PaperlessKitchen Blog

Spring Green Cleaning: Ovens

The oven is undoubtedly one of the messiest places in many kitchens, but not for long! This installment of our Spring Green Cleaning series will help you get your ovens spotlessly clean.

What You'll Need:

Bucket

Scrub Brush

Microfiber Cloth

Hot Water

Eco-Friendly Towel

1. Remove the racks from your oven and let them soak in hot water for a few hours.

2. Tackle baked on messes first with the help of an eco-friendly scrub brush. The Casabella Maxi Brush Scrubber is great choice because of its size and durable bristles.

3. After you have removed visible burned on food, run over the entire inside of the oven with a microfiber cloth. The e-Cloth Non-scratch Scouring Cloth will provide extra cleaning power to remove dirt that can be difficult to see inside of the oven.

4. Clean the oven racks thoroughly with your scrub brush.

5. Dry the racks with an eco-friendly towel like the Full Circle In the Buff Dish Towel.

6. Close the oven door and give yourself a break! You have a clean oven.

European Union Considering Plastic Bag Ban

More bad news for plastic! San Francisco is saying bye bye to bottles, and Chicago is considering banning bags. Now, all of Europe may be doing away with single use plastic bags. The European Union has issued a report examining the use of single-use bags.

In 2010, there were 8 billion plastic bags thrown away throughout the 28 countries that make up the EU. That works out to roughly 198 plastic bags per person, and 90 percent of these were single-use plastic bags. The report gave three possible methods for reducing plastic waste. One would be to implement programs to incent retailers to voluntarily stop distributing the bags. Another would be to levy fees for the use, and the final option would be a ban across the entire EU. After a thorough analysis of all three options, the report concluded that the one most likely to be effective is the ban.

The report closes with a recommendation to first take steps to reduce bag use to gradually help businesses and residents of the EU adapt to the changes with the law not taking effect until 2020.                                                                                            

Spring Green Cleaning: Stove Top

With this installment of Spring Green Cleaning, we're going to teach you how to clean your range with ease and without the of potentially toxic metal cleaners.

What You'll Need:

Bucket

Microfiber Cloth

Scrub Brush

Hot Water

1. If your stove has removable grates, take them off and soak them in a sink full of hot water. For very dirty burners, add a bit of natural dish soap to the water. One brand to try is Mrs. Meyers Clean Day, which we have available at LeafyClean.com. 

2. Clean the entire stovetop with a microfiber cloth. Try the e-Cloth Range & Stovetop Pack to make the job easy. Start by cleaning with the special blue and gray striped cloth and hot water. This will remove baked on grime and drips as well as 99 percent of bacteria. Then, use the gray cloth to buff and polish the range.

3. Go to the sink and scrub down the burners with a scrub brush like the Casabella Maxi Brush Scrubber 

or a Scouring Pad like the Casabella Terry Scouring Cloths.

4. Put the grates back in place. You're finished!

Meet The Future: Paperless Toilets!

As you work to reduce the size of your eco footprint, there's one area of the house where you might be hesitant to say goodbye to paper--on that roll beside the toilet! But it seems there may one day be a solution to the TP problem!

The newest toilets from the company TOTO are designed to eliminate the need for paper. The toilets use water to clean from the back after you use the facilities and have an optional front cleaning spray as well.

Although this sounds like an innovative breakthrough, TOTO has been selling water cleaning toilet since the 1980s in Japan, and roughly 74 percent of Japanese households currently using them. The toilets are also popular in the Middle East and South America and are beginning to show up in homes in Europe as well.

TOTO is hoping that increased interest in paperless homes in the U.S. will present an opportunity to sell their products. There are also other solutions to the toilet paper problem on the horizon. Bambooee explained in their appearance on "Shark Tank"  that they are working on a paper-free biodegradable disposable toilet paper.

Spring Green Cleaning: Inside the Microwave

Last time, we spring cleaned your fridge and freezer. Now, it's time to tackle one of the dirtiest places in the kitchen--the microwave! This process will not only get the inside sparkling but will also help you eliminate any unpleasant odors.

What You'll Need:

Bucket

Microfiber Cloth or Sponge 

Scrubber (optional) 

Hot Water

White vinegar

Microwave safe BPA-free bowl 

Lemon Juice

1. Unplug the microwave.

2. Fill up a microwave-safe BPA-free plastic or glass bowl with white vinegar and microwave it on high for 6 minutes. This will neutralize odors.

3. Fill up a bucket with hot water. Add a splash of lemon juice.

4. Wipe out the inside of the microwave with a microfiber cleaning cloth. For this appliance, I really like the Casabella Superglide Sponge. Its texture helps to loosen debris, and its perfectly sized for getting inside of the microwave.

5. If there are tough baked-on stains, use a green scouring cloth or scrub brush to tackle it. My pick is the Casabella Terry Scouring Cloth, which comes in a pack of four, so you'll have some for doing the dishes, too.

