Keep Ants Away – Naturally!

Are ants invading your home? We’ve noticed a lot at our home and it seems it’s a never ending battle during the summer to keep them out.

Clear The Air would like to share some all-natural, green ways to keep pests out of your home:

Stop the scouts: The first few ants you see in your kitchen is a warning there are more. They are checking your kitchen to see if you have any goodies for them. Keep all food off your counters and wipe up any crumbs.

Close up entry: Seal any small holes or cracks in your home that ants may be able to get through. You can use silicone caulking, putty, glue or plaster. If you don’t have that on hand, a temporary solution such as petroleum jelly can work. But make sure you get a hold of a permanent solution soon.

Use Soapy Water: Grab a spray bottle and add a teaspoon of dish soap in it and fill the rest with water. When you see ants, spray them with the dish soap solution. You can also add any type of citrus to your mixture…ants hate citrus.

Put up a barrier: you can use many different household items to sprinkle around your home or around any areas you think the ants are entering. Some of these items include cinnamon, cayenne pepper, baby powder, white vinegar and citrus oil.

Create natural baits: Corn meal works great and is safe to use around pets and children. The ants will carry it home and try to eat it but they cannot digest it properly. Coffee grounds also work great as they will take it back to their colony and they cannot properly digest it.

How do you keep ants away from your home? Comment on our blog…

Mutt Monday’s Success Story

Meatball – A heart of gold and a gentle spirit!

Happy Mutt Monday! Check out Meatball’s story…he has found his forever home from the San Diego Humane Society. Looking for a new four legged family member? Adopt from the San Diego Humane Society!!

My husband and I want to thank you and everybody at your facility for taking such good care of our new boy and for being so thoughtful in making sure he was a good fit for us and vice versa.  I’m super happy to report that he seems to already feel quite at home in his new house and has been nothing but a joy since we brought him here.  Chico and he seem to be getting along quite nicely and Chico is much more interested in him than he was yesterday.

Meatball has already gotten accustomed to having a cat around and seems sort of indifferent towards LuLu which we’re taking as a good sign.  They’ve sniffed each other and they pass in the hallway without any signs of excitability….just a little bit of tail wagging.  That harness that we got him must be working too since walking him is super easy and he doesn’t pull at all!  He’s house trained and loves going into his crate since all his best stuff is in there.  He whines a bit if i leave the room or when we go to bed at night but within about two minutes all is quiet and we hear him working on his kong.

I really can’t tell you how much we love him already…I’m getting teary-eyed just writing this.  He seems to have a heart of gold and a gentle spirit and an obvious enthusiasm for life and we can’t wait to get to know him more!

Thanks again for bringing us together!!!!!

The Burke Family

Success Story for Mutt Monday

Meet Charlee Boots…a sweet little pit bull adopted from the San Diego Humane Society!

It is Mutt Monday and we love hearing success stories about dogs who have found their forever home! Check out Charlee Boots story and how happy she is with Julia and Adam who gave her a forever home:

Charlee Boots (a.k.a. Peanut)

“My husband and I adopted a blue pitbull from the San Diego Humane Society in January 2013. Her name was Peanut, but has since changed post adoption to Charlee Boots (she has all white paws).  We just wanted to give you an update. November 1st was her 1st birthday and she couldn’t be more perfect ! She is the most friendly and lovable pup a family could ever dream of. Everyone that comes across her falls in love with her and her goofy personality. She isn’t the most coordinated pooch, but she manages to chase the ball and wrestle with her older sister Emma Rose.

We celebrated her 1st birthday with homemade dog biscuits and having a puppy party for her 🙂 I’m pretty sure she thinks she’s a little Bichon mix like her sister since she lays on top of you to cuddle any chance she gets. My favorite thing about her is when she sings. I have NEVER heard her bark. She does this howling thing as she tries to talk back to you when you ask her a question. My husband and I would like to thank you for saving Charboots, and allowing us the opportunity to make her a part of our family. We are truly blessed and absolutely love having her in our family. We appreciate everything you do for animals, and are thankful you gave Charlee a second chance.

Thank you, Julia & Adam”

Potty Training Tips For Your Dog

Need help potty training your puppy?

Clear The Air knows all about potty training. We had to go through it with our youngest dog, “Z”!

If you experience any accidents in the house, make sure to use Clear The Air Pet Odor Eliminator. Click on the link to learn how to eliminate accidents from your puppy.

