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Three bad habits to ditch that cost you big time

October 19, 2009 in Save Money by Jennifer | 1 comment

If you’re going to ditch bad living habits, you may as well get rid of the ones that cost you the most money first. Following are three bad habits that cost the planet and you a lot over time.

Ditch water bottles and buy a filter: You can buy a recyclable water filter along with a nice stainless steel reusable water bottle for pennies of what bottled water will cost you over a lifetime and you eliminate a major landfill contributor – the plastic water bottle. Not to mention, you’ll have fewer toxins in your body because stainless steel, unlike plastic won’t leach chemicals. Triple play! Annual savings, even if you buy the world’s best water bottle and a basic filter is about $300 if you drink one bottle worth of water a day, but if you drink as much water as you should (eight 8oz glasses 64 oz a day) you’d be saving about $700 per year and that’s factoring in bulk bottled water.

Ditch paper towels: Cloth napkins, old cloths to clean with, and actual hand towels can save you scads over daily paper towel use. Annual savings of switching to cloth about $83, but over ten years you’d save about $800.

Ditch toxic cleaners: Making your own green cleaning products will cost you very little. You’ll need some essential oils, baking soda, and lemons. Not a lot of money. Maybe about $40 per year. If you buy the following monthly (general household spray, toilet cleaner, kitchen cleaner, tub + tile cleaner, and glass cleaner) if these are cheap $3 each you’d still be paying about $180 a year, and that’s fairly conservative compared to what research says people spend on cleaners. For example, The U.S. market for natural household cleaning products sells about $100 million annually, but this represents just one percent of the total household cleaners market. So you likely spend more than $180 annually. Still, if we go with a conservative figure, annual savings are about $140.

Above are totally rough but fair estimates of what you can save by ditching just three bad habits. Annual savings if you ditch these three bad habits – about $900, in ten years that’s a savings of about $9,000. What could you do with an extra $9,000?

Clean your drains without toxins

October 16, 2009 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | No comments

Bathroom and kitchen drains can easily become clogged with hair, food, and other gunk. But you don’t have to always use toxic drain cleaners to manage said clogs. In fact toxic cleaners and plumbers should be your last option. First try the following…

Prevention: This is the best way to avoid clogs, prevention first. Don’t put stuff down the drain that shouldn’t be going down there. You can compost food instead of grinding it in the disposal (even great disposals can clog at times) and you can make sure your hair doesn’t clog the shower drain with a simple, low-cost mesh screen drain cover.

Plunging: When you first see a clog, try plunging it to see if that can unblock the blockage.

Ah la natural: Put about 4 tablespoons of baking powder into your drain, follow that with a half cup of white distilled vinegar. Allow that to sit for an hour, then pour a kettle of boiling water into the drain.

Better cleaners: Try a natural drain cleaner first, before a more toxic one, like Earthworm Drain Cleaner.

Green Product Review: Seventh Generation Emerald Cypress & Fir Toilet Bowl Cleaner

September 14, 2009 in Green Cleaning, Product Review by Jennifer | No comments

Product: Emerald Cypress & Fir Toilet Bowl Cleaner from Seventh Generation

Uses: As you might guess this is for cleaning your toilet but cleans and deodorizes without the harsh fumes, harmful chemicals, or dyes that are found in most other toilet cleaners.

Cost:$4.99 for 32 oz. at the Seventh Generation shop, but I’ve seen it for less at my local grocery store. It’s also a product that goes on sale.

Ingredients: Aqua (water), lactic acid (plant-derived demineralizer), polyglucose, coceth-7, coceth-4 and deceth-5 (plant-derived cleaning agents), xanthan gum (natural thickener), peg-15 cocomonium chloride (plant-containing cleaning agent)*, essential oils and botanical extracts** (citrus aurantifolia (lime), abies balsamea (balsam fir), calilistris columellaris (emerald cypress).

Eco-perks: Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t slack on green cleaning when back-to-school schedules heat up

August 21, 2009 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | No comments

Once back-to-school time gets going (soon!) it’s easy to run out of time quickly. Everyone in your family is busier and it’s oh so easy to buy a package of conventional cleaners to quickly wipe up spilled juice or dust. However, just because you’re busy you shouldn’t slack on green cleaning. This is one area you shouldn’t compromise on.

