Quick Green Home & Garden Tips

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Four ways to go super green in under a minute

October 4, 2009 in Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

In less than one minute you can make major green changes, such as…

Buy recycled toilet paper. It takes less than 10 seconds to pick up a recycled package of TP at the store vs. new and choosing recycled toilet paper is a major green choice. Recycled toilet paper helps save water, trees, oil and landfill space, plus prevents pollution. For example, according to NRDC, if all households in the U.S. alone bought one 4 pack of recycled TP vs. new, it would save a million trees and eliminate 60,600 pounds of pollution.

Fill that reusable water bottle: 8 out of ten bottles, or over 38 million water bottles end up in landfills annually, so if you take 30 seconds to fill up a reusable water bottle with good ol’ tap water, it’s a very smart way to get green in a big way in no time at all.

Hit the sleep mode: Your computer uses 90% less energy while in sleep mode (then when running) and it only takes seconds to make the switch. This can save you a ton of energy and even some cash on your electric bill.

Cancel your catalogs: Amazingly, the average person in the U.S. use 700 pounds of paper products a year. If you’re still getting paper catalogs in the mail, that’s a major contributor to your 700 pounds. It only takes a moment to cancel your catalogs but you’ll save plenty of trees over time by doing so.

For even more green steps you can take in record time, check out NRDC Simple Steps Deck of Eco-Tips.

Five easy no-fuss ways to go green at home

February 19, 2009 in Green Your Home, Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

You don’t need dramatics to go green. You can, in fact, take some small steps to green your home. All the small steps you try can add up to big eco-changes.

Install light sensors: Installing light sensors in all your rooms means that when people leave, the lights go out  and you save energy and cash.

Give up juice boxes: Juice boxes, a perpetual kitchen favorite of kids are not so earth-friendly. Even if you can recycle them, there’s manufacturing and shipping to consider. Try a reusable juice container instead like the leak-proof kid-sized Sigg bottles.

Wash your hands right: Switch out your toss away plastic hand soap containers and purchase some refillable hand soap pumps. Most co-ops and natural grocery stores carry bulk hand soap. Or you can make some.

Clean your coils: Cleaning your fridge coils just once yearly can allow your fridge to run 10%+ more efficiently.

Buy big bathroom items: If you don’t buy bulk bathroom items (i.e. shampoo, conditioner, etc) then buy the largest size possible. This technique is especially important with items like toothpaste – which can’t really be bought in bulk. If you have to buy a tube of plastic, it’s better to buy the larger size which eliminates two+ smaller sizes.

Which small steps is your household taking to stay green?

Quick Green Tip: Wash Less Laundry

December 13, 2008 in Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

Some of the laundry you may be washing, might be out of habit, rather than need.

  • For example, most clothing items can be worn twice before it’s grimy. (I’d think twice about undies and socks though!)
  • Bath and kitchen towels can be used for a week before washing.
  • Curtains, bedding, pillows, and other decorative items can be washed infrequently; not every week.
  • Cloth napkins that are barely used can be used at the next meal.

Consider what you toss into the wash, before you do the next laundry load. If it’s not dirty, why wash?

Quick Green Home Tip: Boiling Cinnamon for the Holidays

November 3, 2008 in Holiday, Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

in the last post, we looked at greener air freshener choices, but I realized I left my favorite off. I always boil whole cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and a dash of nutmeg on the stove. If you want to save energy, simply place all those items in a bowl of boiling water, off of the heat. OR you could use a bid diffuser with a candle.

No matter how you boil it, this combo of basic spices makes your house smell wonderful. You can even add a dash of orange essential oil.

Try it for the holidays.

Quick Green Tip: Cancel Home Newspaper Delivery

October 19, 2008 in Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

Canceling your home newspaper delivery is a super fast green step you can take. It only takes a minute, but you’ll save an important resource – trees. Over 35% of the trees used each year, are being used to produce newspapers.

Instead sign up for the online addition of your favorite newspapers. Most are now offered online or can be sent straight to your pda, or other electronic device. AND in case you’re worrying, “What about energy costs and resources” – don’t. All that paper is far more destructive than the energy you’ll use reading online.

According to Internet: Death of the Newspaper?, “The U.S. Toxic Release Inventory report released by the EPA states that pulp and paper mills are among the worst polluters to air, water and land of any industry in the country.”

A greener choice is to go digital with your morning read.

Quick Green Tip: Salt Your Oven

October 14, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

Besides drain cleaners, oven cleaners are at the top of the list when it comes to dangerous home cleaning products. Oven cleaners are totally toxic – why else would you need gloves and a well ventilated work area to use the darn stuff.

Instead of toxic harsh chemicals, try plain old salt. If you notice oven spills, sprinkle table salt liberally on the spill before your oven cools down. After the oven is cool, take a damp cloth and rub off the spill. This even works on tough greasy stains; but you have to work with a warm oven. I’ve tried this on col ovens, and had less luck.

For more green cleaning tips, read:

Quick Green Home Office Tip

August 18, 2008 in Home Office, Quick Green Home & Garden Tips, Save Energy by Jennifer | No comments

If you’re looking to green your home office experience, you can start with the energy factor. Even when your computer, printer, and lamp are plugged in, they’re draining energy. That costs you money and resources.

Unplugging is a possibility, but also a pain if you’ve got a ton of office equipment. Charges, lamps, electronics, and a radio; it’s a lot to remember.

What to do: Invest in one simple power strip, like the ecostrip. Once you’re ready to leave your office, you can simply turn off the powerstrip, rather than unplug each and every cord. This is a simple green tip that can save you money, time, and resources.

Quick Tip for A Green & Beautiful Yard

August 14, 2008 in Organic Gardening, Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

If you pull up weeds every time you see one pop up, you’ll save your yard, cut down on the need for harmful chemicals and pesticide use, and get some arm exercise. If weeds are already out of control, take one day, get rid of all that you see, and make a goal to pull right when you see them from now on.