HOW TO KILL YOUR CLEANING STAFF
A “really” green guide to cleaning
By Kevin Daum
2nd Edition with Upgraded Explanations and more categories
for understanding what the “green” in cleaners really means
Copyright K. Daum 2009-02-26
www.oillift.net
Index
- Introduction
- What’s killing your cleaning staff ?
- All Natural ?
- It’s made from plants
- Those evil chemicals
- How about bio-degradable?
- Non toxic?
- The list of ingredients
- Cleaners, safety& children
- Cancer-causing agents or carcinogens
- The Green Bait and Switch Game
- Chemical sensitivity
- Reproductive damage
- Water and Life
- The cleaning products game of musical chairs
- Your Choices in Cleaners
- Ending the game
- What some prominent people have to say: Jon Eakes Home and Garden TV, The Fred and Gerry Home Improvement Show, Fin Donnelly Rivershed Society of British Columbia, Dr. Reese Halter Global Forest Science, Rita Mita Maid Professional Cleaners for the Film Industry
-
Introduction
It’s amazing that in our modern world with so many safety regulations and procedures to protect worker health and safety that very little attention is paid to the daily toxic exposure of people in
the janitorial field, people like you or anyone else that is constantly exposed to toxic chemicals.
Supposedly, we have entered the time of the green revolution; people actually really want to know how to go green, yet with all the product claims it’s virtually impossible for the average person
to figure out this puzzle. This guide will allow you to understand how to green your cleaning practices and hopefully have a couple of laughs.
It is an excellent tool for educating co-workers and homeowners’ on the dangers of toxic cleaners and solvents. It will also educate you on spotting “green wash”.
This is the practice of labeling something as green when in fact, it’s not. My hope is that when you finish reading this book you will take action and pack up your toxic cleaners and take
them to the hazardous waste disposal center where they belong. Please don’t pour them down the drain. As you will discover, they are harming not just you and your family, they are killing our lakes, rivers, oceans and streams.
Please feel free to copy this booklet and pass it out to your co-workers so that they are empowered to green your work and their home environments. You may also want to give a copy to your employer and point out the fact
that they are losing money from lost productivity by allowing these toxins in your work environment; not to mention spending more money then required on cleaners that don’t work and actually making the cleaning staff work
harder than is necessary.
If we can be of any assistance in helping to detoxify your environment, answering any of your cleaning questions and help you save money, please contact us.
Best regards,
Kevin Daum
Founder and President
Save the Oceans Inc.
www.oillift.net
2. What’s killing your cleaning staff?
Imagine a salesperson shows up at your home and takes out a bottle of poison; he then dilutes it with some water and pours it into a spray bottle.
He then tells you he wants you to spray this around your home or office every day. What would you tell him or more precisely, where would you tell him to go?
In reality, sales and marketing people never do this. They run pretty ads with women dancing around with mops acting like idiots who tell you how wonderful and clean your home will be when you use
their super duper cleaner. Nobody asks the question “if something is coated in poison, is it actually clean?”
The problem is how are you, as a consumer or even a professional janitor, expected to know what’s in these cleaners when even professional chemists can be confused.
Let’s have a look at some product claims:
3. All natural?
“All natural” is a great marketing buzzword; it leads you to believe that because it’s natural, it’s good for you. Well, did you know cobra venom is all natural? Would you like some? The fact is
just because something is natural does not mean it won’t hurt you.
Think of it another way. If an oil company simply pumped some oil out of the ground, put it in a bottle and labeled it “All Natural Sticky, Mother Nature‘s Hair Remover”, would they be lying?
The answer is “No”. Now, the more important question is “Would you buy a bottle and use it on your legs”? Why not? It’s a lot less toxic then a lot of cleaners and solvents people use every day.
Naturally, some rethinking is perhaps needed here.
4. It’s made from plants
This is another spin on “natural”. It’s what they told the philosopher Socrates he was going to drink when they gave him the hemlock. They just forgot to mention the poison part.