Some safer store bought cleaners!

Some safer store bought cleaners!

Let’s recap some of the major downsides of conventional cleaners:

  • They are toxic. If you listen to major cleaning companies you’ll see that they try and promote family health and safety, but why would you need gloves, open windows for ventilation when using them if they’re so darn safe. Why would you need to diligently keep the cleaners out of your child’s reach if these products were really safe? You wouldn’t. These conventional products will make you sick if you ingest them, can make you sick if you inhale their fumes, and if your little one gets a hold of them and ingests them he could become ill or even die.
  • They are tested on animals.
  • They are extremely over-packaged in most cases.
  • They don’t clean any better than eco-friendly cleaners.
  • They may be helping us to breed super awesome evolved germs – yay!

All that said, I know that it’s busy, and while overall I recommend making your own chemical free green household cleaners because it’s not a waste of packaging and it’s cheaper, I also get that people are on a tight schedule. With that in mind here are some store bought green cleaners I like (and a couple my pals like) that work and work fast but don’t sacrifice your eco-ethics.

Testing your home air quality

July 8, 2009 in Air Quality, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

Poor air quality is rampant in many homes. It’s smart to test your home air quality, plus not even that expensive. Most homes don’t need fancy testing solutions. Two kits you can pick up at your local hardware / home & garden shop include a basic carbon monoxide detector and a radon testing kit.

Talking Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

A carbon monoxide detector will sound an alarm if gas levels in your home rise to an unsafe level. Carbon monoxide can leak from any poorly maintained fuel burning appliance and an appliance can go wacky without you knowing. Other places carbon monoxide can come from include, kerosene and gas space heaters; leaking chimneys and furnaces; back-drafting from furnaces, gas water heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces; gas stoves; generators and other gasoline powered equipment; automobile exhaust from attached garages; and tobacco smoke, worn or poorly adjusted and maintained combustion devices (e.g., boilers, furnaces) or nearby auto, truck, or bus exhaust.

If you’re exposed to carbon monoxide at low levels you may feel fatigue or chest pain. At high concentrations, carbon monoxide can cause impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea, flu-like symptoms, angina, impaired vision, and reduced brain function. CO exposure can be fatal. A carbon monoxide detector can actually save your life and all homes should have at least one.

The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend that all homes be tested for radon. Radon, a radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste, can pose a danger to your family’s health. Radon is the most common cause of lung cancer (after smoking) and claims about 20,000 lives annually. Studies show that it’s found in all 50 states and that one out of every 15 homes has an elevated radon level.

According to the EPA, radon can creep into your home through…

  1. Cracks in solid floors
  2. Construction joints
  3. Cracks in walls
  4. Gaps in suspended floors
  5. Gaps around service pipes
  6. Cavities inside walls
  7. The water supply

Luckily testing for radon only takes minutes and is easy to do. Learn how to test for radon.

Testing your home air quality is just one part of the puzzle. You need to also keep mold in check, keep icky chemicals out of your home, and take daily steps to improve your indoor air quality.

Steam Mop to Cut Water and Chemical Use

June 22, 2009 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 1 comment

Regular mopping can waste a lot of water and because it’s hard to get a bucket of mop water hot enough to be super efficient, you may be inclined to use harsh cleaners in your mop water. An option beyond a typical mop is a steam cleaning mop. However, there are pros and cons.

Pros of steam cleaning mops:

  • Use less water than traditional mops.
  • Because the steamy water cleans well, you won’t need chemical cleaners. Just your mop and H2O.
  • No messy wringing out.
  • Can be used to clean tiles, wood, marble, slate, and more.

Cons of steam cleaning mops:

  • Take more resources to make than a small traditional mop.
  • Very few are made with recycled materials.
  • Most have ongoing costs – such as the replaceable pads that go on the mop’s end.

How to choose a more eco-friendly steam mop:

  1. Look for the lightest model you can without sacrificing strength (fewer materials). The steam mop should heat water in 60 seconds or less and have a good warranty.
  2. If you can, look for a steam mop made with eco-friendly or recycled materials and one that’s made by a company with eco-ethics. There are a few like this, see below.
  3. Skip the pads that most companies sell and use a reusable, washable microfiber cloth or other washable towel as the mop instead.

