Corporate goes green, just for a second.

Two days ago I heard that Walgreens is now offering a new line of all natural cleaners. Yesterday I headed off to Walgreens. That may be extreme for most, but as someone who makes cleaning products for profit, or at least for passion right now, I want to keep up with the possible competition. So in Walgreens, iPhone in hand, I snap all sorts of pictures of the new Ology line of Walgreens brand cleaners. I also snapped a few of other, new names that looked cute. One had a big, bold pencil drawn sunshine on it. I loved it! So I took a snapped the back for ingredient list. Not that it said much. “INGREDIENTS: Contains anionic and/or nonionic surfactants.” Yes, that was it. I have no idea what that even meant.  A few more pictures and away I went. Back to my home computer to check it all out. 

Let’s just say it right now; I’m happy to report that the Ology brand ingredients looked pretty good, way better than most.  Now the other brand with the totally cute sunshine. Well this is what I found…..

CONSUMERS UNION EVALUATION: How meaningful is the label?

The “includes biodegradable surfactants (anionic and nonionic)” and “includes biodegradable surfactants, enzymes, and brightening agents” claims are somewhat meaningful but in some cases can be misleading. They do not refer to the product as a whole (i.e. there may be non-biodegradable ingredients as well) and they are frequently misleading since many ingredients in soap and detergent products are biodegradable whether labeled as such or not.
http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/label.cfm?LabelID=293

I have always been a label reader, getting worse the older I get! Many times when I read and ingredients list and there is words I never seen or heard before or none listed at all…..well, that’s usually a good sign for me to steer clear.  

There is one main ingredient both these laundry detergents had in common. Probably one not often thought about. The common denominator is Walgreens. Both are Walgreens owned products. I ALWAYS appreciate when companies “go green” because it helps us all…the bigger picture. But what I DO NOT appreciate is when these companies promote a line of natural cleaners, but still make, distribute and promote traditional petro-chemical products that are harmful to all of us!

Next time you take a second to read a label and it looks acceptable to you, take another second longer than most and ask, “Does this company also promote harmful products?” If they do, then don’t buy from them!! They DO NOT deserve your business! They only way businesses will stop making crap are when the demand dries up. So make your voice be heard through your purchases! They will listen when no one is buying their products.
-angie ringler

Come Together...Right Now....Over Sustainability!

Birds of a feather really do flock together. For as long as I can remember, people have been flocking together for many different reasons. Back in school it was the cool kids, band kids, geeks, jocks - well, you remember. In the years to follow I noticed people were still banding together but for more productive purposes. Now as a business owner, I notice different groups. For a long time it was just the Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau. Business networking was reserved for those to attend early morning breakfasts or after hours socials, in hopes of getting to know other local business owners. Now with the Internet, that has all changed. Like-minded businesses have more resources now more than ever to get to know each other. Allow me to introduce one of those new options, The Florida Sustainability Center. (FSC)

On their website they state, "We at the FSC feel that it is important to highlight and to call attention to individuals, businesses and organizations that are leading by responsible example and to tell their story so others can be inspired and learn from the valuable work they are doing. It is only through cultural and societal change that we will achieve the kind of systemic transformation we need in order to survive. This cultural change can only come about if the stories and examples of those leading the way are heard."
We can all learn by example. A place to share our ideas, successes, fears, laughs, and recommendations is an integral part of business. The Florida Sustainability Center is a resource for business owners to seek out other sustainable Florida businesses. The FSC defines sustainability as the capacity to endure."It is based upon the simple principle that everything we humans need for our survival and well-being depends upon the resources of our natural environment. The world in which we live is a system in which all elements interrelate and coexist in a harmonious balance of creation and destruction. Nothing exists or functions in isolation." They are right, nothing can exist in isolation. What good is your business without customers? If you feel that sustainability is important, than plug into those around you. None of us can do it alone, so let's not try.

I want to thank Tracey Millhorn for starting such a wonderful website, allowing us all to come together, right now. For more information contact the Florida Sustainability Center or email them at contactus@floridasustainabilitycenter.com.
--Angie Ringler

Is the dirt worth the clean?

