Naked Clean February 2019

NAKED TRUTH THE

FEBRUARY 2019

THE EVOLUTION OF NAKED CLEAN Several years ago, I had some health issues that sent me to the hospital twice with a contracted throat — I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t figure out what was causing it, but we thought maybe it was a food allergy. It wasn’t until I spoke to my brother-in-law, who has a PHD in toxicology, that I learned about the reactions our bodies can have to certain chemicals. He mentioned bleach and suggested I might be reacting to some very harsh chemicals in our house. He was on to something. What triggered my reaction wasn’t a food allergy but a combination of bleach and ammonium. Mix these two chemicals, and you wind up creating a gnarly gas — they’re actually ingredients found in one of the lethal gases developed during WWI. Our maid was using the combination to clean our shower — first with bleach, then with Windex. I had a particularly nasty reaction to it, but it wouldn’t make anyone feel great. That experience was a big eye-opener, and it’s the reason behind Naked Clean and why the maids we refer use nontoxic cleaning products. Not only are these cleaning products better for your health, but they’re also better for everyone involved in the cleaning process, including the maids. Nontoxic products don’t hurt their hands, and they no longer go home with headaches. That’s how it all started. Of course, it was one thing to recognize the benefits of nontoxic ingredients to our health and another to find green products that clean well. Baking soda and vinegar work to an extent, but on tougher messes and stains, you need something stronger. I started investigating and found a woman in our area who was developing a degreaser from ingredients like the rinds of grapefruit and limes. It’s very effective, and smells about as amazing as you can imagine.

About two years into Naked Clean, we discovered the biggie: probiotic cleaning! Instead of killing every living thing by using harsh cleaners, probiotic formulas promote the good microbes and keep the bad germs at bay — like those behind the flu and other diseases. This applies not only to viruses, but also bacteria. Probiotic cleaners keep cleaning for several days, long after your maid is done. When we first experimented with them, we found that probiotic cleaning whitens grout and tile naturally without leaving behind a toxic residue, so you can let your toddler crawl on the floor — and, let’s be honest, lick things they’re not supposed to — without having to worry if they’re ingesting toxic chemicals from cleaning products. That’s why we’re here today. We know a clean home is important to you. We also know you don’t have the time to clean it. We love that we can give you a healthier, cleaner home and use our business to create opportunities for lower-income people at the same time. You can think of Naked Clean as a matchmaking service: By connecting you with a maid who cleans your home to your customized preferences, we provide you with a clean, healthy home while giving them a sustainable living wage. Our network of experienced worker-owners has grown to over 45 maids. Many of the maids go from zero- income situations to earning an income that supports both them and their families. We host pizza parties once a month so we can just get together and connect. The maids are proud owner-workers who take pride in the work they do. Through Naked Clean, we’re part of a community. We’re proud to be part of it, and we’re glad you are, too.

CARLSBAD OFFICE 580 Beech Ave, Unit D Carlsbad, CA 92008 SAN DIEGO OFFICE 3525 Del Mar Heights Rd., Unit 950 San Diego CA 92130 760-720-3830 www.naked-clean.com

–David Leonhart

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GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR DIGITAL HOME ASSISTANT Both the Echo and the Home make excellent communication hubs. In the home, they can be used as a local intercom system. Do you have a few Echo Dots or Google Home Minis? If you do, you’re set. You can communicate in any room where another device is present. Your digital assistant can also make outgoing calls. As long as the device has access to your contacts (or the person you’re trying to contact has an Echo or Home), you can easily make the connection. Want to send a text message? No problem! You can dictate a text to anyone in your smartphone’s contact list and send it without ever touching your phone. Aside from communications, the assistants can handle calendars, appointments, emails, and more. You can ask for information relevant to you, like “When is my flight again?” Google Home can recognize your voice, or the voice of anyone in the house, and respond accordingly. There’s no worry that anyone’s calendar or appointments will be mixed up with yours.

More and more people are welcoming in the Amazon Echo or the Google Home into their spaces. Everyone knows they make great Bluetooth speakers and can tell you the weather forecast, but they’re also capable of so much more. Digital assistants can do a variety of tasks depending on how much you want them to do for you. For example, if you want your digital assistant to be heavily involved in your daily life, you can use the Echo or the Home as the core of your “connected home.” You can connect numerous compatible devices to these assistants, including other Bluetooth or networked speakers, lights, thermostats, coffee makers, refrigerators, and even microwaves.

Of course, therein lies the challenge — you must have compatible devices to make a connected home efficient. And let’s be honest: Many of us aren’t going to buy a connected fridge or Wi-Fi enabled lightbulbs just to get the most out of our digital assistants. What you can do, however, is make use of what you already have. Here are some ways to put your digital assistants to work without committing to a connected home.

If you want to learn more, search for tutorials online. We’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to what these digital assistants can do for you.

LUCY SHARES WHAT SHE LOVES ABOUT HER JOB

really well too. Since she started using them, Lucy has noticed the difference it makes to work with quality, nontoxic cleaning products. “These products are really good to work with,” she says. “People always compliment them and the fact that they’re nontoxic — that’s important for a lot of people.” Lucy adds that she noticed the difference in her own health when she started using them. “It starts with the skin — my hands aren’t as damaged. When I use harsh chemical cleaners, I can really tell the difference. My hands get really dry, and the smells are so strong.” Outside of work, Lucy has two priorities: her five- year-old grandbaby and weekly Zumba classes “to keep my activity level going.” She adds, “My job is already physical, but Zumba is a different kind of physical.” On the occasional Friday or Saturday, she enjoys a night out with friends. We know many of you work with and appreciate Lucy, and we’re so happy to get to share a bit more about her! Thank you for all you do, Lucy!