Steam mops to consider:

Green Product Review: Orange Plus Surface Cleaner from Earth Friendly Products

May 14, 2009 in Green Cleaning, Product Review by Jennifer | 3 comments

I tend to make my own cleaners because it’s less expensive and better for the planet. However, I know not everyone is up for mixing their own cleaners. Sometimes you just want to buy a decent eco-cleaner at the store. That said, when I get a chance to review green cleaning products I usually take it. Today, I’ve got one such review for you.

Product: Ready-to-use Orange Plus Surface Cleaner from Earth Friendly Products.

Uses: The normal Orange Plus by this company is a concentrated all purpose cleaner for non-porous surfaces including sealed stone, hardwood floors, painted surfaces, linoleum, vinyl, porcelain, chrome, stainless steel, wood. You simply dilute the concentrate and use it to clean surfaces. I tried the Ready-to-use Orange Plus which is diluted for you and comes in a handy spray bottle.

Cost: Varies because it comes in various sizes. My spray bottle costs $3.69 for 17 oz, which is pretty well priced in my opinion for an eco-cleaner.

Ingredients: Purified water, pressed orange oil, and 100% natural anionic coconut kernel based surfactant.

Eco-perks: Read the rest of this entry »

Natural Household Deodorizers

April 25, 2009 in Green Cleaning, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

You can purchase some natural and semi-household deodorizers or you could go green and inexpensive by making some of your own. These ideas below are natural, easy, and don’t cost a bundle…

Gross disposal: Run hot water, a smidgen of baking soda, and some citrus peels down your disposal. Any citrus peels work.

Icky car fumes and smells: If you happen to burn Soy Wax Melts in your home, place on in your car – under the seat or in a cup holder. It’ll release nice scents instead of typical built up car scents. Just don’t do this in the dead of summer or melted wax might be an issue. If you don’t burn soy wax melts, grab a small cloth bag and fill it with a handful of dried lavender buds, a dash of nutmeg, and a sprinkling of essential oil (orange or lemon is good). Place the bag somewhere in your car that’s exposed to heat – like near the heat vents on the floor.

Your ice smells: Ice and food in freezers can pick up the scents of what’s in your freezer. First of all, keep your fridge clean (no brainer). Secondly, if all else fails, wipe down the inside of the freezer with pure vanilla extract or white vinegar. Then pop a box of baking soda inside.

Musty clothing, blankets, and other textiles: The best cure is prevention. When you first tuck your fabrics away, seal them up in an old plastic bag (recycled of course) then place them in a container, toss in a cedar block and cover with a tight lid. IF it’s too late for prevention try spraying your clothing lghtly with vodka (straight). If I were you, I’d spray the interior of the fabric in case of stains. Hang to dry. Another cure for must is crumpled newspaper. If you place this with clothing, the paper, not the fabrics will absorb any icky musty scents.

To learn more about keeping a naturally scented home read:

Do you have any natural scents tips or tricks? Share in the comments…

BISSELL’s Little Green Vacuum

April 15, 2009 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | No comments

If you’re looking for a greener vacuum, Bissell’s Little Green should make you pretty happy.

Green perks of this vacuum include…

  • PVC free tanks and hose.
  • Carton contains a minimum of 75% recycled materials. They also have plans to eliminate Styrofoam from all cartons by the end of this next year.
  • Formulas for use in the Bissell Green contain biodegradable detergents and have no phosphates, dyes, optical brighteners or heavy metals and carry the EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) certification, which is recognized for safer chemistry.
  • Bissell is currently making green changes at the corporate level too – such as battery recycling, paper recycling, zero waste home computer recycling, Styrofoam recycling and more.

Cleaning perks:

  • Strong spray and suction clean and start the drying process in one step.
  • Long power cord and compact design for cleaning everywhere easily – your home, car, RV, and so on.
  • Safe for all fabrics and carpets (minus some wools – which is noted in the FAQ at Bissell).
  • Virtually maintenance-free. Basically you’re rinsing out the water tank.
  • Great for pet stains and odors when used with the Pet Stain & Odor Formula.

