LOUANNA CAMPBELL, lcampbell@tylerpaper.com
Kasey Ciesiensky - aka “Red” - was scrubbing her kitchen floor when she was four months pregnant with first child. She was using a household cleaner and became concerned about the ingredients. That’s when she started researching the Internet and reading books about green and all natural cleaners.
“I experimented with different formulas,” Mrs. Ciesiensky said. “I came up with a mixture that included distilled water, vinegar and essential oils.”
In books about essential oils, she read stories about how infections can be reduced by using cinnamon and cloves. These stories were inspirational, she said, as she formulated and experimented until she found the right formula of natural products and essential oils.
Mrs. Ciesiensky started her online boutique, “Red’s gone Green” five years ago. As she experimented with different formulas and recipes she was able to develop a cleaning solution that had no synthetic fragrances or preservatives.
Once her three children are asleep, she dons her lab coat and covers her long red hair and gets to work in her converted garage, formulating her cleaners. She mixes her all natural ingredients and essential oils to make an all purpose cleaner, stone surface cleaner and cleansing scrub. The trio of cleaners from Red’s Gone Green are called Clean Freak, Taken for Granite and Everything + The Kitchen Sink.
“Essential oils have many cleaning benefits and antibacterial properties,” Mrs. Ciesiensky said. “I love to formulate with them and I enjoy the way they smell.”
Once the forumlation process is complete and there’s a batch of 20 Red’s Gone Green cleaner ready to package, Mrs. Ciesiensky pours the cleaners into the bottles and attaches her simple white and green labels.
Clean Freak is used on non-porous surfaces. Taken For Granite is for natural stone surfaces and stainless steel. Everything + The Kitchen Sink is a cleansing scrub and a laundry booster.
“I think people should be pampered when they clean,” Mrs. Ciesiensky said. “The Red’s Gone Green products smell good and the essential oils will diffuse throughout the house.”
Red’s Gone Green cleaning products are available in four to six fragrance combinations. Different combinations of apple, cinnamon, cassia, clove, orange, lemon and vanilla are available during the fall. Combinations of lavender, vanilla, grapefruit, orange, lemongrass, lemon, tea tree and rosemary are available throughout the year.
Mrs. Ciesiensky says she is a multi-tasker and cleans with and around her kids now because of her natural and fragrant cleaners. Like many mothers, she wants her kids to eventually take over some of the cleaning jobs around the house.
“I know what’s in my cleaners because I made them,” Mrs. Ciesiensky said. “The ingredients in common cleaners are not regulated. The ingredients are listed on the label, but you really don’t know what’s in them unless you’re making them.”
The Ciesinsky family recently moved to Tyler from the Dallas area. The busy wife and mother homeschools her children and is looking to expand her business in Tyler.
“The Red’s Gone Green products are available on line and on Oct. 6 they will be available at The Sweet Gormet,” Mrs. Ciesinsky said. “I still have customers in Dallas. I also partner with a realtor in Dallas who gives my Welcome Home Gift Box as a gift when her clients move into their new homes.”
Twitter: @LouAnnCampbell