6 Ways to “Green” Your Boat

Getting your boat back out on the water is one of the best ways to kick off the summer season, but just like other vehicles, boats can negatively impact the environment.

Fortunately, there are plenty of simple “go green” adjustments you can make to your boating habits and help ensure that our waters stay clean and healthy. A summary of ideas is below:

Use Clear The Air Odor Eliminating Bags

Boats typically are filled with powerful odors such as bilge odors, mold and mildew odors, fuel odors, head and holding tank odors, galley odors, smoke odors and pet odors. Earth Care will eliminate all these odors. In the past boat owners have had to use caustic chemicals, expensive detailing, air purifiers and caustic ozone machines to rid their boat of odors. Earth Care Odor Remover Bags can simply be hung in your boat and they will completely eliminate all these odors.

Earth Care draws in odors like a powerful magnet. The odors are adsorbed, and neutralized without any fragrances. 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. It does not have to come into contact with odor producer to eliminate the odor. Earth Care does not cover up odors it literally “clears the air” leaving the air fresh and clean.

Green cleaning products

You want your boat to look and smell like it just came off the showroom floor, but it’s important to avoid toxic cleaners as often as possible (aka always). Remember that any type of cleaning product used on the boat’s exterior gets into the water. Look for eco-friendly products that are biodegradable and water-based or just search for products stamped with “Design for the Environment,” which is an EPA certification to identify environmentally-friendly cleaning agents.

While there are many green cleaning products available specifically for boats, homemade vinegar solutions are often just as effective and less expensive. For example, a mixture of one part white vinegar and two parts warm water can be used to clean plastic, while chrome can be cleaned with apple cider vinegar and a soft cotton cloth. A fresh cloth with a bit of baby oil helps to restore its bright shine.

Properly disposing trash

Never throw trash overboard, including fishing line and plastics which can take hundreds of years to decompose. They are also deadly to marine life which can get tangled in it or choke on it by confusing it for food. Use onshore facilities to recycle paper, plastic, glass, and metal waste.

Educating yourself as much as possible before going out on the water is one of the most important green things you can do. There is SO MUCH information available for you to become an expert on green boating practices that there is no excuse for neglecting responsible boating habits. There are also tools like boating safety practice quizzes that will help you determine whether you’re completely comfortable with the knowledge you need to stay green on the water.

Prevent fuel spills

Topping off fuel tanks usually leads to spillage. This can be prevented by filling the fuel tank slowly, using an absorbent pad or rag to catch any spills, and leaving the tank about 10 percent empty to allow fuel to expand as it warms.

Green energy

Marine solar panels are a great option for tapping into a green energy source for your boat. They’re not only useful for keeping things functioning when batteries die out, but they can also be used to charge all types of electronic devices such as a laptop, satellite phone, or smartphone.

Replace traditional fluorescent lighting

Standard fluorescent lighting produces mercury, but LED bulbs don’t contain toxins and are also more effective in lighting quality. They tend to have a longer life span, typically burning for 20 years or more before going out, and don’t use nearly as much energy as other alternatives. LEDs can be used for 95 percent of modern lamps, including spot lights, dome lights, recessed lights, navigation lights, emergency lights and more.

How To Eliminate Small Animal Cage Odors

Small animals such as hamsters, chinchillas, guinea pigs, gerbils, rabbits, mice, rats and ferrets make wonderful pets.

Most pet parents enjoy their time spent playing with their hamster, gerbil or mouse through interactive small animal supplies, such as run-about balls or pet cruisers. Additionally, it’s always a delight to see your pet rabbit or ferret hop from level to level in their multilevel small animal cages.

As with any pet, it’s important to learn about the animal prior to bringing them home. For instance, of the many small animal cages available, it’s helpful to know which type would best suit your pet hamster or guinea pig. Secondly, knowing which type of food, bedding and other small animal supplies are preferred by your pet mice would help you better accommodate them. Ensure the health, vitality and playfulness of your small animals by learning more about their care and maintenance.

Sometimes these cages can smell strongly/ regular cleaning is always recommended. If you can smell the odor, imagine how your pet feels living inside of the smelly cage. Clear The Air’s line of odor eliminators will help keep your pet happy, healthy and odor free.