It’s hard to make a super green vacuum but the Bissell Little Green is better than many. Check it out at Bissell.

How to clean properly with cloth vs. paper towels

April 7, 2009 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 2 comments

I talk a lot about green, healthy, and non-toxic cleaning here. Why – because green cleaning has to be one of the easiest green changes any household can make. It takes almost no start-up money, no advanced skills are needed (like when building a solar house), it’s an extra healthy change to make, and it’s cost efficient.

One of the major green cleaning tips I go over again and again is to ditch the paper towels and use cloth. You can save so much money and so many trees with this one tiny step that it seems lame not to try. However, sometimes friends I have say, “BUT paper towels are way more hygienic than cloth for cleaning.” Is that true?

Fact: It is true in a general sense. Paper towels, while bad for the environment, do have one thing going for them – they’re cleaner. One paper towel per mess. No spreading of germs.With a cloth or sponge you do spread around germs to a point IF you don’t clean correctly.

However, you can clean well with cloth. In fact, you can make cloth cleaning towels work just as well as paper towels only without the cost and paper use.

HOW TO CLEAN PROPERLY WITH CLOTH:

For general cleaning like wiping down a counter or for things like apple juice spills (no major lingering bacteria in apple juice) or other non-bacteria spills you can use a cloth to death for the mess. Wipe up the juice, wring out the towel, get it wet, and wipe again. It’s all good.

For spills like blood from meat, raw eggs, cake batter, and other items that may carry bacteria or to wipe down cutting boards you need to take a different approach, but that doesn’t necessarily mean reaching for the paper towels.

  1. Use one cloth to wipe up the liquid part of the spill.
  2. Use a second cloth drenched in hot soapy water to wipe down the area.
  3. Use a third cloth to dry the area.
  4. Toss all the cloths into the laundry.

It seems like a lot of cloths, and another argument is cloth takes water resources to wash, but it takes quite a few cloths to make a full load. At my house we bought a bunch of packs of generic washcloths and some smaller fiber dishcloths (all in small sizes) and use those exclusively for cleaning. We only end up washing about one or two loads of cleaning cloths a week. It’s not a big deal.

If you clean smart you can still ditch the paper towels, cut costs, and over time, save some trees.

Green Spring Cleaning Tips – Clean Green and Healthy

March 9, 2009 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 1 comment

Spring cleaning is coming up asap, so it’s time to start considering your options. Of course many of us will partake in a little spring cleaning at least, but that doesn’t mean we need to scour our homes with toxic chemical cleaners.

For spring cleaning this year try the following…

Learn how to find non-toxic and natural cleaners over chemical laden toxic junk. If you’re going to buy cleaners from the store make sure you figure out first if the product is an actual earth-friendly cleaning choice.

Reconsider your cleaning tools. You can make better choices than typical non-eco-friendly sponges. You can purchase spray bottles to reuse over and over again (fill with homemade cleaners) vs. buying plastic toss away bottles, and you can even purchase an eco-friendly broom.

Experiment with some of your own homemade air fresheners or simply push those windows open. Fresh air is actually the best natural way to scent your air (ah, crispy).

During spring cleaning start new healthy home habits such as in-kitchen composting to use your scraps, not wearing shoes in the house or if god forbid you smoke inside, stop it!

Plan some easy and earth-friendly DIY home projects designed to save you money and green your home.

Don’t stop inside. Get out and green audit that yard and garden. For tips read…

Learn more:

Are you doing any spring cleaning this year, or better yet, planning any cool green home projects? Let me know in the comments…

New Ways to Solve Indoor Air Pollution

February 26, 2009 in Air Quality by Jennifer | 1 comment

Indoor air pollution is fairly common. Here at Best Green Home Tips, we’ve looked at many ways to keep the air in your home clean and healthy. To catch up, read…

Today, some extra tips that can help keep your home green and your indoor air clean.

Be an Apple user: I’m actually a PC girl, but Apple computers are free of PBDE which makes them a green step above if you can go that route.

Use a cloth shower liner: Vinyl shower liners suck to keep clean and worse can release icky chemicals into your home air and in some people these chemicals can even cause allergic reactions.

