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Spring Cleaning - the Watkins Way! No one will ever argue that cleaning the house is a fun chore, but it is one of our most common rituals of spring. After an entire winter of closed windows and recirculated air, it's a wonderful thing to be able to open the windows to a fresh breeze and return everything to its rightful sparkling, clean-smelling splendor. It's also a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate for yourself the quality, economy and power of Watkins' home care products. Watkins has a fantastic line of products for cleaning every room of the house. Wherever possible, they are engineered to be completely earth-friendly; many offer extra strength and economy through concentration; still others are noted for their versatility in doing numerous jobs around the home. In this article, we explore tips for cleaning and "Watkinizing" your home this spring, along with some excellent observations from Watkins Associates who have already done the same. Concentrated Products The fastest growing trend in home care products today is concentration. That's good news for those of us in the Watkins business because we've been making concentrated products for years! The benefits of concentrated products are two-fold: saving money and saving the environment. By making products that are concentrated, Watkins is not selling water or other materials that take up space but provide little value. The cost savings to the customer can be substantial. For example, Watkins Degreaser is so concentrated, it can be diluted 256 times and function as an effective spray cleaner! Everyone realizes that concentrated products save money, and - let's face it - it's the bottom line that concerns most consumers. But products like this have an additional benefit that many people identify as a major concern - saving the environment. By purchasing concentrated products, you help the environment by creating less packaging to end up in landfills. For example, if Watkins Generation III Laundry Detergent does the work of three boxes of your old brand, you have just contributed two fewer containers to your local landfill. (Not to mention the gasoline you saved by not having to drive to the store two more times to buy detergent!) In the case of plastic bottles, the same theory applies; of course, you have few bottles to recycle (yes, our plastic bottles are recyclable by most systems). Nature's Cleaners When most people think of cleaning products, they think of harsh chemicals. We're not going to preach against their use; certainly, some of our products contain some pretty tough stuff that gets the job done better than anything else. We want you to know that all of our products are safe when used as directed. And when the technology becomes available to make a more natural product that still works as well, you can bet that we'll be taking the lead. Here are some examples of natural-based products used by Watkins for your home: Bacteria: Sounds bad, but there are actually many good bacteria on this planet, including those in your own body. Modern technology has discovered certain bacterial strains that literally eat fats (grease) and other organic substances that can cause odors, create stains and clog drains. Some of these bacteria have been in a dormant state for hundreds of years, "coming alive" when put into the right medium and exposed to their food source. Some bacteria are also beneficial to septic systems, keeping them "alive" for better waste decomposition. These bacteria may be found in Odor Chek, Odor Zap, Bio-Drain Opener, Stain Pro Rug Cleaner and Permanent Odor Eliminator for Pet Problems. Cocamide DEA: A mild but effective surfactant derived from coconut oil. Dissolves grease and oil without caustics, harsh acids or harmful solvents; helps prevent rusting. Can be made in various strengths, and is even safe enough for use in personal care products. This is featured in Degrease, Organic Cleaner, and Outdoor Wash. d-Limonene: A naturally-occurring grease-cutting solvent found in the peels of citrus fruits. Works well and leaves a refreshing citrus fragrance. This is featured in Citrus All-Purpose Cleaner, Stain Pro Grease, Tar and Gum Remover, and Finished Wood Cleaner and Restorer. Enzymes: Natural substances that attack proteins. Although they are not living organisms, enzymes are created by plants and animals (we produce them in our own bodies to help digest foods). Whether featured with bacteria or by themselves, enzymes can be powerful cleaners. Enzymes are featured in Organic Automatic Dishwashing Detergent, Stain Pro Rug Cleaner and Watkins Laundry Detergent. Pine Oil: One of the few powerful disinfectants found in nature. Leaves a refreshing, deodorizing aroma. Featured in Pine Oil Disinfectant. Versatility: Our Multi-Use Products Watkins products can help save time and money by doing the work of several "mainstream" products. Here are examples of some of our more versatile cleaners: Organic Cleaner: The ultimate all-purpose, earth-friendly cleaner. For general cleaning, use 1 teaspoon/5 ml. to 1 quart/litre of water. Great for kitchens, woodwork, walls, appliances, bathroom fixtures, cars, boats, etc. Also:
Degreaser: Nearly as versatile as Organic Cleaner, but specially formulated to be tougher on grease.
Bathroom Cleaner Plus: An excellent toilet bowl cleaner and more; use as a hard-surface cleaner throughout the bath:
Mineral Deposit Remover: Previously marketed simply as "Coffeemaker Cleaner", removes hard water deposits from many other items, like:
Pine Oil Disinfectant: The US product is concentrated, with nearly five times the pine oil of Pine-Sol. The Canadian product, by law, contains less pine oil, but is fortified with extra disinfectants. Excellent for floors, but there's so much more:
Window and Glass Cleaner:
Alcohol and ammonia-free, this is excellent for windows, mirrors and other
glass, helping to prevent smudges and fingerprints, and actually works to
repel dust - plus:
Products that "sell" themselves! Many Watkins quality products seem to sell themselves (through word of mouth by our customers). Here are a few testimonials and helpful hints that have worked for others and may help you! "We love Watkins cleaning products, but
especially the Window and Glass Cleaner and the Citrus All-Purpose
Cleaner. The Window and Glass Cleaner doesn't leave and streaks and
cleans very well with little effort! We use the Citrus
All-Purpose Cleaner on our Corian counter tops. It cleans with only
a gentle wipe and leaves a pleasant citrus aroma in the kitchen."
"In my house the washing machine gets daily use, so I need a laundry soap that I can trust. My criteria: keep clothes looking new longer, wash them clean without leaving soap residue or fillers locked into the fabric, save money, and if possible, protect my washing machine so it will last longer. With Watkins Generation III Laundry Soap, I get all of that! I know I'm using 100% active ingredients - no fillers - and it's an ultra-concentrated, high-powered cleaner. My family's clothes look great! Value? Just look at the size of the scoop and then dare to compare. With over 70 loads of laundry per box, or about 24 cents (Cdn)/17 cents (US) a load, who could possibly say no?" ..... Karen Robb, BC "Before
our new oven was delivered, I wanted to thoroughly scrub that part of the
kitchen. Many years of air-borne grease and cooking oil had taken
its toll, and after pulling out the old stove it was an awful mess.
None of the "store-brand" grease cutters worked well. Then I
remembered Watkins Degreaser. I mixed it with a little warm water
and went to work. The solution was left on the area for about 10
minutes and when I wiped it down all the grease spots were gone! My
whole kitchen now routinely gets the Watkins Degreaser treatment and it
has never looked better!"
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Wring mop dry and wipe up spots and dirt. For kitchen floors, use
2 tsp/10 ml per gallon with a mop, or apply with sprayer bottle (1/4
tsp/1.2 ml per pint/500 ml) and a slightly damp cloth.