Here is how to eliminate odors and keep them away from your small animals’ cage:

• When cleaning out your small animals’ cage, sprinkle Clear The Air Odor Eliminating Granules on the very bottom of the cage and add your pets’ bedding on top of the granules.
• Hang a Clear The Air Odor Eliminator Bag near or on top of the cage. You can even place a bag inside of the cage.
• As odors start to emerge, you can sprinkle more of the Clear The Air Odor Eliminating Granules in the cage.

Earth Care is made from an all-natural mineral. It is non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-caustic, and biodegradable. It can safely be used around pets and children. It is safe to sprinkle in your pet’s cage; it will not hurt your pet even if eaten.

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.

Why Does My Dog Bark So Much?

Dog barking can turn into a problem if it continues incessantly.

Clear The Air would like to share some information from the Animals Friends of the Valleys about the various reasons your dog barks and what you can do to stop incessant barking.

The first thing you need to do in order to quiet a chronic barker is to figure out why he’s barking in the first place. Is he lonely or bored? Do you spend enough time with him? Remember that dogs are pack animals and prefer the company of other animals and/or humans.

Most dogs will not be happy sitting by themselves in the backyard with nothing to do (except bark!) Make sure your dog has plenty of toys to occupy his mind and his need to chew. And make sure you spend quality time with him. Take him for walks and bring him inside the house every day for some “family” time. Dogs really love being with their people!

If your dog barks at night, bring him inside the house or garage. Most dogs prefer sleeping inside anyway (remember, dogs are not solitary creatures by nature.)  Relocating your dog away from immediate neighbors to another area of your yard might eliminate barking. Another good solution is to adopt another animal so your dog will have a companion.

Bark collars are a wonderful tool in training your dog not to bark. They can be purchased at pet stores or can be ordered online for a lower price. These new age collars do not hurt your dog in any way, they simply reprimand the bark. This may startle your dog at first but after a few times they associate the reprimand with the bark and learn to do their everyday activities without barking.

In extreme cases, you might consider having your dog “de-barked.” De-barking is a procedure in which the vocal cords are surgically removed. In most cases, the dog will come home the day of the procedure. The barking sound will still be audible but will be more like a whisper. Consult your veterinarian for more information about de-barking.

Barking is the number one cause of neighbor disputes. Remember, it is unlawful to allow your dog to become a public nuisance. Chronic barking is a serious problem but there are many possible solutions. Investing some time, money, and energy to solving the problem will be well worth the effort, for you and your dog

For more information visit Animal Friends of the Valleys website.

Does Your Trash Smell?

If your trash can smells or you live in an area with a dumpster that smells, Clear The Air’s Odor Eliminating Bags can help!

Directions To Eliminate Odors From Dumpster Room:

• Hang 2 bags for each dumpster. Odors will be eliminated in 24 hours.
• Bags will continue to eliminate odors. Change bags once per month.
• For particularly strong odors sprinkle Earth Care Clear The Air Granules in dumpster. Sprinkle 2 cups over top of trash in dumpster. Odors will be completely eliminated in 24 hours. Add more as needed.

What A Happy Story About A Senior Dog Named Buddy!

Henry (formerly known as Buddy) found his forever home!

Clear The Air loves reading about success stories from the San Diego Humane Society. Check out one of the Humane Society’s success story about Buddy:

Sweet senior finds his new family!

“Buddy” seems to be the kind of name that is a reflection of an owner’s feelings of friendship toward his dog. Unfortunately, when we found Buddy, a senior English Coonhound, he seemed to have been abandoned by any such friends. The only indication that he had ever been cared for was in the form of a baggy attached to a string around his neck, containing 3 bottles of medication for “Buddy the Canine.”

At 11 years old, the big-eared, big-eyed canine was found wandering near the side of the freeway and brought to our campus. From that moment on, we did everything in our power to assure him that he had finally found a friend in us, and that we would not give up on him. Not surprisingly, senior animals can have a much harder time getting adopted. Despite his mellow demeanor, sweet personality and adorable face, Buddy spent several months at our Central campus, overlooked by potential adopters. That is, until Kristen S. and her husband came in. Kristen had seen Buddy on our website and quickly fell in love. Once they met him they decided this was one Buddy that they couldn’t live without.