Opt out of dry cleaning: Dry cleaning, in most cases, is super bad for your health and the earth’s well-being. If possible only buy fabrics and home items that you can clean yourself. If that’s impossible, go with a greener dry cleaning option. Also read, “Green” Dry Cleaners to Be Leery Of.

Don’t forget your pets:  Most people don’t consider their pets when it comes to greening their home, but your dog’s bed may be releasing chemicals if you haven’t gone organic. That said, a good dog bed can do double duty for your air quality. Dog and cat beds capture a lot of dander and if you go organic (or buy beds made with natural materials) the bed won’t release chemicals found in conventional cotton.

Some healthy pet bed options: Read the rest of this entry »

Homemade Organic Fragrant Room Spray

February 13, 2009 in Air Quality, Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

Homemade organic fragrant room spray is a great alternative to chemical laden (and sometimes costly) conventional air fresheners. If you don’t normally keep essential oils around, the start up costs of making homemade air freshener can seem more expensive than buying a ready made bottle, BUT keep in mind that one little bottle of essential oil will last forever and goes a really long way.

Here are two easy recipes you can make at home:

Organic grapefruit lavender room spray Read the rest of this entry »

What Are Your Green Goals for 2009?

December 24, 2008 in Holiday by Jennifer | No comments

With New Year’s almost here, it’s likely you’re starting to think about your goals. Do you have some green household goals that you’d like to work on in the upcoming year? If you’re looking for ideas, here are some good ones:

Go green in 2009 by…

Ditching toxic household cleaners and chemical based home air fresheners.

Improving the air quality in your home.

Green your kitchen java for the entire year! Coffee is a great place to start if you’re looking to go green your lifestyle.

Drinking tap water, or at the very least buying a water filter over bottled water.

Starting a compost routine.

Only buying sustainable home furniture and decor.

Giving your baby a fresh green start in life.

Pledging to reduce, reuse, and recycle more at home.

Planting some trees around your house or in your neighborhood.

Taking shorter showers.

Conserving electricity around the house.

Do you have another green home goal? One I didn’t mention? Leave a comment about your green goals for 2009.

Oh, by the way, my green goals are as follows:

1) Recycle all the toilet paper tubes – this was actually my goal last year. I’m great at recycling everything but the tubes still sometimes end up in the bathroom trash vs. the recycling. I’ve improved since last year, but this is an ongoing goal.

2) Cook more. This last year was nuts (seriously) I bought more packaged foods than maybe ever in my entire life. That’s not great eco cooking. It’s much better to buy less packaging, and cook closer to the earth meals.

Vinegar for Weak Water Pressure

December 21, 2008 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 1 comment

If you’ve installed low-flow shower heads to save money, you may be getting a weaker flow than you’re used to. Some low-flow heads spray vigorously, and others, not so much. A major issue is buildup overtime which can weaken your already lighter flow head to an unbearable pressure.

The easy fix:

Vinegar – yup, I swear vinegar will fix everything. Ok, not everything, but it will clean your low-flow shower head.

  1. Take your shower head off.
  2. Clean what you can of the holes with a paper clip, pin, or other small item. Be careful not to scratch the head.
  3. Rinse the shower head with clean water.
  4. Place it in a bowl of white basic vinegar overnight.
  5. Rinse with clear, clean water in the morning.
  6. Replace your shower head.

Vinegar naturally fights icky mineral deposits without harsh chemicals or yucky scents.

Clean Green With A Twist Cleaning Kit

December 15, 2008 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 1 comment

Green cleaning doesn’t always mean cutting up our old tee-shirts or cloth baby diapers. If you want a less thrift-looking, but still green home cleaning cloth or sponge, take a look at TWIST products.

TWIST is a nice looking line of eco-friendly home cleaning products like Bamboo Cloths, Naked Sponges, Euro Sponges, European Sponge Cloths, and Loofah Sponges.
Read the rest of this entry »

Green Tissues for Cold & Flu Season

December 4, 2008 in Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

In the last post, Eco-friendly Flu Fighting, I noted that I’m sick today. Since I tend to blog along the lines of how my day is going, it’s pretty much sick day here at Best Green Home Tips.

Right now let’s take a look at earth-friendly options for tissues.

