Green House Cleaning Tips
The Dirty Glove: Remote Control Edition
Cleaning thoroughly, efficiently, and greenly is the name of the game here at the Purple Fig, but we all have those areas of the house that- let’s face it -nobody likes to tackle. What better way to honor those dastardly, dirty crevices then to dedicate a post about how to scrub them until they shine?
Read MoreFridge Basics: How to Store Your Food
The fridge is our sacred relic of the kitchen and our customizable food closet rolled into one. It’s home to a patchwork of foods- both frozen and raw, vegetables and sauces and meats alike -indiscriminately keeping our food safe and chilled for our personalized eating pleasures. Jimmy John’s Owner restaurant chains also make use of…
Read MoreHospital Corners 101
We’re all guilty of it — leaning over a freshly laid bed sheet, staring at the mattress corner like a Rubix cube…straining to recall which way to fold what part of the sheet to create that perfect, taut little crease…and then, defeated, cramming the sheet under the mattress in shame. Well, worry no more! The…
Read MoreThe “No Poo” Haircare Method Pt. 1
No, it’s not that kind of poo. Until the mid-20th century, shampooing and conditioning one’s hair was considered a luxury that only came about once or twice a month — that is, until synthetic formulas revolutionized haircare. As shampooing became increasingly more commonplace and formulas derived less from nature and more from laboratories, however, very few stopped to…
Read More100% Natural Sugar Ant Repellent
During this awkward, semi-annual Transition of the Seasons (Spring/Summer edition), the weather in the great state of Texas oftentimes finds itself straddling crisp breezes and suffocating humidity. Along with this infamous fluctuation in temperature comes the reawakening of our infamous summertime pests: house and fruit flies, June bugs, mosquitoes, and cicadas just to name a few. But one…
Read MoreThe Dirty Glove: Cutting Board Edition
Cleaning thoroughly, efficiently, and greenly is the name of the game here at the Purple Fig, but we all have those areas of the house that- let’s face it -nobody likes to tackle. What better way to honor those dastardly, dirty crevices then to dedicate a post about how to scrub them until they shine?
Read More6 Things That DON’T Belong in the Recycling
A vital part of our job at the Purple Fig involves bagging, carrying, and curbing pounds of our clients’ trash and recycling each and every day. Among the cornucopia of properly segregated wrappers, old food, and empty La Croix cans, however, there’s always a handful of non-recyclable items (known as “contaminants”) that are consistently tossed in the big blue…
Read MoreThe Dirty Glove: Carpeted Stairs Edition
Cleaning thoroughly, efficiently, and greenly is the name of the game here at the Purple Fig, but we all have those areas of the house that- let’s face it -nobody likes to tackle. What better way to honor those dastardly, dirty crevices then to dedicate a post about how to scrub them until they shine?
Read MoreLaundry Folding 101: The Fitted Bedsheet
We’ve all been there: staring at a pile of freshly laundered clothes- as unorganized and chaotic as they’ll ever be -struggling to calculate how long it will realistically take you to untangle your stretchy leggings from 3 pairs of your underwear. But nothing, not even matching all 20 pairs of those socks, is as daunting as the bedsheets —…
Read MoreThe Austin Recycle Games!
A 2015 independent study revealed that one Texas city haphazardly tosses away 46% compostable material and 44% recyclable material into its local landfill, leaving room for a meager 10% of actual landfill garbage and unwittingly throwing away an estimated $4.7 million in recyclables. That city, ladies and gentleman, is Austin, Texas.
Read MoreThe Dirty Glove: Laundry Edition
Cleaning thoroughly, efficiently, and greenly is the name of the game here at the Purple Fig, but we all have those areas of the house that- let’s face it -nobody likes to tackle. What better way to honor those dastardly, dirty crevices then to dedicate a post about how to scrub them until they shine?
Read MoreThe Dirty Glove: Tile & Grout Edition
Cleaning thoroughly, efficiently, and greenly is the name of the game here at the Purple Fig, but we all have those areas of the house that- let’s face it -nobody likes to tackle. What better way to honor those dastardly, dirty crevices then to dedicate a post about how to scrub them until they shine?
Read MoreThe Power of Vinegar
Vinegar is truly nature’s gift to mankind. It’s an acidic liquid that is non-toxic and harmless to humans, a natural sanitizer and deodorizer, a stainless substance, and it can be used to clean virtually anything…from glass to plastic to fabric! Couple that with its low price tag, and you’ve got yourself a one-of-a-kind all-purpose cleaner that can…
Read MoreHow to Prep Before the Cleaners Arrive
It might be embarrassing to admit, but there’s no shame in wondering how to prep your home before the cleaners arrive! How much should you organize? Should you give appliances a preliminary wipe down…? Many people don’t properly know how to tidy up before a cleaning appointment, and some don’t bother to prepare at all.…
Read More6 Eco-Friendly Recipes for Pet Stains
It happens to all of our beloved pets from time to time: a wee (or not so wee) accident on the carpet, the sight and odor of it unbearable. From kitty hairballs to doggy urine, the prospect of getting on your hands and knees and scrubbing the stain is inevitable…so why not make it eco-friendly?…
Read MoreSpring Cleaning Hacks
There’s something about the coming of Spring that inspires a renewing and refreshing sense of self– and for whatever reason, nothing makes for a more satisfying detox than tossing out the old and abandoned clutter around your house. We at the Purple Fig know how daunting a task this can be, so we have list of eco-friendly tips, tricks, and…
Read MoreThe Dirty Glove: Toilet Edition
Cleaning thoroughly, efficiently, and greenly is the name of the game here at the Purple Fig, but we all have those areas of the house that- let’s face it -nobody likes to tackle. What better way to honor those dastardly, dirty crevices then to dedicate a post about how to scrub them until they shine?