Today, Buddy has been renamed Henry, and is doing wonderfully in his new home. He has a Labrador retriever as a brother, and two pet parents who couldn’t be happier with their new companion. “He brings a smile to our face every day,” Kristen tells us; and it finally appears that Henry has found some lifetime buddies, but more importantly, a forever family.

Kristen S. & Family

Proper Brushing Tips For Dogs

Do you groom your dog?

Clear The Air would like to share some helpful grooming tips from the ASPCA. Does your dog love being brushed?

Article taken from the ASPCA –

Regular grooming with a brush or comb will help keep your pet’s hair in good condition by removing dirt, spreading natural oils throughout her coat, preventing tangles and keeping her skin clean and irritant-free. And grooming time’s a great time to check for fleas and flea dirt–those little black specks that indicate your pet is playing host to a flea family.

If your dog has a smooth, short coat (like that of a Chihuahua, boxer or basset hound), you only need to brush once a week:

• First, use a rubber brush to loosen dead skin and dirt.
• Next, use a bristle brush to remove dead hair.
• Now, polish your low-maintenance pooch with a chamois cloth and she’s ready to shine!

If your dog has short, dense fur that’s prone to matting, like that of a retriever, here’s your weekly routine:

• Use a slicker brush to remove tangles.
• Next, catch dead hair with a bristle brush.
• Don’t forget to comb her tail.

If your dog has a long, luxurious coat, such as that of a Yorkshire terrier, she’ll need daily attention:

• Every day you’ll need to remove tangles with a slicker brush.
• Gently tease mats out with a slicker brush.
• Next, brush her coat with a bristle brush.
• If you have a long-haired dog with a coat like a collie’s or an Afghan hound’s, follow the steps above, and also be sure to comb through the fur and trim the hair around the hocks and feet.

It Is Boating Season!

Planning to take your boat out soon?

Unfortunately many foul odors lurk in different areas of boats and are usually tough to eliminate. Clear The Air works great when it comes to foul boat odors.

Boats are typically filled with powerful odors such as bilge odors, mold and mildew odors, fuel odors, head and holding tank odors, galley odors, smoke odors and pet odors. Earth Care will eliminate all these odors.

In the past boat owners have had to use caustic chemicals, expensive detailing, air purifiers and caustic ozone machines to rid their boat of odors. Earth Care Odor Remover Bags can simply be hung in your boat and they will completely eliminate all these odors.

Earth Care draws in odors like a powerful magnet. The odors are adsorbed, and neutralized without any fragrances. 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. It does not have to come into contact with odor producer to eliminate the odor. Earth Care does not cover up odors it literally “clears the air” leaving the air fresh and clean.

Directions To Eliminate Odors From Your Boat or Yacht:

• Hang one bag in each bilge compartment, the head, the galley, the forward cabin and aft cabins. Some air circulation such as an open hatch is needed. Do not put bag directly in standing water.
• All odors are typically eliminated in 24 hours. The bags will continue to eliminate new odors for up to 3 months. Each bag will cover approximately 100 square feet.
• Do not set bag in direct sun.
• If there are strong odors in your boat you may also want to sprinkle Clear The Air Odor Eliminator for Carpets and Furniture on all upholstery and carpet. Leave down overnight and vacuum. All odors will be completely eliminated.

The Tale of the Traveling Kittens

Have you heard of Mouse and Wifi?

Clear The Air would like to share an amazing story from the San Diego Humane Society about a pair of kittens who were found in one of the oddest places and had quite an amazing adventure!

A Cox Communications employee was shocked after he opened a box at work and found two newborn kittens clinging to life inside. The two kittens are now recovering after they were found inside a box packed with fiberglass equipment that arrived from Hollywood. We named them Mouse and Wifi.

“They actually came to us with their umbilical cord still attached,” said Jenny Bonomini, Manager of our Kitten Nursery. “What we think happened was the mom had the babies and she put them in a safe spot … and she left. Then they got boxed up and they got shipped.”

As one of the only around-the-clock kitten nurseries in the country, we’re committed providing 24-hour care that newborn, orphaned kittens need. Mouse and Wifi will live in the nursery for a few more weeks, where they will receive around-the-clock care. They will then go to a foster home. When they are eight weeks old, the kittens will be spayed and neutered and will then be ready for adoption.

Click here to receive updates on their recuperative journey during the coming weeks. We will also send a special announcement when Wifi and Mouse are old enough to be adopted with instructions on how to apply.