Your most earth friendly tissue option are cloth handkerchiefs; but there are pros and cons.

Pros of cloth handkerchiefs:

  • Reusable.
  • Cost effective; much cheaper than buying oodles of tissue.
  • Often won’t dry out your nose as much as paper tissue.
  • Especially softer on a child’s nose.
  • You can use them plain, or drop some essential oil on them for treatment.
  • Can be used as cleaning cloths when they get too old.

Cons of cloth handkerchiefs:

  • Washing! Seriously, how much laundry do you want to do while you’re sick?
  • Can be icky.
  • Kids, in my experience, don’t tend to handle cloth tissues as well. They leave them laying around, and or try to toss them in the garbage.
  • You may need to purchase a lot in a bigger family, and if everyone wants their own, you’ll need to choose specific colors or monograms.

The next best tissue is recycled.

There aren’t too many pros and cons here, the basic gist is that recycled tissue is a good reuse product if you want paper tissue, but they’re not as green as cloth; because obviously they don’t last as long.

Options:

Organic cotton flannel handkerchiefs: Packaged in a brown paper bag. Available in your choice of natural colour or hand-dyed purple.

Colorgrown Organic Cotton Flannel Hankies

Organic Cotton HANKIES – Singles

100% Recycled Seventh Generation Tissues; Hypo-allergenic; Whitened without chemicals containing chlorine; No added dyes; No added fragrances

Green Forest Facial Tissue: 100% Recycled Paper; Whitened Without Chlorine; Minimum 40% PCR Content

Gaiam Facial Tissue: 100% recycled paper with a minimum of 20% post-consumer content; hypoallergenic, unscented and bleached with environmentally safe sodium hydrosulfite and hydrogen peroxide.

Eco-friendly Flu Fighting

December 4, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

I’m fighting the flu, or some sort of killer cold, hence the topic. I feel terrible, and also a little blah because it’s not even that far into cold and flue season. Darn huh?

If you’re looking to try and avoid (or deal with) all these sick germs flying around, I’ve got some eco-friendly ideas for you:

First of all you want your immune system to be in pretty good overall health. This means avoiding things like toxic home cleaning supplies, chemical laden fragrances in most conventional air fresheners, and chemical fibers in your home furniture, floors, and textiles. Your overall goal is to keep your air clean and free of any icky chemicals. Read the following posts to learn how:

Next you’ll want to avoid breeding germs in your home. Some studies show that the use of antibacterial products; like hand gel and dish soaps, actually help germs, not fight them. You may kill some off at first, but it’s like antibiotics. If you give a germ a dose of antibacterial soap, over and over, the germ may not keep dying off, in fact the germ may adapt and just be able to eventually outwit the soap. The best soaps to use are not antibacterial, but basic, natural and organic soaps. One nice hand soap is Manor Hall Soap Company Liquid Hand Soap.

If you’re already sick and looking for treatment options my advice is usually to start with the smallest plan of attack and move upwards. One, keep your house clean or if you’re already sick, see if someone will help you clean. Cleaning with hot soapy water does remove germs from household surfaces. Two, try some natural remedies like rest, hot showers, essential oils, tea and honey, and so on. To learn more about earth-friendly health care visit Simply Home Remedies. Three, visit the doc. I’m way into natural remedies, but I’m also not against using conventional health care when you need it. I don’t think overuse of medications or antibiotics is smart, but neither is suffering away. Smart medical care is sometimes best. Don’t avoid the doctor’s just because you want to focus on natural treatments.

Also read: Five natural & non-toxic care remedies for kids

More sick day posts coming up!

5 Green Stain Removal Tips

November 6, 2008 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | No comments

Most stain removers for fabrics – clothing, your sofa, what have you, are not so green. Most have plenty of toxic goodies in them. For greener stain removal try…

Wash on cool settings only: Hot water will set a stain, not get it out.

Wash quickly: The longer you allow them to sit, the worse stains get. Working on stain removal quickly is best.

Try glycerin: Natural vegetable based glycerin is easy to find at a health food store or co-op, and can often remove a stain. You need to rub the glycerin into the stain, then soak it before washing. If you’re using this on say, a couch, allow it to sit, then clean it off with water soaked rag.