(Please note this last statement is probably not historically accurate.)
I could tell you that many of my cleaners are made from plant based surfactants or soaps and organic salts which sounds great and is in fact true, but so what? It still means absolutely nothing unless those
materials are not harmful when compared to base line and meet a minimum safety standard established by a certifying body – Canada’s certification is the Eco-logo. ‘Green wash’ manufacturers, in an effort
to fool the conscientious consumer, have actually gone so far as to create false logos.
The main benefit of making products from plants is that it’s a renewable resource and generally it is more “friendly” then petroleum based products.
People need to get back to nature and spend more time learning about plants so we can get back into balance with our renewable world.
5. Those evil chemicals
I love reading marketing and blogs that rant and rave about the evils of chemicals in our products and claim their product to be chemical free. These people honestly don’t know that everything in the
physical or material world is a chemical, man made or not. You’re made of chemicals and so am I.
One of my friend’s customers who buys millions of dollars of product came to him after speaking to their competitor who had made the most incredible statement. He said: “Roger, you wouldn’t believe
what they got in this new product. This product’s got ‘molecules’ — can you believe it, Roger, ‘molecules’. With a straight face, massive amounts of bladder control and the fear of losing a multi-million dollar account, my friend
was able to calmly say “Ooh that’s no big deal, we’ve had molecules in our products for years.”
6. How about bio-degradable?
Did you know that uranium and plutonium are bio-degradable? It may take a few million years yet they do eventually break down. The real question is “what do they kill in the meantime?”
The idea is to be “readily” biodegradable. In other words it should break down into component parts with the least amount of harm in the least amount of time (under 28 days).
This does not mean you should pour it into a river.
7. Non-toxic?
Have you ever put vinegar on your fish and chips? Did it hurt you? Obviously not. Did you know that if you take vinegar and pour it into a fish tank you will kill all the fish?
My point here is that the term non toxic is not valid unless you consider the application.
Even water if you drink too much of it can kill you. Toxicity is not a marketing buzzword.
8.The list of ingredients
Of all the tricks green washers use to sell toxic cleaners, my favorite is: “look we list all of our ingredients on the label.” If it’s a food product, this is a good rule. However, every year thousands of new chemical compounds are
introduced to the marketplace. Even a professional chemist would have a hard time keeping up with this amount of information. How can you be expected, as a consumer, to understand the safety of these ingredients?
When it comes to cleaning products and other chemical compounds, the only real safeguard for consumers is a reputable third party validation. Fortunately, there are 29 eco-logo validation
programs worldwide. In Canada, we have the eco-logo, in the U.S.A , you have the Green Seal and in Europe, they have several. The bottom line for consumer products is, if you don’t see
the certifications and don’t actually know that the maker of the product holds your health and the health of the environment in high regard, don’t believe the claims.
The obvious indicator that a company really doesn’t care about your welfare over their bottom line, is a history of selling toxic cleaners for years or even worse, labeling products as green
(green wash) when they know the contrary to be true. They have the capability of making products that work and meet minimum green standards. If a little supplier like me can do it they can do it too and there is no excuse.
More about “the game” is covered further on in this book. However, in the mean time stop buying those products and products from the company making them.
Also, take a moment and sign my petition to ban toxic cleaners at www.oillift.net/petition . As a fun bonus when you sign the petition you get an e-mail with the answer to “Skanky Laundry Syndrome”. Most washing machines
have bacteria growth and there is a cure. You will also receive updates on my blog with cleaning, health and water related information. Try this test to see if you have ”Skanky Laundry Syndrome”, after using your towels a
couple of times, smell them and see if they have a musty or skanky smell. This is the bacteria growth from your laundry machine as it re-hydrates and grows. It’s fun to announce at parties as well. When you come out from your
friends’ bathroom say out loud, “Ooh my God you have Skanky Laundry Syndrome.” I’ll let your imagination run with that.
