In South Africa, many of us have solar panels and greywater systems. Normal solar panel cleaners don’t cut it.
You need a greywater safe solar panel cleaner!
Buying a solar panel is an investment. Keeping your solar panels clean is essential for maintaining their efficiency and ensuring you get the maximum return on your investment. Dust, debris, and grime can reduce the amount of sunlight that reaches your panels. That can decrease their energy output.
If your gutters run into your greywater tank, be careful! You cannot wash your panels with just any cleaner! The wole point of greywater is to water your garden. Soap that is not readily biodegradable will cause build up of chemicals in your soil. Also, soap that promises to kill bacteria, will kill the good bacteria in your greywater and cause it to stink much quicker than usual.
What you need is a greywater safe solar panel cleaner.
That is why we developed Mrs Martin’s SOLAR. It is a gentle but effective solar panel cleaner, which is safe for greywater and septic systems, and the environment! Mrs Martin’s SOLAR greywater safe solar panel cleaner is also not aggressive on aluminium.
Here is a handy step-by-step guide on how to clean your solar panels effectively using Mrs Martin’s SOLAR. Even if you have a greywater system at home.
How To Clean Your Solar Panels (Safely)
Step 1: Choose a cooler day to clean your panels, to prevent rapid evaporation of the cleaning product, which could leave streaks or spots.
Step 2: Dilute SOLAR with water according to instructions on bottle. Shake well.
Step 3: Pour your diluted mix into an electrical pressure washer or manual pressure sprayer and spray it onto your solar panels.
Step 4: Scrub each panel with a mop.
Step 5: Rinse thoroughly with clean water or a hosepipe, and let it air dry.
Remember, regular maintenance will help to keep your solar panels functioning at their best for years to come.
Does this help you? Share it with a friend who also has solar and greywater!
Are you looking for pure oxygen bleach powder in South Africa? You are at the right place.
Do we actually know how harmful and toxic chlorine bleach is? The active ingredient in chlorine bleach is sodium hypochlorite—a chemical blend that can irritate and even kill your cells by disrupting their proteins, a nasty process called denaturation. This can lead to skin irritation, burns or even lung damage.
In fact, in Mrs Martin’s safe and responsible cleaning regime; chlorine bleach has never had a place. This blog explains how dangerous chlorine bleach really is.
The solution to this toxic problem? A natural alternative to bleach, of course! Enters pure oxygen bleach powder. This is a natural solution to your laundry needs! Sodium percarbonate, commonly known as oxygen bleach, is a mix of natural soda crystals and hydrogen peroxide. It’s not just gentle, it’s powerful!
Oxygen bleach is gentler on fabrics, and more environmentally friendly than chlorine bleach. It also releases oxygen instead of chlorine gas, so it is safer for you! A lovely, succinct comparison of the two types of bleach can be found here.
BRIGHT, Mrs Martin’s oxygen bleach, brightens whites and colours while removing tough stains. Just add three tablespoons to your regular load of washing, whether whites or colours, and wash as usual. For stubborn stains, try using a solution of 100ml Oxy Bleach in a litre of water and soak the whole garment before you wash it in the regular way. To see this in action, watch our thrilling Youtube video about Mrs Martin removing ink stains from trousers, here.
When using BRIGHT, remember that when the solution is too strong and you expose it to your hands too long, it can still irritate and burn. Keep out of reach of children, and rinse your hands after working with a solution of BRIGHT and water.
Are you ready to make the switch from chlorine bleach to the healthier, greener alternative, BRIGHT?
How do you get rid of the bad smell in your fridge after the milk spilled?
An odour is that distinct, often unpleasant smell that takes over the welcomeness of our homes, making them less enjoyable. While some odours are a natural part of life, others can be stubborn and hard to remove. At Mrs Martin’s, we understand the importance of a fresh-smelling home, which is why we’ve developed our best-selling ODOUR, the solution to tackle the root cause of bad smells in your home.
What Causes Bad Smells?
You’ll be surprised to know that a lot of odours are caused by bacteria. When organic matter breaks down, it creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria to live in. As these bacteria multiply, they produce gases that result in those horrible smells that we tend to complain to our friends about at a braai. Whether it’s the rubbish bin, a dirty carpet, or even hidden mould, bacteria are often the culprits behind those persistent odours in your home.