Here are some helpful potty training tips:

• Restrict your dog’s access to the house. Making his environment smaller makes him less apt to have an accident. This same process can also be used for crate training.
• Keep your dog with you, or keep an eye on him. Dogs usually like to sneak off to have accidents, if you can’t see him, he might be getting into something he shouldn’t be.
• Go outside with him when teaching your dog to potty train. If you don’t see him urinating and defecating outside he might just be playing and not taking care of business. Plus going out with him teaches you about his routine.
• Quietly praise your dog for going potty outside. Don’t reprimand him for making a mistake, just distract him and get him outside as soon as you can.
• If you have a dog that likes one particular area specifically, you can put his food near that area and he will not urinate or defecate where he eats. But be careful, this sometimes doesn’t address the problem and the dog finds a new spot.
• Utilize a crate, or a baby gate, or an exercise pen when you are not home. If you are diligent about keeping your dog with you when you are home, but he pees or poops as soon as you leave it is defeating your hard work. Crates are a wonderful tool for potty training.
• Do not use puppy pads or indoor aids when potty training if you want your dog to potty outside. Encouraging potty indoor sometimes, but then wanting them to go outside is confusing. Choose one or the other and stick with it.

How To Cool Down Your Home During The Summer

Summer is almost here but it is already pretty warm out.

How do you cool down your home during the summer without running your air conditioning constantly? Check out our tips to keeping your home cool without costing too much money:

• Cool down your home at night – Open windows and doors with screens and run any house fans you have. This will keep your home cool at night and a majority of the day. Just make sure to close them back up in the morning when it starts to warm up.
• Make sure there are no lamps or TVs near your air conditioning thermostat. The heat from those appliances will cause your air conditioner to run longer.
• Install white window shades or blinds to reflect heat away from the home. You can also install blackout curtains to make sure any heat from the outside is blocked from coming into your home.
• Plant trees and/or shrubs to shade the air conditioning units but not block the airflow.
• Replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. They produce the same light but use 1/5th of the energy and heat.
• Unplug your home electronics like TVs and stereos when not in use. You should also turn off your computer when not in use.
• Go around your home’s windows and doors and apply any caulking and weather-stripping that is missing or eroded away. This will help keep heat out of your home.
• Make sure your fireplace damper is closed to prevent hot air from coming into your home.

New Baby? Keep Your Diaper Pail Smelling Fresh!

Diaper pail odors can become extremely strong and overwhelming.

If you would rather not have the first thing you smell when you walk into your baby’s room be a smelly, poopy diaper, continue reading…

Eliminate diaper pail odors with the help of Clear The Air! With frequent cleaning, use of Clear the Air’s Odor Eliminators, and limiting the diaper’s exposure to the air, your home can be the best smelling home with a baby in it on the block.

Keep one or two of our Odor Eliminator Bags at the bottom of your diaper pail. You can also sprinkle our Odor Eliminator at the bottom of your diaper pail. We also recommend hanging a bag from the changing table, closest to the diaper pail to absorb odors as well.

If you empty the diaper pail more frequently it will help cut down on the odor. This will also help your Odor Eliminator Bags last longer.

Don’t use air fresheners. These only mask the odor and do not actually absorb the odor like Clear the Air’s Odor Eliminators. All you end up getting is a flowery/poopy diaper smell. Not too pleasant!

Regularly wash out the diaper pail to limit bacteria in the air from the pail. Wash the pail with hot water and soap once in a while. This will help keep bacteria from growing.

Do you have questions about using our product? Please comment on our blog or contact our customer service department. Our products are 100% safe, even if ingested, making it perfect to use around children and pets!

Happy Adoption Story From The San Diego Humane Society

Do you have a happy success story about a pet you adopted? Comment on our blog!

The San Diego Humane Society recently posted a success story about a recent adoption. Check out Chloe and her story:

Chloe (aka Loki)

About a week after we had to put down our sweet 12-year old lab (that we had adopted from the Gaines Street shelter 4 years ago) we all had broken hearts and decided to start looking for a new dog.  We live in the Clairemont area and went back to the Gaines St campus, although we didn’t seem to connect with any of the animals currently there.

We checked the website every day, and when we saw Loki’s picture we couldn’t wait to meet her.  We drove up to Oceanside and then stood in front of her kennel until we were called.   She had some behavioral issues and severe dog reactivity, and the counselor actually suggested we choose a different dog.  We still insisted that we wanted to see her. After interacting we fell in love, but had to wait until the trainer could meet with us, which was THREE DAYS AWAY. With sad hearts we went home and counted the minutes until we could go back to get her.

It’s now almost 2 months later…we have renamed her Chloe and she has settled right into our home and our hearts. We have had major breakthroughs with the dog reactivity and she now ENJOYS the dog park!  She loves to swim and we couldn’t imagine our lives without her. She has been a perfect pet in every way!  Thank you to the Oceanside staff for taking such good care of her until her forever family could find her.

Melissa T.

How To Trim Your Dog’s Nails

Routine nail clipping is important for your dog.

If your dog’s nails get too long, they could splinter or snap. This is uncomfortable for the dog and can lead to infection. You should make nail clipping part of your dog’s regular grooming process.