Use the power of the sun: Read Solar Stain Fighting to learn how.

Always pre-soak: Pre-soaking stains is crucial when it comes to clothing (good luck soaking an entire couch). You can soak an item in the sink or in your washing machine. You can add the detergent while the clothing is soaking, but don’t start the washer for about an hour. Also, if you like you could try adding a little green bleach to the mix. NOT real bleach! Try Ecover Non-Chlorine Bleach Liquid.

Home Air Fresheners Are Not So Sweet

November 3, 2008 in Air Quality, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Conventional air fresheners are really bad for your health and home – not green at all; not one bit.

If you like a nice smelling home, but don’t want your family exposed to aerosols, ammonia, and bad synthetic fragrances, try these much greener tactics…

Clean your house. Prevention goes a long, long way. A clean, non-dusty home always smells nicer than a dirty one.

Make some homemade potpourri

Learn how to clean the air in your house.

Look for natural incense. i.e. derived from natural resins, gums, essential oils, flowers, woods, powders and other botanicals. Try Mountain Rose Herbs or my favorite, New Mexico Cedar-Pinon Incense.

Sprinkle baking soda on carpets. Allow it to sit for a bit, then vacuum it up.

Place cedar blocks or sprigs of lavender in your drawers and closets.

Burn organic essential oils – just place a few drops into a bowl of boiling water, and let it sit.

Burn organic or natural soy or beeswax candles.

Make Homemade Spicy Apple Air Freshener – perfect for the holidays or homemade Pennyroyal, Cinnamon, & Lavender Air Freshener.

Check out some more natural store-bought options. Orange Mate makes a biodegradable and nontoxic line of supplies for cleaning and freshening. I’ve never used any of their cleaning items but I have used their 100% Pure Citrus Air Fresheners. They’re available online or at other natural shops like your local co-op.

Create A Healthier & Greener Home

October 23, 2008 in Air Quality, Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 1 comment

Even if you think you have healthy habits; not smoking, wearing sunscreen, eating organic, your health could be at risk due to some basic home hazards. You can cut some of the damaging effects of home hazards by doing the following:

Take your shoes off: Studies show that a major cause of pesticides in the home is due to shoes. Shoes pick up everything and then drag that everything (pesticides, pollen, and other icky air polluters) to all the rooms of your house.

Don’t dry clean: Or at the very least try a greener dry cleaner. Dry cleaned items can release chemicals that cause cancer, plus, dry cleaning in itself is not a green process.

Grow some fresh air: If growing fresh air producing plants is not your style, invest in an Energy Star HEPA filter air purifier.

Light cleaner candles: Soy or beeswax candles are better for your health than wax candles. They burn cleaner, and produce less soot.

Buy sustainable real wood: Fake wood furniture is usually partially particleboard, which contains a chemical called formaldehyde, which can make you sick and cause allergy flare ups. When considering this tip also think about your wooden floors. Real, sustainable wood can be more expensive, but in the long run you’ll be healthier and so will the earth.

To learn more about cleaner, greener, healthier homes read:

What are you doing to decrease toxins in your home?

[image: Beeswax candles from Bluecorn Naturals]

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:

Make Your House A Reusable House

October 8, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Green Your Home, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | No comments

You can apply green building features to your house. You can invest in eco-friendly furniture. You can even landscape with the environment in mind. However, one of the best ways to go green at home, is to make your house as reusable as possible.

First of all make sure that you’re only bringing goods into your house that you really need. Purchased goods take energy to manufacture, and most come with too much packaging. When you do purchase goods, make sure that they’re both recyclable, and if possible reusable. Look for items that can perform more than one duty. For example, no one needs a food processor, a blender, and a food grinder. One of the above will do the work of all three.

Items that can make your home reusable:
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Is Hand Washing Your Dishes A Good Green Choice?

August 29, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Save Energy, Water by Jennifer | 1 comment

There’s usually a pretty large debate about hand washing vs. dish washing between green living folks. Each side has pros and cons that they feel strongly about.

save water at home

I’m on the side of dish washing being the best green choice. Dishwashers approved as energy efficient by the EPA can use a lot less water then conventional hand washing – in some cases, depending on how you wash, hand washing can waste up to 20 gallons more water than a dishwasher.