9. Cleaners, safety and children
Have you ever been to a trade show and watched a salesperson try to tell you that their product is so green you can drink it? This happened to me, the salesperson put a little bit on her tongue. I said: “that doesn’t prove
anything, actually drink some”. The sales person backed down. The sad truth is that parents will buy these cleaners and place them under the sink where children can get their hands on them. Every year
thousands of children are poisoned with cleaners that are unsafely stored. If you remember one thing you’ve read in this book let it be this, don’t ever drink cleaning products and store them out of reach of children.
On that note I had my first Oil lift poisoning when I was doing a school fund raising program this year. A call came from a doctor at Calgary poison control. I said what happened, did a kid drink it?
She said no. It was an adult? She said “YES”. This was a surprise so I asked:” Was there alcohol involved in this? She said “YES”. Was gambling involved? The doc said: “you got it!
Basically his drunken buddies bet him he could not drink a whole bottle.” The doctor gave him a can of coke which neutralizes the alkalinity and sent him home.
10. Cancer-causing agents or carcinogens
When I tell people there are carcinogens in their cleaners, many people say: “so what, everything gives you cancer today.” Even if this is the case, how intelligent is it to go out of your way to put more carcinogens in your body?
It’s about as smart as taking a bottle of poison and spraying it around your house every day.
What people need to know is that according to one study (1) done in New Jersey, there are 30 times more toxins in your home than in industry. The number one source of these toxins is your cleaners. So get rid of them. This is
simple common sense, replace them with safe, concentrated, multi-purpose cleaners that work better and save you money.
It always amazes me that every year, in every city. There are huge marathons and fund raisers to cure cancer, yet if you go to
people’s homes, you will find a cupboard full of cancer causing products and a fridge full of acid causing, low nutrition fake
food. Note: Chocolate is exempt from this opinion list. I constantly run into people that either have cancer or have a family
member with cancer and wonder what to do. I have two sources of information that you will find invaluable and may save your
life. 
The first is look up Dr. Sam Epstein at www.preventcancer.com and the second is Dr. Sherry Rogers www.healthywealthyandwiseshow.com/RogersSherry.htm Take the time to study their material
and compare it to what you are being told about cancer treatment and prevention. Also, show it to your doctor and show him/her the research. This is not alternative medicine. These two very smart people are on
the cutting edge of the best science and have really good common sense which as you know today is not very common. If I had the time, I would be selling their books and raising money for them on my web site.
11.The Green Bait and Switch Game
Have you ever gone to a store to get that big TV they advertised at 75% off with limited quantities in stock only to find out they were all sold out even after you got to the store five minutes after opening? OK maybe that’s an
exaggeration, yet we know the game is to lure the person in and sell you the other bigger, more profitable unit.
The same applies to cleaners especially in the industrial world. In order to ‘be with the times’, many companies are putting on their green mask and selling a line of green products to lure in the
unsuspecting customer. They start by selling you a green product but you find it does not work very well so you ask for a different one. This is when they switch it back to the more profitable toxic one.
Now you are right back at playing their game.
Please understand, I’m not against a company selling more products and making money. Where I take issue is the intentional making of products that harm people and tricking people into buying them at
the cost of their health. If a green or safer product is not available to do a job, tell the customer about it and urge them to use the proper safety and environmental precautions. In the real world, there are times when chemicals
that don’t meet the minimum green standards are necessary to get a job done; that does not mean that they cannot be handled safely and without harm to the environment when proper education is given. It also means that there
is lots of opportunity for smart people to find the green replacement when encouraged by smart consumers who provide motivation by wisely spending their money with people and companies that care and boycotting companies
that don’t. Ultimately, you personally have the power to green this world by simply changing your purchasing habits and buying products and services that are sustainable. So if you haven’t signed my petition yet, here’s the web
link again www.oillift.net/petition
12.Chemical sensitivity
The exact number of persons suffering from chemical sensitivity is unclear, but the rise in asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, attention deficit disorder, rashes and hives and second-hand
smoke lung disease are all examples of this illness. A study (2) of 24,000 students at Northern Texas University revealed 25 (normal’s) for chemical toxicity (0.1%). In other words,
only 25 out of 24,000 students had normal toxicity levels. Do you think that the number one source of toxins might have something to do with this?