If your dog isn’t used to getting his nails trimmed, the last thing you want to do is frighten and overwhelm him by rushing the process. Take a little extra time to slowly introduce the nail clippers, as well as the sensations involved in trimming. The first time you use the clippers, don’t plan on giving your dog a full pedicure. Instead, just clip one or two nails, and remember to give your dog treats or play a game right after trimming.

Here’s an informational guide to help you trim your dog’s nails:

1. Choose a time your dog is mellow and relaxed. Most dogs do not enjoy having their nails trimmed so finding a time he is calm will be to your best advantage. Position your dog so you have a good view of the paw you need to clip.
2. Hold your dog’s paw firmly in one hand and the clippers in the other.
3. Find the vein inside your dog’s nail, also known as the “quick”, before you start clipping. For dogs with lighter nails it is easy to see. If your dog has darker nails, you may not be able to detect it.
4. Clip off a small end of the nail and gradually work towards the quick making sure you do not cut too close. If you do cut into the quick hold a piece of tissue on the nail for a few minutes. You can also use a powder that will stop the bleeding that you can find at your local pet store.
5. File any rough ends of the nail if necessary. Praise your dog for letting him or her cut their nails so if feels like they have done a good job for sitting still for you.

Pew! Do You Have Doggy Odor In Your Home??

If you have dogs, you know about that “doggy odor”.

Even the cleanest of dogs can get doggy odor and it can be markedly present in dog beds and blankets along with couches and human beds (if your doggies get to sleep with you).

If you want to try and eliminate that doggy odor, Clear The Air can do it for you! Our Odor Eliminators can eliminate doggy odor from pretty much any source, big or small, seen or unseen.

If you want to eliminate doggy odor from your home, here is how:

If you have doggy odor in your carpet: Simply sprinkle Earth Care Clear The Air granules on the carpet and hang Earth Care Odor Remover Bags to eliminate doggy odors from the carpet. Wait for 24 hours to vacuum up the granules from the carpet.

If you have doggy odor in your dog beds: Take the dog beds outside where there is plenty of air circulation and sprinkle our Earth Care Clear The Air granules all over the beds. Allow 24 hours for the granules to stay on the dog beds. You can then shake off the granules and your odor will be eliminated. If the odor is extremely strong, you may want to wash the bed first, let it dry then apply the granules to the bed.

If you have doggy odor in your car: If your car smells like your dog’s bed, it’s time to use our product! Simply hang or place two of our Earth Care Odor Remover Bags in your car. Our product works best when there is air flow in your vehicle. We recommend rolling down the windows when your car is parked and not in use. If the odor is extremely strong, sprinkle some of our Earth Care Clear The Air granules on the floor boards of your vehicle. Leave the granules for 24 hours then you may vacuum them up.

This unique form of Earth Care Products Mineral does not have to come into contact with the odor producer; it will pull the odors from the entire area.

Have questions about eliminating a pesky odor? Please comment on our blog or contact our customer service agent, Pat.

How To Keep Pests Out Of Your Home

No one likes pests in their home.

Unfortunately sometimes when we get rid of pests, such as mice and rodents, their odor can linger.

Clear The Air Odor Eliminators will eliminate those odors easily and safely. Earth Care Bags do not have to come into contact with dead rodent or odor causing agent. Simply hang the bag near the odor and in 24 hours the odor will be gone. Earth Care acts like a magnet by attracting and neutralizing smells. It is made from an all natural mineral, is non toxic and biodegradable and safe for Planet Earth. It is also safe around children and pets, even if eaten. Earth Care adsorbs odors rather than masking them with a fragrance.

Check out our tips to keep pests out of your home:

Rodents and raccoons:

• Raw bacon or peanut butter makes good bait for a mousetrap. Make sure a mouse will have to tug the trap to remove the bait. If you’re using peanut butter, dab some on the triggering device and let it harden before setting the trap. If bacon is your bait, tie it around the triggering device.
• If a raccoon sets up housekeeping in your attic or chimney, chemical repellants such as oil of mustard, are temporarily effective. (The smell may bother you as much as it does the raccoon.) Your best bet is to let the animal leave, and then cover its entrance hole with wire mesh so that it cannot return.
• To keep rodents out of your house, seal every opening they could squeeze through. Some need less than 1/4 inch of space. Put poison in deep cracks or holes, and stuff them with steel wool or scouring pads pushed in with a screwdriver. Close the spaces with spackling compound mixed with steel wool fragments.

Insects:

• If your home becomes infested with fleas, vacuum rugs thoroughly before spraying, and throw the dust bag out at once.
• Keep ants away from your home with a concoction of borax and sugar. Mix 1 cup sugar and 1 cup borax in a quart jar. Punch holes in the jar’s lid, and sprinkle the mixture outdoors around the foundation of your home and around the baseboards inside your house. The ants are attracted by the sugar and poisoned by the borax.
• If you have cockroaches, sprinkle borax powder in the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Avoid sprinkling where children and pets could be affected.