She’s thoughtful in everything she does, especially cleaning, which is why it’s no surprise she’s a big fan of the Orange Power, Actizyme and Aware products.

Marilyn is an Orange Power veteran, similar to many of you who have been using our products ever since they became available. She currently uses them around the home but has also found handy uses for them at work too.

What drives her to use our products? “They’re enviro-friendly and they work” are her words. “The consistency of product and great value for money” is what separates them from other brands on the market.

Her friends and family use them and she tells people that using Orange Power is good for the health of the environment, and she’s right.

But an experienced woman like Marilyn doesn’t come without a few handy tips to share, so here’s what she’s got for us.

1. When repotting plants, to avoid possible transference of disease use Orange Power Multi-Purpose Cleaner to clean the old pots – spray them, leave them, give them a scrub and then hose them out.

2. Use Multi-Purpose Cleaner to clean the BBQ hot plates and grill – when they are cool (not immediately after use).

3. Put the filter basket from the dishwasher drawers into the sink and give them a spray with Orange Power Multi-Purpose Cleaner and leave them sit for a while before washing clean. Also spray a little bit into the area where the filter sits. It cuts accumulated grease.

Thanks Marilyn for sharing your story.

How to share yours?

If you’d like to help, simply email info@orangepower.com.au with “CASE STUDY” typed in the subject field and provide us with following information.

1. What is your name, age, location and profession?
2. Briefly explain what it is you enjoy about using our products or tell us an interesting tip on how you use them at home or work.
3. Show us how easy it is to be green at home and send us a photo of you in action!

Those days when I would spend hours out in the garden, observing (and sometimes catching) insects and small creatures that bask in the summer sunlight. When I would go out on my uncle’s speedboat, with no interest in the boat itself but purely with the hope of spotting a dolphin or seal. And the weekends where I would take mum’s camera out for hours to photograph the local flora.

This current trip to Borneo is in no way different, except on a much larger scale. It still demonstrates those exact qualities – an interest, passion and curiosity in nature and its unique inhabitants, and a drive to protect it.

I will be able to live with the Dayak people, experience a completely different culture and way of life, spend two weeks with a group of likeminded young people from different corners of the globe and meet some of my closest cousins, the true “people of the jungle”, orangutans.

Through the environmental work I do here in Australia, focusing mainly on Bornean rainforest protection, I aim to be as proactive as I can be and I use telecommunications as a means to achieve this. This is why many of my close friends and family who know me well giggle at the thought of me going a fortnight without all the “gadgets” I’m usually surrounded by.

Personally though, I think this experience will be extremely beneficial. While as a typical teenager living for two weeks away from many of the modern day technology devices and resources that forever surround me may be a daunting thought, on the other hand it is one of the things I am most looking forward to. Being able to remove myself from Western society and submerse myself in nature is a thrilling thought. It’s just not the same as any opportunity you would get in Australia.

Aside from this, I am, of course, extremely excited to be living deep within the heart of Borneo, among the bio-diverse rainforests and precious orangutans and other extraordinary wildlife.

I already know this trip will be a life-changing experience for me and one that will alter my perspectives on life forever. However, none of this would have been possible without the ongoing support I have received from Orange Power.

Be sure to watch this space for my next blog entry!

Thomas King.

The $8,000 grant from Orange Power will allow Thomas to spend 1-14th May in Borneo with 15 other passionate environmentalists from around the world who have been selected to partake in the three month filming of the documentary “Rise of the Eco-Warrior”, which aims to highlight issues caused by unsustainable palm oil production.

To learn more about the project visit www.DeforestAction.com.

Read Orange Power’s news release announcing the sponsorship and how the money will help Thomas.

Would you fail an independent cleaning test if your home was tested? How often do you clean? With winter and the flu season just around the corner, we thought we’d remind you of the importance of maintaining good hygiene practices around the home to ensure the health and wellbeing of your family.

According to the Australian Medical Association, washing your hands regularly and covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing are some of the simple few practices that, if incorporated into daily routine, can make all of the difference warding off winter influenza. These are good ways to limited your germs spreading around the home.

However, think about all the areas around the home where bacteria can manifest all year round, let alone at winter time, and require regular cleaning. Kitchens, bathrooms and toilets, lounge rooms and bedrooms. These are obvious, but what are some of the lesser known places? Remote controls, telephones, fridge handles and door handles are all places that people forget, but still used a number of times a day. Do you clean these?

Orange Power has a number of environmentally responsible products specifically formulated for the different surfaces around your home, without using harmful chemicals.