Exposing your skin your eyes and your lungs to toxic cleaners and solvents repeatedly can cause rashes, dizziness, breathing problems, skin damage, and a whole variety of other
problems not to mention permanent damage to your internal organs. All cleaners, including vinegar and baking soda, should be handled with care. Rubber gloves, eye glasses and if necessary, a mask. Use your common sense.
13.Reproductive damage
Endocrine disrupting chemicals or EDC’s for short, are possibly the most frightening components in cleaning products. Basically they react with other chemicals and disrupt the hormones in your body. They also
accumulate in your fatty tissue and organs and sabotage fertility. (3)
When a beluga whale dies and ends up on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River, the carcass must be taken away and treated as hazardous waste. When scientists studied diseases and toxicity of these whales, they
discovered that they had the same illnesses as the land-based animals and humans.
The point is that the toxins are in the water. (4)
14. Water and life
Do you remember the frogs? I do. When I was growing up, they were everywhere. What happened to them? What most people don’t understand is that frogs are
very sensitive to chemicals; they are barometers for pollution in the water as they die quickly when a water area is polluted.
When you clean your home, wash your house or driveway, fertilize the lawn or use pesticides, the chemicals that you use all wash down the drain. These drains lead to streams,
which lead to rivers and lakes, which ultimately lead to the ocean. Our aquatic world is dying. All of life on earth depends on clean water. In 1997, approximately 23% of water
bodies in North America were considered dead. In other words, you could not swim in the water or eat the fish. Today, in 2009, it’s approximately 50 %.(5) If you want to see
how healthy your neighborhood is, biopsy the fish in your local stream. What’s killing them is killing you and the solutions in most cases are very simple and become very
apparent when you become “water aware”.
That brings me to why I’m doing all this, why I wrote this book and why I founded Save the Oceans Inc. I was shocked into water awareness when I made an oil spill and discovered that
oil in parking lots was the number one reason our aquatic world is dying. We dump the equivalent of 100 Exxon Valdez oil spills into the North American environment each and every year.
Watch this video that gives you an overview of the problem. It will really open your eyes.
If you would like to help with this project of saving the oceans or what I call on the blog the Watershed Rescue Program, drop us a note. We are going to be doing fund raising with schools so they can help spread the word and raise money to fix their local streams. If you know some students or a school that would like to participate please e-mail us at info@oillift.net .
We are working with retailers and commercial distributors to supply the alternative products. We have retailers that not only sell the product; they have completely eliminated toxic cleaners in their stores. You can watch an example of Gas Land Barbecue in Surrey BC here. 
To become a green retailer simple contact us today and
we will take care of you.
We also have an on-line sales program or what the internet tech’s call an affiliate program were people can sign up and sell on line. If you are a professional on line sales person 
you could make some serious money and help a good cause. If you have used our products you can get a link for your blog or face book and simply refer the program.
The money you make you can use to reduce or eliminate your cleaning cost simply by telling the truth about my products. This is not MLM or a get rich quick scam,
I’m simply giving you advertising dollars back that would normally be spent on ads with women dancing around with mops.
Here is the link http://oillift.net/Make-Money-with-Oil-Lift-Affiliates-Login-Here.html
We are also working to set up distribution for all countries, areas and markets around the world. In short, by providing far better products that replaces the products that are
causing the harm so people will not switch back to their self-destructive behavior. Sustainable consumption is the solution yet it starts with awareness. If you run a watershed group and want to help, we can help set up a fund raising program for you or you can sign up to the affiliate program and use the money to raise funds. Maybe you could even help students start their own watershed or water awareness group?
15. The Cleaning Products Game of Musical Chairs
Do you remember playing musical chairs as a kid? It wasn’t any fun when you were the only kid who did not get a chair.
What you may not realize is that you’re still playing the game when it comes to cleaning products.