Common Sources of Bad Odours
Rubbish Bin: You know what that bin smells like after three days in the sun! It has become a breeding ground for bacteria.
Cat Wee: The ammonia in cat urine can create a strong and lingering odour (pssst, the main reason we developed ODOUR was to remove the smell of cat wee from carpets – and it does it well. Read some reviews below)
Dirty Carpets: Carpets trap dirt, dust, and bacteria, which can result in unpleasant smells over time.
Pet accessories: Kitty litter and doggy bedding do not always smell as fresh as we would like.
Wet Dog Laundry: Damp laundry that was left in the washing machine for too long smells like wet dog. We think you know what we are talking about.
Smelly Dishwasher: Food particles left behind in the dishwasher can create a sour odour.
Hidden Mould: Mould growth, especially in hidden areas, can produce a strong, musty smell.
Sports Gear: Your teenager’s cricket gear cannot be washed, but it can smell!
Eskom Fridge: After the power has been down for three days, the fridge has a positively nasty odour.
When your four legged friend mistakes this for real grass and lifts his leg, you sit with a persistent bad smell.
How to get rid of bad smells the responsible, intelligent and safe way
Spray ODOUR repeatedly onto the affected surface. Let it sit to do its deep work. No need to wipe off. To make your laundry smell fresh everytime, pour a tablespoon or two of ODOUR in the dispenser drawer if your washing machine before you wash on a normal cycle.
Here Is What Our Clients Are Saying About ODOUR
Maryna Terblanche (5-star)
“I sprayed and lightly scrubbed this odour product on our carpet ONCE where our two bunnies occasionally “make their mark” and I haven’t smelt or seen anything after that yet. This is a keeper.”
Gayle B. (5-star)
“I so appreciate that this probiotic spray doesn’t merely mask odour, but the microbes continue working after application. Using this spray, our outdoor garbage bin soon smelled honestly pleasant even without a scrub down.”
Bronwynne (5-star)
“My puppies wee’d on my new super king duvet which I was unable to wash in the washing machine. I was recommended this product by cleaning guru, Becki (The Hoek Home) on Instagram. She was right! It’s fantastic. Easy to use and the smell is wonderful. I used it on the carpet too. The bedroom smells fresh again. No more urine smells. Thank you!”
Katherine de Tolly (5-star)
“Me again, another use for this great product: I have a toilet that doesn’t have a proper vent, which means that the overflow in the cistern sometimes emits a bad smell. I poured a bit of Odour down the overflow 2 times and the problem has stopped – I can’t believe this, after years of battling the smell! (And I look forward to the next fragrance, if/when it happens.)”
Liesl S. (5-star)
“This product smells amazing when applied and truly delivers on what it promises.”
Looking for the best loofah in South Africa? Look no further!
In our ever-changing world, we’re constantly discovering new materials, plants, and products that shake up the way we do things. Things like the loofah.
This all-natural wonder hails from the luffa plant, a member of the pumpkin family. Picture this: under warm, sunny skies, the plant blossoms and transforms into a long, gourd-like beauty, resembling a cucumber on steroids. Once harvested, these gourds take a little vacation, drying out for up to six months, getting prepped for their next big role: scrubbing and exfoliating your skin to perfection!
It all sounds lovely, but why should you trade in your regular sponge for a loofah?
Five Irresistible Reasons to change to loofah
Natural Exfoliation: Loofahs are masters of exfoliation. Their unique, fibrous texture sweeps away dead skin cells with ease, leaving your skin smoother than ever before. Loofah gets quite soft when wet.
No Plastic: Unlike those synthetic sponges, loofahs are the real deal—100% plant-based and totally biodegradable. You’re giving Mother Earth a hand by keeping plastic off landfill.
Better Lather: Loofahs know how to make the most out of your soap or body wash. Their textured surface whips up a luxurious lather with just a little product, making your soaps last longer.
No Scratch: Use your loofah for washing your dishes or cleaning away the ring around the bath. Loofah does not scratch so it is ideal for cleaning any surface.
Fully Compostable: Even a loofah gets old and tatty. Chuck it onto your home compost heap and forget about it. You might even find small loofah seedlings sprouting on your compost after a week: our loofahs often still contain seeds.
