*Giveaway* Green McClean Cleans Your House

UPDATE: Congrats to kolpin, who won the Green McClean residential cleaning! Please email me at losangelesstory@gmail.com with your name and phone number. Thanks to everyone who participated (and to Random.org for helping me decide).


This post is sponsored by Green McClean, an L.A.-based commercial and residential cleaning service that uses eco-friendly products.

This has been a week of cool giveaways, but I know parents will be excited to hear more about this one.

Green McClean is an eco-friendly cleaning service that offers a variety of packages for Angelenos. (Check out what people have said on Yelp.) Whether you're looking for a standard house cleaning or more of a deep-down cleanse (hello, hiding Cheerios! and toothpaste-flecked sinks!), this local company offers both while also using products certified by Green Seal, as well as those that are plant- and enzyme-based. That means their products are nontoxic to people and the environment.

I'll admit it. Sometimes it's hard to pick an eco-friendly cleaner. What are the best ingredients? Do they really sanitize properly? Are they too pricey?

That's why I wanted to share some tips, courtesy of Green McClean.

• Lemon juice is a grease cutter as well as a stain remover.
• Lavender, geranium and tea tree oil are antibacterial. (They also smell really good.)
• Tea tree oil is great for diluting and using as a mouthwash. You can put it on sores and cuts, and in shampoo for dandruff.
• Try using a hair dryer on crayon marks. It heats the wax and wipes away instantly.
• Don't heat plastic in the microwave or wash in the dishwasher, especially if it's being used by your baby. BPA is a chemical in plastic that is released in heat.
• Castile soap and baking soda are great for cleaning tile, floors, counters and work as grease cutters, too.
• Homemade laundry detergent can be made with 2 cups of natural grated soap, 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of washing soda (the last you can find in the laundry section of the grocery store). Mix together and place in an airtight container.

*** GIVEAWAY ***

I'm giving away 1 free residential Green McClean cleaning. ($134; how exciting is that?!)

To enter, you must:

• live in Los Angeles the West L.A. area. (Call Green McClean at 888-506-5008 to check if they can service your area);
• leave a comment below, saying what Green McClean cleaning tip(s) you plan on using to help create a greener home and environment; and
• share your Green McClean tip on Facebook using @greenmcclean
• As a bonus, you can share the tip on Twitter using @greenmcclean and @la_story

Good luck, and I'll announce the winner on this post on Friday, May 25!