When you go into a store you see this huge aisle of cleaners. So you choose a cleaner that says it will work on whatever you’re trying to clean. You take it home; you try it; it works on some things and it doesn’t work on others. Next time you’re in the store, you choose another cleaner and take it home and it works on some things and it doesn’t work on others. This goes on and on. A few months later, all the labels have changed, they say new and improved, etc. So, you start all over again. Eventually, you end up with a house filled with poisons. Now to get rid of these, you either spray the poison around the house or you pour it down the drain. To add insult to injury, if you pack up all these cleaners and try to dispose of them, you’ll discover they’re classified as hazardous waste. Can I offer you a chair?
16.Your Choices in Cleaners
In the first edition of this booklet, I said “Simply put, use baking soda and vinegar and some elbow grease or choose a valid Eco-certified cleaner.” A lot of people came back to me and said “this is not enough information”. So OK, let me put it this way. For over 98% of cleaning jobs you only need two cleaners. These cleaners need to be Eco-logo certified, have multiple uses, be true concentrates (not this one to three nonsense, 20 to1) and actually work much better then the toxic stuff.
This means you save money, you save time and you save yourself.
You need an alkaline cleaner for greases, oils, fats and stains and then just general cleaning. This is 90% of cleaning. Baking soda does this or you can step up to an industrial strength cleaner like my product Oil Lift™. You can see how it works with this video 
You need an acidic cleaner for metals, tile, grout and other similar hard surfaces. Vinegar does this and it will probably amaze you that I make an industrial strength metal tile and grout cleaner.
This is about 8% of all cleaning jobs. To see this working watch this video at 
The remaining 2% is when a solvent is needed to remove, for example, black felt marker. 
You can buy job specific cleaner for special applications or just because you like having a specific bottle for a specific task. I make special cleaners for all sorts of applications and all sorts of industries from cleaning airplanes to breaking up tar sands; however, for most situations these are simply not needed. So simplify your life and get two products that work. If you want to try a free sample, drop us a note and we will supply a 125ml or 4oz bottle of concentrate when you pay the shipping and handling.
Remember no cleaner works on everything so if you get stuck after you have switched, you can always drop us a note and we can see how to help. Send digital pictures if you can with lots of information.
17.Ending the game
As humans, we do a lot of stupid things. Hopefully when we’re educated we change our behavior. To paraphrase Albert Einstein, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.
My goal, and another reason I founded my company, was to prove to people that they can have the cleaning results they want, save money and stop the destruction of our aquatic world. To accomplish this goal, people need to know the truth about what they buy, be it a service or product. This is why I wrote this guide to help you make wiser, informed decisions.
The only caveat to this proposition is you actually need the replacement product that really works far better than the toxic products. This is why we created patented “Oil Lift
and Lift brand cleaners™”. As I said at the beginning of the book “My hope is that when you finish reading this book, you will take action and pack up your toxic cleaners
And take them to the hazardous waste disposal center where they belong.” I really hope that I have convinced you to do so and that you will pass this book along to your friends and family to do the same.
I am not going to try to sell you on using my product. What I will do is provide you the list of celebrity endorsements for my product and green thinking so that you can check it out for yourself. READ BELOW
I also have lots of videos on ‘You Tube’ you can watch. Subscribe to the site while you are there so you can be kept up to date. www.youtube.com/user/oillift
If you choose to become my customer, and I hope you do, please write us at info@oillift.net and let us know what you cleaned and any other tips and helpful hints.
Thanks for being a part of the solution, and please post a comment or question
Kevin Daum
Sources:
1. Toxins in home New Jersey . Washington toxics coalition. 2. Chemical Sensitivity , It’s a Serious Problem More Often Than You Think!!! by Adrienne Buffaloe, MD 3. Reproductive damage, Our Stolen Future, Colborn,Dumanoski,Myers 1996 4. Cancer in Wildlife, Maritneau, Lemberger, Dallaire, from Detoxify or Die, Sherry Rodgers, MD 5. EPA
Note: Celebrities were not paid for their opinions, sign up to their web sites for top notch information and support their charitable foundations they are really good people working to make our world a better place.