Grown locally under the perfect conditions and harvested at just the right moment, Mrs. Martin’s loofahs are the best loofahs in South Africa. Because it is an agricultural product, they differ in size and may have discoloured spots now and again, but hey, that’s what natural means!
A clean home is a happy home if the woman who cleans it, is happy. Do you agree?
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to overlook the sanctuary that is our home. Yet, it’s the heart of our daily existence—a place where we unwind, celebrate, and make lasting memories.
For many of us women, maintaining a clean and inviting home is more than just a routine; it’s a reflection of our love and care for our family. We are doing it for them! We might as well do it happily.
How to Clean Happily
Play a little music while you clean. It turns the mundane into a melody, and suddenly, those chores aren’t just tasks—they’re a dance! As you sweep, dust, or scrub, let the rhythm inspire your movements. It’s not just about the act of cleaning, but about infusing joy into your environment.
Make your entryway welcoming. Put in the effort to make sure it’s not just a passage but a warm embrace for anyone who walks through your door. A tidy, inviting entryway sets the tone for the entire home, creating a positive first impression that resonates through every room.
Appeal to the senses. Put in some effort to make your home smell nice with subtle fragrances or fresh flowers. Why not spritz the curtains with your favourite fragrance? Our AIR is a great room and linen spray with a happy, rich fragrance.
Clutter causes stress, so make a point of getting rid of clutter every day, making space for peace and relaxation.
So here’s to you, the women who make our homes happy havens. Your dedication transforms everyday tasks into acts of love, and your effort creates a sanctuary where your family and friends can truly feel at home.
And remember, the goal is a happy home. It does not have to be spotless all the time to be happy.
Eczema, Sensitive Skin & The Enzymes That Make it Worse
We’ve all heard horror stories of people who are dealing with eczema and sensitive skin. Eczema is a pesky, itchy skin rash that often teams up with allergies like hay fever and asthma. This skin trouble usually starts in infancy and can stick around even into your adulthood.
According to AFSA (Allergy Foundation South Africa), Eczema kicks off because skin cells don’t fit together right, allowing water to escape and leaving the skin dry and itchy. This faulty skin barrier also lets in irritants (like soap and water) and allergens (like pollen and dust mites). The immune system gets riled up, becoming sensitive to allergens and ramping up inflammation. This means the skin of someone with eczema reacts easily to irritants and sometimes to food and environmental allergens.
Eczema is a lifelong adventure of managing flares and finding relief, but with the right care, it’s possible to keep the itch at bay!
Where Do Enzymes Come In?
Most traditional laundry detergents are packed with artificial enzymes. Enzymes? Yes, think of them as tiny, powerful scissors that chop up stains. But here’s the catch: these artificial enzymes don’t completely wash out of your clothes, leaving behind traces that can make your sensitive skin itch and burn even after you have washed your clothes.
Three Tips For Tackling Eczema & Sensitive Skin
Do a Soap Swap: The Allergy Foundation of South Africa advises using minimal soap for those with eczema. Mrs. Martin’s products, endorsed by AFSA, ensure a gentle cleanse. Whether you’re showering with our BODY or washing clothes with our LAUNDRY, you can trust there are no harsh chemicals involved.
Patch Test Party: Before using any new product, do a patch test. Apply a small amount to a discreet spot of skin, rinse off and and wait 24 hours. If your skin gives it a thumbs-up, you’re good to go! (Keep in mind: hypoallergenic and fragrance-free laundry detergents might be your best option. Harsh chemicals are a no-go for your sensitive skin.)
Hydrate Like a Hero: Do you just hate it when you’re thirsty and your mouth is dry? Well, just like your mouth, your skin is thirsty too! Slather on fragrance-free moisturisers or coconut oil, after every shower or bath. Think of it as giving your skin a big, hydrating hug.
Products You Might Want to Try
Mrs Martin’s LAUNDRY works great if your clothes make you feel itchy.
Mrs Martin’s BODY is a must if your skin is sensitive to strong soaps.
Mrs Martin’s DISH leaves your hands in a better state after you’ve washed the dishes (compared to other dishwashing liquids).