Here are some top tips for cleaning this cold season:

• Wash your hands when you come home, before and after eating and after going to the toilet.
• Keep kitchen benches, sinks and taps clean from germs with Orange Power Multi Purpose Cleaner
• Be considerate when coughing or sneezing and wash your hands afterwards.
• Keep bathrooms and toilets clean with Orange Power Bath, Shower and Tile Cleaner as these areas are frequently used and need regular cleaning

Hopefully you enjoy our fresh smelling, Australian made and owned cleaning and air freshening products. Happy cleaning!

The Orange Power Team

Which products do you use (Orange Power/Aware/Actizyme)?

I use the Orange Power Lime Air Freshener, Orange Power Multi-Purpose and the Aware laundry powders.

Where do you use these products and how do they help you to be green at home?

Jo’s 4 year old son, Riley, loves the air fresheners.

I mainly use these products around the bathroom area – a few sprays and it smells great. I have young children so I’m very conscious about being green and avoiding toxic chemicals and my kids just love the air freshener! People always comment on how clean my house is

but because I’m usually pretty busy I just give the air freshener a few sprays before they come around!

What do you choose our brands over others in the market?

The products actually work and the fresh smell is what separates them from the rest. Some of the other brands out there don’t work and they certainly don’t have the lasting, refreshing smell of Orange Power. Orange Power and Aware are also really cost-effective compared to a lot of other similar household products.

Do your friends and family also use our products? What is the one thing you would tell your friends to try to get them to buy our products?

My parents started using the Orange Power Air Freshener after coming around to my place and seeing how it works. My mother in law has also started using it! I wished my local store stocked more of the products to try.

Is there a final tip you’d like to give people for using our products?

If I don’t have time to clean, a quick splash of your products and the house smells clean. People come around and think I’ve been cleaning all day! And now I don’t have to worry about my children using the products either, I have two extra house cleaners!!!

How to share your story?

If you’d like to help, simply email info@orangepower.com.au with “CASE STUDY” typed in the subject field and provide us with following information.

1. What is your name, age, location and profession?
2. Briefly explain what it is you enjoy about using our products or tell us an interesting tip on how you use them at home or work.
3. Show us how easy it is to be green at home and send us a photo of you in action!

It’s autumn and we’re already feeling the onset of cold air as winter edges nearer. As the temperature drops household bills are likely to rise. Long, hot showers, electric blankets and raging heaters are our main ways to keep comfortable but this winter why don’t you think about what you can do around the house to limit your impact on the environment to find that desired comfort.

Here are some useful simple tips to help you save money and limit energy consumption.

1)    Use natural light – Morning sunlight has the natural ability to warm up your home and it’s much more aesthetically pleasing, so open your windows rather than turning on a heater! Here are some other ways to use natural light.

2)    Coat of style – What looks better than a stylish winter coat? Coats and jumpers are a great way to keep warm and look good! Embrace winter fashion.

3)    Dry wisely – Limit the use of clothes dryer where possible. You may find it difficult to avoid this modern convenience completely, but an investment in a clothes horse or a mini clothes line for indoor use is a good one. Here is some information about buying energy-efficient home appliances.

4)    Timed showers – Don’t be too tempted to take long showers. Hot water systems are one of the biggest energy drainers in the home. Also, try and limit your time in the shower.

5)    Blankets – Blankets are synonymous with the colder months. Blow the dust off the duvet, blankets and flannelette sheets that have been sitting in your linen cupboard all year and use these to keep warm in bed. A couple of throw-over blankets in the lounge room will also come in handy.

6)    Heat zoning – If you’re heating up a room make sure it’s zoned off from the rest of the house so warm air doesn’t escape and your heater isn’t being used inefficiently. Always remember to turn heaters off when leaving the house.

7)    Close curtains – Curtains help to keep the sun out in summer and the warmth in during winter. Close your curtains in the afternoon to keep the warmth inside.

8)    Insulation – According to yourhome.gov.au, up to 35 percent of heat can be loosed through the ceiling, so maybe home insulation is something for you to consider where you live. Click here for more information about home insulation.

9)    Cooking – remember to continue a healthy diet during the colder months, despite the temptation to eat a lot of warm, fatty foods. Taste.com.au can help you out with some healthy winter food ideas.

10)  Avoid germs – don’t forget it’s important to continue to keep the house clean during the colder months when germs are rife and we tend to spend more time indoors. Our household cleaning products and laundry powders are a great way to keep the house clean and fresh

Hopefully this gives you some ideas about how you can continue a sustainable lifestyle into the colder months.

The Orange Power team.

