How-To

Whitelisting an email address or domain ensures that emails from those sources are not marked as spam and are delivered to your inbox. The process for whitelisting can vary depending on the email platform you are using. Here's a list of how to whitelist an email from different email platforms: Gmail: Open an email from the sender you want to whitelist. Click on the three vertical dots (More options) located on the top right of the email. Choose "Add [sender] to Contacts list" or "Filter messages like this." For filtering, click "create filter" then set the filter to "Never send it to Spam." Outlook (Web): Open an email from the sender you want to whitelist. Right-click on the email and select "Add to safe senders." Alternatively, click on the three horizontal dots on the top right and choose "View all Outlook settings" > "Junk email" > "Safe senders and domains" > Add the email address or domain. Outlook (Desktop): Open an email from the sender you want to whitelist. Click on the three dots on the top right of the email and choose "Add sender to safe senders list." Apple Mail: Open an email from the sender you want to whitelist. Click on the sender's email address or name in the "From" field. Select "Add to Contacts" or "Add to VIPs."

Keep beaches clean, make ocean-positive choices, and don’t forget that Speed Cleaning™ Red Juice contains seaweed! July is a great time to head to the beach, and we hope you get a chance to visit one this summer. When you pack up your car with chairs, towels, coolers, and sunscreen, don’t forget a trash bag to pack out your own garbage. While you’re at it, why not bring along a few extra bags to carry out any other trash you see? When you get to the beach, you can help out by picking up any litter that is blowing along the edge of the water or dotting the sand. Keeping the beaches clean has a huge impact in helping to keep the ocean healthy.  Ocean health = people and planet health  Why is it important to have healthy oceans? They hold 97% of the planet’s water, regulate the earth’s climate, and produce more than half the oxygen in the atmosphere. And they’re teeming with fish that more than 1 billion people depend on for basic protein. Oceans nourish us with food and oxygen, but we are dumping more and more plastic into the ocean than ever before. It’s estimated that 12 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the ocean each year, or the equivalent of a truckload of trash every minute.  This is everything from plastic bottles and bags to microbeads in shampoos and toothpastes. Once the plastic is in the ocean, currents carry it to every corner of the planet, from uninhabited islands in the Pacific to Florida beaches. What can you do to help, besides cleaning up the beach when you visit? Here are a few areas you can make a difference. Just say no to single-use plastics This includes things like straws, plastic forks, the lids on coffee cups, disposable water bottles, plastic shopping bags, balloons, produce wrapped in plastic, and takeout containers. It’s easy to bring along your own reusable shopping bag when you buy groceries, your water bottle when you’re out hiking, and a travel coffee mug when you hit up your favorite coffee shop in the morning.  Use plastic-free alternatives Many products in your home have plastic microbeads that you might not be aware of. This includes shampoos, soaps, even your toothpaste! Check the ingredient list for polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, polylactic acid, or nylon; these are the most common plastics that make up microbeads. You can feel comfortable purchasing any of our eco-friendly cleaners, like Speed Cleaning™ Red Juice—the degreaser in Red Juice is made from environmentally-friendly seaweed! We also offer all of our cleaners in concentrate so that you can reuse your spray bottle and reduce the amount of plastic you consume.  Don’t buy any ocean-harming products  This sounds like a no-brainer, but there are many products directly linked to harming endangered species, pollution, and unsustainable fishing. Certain cosmetics contain shark squalene, for example. Avoid buying jewelry made from coral or sea turtle shells, or buying souvenir conch shells. And avoid those single-use plastics that we warned you about earlier.  Choose sustainable seafood Choose to eat seafood that is healthy for you AND for the oceans by supporting well-managed, wild fisheries. Seafood Watch has a guide to help you with these choices. Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Take only pictures, leave only footprints   When you’re having your day of fun on the beach, try not to load up on shell souvenirs that you’ll only dump into the garbage in a few months or years. And more importantly, don’t leave any trash behind to get blown into the ocean. Be a good citizen and pack out your garbage, and clean up any litter that might not be yours but that you spot along the way.  Cleaning up after a trip to the beach  Managing moisture is the key to keeping sand off your clothes and shoes, and ultimately out of your house. Wear flip flops or sandals you can kick the sand out of. Keep your gear as dry as possible so sand doesn’t adhere to it. And at the end of the day, give all your items a hard shake once you’re back in the parking lot.  Pro-tips:   Bring some baby powder or talc to sprinkle on your hands and feet. It soaks up the moisture, making the sand easy to brush off.  Bring a bristly welcome mat for everyone to wipe their feet on before they get into your car.  Line your car trunk with an old blanket or towel, and do the same for your car seats.  Place wet items in a mesh bag before putting them into the car, then put on top of that old blanket which you’ll shake out when you get home.  Once home, hang up wet clothes and towels outside and let them dry completely. Then shake well before bringing inside to wash.  If all of this preparation failed to prevent sand from creeping into your house, a vacuum with a deep brush can pull out sand from your carpet. For moveable rugs, you can hang them outside and beat the sand out of them. Have fun at the beach! Thank you for doing your part to keep the beach and ocean clean. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen!