Lucy is an owner-cleaner at Naked Clean — a role she’s had for over 10 years. She appreciates the autonomy she has found in getting to work for herself. “I enjoy being my own boss,” Lucy explains. “I get to manage my time.” The unique structure of Naked Clean has helped her expand her cleaning career, and she enjoys the variety of accounts she works with in addition to having ownership over her schedule. She’s also been able to work with many of the same clients for several years. “I’ve been lucky. I have a lot of consistency,” Lucy says of her weekly cleaning schedule. Even with the benefits of being her own boss, there’s another part of her job Lucy loves more. “What I enjoy the most are the clients themselves,” Lucy says. “I’ve been lucky to have clients whose personalities match well with mine. It helps to work with somebody who has the same ideas, taste, and even sense of humor as you. It’s something they do really well at the office: They look at the personality of a client and the personality of a cleaner and match them.” Lucy is also a fan of the cleaning products Naked Clean’s owner has found for her over the years. They are not only People, Pet, and Planet Friendly products, but they work

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I enjoy being my own boss.

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BETTER OPTIONS FOR CLEANING PROMOTING A CLEAN HOME AT THE MICROSCOPIC LEVEL

the world because they’re sterilized to reduce the risk of infection. But this sterilization is having an unintended effect: it breeds superbugs — drug-resistant microbes that have evolved to outlive the medicines we use to fight them, such as antibiotics. Products containing probiotics add good bacteria back into the environment while decreasing the amount of bad bacteria, leading more and more people to turn to them. Probiotic cleaners clean long after they’ve been applied to a surface, and they reduce the number of allergens found in your home, such as pet dander, dust mites, and mold. In addition, they’re nontoxic, so they give you not just a cleaner home but a safer one. Here at Naked Clean, the maids offer probiotic cleaning because we know how effective it is. With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and the system we provide to connect disadvantaged workers with income opportunities, Naked Clean is your trusted source for a cleaner home. Visit our website to find out more about the company that’s behind healthier homes.

When you look at your counters, do you see any germs? Silly question, right? Unless you’re looking through a microscope, those little organisms are too small to observe. You used your antibacterial cleaner and said goodbye. There’s no visual evidence they’re gone, but the antibacterial cleaner says they are — right? In reality, you killed most of the bacteria, but some got left behind. The bacteria that survived can now become stronger, creating what is often called a superbug. These are the organisms responsible for causing outbreaks of serious disease, and many everyday cleaning products actually worsen the problem. The idea of adding bacteria to your home might sound counterintuitive, but it’s exactly what makes probiotic cleaning so effective. When researchers from Europe and the U.S. set out to study the effects of probiotic cleaners in hospital and University settings, they found considerably fewer strains (84% reduction!) of pathogen-related bacteria/infections, like MRSA, E. coli, and Staph. Hospitals are (presumably) already some of the cleanest places in Probiotics to the rescue.

CITRUS AND AVOCADO SALAD

Ingredients

CLEAN JOKES

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2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

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1 blood, cara cara, or navel orange, sliced 1/8-inch thick and deseeded 1 Meyer or regular lemon, sliced 1/8-inch thick and deseeded

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1 bunch arugula

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1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

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1 avocado, cut into wedges

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4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

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Salt and pepper, to taste

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1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

4. Add citrus, arugula, and mint to onion mixture. Drizzle with remaining oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss thoroughly. 5. Add avocado, combing very gently to not crush avocado.

1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. In a rimmed baking sheet, toss citrus slices with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast citrus until lightly charred and caramelized, about 10–15 minutes. Let cool.

3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl,

combine onion and lemon juice. Season with salt and let sit for 5 minutes.

Inspired by Bon Appétit

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INSIDE

This Issue

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The Evolution of Naked Clean

Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Digital Home Assistant? Meet Lucy!

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The New Science of Cleaning Citrus and Avocado Salad

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Make the Most of the Academy Awards

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE ACADEMY AWARDS ARE YOU A MOVIE FANATIC?

2. THEMED FOOD If you’re throwing an Oscars party, serving some tasty dishes is a must. But why not kick it up a notch and keep your entrees and hors d’oeuvres in line with the blockbuster theme? There are multiple recipes for Oscars-party popcorn online, and you can also use star-shaped cookie cutters for your desserts. For your libations, you can serve cocktails from famous films and make a martini even James Bond would approve of. 3. TICKETS GALORE! The ticket price for the first motion picture ever shown at the oldest American movie theater cost 15–25 U.S. cents, depending on the location of your seat. Nowadays, the price of watching a film is astronomical. Fortunately, there are ways for you to create the feeling of watching a film premiere or Oscars ceremony from your own home. Find printable tickets online to distribute to your guests before the showing, and encourage them to dress like they are heading to the red carpet.

If you’re a big film buff, then there’s a good chance you set aside one important night each spring to watch the Academy Awards. A great number of memorable moments have happened during the Oscars, such as the 2017 “La La Land” best picture mix-up, the 1974 streaking incident when a naked man ran across the stage, or the 2013 falling accident when Jennifer Lawrence tripped as she walked on stage to receive her award for best actress. The Academy Awards is an event you don’t want to miss out on. Here are three ways you can get the most out of Oscars night. 1. PLAY TRIVIA Everyone loves a good trivia challenge. If you and your family watch the ceremony live, you can use the commercial breaks to test your knowledge. Pose questions about the best picture winners over the last 90 years or the actors selected for different categories. You can also find printable Oscars prediction charts and offer prizes to whoever has the highest number of correct answers.

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