While it was great that they chose to test one of our products they actually used the wrong one. We have a specific Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, so in hindsight of all this we thought we’d give you a quick rundown on the different uses of our products.

The Orange Power Air Fresheners should be pretty self explanatory.

This is one of our popular ranges with the brand new Lavender and Potpourri versions added to the traditional favourites – Orange Oil, Lemon Myrtle & Lime oil. These products smell fresh and with one spray towards the ceiling they neutralize odours in seconds.

The Orange Power trigger spray cleaners overview.

Spray & Mop Floor Cleaner – this is a nifty little product that is sprayed onto floor directly in high traffic areas and for food spills.

Multi Purpose Cleaner – this is the all rounder. It’s perfect for kitchens where there is grease, grime and fatty deposits but is also use for laminated bench tops, cutting boards, cupboards, sinks, ovens, tiles, glass – you name it.

Pre Wash Stain Remover – if you want to get rid of tough fabric stains this is a must have in the laundry.

Shower Bath & Tile Cleaner – fantastic if you want to be able to clean your bathroom without inhaling all the intoxicating fumes of chemical cleaners, this is the product to use. Removes soap scum, water and rust marks, calcium build up and stains.

Carper & Upholstery Spot Cleaner – this can be safely used on woollen and synthetic fibres, both old and new. Any carpet or couch spills and this is the product for you.

The Orange Power Laundry Liquids.

We have two 4X Enzyme liquid concentrates – the ‘super brightening’ variant for a superior deep clean with a fresh fragrance and the ‘sensitive skin’ choice for those who can’t tolerate strong fragrances or other irritating chemicals. These offer great value with just one tiny cap sufficient for a full wash load.

The mixed bag.

Furniture Polish & Restorer – this is perfect for all hard surfaces and not just timber. Polish your tables and bench tops or use on sealed or unsealed wooden furniture. A must have for your household items.

Sticky Spot & Goo Dissolver – this unique product serves specific purposes which we all encounter. It’s for removing sticky label and glue residue, chewing gum, tar and wax, lipstick, crayon, blutack, grease and oils etc.

Maybe you’re wondering how to get rid of that carpet stain you’ve ignored for weeks? Hopefully you’ve learnt something more about our products today and can share your knowledge with your friends!

The Orange Power team.

We think the Variety Old Bags Lunch is a fantastic idea to help raise much needed funds to support children.

The concept is simple; a group of ladies bring an old handbag to donate and spend the afternoon bidding on other people’s in a silent auction or by buying tickets to enter raffles. The money raised goes to the charity. All ladies at the lunch also receive a goodie bag to take home with them.

The event in Hervey Bay was a huge success with the 103 ladies who attended the luncheon fundraising just over $15,000.

Variety Queensland is dedicated to empowering children who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs to live, laugh and learn.

In 2011 Variety Queensland was able to have a positive impact on the lives of over 55,000 children in need, providing equipment and services with a value in excess of $2.7 million.
For more information visit variety.org.au/QLD/

It might sound silly at first but pet products can be laden with harsh chemicals too as well as being highly processed and over packaged. We’ve made it easy to be green when cleaning and washing around the home but here are some helpful hints to broaden your ethos to include caring of pets.

1)    Ground Zero – Dogs and cats are right in the contact zone when it comes to the cleaners used around the home. Make sure you’re not using toxic chemical cleaners, especially when there are great alternatives like us out there! Our entire range of Orange Power, Aware and Actizyme products are safe to use around both humans and pets.

2)    Food friendly – Look for pet foods that are human quality. Off-cuts from your local butcher are raw and unprocessed (better for your pooch) and also come with less packaging and the associated carbon miles. It also supports your local business! You can even try making pet food yourself and saving money at the same time.

3)    Cause and effect – One of the best ways to prevent your pet from catching flees is vacuuming your home and washing pet bedding and surrounding areas. As opposed to using shampoos and treatments, doing this regularly as well as combing for fleas and checking for ticks is much better for your pet and the environment. If this doesn’t work, try and only use toxic free chemical treatments.

4)    Did you know? Even your pet fish can harm our precious waterways. Certain types of fish and plant species can affect local marine and aquatic life so be careful with your disposal of them when they perish.

5)    Cat attack. Keep your cat indoors at night and prevent it from killing native wildlife at night or put a bell around its neck to prevent it from hunting. No one needs to wake up to a dead bird on the living room floor.

6)    Owning or helping. Instead of owning your own pet maybe you’d like to get involved with organisations like Native Animal Rescue, caring for injured native wildlife.

If you have any other tips for being green share them with us.