Read MoreGreen Cleaners for Saint Patrick’s Day
The Purple Fig is our name, but we are all about being green! We don’t just mean green in a trendy way, we mean green, as in we are passionate about making our own all-natural homemade cleaners and using microfiber cloths instead of wasting paper towels.
Read MoreIs Your Home A No Shoe Zone?
In some countries and cultures it is customary to remove your shoes before entering a home. In some places, like Japan or Canada, taking off your shoes before entering the home is requisite and polite. However, here in the United States, some folks might find it rude to be required to take off their shoes.…
Read More5 Ways to Make Your Home Healthier in 2015
In 2015 many New Year’s resolutions will involve health. The usual gamut of resolutions include: lose weight, go to the gym more often, eat healthier, start a new diet, etc. You can still have a health-focused resolution, but why not start with your home? Here are 5 ways you can make your home healthier in…
Read MoreFruit Fly Invasions
Fruit flies are a very common problem amongst our greener clients and I get a lot of questions about getting rid of them. This is so common that it has been covered on a lot of blogs and wikis and just a few clicks can give you many tips and tricks! Some of the best:…
Read MoreWe like Moso Natural Bags!
We ran across a great, eco-friendly product in a client’s house this week. I’m always pleasantly surprised that we can continue to learn and discover new ways to be green and clean nearly every day! The Moso Natural Bag: It contains a bamboo charcoal that absorbs moisture and odors and all sorts of things you…
Read MoreSpecial Guest Star – Hydrogen Peroxide
This week in beautiful Austin, I brought a special guest star to my cleans: H2O2! Being green, we don’t bring chlorinated products (or any harmful chemicals) into our client’s homes. This means we find creative, safe, eco-friendly alternatives to solve issues like The Pink Scourge. It’s that pink tinted bacteria that gathers in the commode…
Read MoreGreat Uses for Household Items
Each year, we spend a lot of money on specialty products to remove stains, freshen the air or remove pests and pesky weeds. We’re also rinsing these chemical based products down our drains, polluting more than we need to. Here are some great uses for chemical free items you have around the house! Vinegar: We…
Read MoreThe Cleaning Fairy
Children seem to be fascinated by our cleaning process. Amongst my clients, there is a little girl that started following me around as soon as she learned to walk. One boy runs around the house pretending to vacuum during the week, cheerfully announcing that he has to get to his ‘next house’. Yet another, upon…
Read MoreProduct Selection
There are products we choose by word of mouth, packaging and what’s on the label. When it comes to cleaning, scent can also play a large factor in this decision. All of these details led me to wonder if we’re looking closely into the products we bring into our homes in an effort to be…
Read MoreWhat’s in My Bottle Now?
If you’ve been following along with the rest of the class, you know that I did some research on essential oils and decided to change what was in my bottle. The poll only yielded a few results and Thyme oil is surprisingly hard to find. Here’s what I came up with: I cut the vinegar…
Read MoreAll You Ever Need
All you ever need in a sponge! The great sponge trial is over, with fantastic results. After 10 house cleanings, the loofah/sponge hybrid is still going. The pros and cons: Pros: The hybrid is long lasting and compostable. Far more green than I had even hoped. Once wet, it is flexible and easy to use.…
Read MoreGood, clean fun!
We, as a team, have noticed something fantastic. We have fun when we’re cleaning. Most especially, when we get to ‘team clean’, meaning there is more than one of us, or as in the case this week, nearly all of us! This led me to think about how we get through the cleaning process without…
Read MoreEssential Oils
Recently the subject of essential oils has come to the fore front of the collective Purple Fig mind. (Yes, sometimes we operate as One.) I put the query to our clients as to what scent they would like in their bottles. Using the ever popular Facebook poll, I hope to please as many people as…
Read MoreMicrowave Ovens
Happy New Year! The first Tip Tuesday of the new year. 1 down and 51 to go! This leap year doesn’t really effect the delivery of your weekly tidbits from the Fig. 🙂 Friends, I have a peeve. I’d say a pet peeve, but that implies only one. Who really has only one peeve? This…
Read MoreLeather
Mmmm, leather. It can be strong and rugged or soft, buttery and giving. Leather is sexy, useful and can be very long lasting. If you take care of it properly. As usual, I’m here to help. I recently had a client (okay, my very favorite client) ask about where to get her leather coat cleaned.…
Read MoreKill Mold – Volume II
You know that quirky little video I did last week, trying to kill the mold? I did another one this week. It was great! It went very smoothly. Until I imported it and noticed that the second half some button must have been pushed that made it a very artsy sepia tone. Lovely. Unless, of…
Read MoreAction!
