Everything gets a little more complicated once you introduce a baby into your home, especially choosing the safest cleaning products.  Most disinfecting cleaning products, like chlorine bleach, contain harsh chemicals that are harmful for adults to come in contact with, let alone babies and children. But the disinfectant Vital Oxide uses chlorine dioxide instead of bleach, making it a much safer cleaning and disinfecting product.

How is Vital Oxide Safe For Baby?

While most other cleaning products that remove mold and bacteria contain harsh chemicals that can cause health issues, Vital Oxide contains no ozone harming volatile compounds and does not emit any dangerous by-products. This means it won’t cause eye irritation, headaches, rashes, or nausea like other common, harsh chemicals found under your sink. It is ecologically sound and non-corrosive, so it does not irritate skin and will not damage surfaces. In addition, Vital Oxide is a no-rinse required sanitizer that is still safe for your baby even if your surfaces are not rinsed with water after application.

Where Can I Use Vital Oxide That Will Be Safe For Children?

You can use Vital Oxide to safely clean most areas where children and babies will be. It is a disinfectant, odor eliminator, and mold and mildew remover. Because of this, it can replace a variety of harmful cleaning products you may have in your home that are not safe for children. Nearly any area that your child or baby will be can be cleaned safely with Vital Oxide.

Bathroom

Vital Oxide can be used to clean bathroom floors, shower curtains, mirrors, sinks, bathtubs, showers, drains, and toilets. All of these areas will be safe for your child if they are cleaned with mild, non-corrosive Vital Oxide.

Kitchen

In addition to bathroom surfaces, Vital Oxide can safely clean your kitchen as well. The stove, refrigerator, trash can, floor, counter top, appliances, and cutting boards can all be cleaned without emitting harmful by-products that could come in contact with your baby.

Basement

Mold and mildew can be found almost anywhere there is moisture, and this can trigger asthma attacks or allergies. To protect your child from these health risks, you can safely treat basements, bathrooms, and other places with Vital Oxide.

Car

Let’s face it.  Hauling a baby around in the car can be messy business. From baby spit-up to diaper disasters, Vital Oxide is the solution. Not only does it safely disinfect so the area is safe for children, but it also eliminates any residual odor.

Diaper Bags

Vital Oxide is safe and gentle enough to disinfect and eliminate odors from diaper bags and pails.

Where Can I Get Vital Oxide?

The Grime Stoppers sells convenient sizes of Vital Oxide for DIY use. The 3oz spray bottle is convenient for use on the go, while the 32oz spray bottle is perfect for use at home. Vital Oxide can also be professionally applied to large areas using electrostatic spraying technology.

If you have any questions about eco-friendly and child friendly cleaning products, or if you would like Grime Stoppers to professionally disinfect your home with our electrostatic Vital Oxide application, contact us today or call 618-223-8445.

We all know that bathrooms can hold mysterious odors, but did you know your grout could be the culprit? Do you know how to clean grout to get rid of the funk and prevent future odors? After understanding what causes grout odor, you can better attempt to fix the problem. We have some helpful do’s and don’ts on how to combat this unpleasant problem.

What Causes Grout Odor?

Grout odor is caused by bacteria, mold, mildew, or other contaminants absorbed into the floor. Grout is especially good at cultivating bacteria because it is porous and hard to clean. The good news is that an effective initial deep cleaning and regularly scheduled cleanings after that can eliminate the smell. The bad news is traditional cleaning methods won’t do the trick on tile or grout.

The mop is often the go-to cleaning tool for bathrooms. Unfortunately, mops don’t eliminate bacteria and can even worsen grout contamination because they essentially just spread bacteria around the floor.  As soon as the mop is dipped back in the bucket, the rest of the cleaning solution is contaminated and your remaining cleaning efforts are ineffective.

The inefficiencies of mopping can actually worsen grout odor. Because grout is so rough and porous, a mop has no way of penetrating that surface and removing impurities. Oftentimes, the groove between the tile and grout can even pull contaminants out of the mop and transfer them into the grout’s pores.

However, there is still hope for cleaning your bathroom floors and eliminating grout odor.

What Can You Do To Eliminate Grout Odor?

Now that you know what causes grout odor and how not to address it, you’re ready for the do’s on eliminating grout odor.