Looking for the best concentrated cleaners in South Africa? Have you heard about companies like Grove Co. or Neat.? If you have stayed overseas, you may have even bought from one of them before!
Both these forward thinking brands offer concentrated cleaning products in small glass bottles. They are pretty and sustainable at the same time. Unfortunately Neat. is a UK based company and Grove Co. comes from the USA. Do responsible South African consumers just have to miss out?
No! There is a proudly South African company that offers safe and eco-friendly cleaning products in concentrated form. It’s Mrs Martin’s!
What is concentrate and why is it the better option?
According to Google, concentrate is “a substance made by removing or reducing the diluting agent; a concentrated form of something.” This means the product will take up less space, and have less weight too. It is more cost effective and creates less greenhouse gasses to deliver a concentrated product that’s lighter, than a product where water is already added. By choosing to buy concentrates instead of Ready To Use products, you reduce the amount of fuel needed to get the items delivered to your doorstep!
If you are missing your small, sassy bottles from Neat. or Grove Co, don’t despair. Mrs Martin’s offers most of our fabulous products in concentrated form! You can shop our range of concentrates here.
By switching to Mrs Martin’s concentrated cleaning products, you:
Save money
Save space under your sink
Save the planet
Why not ditch the original way of buying and using cleaning products? Start thinking about tomorrow!
Most of our products contain spores of indigenous bacilli microbes
What are the best temperatures to keep them happy?
Adding synthetic enzymes to soap is so yesterday. Enzymes are harsh chemicals and can cause all sorts of allergic reactions. Mrs Martin’s products do not use enzymes, or any harsh chemicals. Instead, our products include intelligent microbes that make microscopic amounts of the correct enzymes on demand. Our friendly microbes help with cleaning, and with rehabilitating the waste water. This technology is the result of 20 years’ research by the CSIR, initially to address problems caused by superbugs.
We recently sat down with our chief scientist to chat about temperatures. He explained that due to proprietary technology our spores are tolerant of temperatures up to 90°C. If you wash your linen at temperatures higher than 90°C, the spores will die. If you pour the detergent into boiling water, the spores will die.
The spores can hatch at a range of temperatures but the optimum growth temperature is 35°C. That also means that people who prefer to clean with lukewarm water, can do so.
Once the spores have hatched, the microbes can tolerate temperatures up to 60°C.
Microbes are actually not too delicate
Microbes are masters of adapting to their environment – that is why they are the largest population of living creatures on earth! Also keep in mind that each millilitre of soap holds more than 10 million spores so as long as boiling water is not used, there will be plenty hatching at any stage of the cleaning process.
So feel free to wash your towels on the hottest cycle. While any microbes that hatched before the water got really hot, will die, millions of spores will survive and hatch afterwards. They will be working in your washing machine drum and pipes and in your towels until it is completely dry.
In summary:
Spores are tolerant up to 90°C. At boiling point, they die.
Optimum growth temperature is 35°C.
Once hatched, the microbes can tolerate up to 60°C.
I have long known that either it were not true that women are multitasking queens, or it were not true that I am a woman. I cannot multitask. Every. Single. Time I try to cook breakfast while hanging the washing, the eggs burn. I cannot talk on the phone while I am driving round trying to find a party venue. And I abandon my attempts at writing a coherent blog post after the third request for lunch…
I used to feel strangely substandard due to this inability to do what all women were brilliant at. Which is why I felt elated when I came across research recently that found ‘differences in multitasking costs across men and women remained absent’. Read a summary of that research here:
Psychologist Patricia Hirsch, and her collaborators at RWTH Aachen University and University of Koblenz-Landau in Germany, set out to find out if the stereotype that women are better multitaskers than men might be backed by empirical evidence. To find out, the team had experimental participants (48 women and 48 men) conduct either concurrent or sequential multitasking. Both tasks required participants to categorize letters as consonant versus vowel, and numbers as odd versus even. An important feature of the study was that, in addition to collecting performance measures (accuracy and reaction times) in the tasks above, the researchers also accounted for possible underlying gender differences in working memory, processing speed, spatial abilities, and fluid intelligence.
The results indicated that, whereas both concurrent and sequential multitasking imposed substantial costs on performance, the deterioration applied to both genders equally. Even when controlling for potential differences in cognitive abilities that might support multitasking, “differences in multitasking costs across men and women remained absent.”