I'm easily excited when I see new cleaning products. I ALWAYS hope they are "green"......you know, the generic term for more natural. By natural, I'm mean...PLEASE be better than the typical petroleum-based products that demand two whole isles in most stores. So, Saturday was no different. There it was, a new brand I had never seen before. WOW - finally another company was going to help us out by offering a new, safe household cleaner.  The best part....it has the "Dirty Jobs" logo from TV. You know, the guy that works those disgusting jobs we never think about.

This type of recognition will be easy for people to pick up and feel confident that it's good. I love the Dirty Jobs guy Mike Rowe. He gets in there, rolls up his sleeves and really does the work. Impressive yet very disgusting at times but I can't look away! So I think, "Man, this guy gets dirty, so he must know something about clean." Right?

The next thing I always do with a new product is read the back label. The one thing I learned early on was "the bold print selleth and the fine print taketh away". So flip to the fine print and there it was, exactly what I did NOT expect. It said exactly this, "CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS: HAZARDOUS TO HUMANS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS and ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: This product is toxic to fish and aquatic organisms". In bold and all, can you believe it!??! Why don't they put that on the front of the label? Here is this huge new display offering Bathroom Cleaner and All-Purpose Spray - promoting this crap as a household cleaner. They know damn well we all use these products in our homes and around our families and pets!! Worst part is they do it with a logo both kids and adults know from a family television show. So, why would they harm us?

Dirty Jobs Cleaner - back of label. To the right you can see half of Mike Rowe's face.

First, let's answer the earlier question. Mike Rowe knows nothing about clean. For if he did, he would not allow his face or name to be promoted on these bottles. At least that is what I choose to believe. Second, why would they harm us? And who are they? Well, to answer that I went to the Google and typed dirty job cleaners and this site that came up first...

http://hoosierhomemade.com/putting-dirty-jobs-cleaners-to-the-test/ 

I thought, "Perfect, a mom that will be disgusted like I am and she's blogging about it! Very good! So the blog post starts like this, "As a Walmart Mom, I was recently asked to try the Dirty Jobs Cleaners and put them to the test. So with the All-Purpose Heavy Duty Degreaser and a rag in hand…
--But, it ends like this!
"Look for all of these products at Walmart!

Disclosure: This post is part of a campaign I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation and product for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own."

Now that surprised me. I didn't see that coming. She is paid to say good things about Walmart products. Maybe I should just look closer at the product and not what people are saying about it.

So why would they harm us? Who are they? According to the Material Safety Data Sheet for these cleaners, they are My Dirty Jobs, LLC, registered in Las Vegas, NV USA 89123-1060. The MSDS sheet also states Sodium Hypochloriteas as the main ingredient in the bathroom cleaner. According to Wikipedia, Sodium hypochlorite is a chemical compound with the formula NaClO. Sodium hypochlorite solution, commonly known as bleach or Clorox, is frequently used as a disinfectant or a bleaching agent. The problem with this  is what we already know about bleach in household cleaners.

• A study on housewives showed that exposure to common household cleaning products with sodium hypochlorite can cause Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS). RADS contains "asthma-like symptoms" and its severity depends on exposure and environmental factors. The long term effects have not been recorded. Due to the onset of RADS, caution should be emphasized when using bleach and other chemicals. [1]

Even in childhood, the warning about mixing bleach with most things could be dangerous. Ever pee in the toilet when it has bleach in the bowl? If you haven't, don't do it!

• Reports show, mixing an acid cleaner with sodium hypochlorite bleach generates chlorine gas. Mixing with ammonia solutions (including urine) produces chloramines. Mixtures of other cleaning agents and or organic matter can result in a gaseous reaction that can cause acute lung injury.[2] 

So yes, lets put bleach in a bathroom cleaner since the bathroom is generally the smallest room with the least amount of fresh air flow. They sure do seem concerned about our health, our bad health that is!