One way to clean your bathroom floors involves using an acid solution and a stiff bristled brush to vigorously scrub the tile.  However, this is tedious and daily cleaning is recommended. Who has time for that? Not to mention the amount of harsh chemicals you and your bathroom will be exposed to.

New technologies and businesses that specialize in floor cleaning have made it easier and more convenient than ever to effectively remove odor-causing impurities from grout. Vacuum extraction systems use a cleaning solution and vacuum process to clean bathroom floors. The cleaning solution works to agitate soils for the vacuum.  Then, the vacuum uses water pressure in a suction dome to lift the cleaning solution, remove all contaminants, and dry the floor.

The Grime Stoppers have advanced soil removing technology that deep cleans floors and removes grout stains and odors.  Our non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaning solution loosens up bacteria and grime that has been ground into your floors. We specialize in cleaning, coating, and maintaining tile and grout.  This means cleaner floors, less maintenance, and fewer harsh chemicals.

Our patented cleaning tools can make your floors look brand new. We offer monthly maintenance and all of our work is guaranteed.  If you are interested in having your floors pampered with a deep clean, durable coating and regular maintenance, contact The Grime Stoppers today.

Ever had this problem?  You’re having a great time until the agonizing moment when you accidentally spill a glass of red wine on your carpet.

Panic sets in, but have no fear! The Grime Stoppers are here!

When treated quickly and correctly, red wine doesn’t have to ruin your carpet.  We have some handy tips and tricks to tackle the stain before it sets in.

You will need the following:

1. Paper towels or several clean, absorbent white cloths
2. A spray bottle filled with clean water

Blot Don’t Scrub!

One of the worst things you can do to any carpet stain is scrub it.  Vigorous back and forth motions will only push the liquid around and further down into the carpet fibers, setting in the stain and making it more difficult to remove.

Instead, get a clean, absorbent white cloth and immediately try to blot up as much of the liquid as possible.  Blotting means to gently dab the cloth up and down over the spill.  Do not use too much pressure; just let the absorbency of your cloth do most of the work.  Try not to move the fibers of your carpet around because you’ll only expose the liquid to a larger surface area. If you have stain resistant carpet, the technology should help repel the moisture for a little while, but you need to act quickly.  The more red wine you can soak up with your blotting cloth, the less you’ll need to extract from the carpet later.

Add Water… Then Blot Some More!

After you’ve blotted up as much of the standing liquid as you can, spritz the stain with clean, cold water.  This will help dilute the remaining wine and allow you to blot up a bit more color.  Continue this process until your white cloth is no longer picking up any trace of red wine.

Do NOT Apply OTC Chemical Cleaners!

In most cases, just the first two simple steps will clean up the mess and leave your carpet stain-free.  If you still see some color, however, please resist the urge to do more yourself!  Red wine is an organic stain that can easily be removed with professional-grade stain removal systems, but if you apply chemical solutions to it (like over-the-counter cleaners), you might set the stain or worse, damage your carpet beyond repair.

Instead, call the Grime Stoppers and we will come to your rescue with our eco-friendly, non-toxic Procyon spot treatment and professional extraction equipment. In the end, your carpet will show zero evidence of the wine crime.

Even if you missed your window of opportunity and it seems that the stain has already set in, call us right away and we can help!  Our advanced carpet cleaning technology will work wonders.

The story you’re about to read is true.  Reader discretion is advised.

A few months ago we received a distress call from a customer who had returned from a vacation to discover an intruder in their home.  The damage this intruder caused was unimaginable.

No, it was not a burglar.  It was a… SKUNK! The creature had taken up residence inside the home for several days while the homeowner was away and offensively sprayed its atrocious odor through the entire house.

After the animal was finally caught and removed from the home, The Grime Stoppers were called in for damage control.  Armed with our trusted supply of Vital Oxide, we fogged the interior of the home and deep cleaned the carpets.  Within 24 hours, the intense odor that had plagued the space was nearly undetectable.

Now, the skunk obviously wasn’t a pet and this was a very extreme case of animal odor, but this true story does clearly demonstrate the impressive effectiveness of a Vital Oxide treatment.

What Causes Lingering Pet Odors?