If you are reading this and dealing with bed bugs, let me first say “Hang in there!” Reports from across the country note that bed bug infestations have been increasing rapidly since 2004, so you are not alone in battling this problem. Scientists believe the resurgence of bed bugs is due to decreased use of pesticides and to increased air travel where people bring them into the United States from another country. However bed bugs got into your home, you’re having to deal with them now. One of the best ways to tackle your bed bug problem is to make use of a steam cleaner, and we’ve got a great one —the Vapamore Steam Cleaner. This is a top-rated steam cleaning system that was awarded Best Steam Cleaner by the leading consumer rating digest. One of the benefits of using the steam cleaner to get rid of bed bugs is that it’s free of chemicals, so you can feel safe using it around your family. Killing bed bugs with steam is very effective, but you have to have the right tool for the job. You can’t just use the type of steamer you might have to steam your clothing because this won’t kill the bugs. The steam cleaner works by cranking up temperatures where the bed bugs are hiding to over 160 degrees, and steam can work its way up to ¾” into fabric surfaces or up to ½” in a crack or crevice. The surface temperature of the area being treated should be at least 160 degrees immediately after you steam the area in order for the bugs to be quashed. Here are a few steps to follow as you use your steam cleaner to attack the bed bugs: Attach the nozzle to the steam wand and use caution because the steam is by nature very hot.  Use the steam cleaner on all surfaces where you can see bed bugs and in any area where bed bugs could be hiding.  The surface temperature must reach at least 160°F. Below this, bed bugs could survive your steaming. Keep the temperature under 180 degrees to lessen the risk of damage to your fabric and other materials. If the temperature of the surface area you are treating is too low, move the steam wand more slowly to increase the temperature. Fabric can be damp but not be wet. If the fabric is getting too wet, dial back the amount of steam.  When done, you can use a fan to help circulate air and dry off the fabric you steamed.  Follow the instructions to cool off the steamer and relieve the pressure.  Unfortunately, you may have to repeat this procedure a few times. The steam will only kill bed bugs that are exposed to the heat, so if you missed any in your initial pass, you’ll have to attack them again.

Follow these steps when it’s time for a deep clean Periodically, it’s important to do a much more detailed cleaning of your toilet. Here’s how: Remove the tank lid and pour white vinegar to about an inch from the top of the tank. Turn the water off at the valve and put the tank lid back on – you’ll be coming back to this later.   Spray or squirt the bowl cleaner of your choice in the toilet bowl, being generous under the rim. Don’t scrub yet.   Using cloths or paper towels, an old toothbrush, and the cleaner of your choice, wipe down the top and bottom of the seat lid and the seat, and scrub the hinges and the bumpers (the raised parts that create a gap). A great green cleaner for this is Speed Cleaning’s Red Juice. 4. Now remove the entire toilet seat – it’s easier to clean while it’s still attached to the toilet – and clean the bottom of the hinges.  5. Wipe down the entire outside of the tank, bowl, and base, using the toothbrush around the screw holes where the seat attaches. 6. Remove the bolt caps from the base; clean the caps and around the bolts. Using a cloth wet with cleaner over something thin like a screw driver or scraper, wipe between the tank and the bowl. Remember, this is a deep clean so be sure to hit every nook and cranny of the base. 7. Clean the inside of the toilet bowl with a good-quality brush like Speed Cleaning’s Large Angled Toilet Brush. The angle helps to really get under the rim. Now flush, keeping in mind you turned the water off so the tank won’t refill.

In a few short weeks, your home will become the hub of summer break activities, with outdoor gear strewn about, beach towels tossed aside, and more items accumulating than you know what to do with! As the summer season approaches, it's crucial to clear your home in preparation for the upcoming chaos.  We’re sharing the top three rules for decluttering to help you keep your sanity as the kids get ready to come home for summer break. If you follow even one of these rules, you’ll find your home a much more organized and enjoyable space to relax with family and friends. Rule 1 – When in doubt, TOSS IT OUT!   No matter how sentimental you feel about that old swimsuit that no longer fits or the worn-out beach umbrella, it’s time to let them go. Be firm and decisive as you sort through clothes and belongings to determine what stays and what needs to be discarded.  Rule 2 – Use it or lose it!  Building on Rule #1, if something hasn’t been used in the past year, it’s time to bid it farewell. Whether it's clothing, sports equipment, or hobby supplies, if it's been collecting dust, it's taking up valuable space. Donate unused items to make room for summer essentials. Rule 3 – A place for everything and everything in its place.  Now that you've streamlined your belongings, it's essential to establish designated spots for each item. Make it a habit to return items to their designated homes after use. Whether it's putting away beach toys or hanging up wet towels, maintaining organization will prevent clutter from piling up. These three rules are just the beginning. For a comprehensive guide to decluttering, check out the Clutter Control ebook here. Happy decluttering and enjoy a clutter-free summer break!