Jon Eakes, Home and Garden TV
“It was inevitable that someone would come up with a better idea. It is called Oil Lift™. This non-toxic bio-degradable substance from British Columbia draws the oil up out of the asphalt, brick or concrete and puts it into a water suspension where it will not stain the surface around the stain. Although you should soak up as much as you can, you can actually hose off the liquid without making more of a mess. Although even this will not completely remove all stains (where was that driveway sealer before you dripped oil on your driveway?) it works as well or better than the traditional cleaners without the side effects of spreading the stain, eating the surface or polluting the environment worse than the oil.” 
www.joneakes.com
The Fred and Gerry Home Improvement Show
“You’ve heard us talk about Oil Lift™ on the radio, maybe seen us with Oil Lift™ on TV, along with a trade show. It’s a revolutionary product that no home should be without.
Here are just a few of some good cleaning application for Oil Lift™: car, truck and heavy equipment, engine, hub caps and tires, washing vehicles, brakes parts, oily cloths, tar on cars, oil on shoes or boots, tool boxes, oil on cement, oil on asphalt floors ‚vehicle windshields, vinyl interiors, plastics,bathroom, kitchens, stoves, barbecues, tile grout, boat bilges, plastic shower stalls, oil on log cabins, soap scum, coffee pots, fibreglass, cleaning thermos, removing grease stains from clothes………. And guess what, it’s an environmentally friendly product that works!”
www.theworkshop.net
Fin Donnelly Rivershed Society of BC
“When every home and business in the world adopts a “toxic free approach” to cleaning we will significantly reduce our impact …
…on creeks, rivers, lakes and oceans. Kevin Daum and his team at Save the Oceans Inc. have invented an amazing line of Eco-certified cleaners that everyone should know about and use. The thinking behind these products needs to be replicated throughout the entire business community.”
Fin Donnelly swimming the Fraser River
www.rivershed.com
Dr. Reese Halter
Global Forest Science
Host of Dr. Reese’s Planet on PBS
“Oil Lift™ and the patented oil clean up and recycling process is one of the most remarkable inventions of the 21 st century.
Drop by drop it is helping to save our oceans by cleaning up oil and eliminating the need for toxic cleaners and solvents.”
www.globalforestscience.org
Rita-Mita-Maid
Professional Cleaners for the Film Industry
‘It all starts at home’ . While the Pro-Go-Green movement is becoming big business in this lifetime, unfortunately there are many ‘wanna be’s’ that are still marketing and selling harmful products, while using a fake ‘green type’ protocol to their packaging and advertising. Truly it’s the same old harmful stuff, just packaged differently.
Please know what you’re buying and become educated in not supporting these fakes as they are just as harmful to you and the environment.
Eco-certification is the way to go. Look for those seals. Rita Mita Maid is now listed in the “Green Services” with the BC Film Commission and we wouldn’t be there had it not been for the ‘Oil Lift’ products and processes that Kevin Daum and his team have invented. In my eyes he’s a hero in this ‘Go for Green Movement’ in trying to save the oceans and planet and exposing the products and the ingredients that continue to wreak havoc on your health. But remember, IT ALL STARTS AT HOME.
www.ritamitamaid.com
Consider this:
This one cleaning kit contains a 32 oz bottle of
Oil lift™ Cleaner Degreaser, wipe cloth
and a duel chamber spray bottle which can make you
$100 to $300 of cleaner depending on the application.
See the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JXjpC1bGRI
and applications on our web site
www.oillift.net
Every time you buy a bottle of Oil lift™ ten to twenty bottles of toxic
cleaners are not needed or shipped.
Oil lift replaces 90% of cleaners and does a better cleaning job.
Now you have a choice! ™
Contact us to: 
Save Money
Save Time
Save the Environment
and Save your Janitor
Save the Oceans Inc.
Copyright K. Daum 2009
www.oillift.net
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