For most homeowners with pets, lingering animal odors can be a problem.  Dogs, cats, birds, ferrets – you name it, we’ve probably cleaned up after it.  Vital Oxide is an advanced disinfectant that outperforms typical cleaners by effectively destroying the biofilms that cause tough pet odors.

Biofilm at 1200X Magnification

A biofilm is a microscopic colony of bacteria and germs that is strong and resistant to most cleaning agents.  As you can imagine, pet messes like bathroom accidents and vomit can easily become a source for biofilms if not properly treated.  Once established, a biofilm will continue to grow rapidly, usually accompanied by an unpleasant odor.

Unless you address the underlying source of the odor (the bacteria), no amount of air freshener or topical cleaner will help.  Vital Oxide is different, however, because it is specifically designed to sanitize, disinfect and sterilize surfaces to eliminate germs and bacteria at the microbial level.

Vital Oxide is an EPA-registered disinfectant that is proven to effectively kill 99.999% of all bacteria.  When applied with a steam cleaner, it will remove smoke particles and pet stains from carpets and other fabric fibers. Vital Oxide can also be professionally sprayed to attack odors and harmful spores in the air.  It will get rid of all foul odors in your home without leaving behind any chemical residue.  Vital Oxide is non-toxic and completely odorless so your home will simply smell pure and fresh.

Lingering pet odors from urine, fecal matter, vomit, slobber, dander and any other nastiness are most likely spreading through your home on the back of a resilient biofilm.  To stop the stink in its tracks, contact The Grime Stoppers today and ask about our Vital Oxide treatments for odor control in your home.

As winter sets in, healthcare facilities in the Metro East St. Louis area often experience an influx of sick patients and an increased need to disinfect against health threatening microbes.  Cleaning methods and processes for these facilities must adhere to strict guidelines in order to keep occupants safe, sometimes making it complex to choose just the right products and applications.

Protecting Patients and Caregivers

Cleaning products with heavy odors or corrosive properties can be very dangerous, especially in places like medical offices, clinics, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities where people may have extreme sensitivities.  Vital-Oxide is not a harsh chemical cleaner like bleach or other disinfectants.  Instead, it is an odorless, eco-friendly, non-toxic and non-corrosive disinfectant that is not irritating to the skin.  It is EPA registered to safely and effectively clean a wide range of surfaces including:

• Stainless steel, tile and other hard surfaces
• Stone and other porous surfaces
• Carpeting, colorfast fabrics, clothing and linens

Vital-Oxide is NSF approved for food preparation surfaces even without rinsing, and it will not stain or discolor any surface or material.  It eliminates mold and mildew and completely removes odors at the molecular level.  Vital-Oxide solution can also be directly applied or added to a washer to effectively remove bloodstains and other body fluids.

Hospital-Grade Antimicrobial Action

Vital-Oxide helps healthcare facilities limit exposure to harmful pathogens. It has been University and Lab tested under GLP standards to effectively perform against a wide variety of bacteria, yeasts, viruses, fungi, spores and other microbes including:

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureau (MRSA)
• Norovirus
• Salmonella
• Legionella Pneumophilia
• E. Coli
• H1N1 Virus (Swine Flu)
• Hepatitis B & C
• HIV

Vital-Oxide is effective at low concentrations, over a wide pH range.  It eliminates allergens and also kills and prevents biofilm.

Benefits of Professional Application

Grime Stoppers uses an innovative and highly effective application method for Vital-Oxide known as electrostatic spraying.  This method adds an electrostatic charge to the droplets of disinfecting solution, pulling the spray toward the target at 75 times the force of gravity.  This intensified pull creates what is known as electrostatic “wraparound;” a 360-degree coating of disinfectant to completely clean and sanitize every inch of the treated area.

A high quality professional application of Vital-Oxide is an economical way to provide a healthy environment for patients and caregivers in healthcare facilities.  Our electrostatic spraying technology uses less solution than other application methods and can quickly treat sizable areas with superior coverage.  The highly trained technicians with Grime Stoppers are able to work quickly so that treated areas can usually be used in 30 minutes or less.

In addition to providing better coverage more efficiently, professional application of Vital-Oxide also eliminates cross-contamination risks that can otherwise be associated with spray-and-wipe methods of cleaning.

For complete sanitation, disinfecting and odor control in your healthcare facility, contact Grime Stoppers today to learn more about Vital-Oxide.