Hello kids! I believe I promised you a little journey last week. Well, we aim to please. Today I tried to clean up that mold we talked about in my corner of shame. I used our usual cleaning implements, vinegar and baking soda, and on the other side I tried lemon juice and salt. I…
Read MoreOn a Mold Mission
I’m on a mission, people. You know that mold in the shower? Not the pink stuff we’ve already talked about, but the black mold. There has to be a natural way to eradicate this mold. I’ve done my research and I know the ways to avoid getting the mold: Open a window while/after showering Get…
Read MoreDust. Again…
Here we go with the dust post again. I know you’re thinking I’m obsessed with dust, but really; I’m only trying to meet your needs and answer your questions! How do we do it? Dusting is the one thing our clients tell us that they will skip nearly every time they clean themselves. I used…
Read MoreTiming is Everything
I have had many clients ask how we do so much in such a short amount of time. The first thing I ask them is, “When do you ever have 3 or 4 uninterrupted hours in your home?” The answer to that is always never, or they wouldn’t need us! But to truly address the…
Read MoreDon’t Be a Sucker
Today’s Tip Tuesday covers those sucker-bottomed tub floor covers. You know those mats that you stick in the bottom of your tub so that you don’t slip? The ones with the hundred little sucker cups on the bottom? Yes! Those! I hate those. I know, I know, they keep little Johnny or Susie from falling…
Read MorePurple Figger Confesses to Laziness
This Tip Tuesday is more like an anecdote with a lesson in the end. ‘J’ doesn’t clean very much. That sounds like a complaint, but it’s not really. I’m never quite happy when someone else cleans. I feel they either do too little or concentrate on the wrong things during a quick-y. I was doing…
Read MoreThe Pink Scourge
We’ve all seen it. How did it get there? How do you get rid of it? And why does it look like Barbie put it there? The pink stuff you find in the shower or tub and inside the toilet bowl right at the waterline is actually a bacteria. Nope, not a mold as it…
Read MoreKeep it Clean
Do you clean house (or have us do it) and look around in a week and wonder how it got so dirty? I did too. Of course, since I lived alone; I realized it was my fault. So the answer is to have a roommate/living partner to blame it on. Okay, I’m just kidding. Really,…
Read MoreLearn to Fake It
We might do this for a living, but our houses aren’t always as spotless as we make yours. We’ve just learned to fake it. Everyone has had unexpected guests at some time or another. Your partner or roommate gives you all of an hour to let you know there will be two more at dinner.…
Read MoreSeeing Spots: Glass Shower Enclosures
Sometimes I feel like Ophelia, only I’m seeing a less gruesome form of spots. I see soap and water spots on glass shower enclosures and I’m quite certain I know how she felt: insane! We have found through much trial and error, a couple of ways to remove these bothersome blotches. Remember the sponges? Last…
Read MoreDown with Dust
Our current drought in ATX is dangerous on many levels and inconvenient on a smaller scale. By smaller, I mean tiny. Dusty. The lack of moisture has caused creepy crawlies and dirt to invade our cool and moist homes. Many a client has bemoaned the increase in dust bunnies and cobwebs. So this Tip Tuesday,…
Read MoreTip Tuesday – Sponges
Sponges. Nature’s little mops. We have just a few thoughts on sponges we’d like to share with you. Abrasiveness: Most sponges have an abrasive side. We call it the scritchy. But you can definitely scratch your beautiful fixtures and even glass with a too scritchy sponge! The easiest way to tell the difference between the…
Read MoreTip Tuesday – Let it Cook!
Welcome to the new Tip Tuesday! We occasionally have clients that ask for cleaning tips and advice and we thought it would be a great idea to share these with everyone. Feel free to share your favorites with us in the comments! I was getting ready to clean Kristen’s sink and she asked how we…
Read MoreTheatre en Bloc Fundraiser – Purple Fig Cleaning Raffle Prize!
Here’s your chance to support a wonderful theatre group that is committed to sustainable practices. Theatre en Bloc is having a benefit fundraiser for their outstanding group and one of the raffle prizes is a 3 hour clean from us! Party en Bloc happens on Friday, Septenber 2nd from 7pm ’till 12am at Jovita’s (1619…
Read MoreThe Temptation
We’re all human and occasionally we give in to temptation. Maybe to please others (as in my case) or just to ease the way. As the wise Kermit the frog said, “It’s not easy being green.” Or is it? Let me tell you my story. I am about to move in with the love of…
Read MoreLearning
A brief summary of cleaning chemicals: do benefits outweigh the cost. Since conventional cleaning products can contain upwards of 20 individual ingredients, it is difficult to directly link an individual cleaning chemical to increased asthma, allergies, fatigue, cancer, etc. My initial reaction to this agrees with the The Precautionary Principle: a moral and political principle…
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