These are not myths, they are facts. Cleaning can be dangerous to your health. Now, please don't take that as a hall pass to never clean again!  What I hope the statement does is encourage label reading. Remember, advertising are just that, an ad to make you buy something. We are constantly being bombarded by false advertising. Everyday we are inundated with products that will harm us but they lead us to believe the product will help us. There is no concern for our health or well being. Even when the hurt is not immediate like a rash or asthma, you can bet it's coming. When it drains from our home, it hurts the environment, the aquifers and waterways, which harms us and future generations. Thankfully I take all this as a constant reminder about the importance of what I do; make safe, effective cleaning products. Angie Ringler ilovetangie.com

[1] ^https://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c1a81838-06a0-4325-a23b-bbde1db31e3e%40sessionmgr13&vid=5&hid=14


[2] ^http://web.ebscohost.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4f22085a-4990-46a5-801d-8a6b4687bc63%40sessionmgr11&vid=2&hid=14

BAIL Money.

When Tangie got it's second wind in January 2012, I saw the light. The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, the light I had been searching for. There it was, I could see it again for the first time in a long time. I wanted to believe I was getting closer to it. And for awhile, I actually thought I was. Really, how long could it stay that far away? I am a big believer in the power of positive thinking. But, here it is July 2012 and the light is no closer, but still very bright! I guess light and time really do travel at different speeds.

My first visual pictures of starting an Eco friendly cleaning line were way too broad. I'd like to believe that all of us get visual pictures when we think about our goals. I sure do, so others must. At least I'm pretty sure there not just residual visuals left over from the Grateful Dead shows long ago. Right? OK, let's say there not.  The first was the "open the new business" visual, you know the big fun one when business checks come with the company name (like somehow that gives us new money), ordering cute business cards with a catchy saying on it, so clever that future customers could never refuse doing business with you; maybe even get  a logo on a few shirts...how fun! Then there were the OMG's visuals, like how do I pay sales tax??!! And thanks to my many mentors at SCORE.org, I had several visions of my BAIL money. Yes BAIL money. Visions of my new Banker, Accountant, Insurance agent, and Lawyer and all the money that follows them. So there it was, lots of great visuals, but not one that included the time it takes to finalize the name. I thought the name would be the easy part. To actually register the word TANGIE with the U.S. Patent and trademark office I didn't feel needed a full visual, after all it was a mere speck inside the big picture. I already knew the name wasn't taken by checking www.uspto.gov.

Since I already had my BAIL money in place, the lawyer was handling the trademark application process. He is a great guy, better then the other ones that were interviewed. Side bar: It is important to talk to multiple professionals before hiring one. You learn something from each person and therefore can make a well educated decision after meeting with the third or fourth person. Enough of SCORE talk......back to the lawyer.

I know that after he was retained, he explained it all. In detail. Unfortunately, after several months my brain can develop CRS. Some of you may know it, maybe a family member is afflicted or maybe you find yourself suffering from CRS more often than you would care to admit. Either way, the details got fuzzy and before I knew it I was submitting information to the lawyer about my sales outside Florida. It's all part of the process. In order to get the trademarked name to be Registered a Statement of Use must be filed with proof the product including the trademark has been sold over state lines. I did that. And now I wait.

The new breathe at the beginning of the year gave me new visions of mid-summer sales rolling in from local retailers, online sales, heck even some wholesale accounts would be active. How grand! Many of the things I thought would come by mid summer have not, but I know they will come because they are part of the plan, even though the plan changes. Many things DID get done. I finally got the website up and running. It's a work-in-progress www.ilovetangie.com but is starting to take shape and best of all it can take orders! All this of course was not possible without my peeps. It is true...."I get by with a little help from my friends". That is what I did. Got some help and took time to refocus the effort and get a grip on time again.

I find it hard to believe that I am still waiting on name. Something I hardly thought about. Funny part is that nothing really changes after the Registration, except that I can finally take the "little TM" off my logo and replace it with the "little circled R"....woohoo, right?! All I can say is that after all this work, the new logo better make me look 10 pounds thinner!
Stay tuned for the weigh in.....