This at least redeemed me. I was a normal woman after all! And my experience of overwhelm at times was a perfectly reasonable way for a brain to react to SO MANY DEMANDS. I breathed a sigh of relief and stopped trying to do everything at once.
But of course I still had to do most things. It is still I who cook the breakfast and hang the washing, just not simultaneously. There is ample evidence that women still do more housework than men, no matter who the breadwinner is. Us women aren’t better multitaskers than men, we just do more work. And if you look to the bees and the lions, that seems to be the way it goes in nature.
Public opinion persists that women have a biological edge as super-efficient multitaskers. But, as this study shows, this myth is not supported by evidence. This means the extra family work women perform is just that – extra work. And we need to see it as such.
There is an American blogger who feels like my friend, even though she certainly does not know that I exist. Her name is Emily Lex. I think it was 2017 when she wrote the following:
Washing dishes used to be a point of marital contention and then one day I decided I didn’t hate doing them anymore. I’m slightly particular when it comes to loading the dishwasher (I can’t believe I’m one of those people!) and I have a system for hand washing dishes that makes it quick and mindless (utensils first, medium sized items next, save the worst for last). I’ve found in marriage that if you take the things you care the most about and stop worrying about fairness, things get much easier. And it leaves me with a clean kitchen, so that’s totally worth it.+
Isn’t that a helpful way to look at things? Stop worrying about fairness! Who ever said that things would be fair in this world/ your marriage / that family? If you want a clean, peaceful home, wash the dishes! That is the price. And I think, it is not the fool who pays it.
Have a wonderful August, from our team to yours.
Disclaimer: my home is not always peaceful nor clean, but together we are hacking through the challenges. If you want to accuse me of being too traditional, you might be right. I think I am being pragmatical.
This week has been the WEEK OF THE SANITISER. We have sold more Hand and Surface SANITISER in this week than ever before. Not only did the volume of sales take us by suprise, but also the urgency of it all. I suspect it has something to do with the COVID-19 pandemic. I suspect people feel safer after they have sprayed their hands. And having a tiny bottle of sanitiser in your hand bag is reassuring, because you can reach for it whenever you feel like it.
The truth is that sanitiser is a single line of defense, and possibly the weakest one at that. We have had questions about whether we have proof that our SANITISE kills COVID-19. I get that people want to know. We are all trying to stay safe. And a consumer has the right to ask questions before buying a product, especially now when home brews of sanitiser crop up here and there. But the repeated questions made me wonder whether the term ‘santise’ is properly understood. No, we do not have proof that our SANITISE kills COVID-19. COVID-19 is a novel strain of coronavirus and neither alcohol nor any sanitiser has been shown to kill it, simply because the studies have not been done. But the real point here is that a sanitising product by defenition does not kill all microorganisms.
Let’s disentangle sterilise, disinfect and sanitise first. These words are used interchangeably but each actually means something very specific.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sterilise means that you have ‘destroyed or eliminated all forms of microbial life (even spores!) and is carried out in health-care facilities by physical or chemical methods.’ This is a process that generally needs time and perhaps even specialised equipment. Disinfect means to ‘eliminate many or all pathogenic microorganisms, except bacterial spores, on inanimate objects.’ (https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/introduction.html ). These two processes are especialy important in hospital settings to prevent the spread of disease.
Now let us take a closer look at hand sanitisers. They are by definition meant to lessen the amount of bacteria and viruses. Not one sanitiser guarantees to kill all pathogens.
There are important differences between washing hands with soap and water and cleaning them with hand sanitizer. For example, alcohol-based hand sanitizers don’t kill ALL types of germs, such as a stomach bug called norovirus, some parasites, and Clostridium difficile, which causes severe diarrhea. Hand sanitizers also may not remove harmful chemicals, such as pesticides and heavy metals like lead. Handwashing reduces the amounts of all types of germs, pesticides, and metals on hands. Knowing when to clean your hands and which method to use will give you the best chance of preventing sickness.
Sanitiser was never meant to save you. Wash your hands often and vigourously. Use sanitiser to ‘fill in the gaps’ and to clean unwashable surfaces such as your phone.
