liquid soap
 2 gallons hot water
 Add 2 cups borax or baking
soda per gallon of water.
Rust stains

Combine1 Tablespoon cream of
tartar with enough hydrogen
peroxide to make a paste.
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Apply to the stain and let sit for
several hours.

Wipe clean.
Oven
Oven cleaner
 Sprinkle baking soda
to cover all mess.
 Spray with water until
very damp.
 Re-wet occasionally
with vinegar spray
and let sit overnight.
 In the morning, wipe
clean.
You can create a healthier
breathing environment by
changing the types of cleaning
products you use!
Thanks!