There are some other points to consider though.

Are you scrapping or rinsing your dishes? If you scrap then place your dishes in the dishwasher, it clears some food. A new dishwasher is powerful enough to get the rest of the food off. An older model dishwasher may require that you rinse dishes first, which of course wastes water.

If you use a soap that sucks (different dish washing soaps do work differently in different dishwashers) you may need to run your dishes twice – another water waste.

If you have hard water, you’ll need to use a rinse agent (vinegar can be substituted), or you’ll have to possibly run an extra rinse cycle to clear off soap residue.

If you live alone, and use maybe three dishes a day, hand washing responsibly is a better choice, because your dishwasher really should be full to be an efficient use of water.

For people on the side of hand washing is better, it can be, if you wash smart. Many people run water the entire time they wash, and that’s what wastes those 20 gallons. If you hand wash, use an easy rinse soap, run one sink full (or bin-full) of hot soapy water, and one sink (or bin-full) of warm or cool rinse water. Don’t just run the water like crazy.

What do you think – is hand washing or machine washing a better use of energy?

Quick & Natural Household Cleaning Tips

August 25, 2008 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 3 comments

Instead of toxic, chemical heavy home cleaning supplies, try these ideas…

Sparkling windows: Lightly spray windows (both interior and exterior) with a solution of 1/2 gallon cold water, and 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar. Wipe windows with recycled newspaper. If you hate the smell of vinegar (I HATE the smell), burn a candle or some essential oil in a diffuser nearby. You shouldn’t add essential oils to the solution to cut the vinegar scent (I tried once), because it’ll streak.

clean windows

A whiter toilet: Spray the inside of your toilet bowl with warm water – lightly, not dripping wet. Sprinkle with plain old baking soda. Let this sit for ten minutes, and then scrub with a toilet brush.

Mold-free home: Once mold arrives, it’s almost too late. The best plan of attack is to prevent, not cure mold. Spray areas where mold might develop (window sills, door frames, floor bases, etc.) with a solution of 1 cup water, 1 drop lavender essential oil, and two drops tea tree essential oil.

Tip: When looking for essential oils for home cleaning, go organic if you can, and make sure you’re buying pure essential oils which actually have cleansing and disinfectant properties. Plain old perfume scents are not the same as pure essential oils.

10 Tips for Greening Your Bedroom

August 14, 2008 in Decor, Furniture & Appliances, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

This week we’re looking at easy and effective ways to green your living spaces. So far we’ve looked at how to green up both your living room and the baby nursery. Today, we’ll look at the bedroom.

  1. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs rather than typical incandescent bulbs in lamps and overhead. You can even use LED lighting if you only need to light a small space. It’s the bedroom – you could just go with some soothing organic candles.
  2. If you charge items in your bedroom, unplug them when they’re not charging. In fact, it’ll save even more energy if you unplug lamps and stereos as well.
  3. Use a non-toxic, chemical and pesticide free organic mattress.
  4. Be sure to invest in soft organic pillows, blankets, curtains and other natural bedding accessories.
  5. Choose sustainable bedroom furniture that’s non-toxic.
  6. Use natural flooring options or choose natural safe carpet.
  7. Instead of mothballs in your closets and drawers use natural cedar blocks, dried lavender, or make a mix of dried orange peels, cinnamon, cloves, and essential oils.
  8. To remove stains from bedding try a natural method: sprinkle the stain with table salt and lemon juice; leave your linens sitting in the sun for a few hours; brush off salt and wash on gentle.
  9. To keep your bedroom clean aim for all natural green cleaning methods. Green cleaning is important, but you really want to avoid chemicals in the bedroom.
  10. Choose environmentally friendly paints for your bedroom walls.

Quick Green Laundry Tip – Skip the Bleach

August 13, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Sustainable Building by Jennifer | 4 comments

Bleach is toxic, bad for humans and pets, and pollutes our water supplies and soil. Skip the bleach when doing laundry.

If you want a safer way to whiten whites, use anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1 cup of borax per wash-load (experiment). Borax can also be used as a color brightener as well. If you can’t get past not using bleach, try a chlorine free bleach.