6. Plug the microwave back in and congratulate yourself on having the cleanest microwave in the neighborhood.

Potential Plastic Bag Ban In Chicago

Hot on the heels of San Francisco announcing their plastic water bottle ban at events on city property, Chicago City Council members are now discussing a possible ban on single use plastic bags in the city.

The law will impact all retailers in the city; however, the sponsor of the law, Ald. “Proco” Joe Moreno says that they will likely roll the enforcement of the bill out slowly, giving small businesses time to make the necessary adjustments.

So far, there is a lot of opposition to the bill. Retailers are most concerned with the fact that there is no tax on paper bags as a part of the law. They say that businesses will be hurt by having to purchase more expensive paper bags or compostable bags.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has so far said he was not in support of a plastic bag ban, but Moreno states that there are enough votes to carry the ban regardless of whether or not the Mayor supports it. We'll keep you up to date on the story as it unfolds.

Spring Green Cleaning: Cleaning the Fridge and Freezer

In our last edition of Spring Green Cleaning, we looked at cleaning your condenser coils. This time, we'll go inside the fridge and freezer to give it a thorough cleaning and eliminate any unpleasant odors. Here's how to get the job done the green way.

What You'll Need:

Scrubber Sponge  

Cleaning Cloth 

Bucket

Hot Water

Lemon Juice

1. Unplug the fridge.

2. Remove all of the food from both the freezer and fridge. Take the time to read the expiration dates. Set aside items to throw away. Keep the other items closely clustered together in the coolest spot you can find while you clean.

3. Fill up a bucket with hot water and a touch of lemon juice for deodorizing.

4. Start by scrubbing any areas where you can see spilled food. Use a green scrubber sponge like the Casabella Hands Away Surface Scrubber. Be sure to check the door shelves and drawers for spills as well.

5. Use a microfiber cleaning cloth and the water like the e-Cloth General Purpose Cloth to wipe down the entire fridge and freezer. The e-cloth is a great pick because it will lift away odor-causing bacteria as well as debris.

6. Put your food back inside. Remember to keep highly perishable items like eggs off of the refrigerator door. Highly perishable items will last longer at the backs of shelves and at the bottom of the fridge where it is the coldest. The crisper is the best place to keep produce fresh.

7. Plug the fridge back in.

8. Use any expired food for composting or drop it off at a composting facility. Recycle the empty containers.

9. Rejoice! You've cleaned the fridge and freezer the green way.

Effects of Plastic Waste on Lungworms Raising Major Concerns

A study conducted by scientists at the University of Exeter and the University of Plymouth published in Current Biology has revealed that plastic waste in oceans is having a detrimental effect upon lungworms.

The study examined the habits of lungworms in a controlled laboratory setting, establishing that the invertebrates mated less and fed less when in environments with microscopic plastic waste. When the lungworms did feed in areas where plastic was present, the plastic often became trapped in their digestive systems, which resulted in poor nutrient absorption and sometimes death.

So why does it matter what happens to lungworms? These organisms are the bottom of the food chain for many fish species and drops in their population could lead to a huge ripple effect. Also, the scientists point out that it's likely that many other foundations of aquatic food chains are being negatively impacted in similar ways.

All of the steps that governments are taking to reduce plastic waste is a start toward protecting eco systems. We can all do our part by using more reusable and biodegradable products and fewer single use plastics.

San Francisco Bans Plastic Water Bottles

The San Francisco City Council has passed a new rule that will help reduce the amount of plastic waste produced on city property. Under the rule, plastic bottles of water will no longer be able to be sold at events held on city property. The ban only applies to bottles that are 21 ounces in size or smaller.

Mayor Ed Lee is expected to sign the legislation in the coming weeks, and it will take effect on Oct 1 for all events held inside and in 2016 for events that occur outside.

While the ban will obviously not completely eliminate the use of plastic bottles in the city, it could lead to similar actions in other cities across the country. San Francisco was the first city to pass a plastic bag ban, and now bills are being considered or have passed in dozens of others. We'll keep a close eye on the plastic bottle ban and let you know of the latest news.

Vermont Taking Step to Better Control Toxins

We frequently feature posts about new studies concerning commonly used chemicals that have been found to be toxins. Scientific study of potential toxins is constantly revealing new threats, and one of the problems that comes with trying to restrict the use of those prospective toxins in products is the need to pass legislation.

States have the ability to ban toxins, but legislation must be voted on every time a new toxin is discovered. The Vermont Senate is now hoping to change that. The state has already passed bans or passed restrictive legislation on flame retardants, mercury, lead and BPA, and now, legislators are hoping to make it easier to add newly discovered toxins to controlled substance lists.

If passed S.239 will permit the Vermont Department of Health to add new chemicals to its restricted or banned list every other year without legislative approval. Should the bill pass, other states may one day follow suit, meaning that governments would be able to respond more quickly to the risks posed by toxins.