A few tips to get us started...

[♥Starlene]

Here are a few things I have implemented into my life so far that I know make a difference to our earth!

If you are concerned about your drinking water, do not buy bottled water, instead buy a water filtration system and stop tossing disposable water bottles in the trash. I purchased a Britta pitcher myself and just love it. Not only does it save the environment with not putting all those empty bottles in the trash it also saves you money!

(This one is my moms favorite line...) It will make a good rag! We actually giggle about that all the time... When a t-shirt or old piece of clothing is not wearable anymore, you guessed it, cut it up and turn it into a good rag! This saves in throwing it out and filling up the landfills with old unwearable clothes and also gives you some good rags to use and clean up messes with instead of using paper towels or napkins.

Old clothes that are wearable but not for you anymore, you guessed it, donate them! Give them to a charity or ever sell them on eBay and make a couple of bucks off them, just DON'T throw them away, one mans trash is another mans treasure you know!

and one last one for now...

There is a website called Free Cycle... What they do is have different local groups. Elaine and I were talking about this the other day actually... You can join the group and find many different things in free cycle or you can give stuff away that just doesnt fit anymore, some people give clothes, furniture, you name it, if it still has value why not give it to someone who can use it instead of just dumping it in the trash? Their website is.... www.freecycle.org/

That's it for now... More to come!
((hugs))

[Peace]

gotcha! i'm on the same page, here.

[sincityreikigirl]

hey that is really neat! thanks! I like the rag idea... I usuallly donate clothes and usable thing to the shadetree shelter here.

hugs and love, Janet

[Anamere]

Oooo I love me some freecycle yanno? Just LOVE IT!

I'm not sure if anyone else gets better homes and gardens (My Mom buys me a subscription every year.) but they have a wonderful section on greener products to use for cleaning and recipes on cleaners that I can share if anyone is interested. I'm just being lazy right now... Sorry. But it's very cool!

Love this! Just love it! Very near and dear to my heart. We're real big on saving and re-using anything and everything we can.

[♥Starlene]

Oh I would love to hear about some greener products for cleaning and recipes of cleanres... Spill your guts Elaine hehehehe....

[sincityreikigirl]

The METHOD products at target are wonderful. Has anyone else tried them? I am with you girls... anything I can do to help .. I'm in!

Hugs Janet

[♥Starlene]

No what are Method products??? This is actually an area I need some work on.... When I moved into this house I went out and bought the normal cleaning supplies, windex, clorox cleanup, etc... As I dig deeper into living closer to the earth I am searching for alternatives to those types of things in my life... So any suggestions I am all ears... umm eyes

[Anamere]

M'kay. Got the magazine on my desk. Tomorrow I will sit down and type it up. Gotta get up early tomorrow so don't have time tonight. But share i will.

These are really cool its like mixes of scrubs and stuff... like seriously you could clean your whole house (even the toilet) with these like 5 items!

That said will post tomorrow... or this week at least! Hold me to it! LOL!

[Anamere]

Ok... AS Promised I'm back!!!

To make things easier I went to the website... this is a total copy or a "Clip it" of the article and recipe. They are so cool to share wif us yanno?!

This can be found in this months issue of Better Homes and Gardens or at their site if ya wanna see it your self:




Green Cleaning
You can be environmentally conscious and save money at the same time -- here's how.




Remember the Environment

Ironically, many products that make our homes super clean actually make our environment dirty. Fortunately, now you don't have to choose between home and environment -- and you can save money at the same time. Here are some tips that can help you and the environment, from Earth Share, a nonprofit organization that focuses on environmental education.



Planning on refinishing some furniture this spring? Use water- or vegetable-based paints, stains, and varnishes. Remember, don't wash paint thinners, household cleaners, oil or pesticides down the drain. Instead, use them up or give leftovers to friends or a charity. Also, you can call your local city hall to find out about the next hazard collection day.

Adding new color to your walls this spring? When painting, don't sand or burn off paint that may contain lead. Lead particles in the paint can cause lead poisoning. If your paint is peeling, use a wet sponge or mop to clean up the debris instead of sanding. Never vacuum the dust or chips from lead paint; it will only disperse more lead dust into the air.

Getting rid of the junk in your garage or attic? Hold a yard sale. Talk to your neighbors and organize a community yard sale. You can increase neighborhood relationships, earn some extra cash, and help the environment at the same time. If a yard sale seems like too much work, donate your giveaways to your local nonprofit thrift store.

Does your water bill seem high? Wasted water hurts the environment and your checkbook. Always fix leaky faucets in your house. A five-minute project can often save gallons of water. You can also place a large rock in a toilet tank to save water when flushing. Be sure to check hoses and sprinklers periodically and fix any leaks.




EarthShare EarthWays
Cleaning with a Conscience

Americans spend millions of dollars a year on cleaning supplies. This spring, make your own cleaning agents with these recipes from EarthShare and EarthWays, two nonprofit environmental organizations. The recipes are friendly to the environment and to your bank account.




Countertops, cupboards and walls
Dip a cloth in warm water, add dish soap and baking soda, (the baking soda serves as a soft abrasive to remove tough spots and light scratches).

Air fresheners
Simmer a small amount of cinnamon, orange peel, and cloves on the stove to give off a pleasant fragrance in your home.

Glass cleaner
Mix 2 tablespoons of borax or washing soda with three cups of water for sparkling windows and mirrors.

Carpet freshener
Sprinkle dry cornstarch or baking soda on your carpet and vacuum.

Rug stains
Rub borax into dampened area, let dry, then vacuum or repeatedly blot stain with a mixture of vinegar and soapy water.

Mildew build-up
Make a paste of vinegar and salt and apply to built-up area.

Furniture polish
Combine 1/2 cup lemon juice to 1 cup vegetable oil, olive oil, or mayonnaise. Apply to rag.




Some more cleaning tips:
When you buy cleaning products, choose ones that are non-toxic, biodegradable, phosphate-free, and chlorine-free.
Use natural fiber sponges.

Reduce paper use. Use rags instead of paper towels and cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.



Energizing Environmentally

Lighting, heating, and cooling a home is costly -- to your pocketbook and the environment. By taking steps to save energy, you can help reduce pollution in your community and save money. Being earth-friendly is a win-win proposition.

Here are some energy-saving tips from Earth Share:



Insulate windows, doors, attics, and crawlspaces against draft. Earth Share says that if all windows in the United States were energy-efficient, we would save up to 2.5 percent of the total amount of energy we consume each year. If you're thinking of replacing a window, look into installing energy-efficient windows -- you'll save money in the long run.


When replacing appliances, check for an energy efficiency label. Many new appliances come with an Energy Efficiency Rating (EER). The higher the EER, the less it will cost you to operate the appliance.

Adjust air conditioning and heating thermostats to use less energy when you're not at home or sleeping. When you're at home during the summer, 78 degrees F is a comfortable, energy-efficient temperature. Keep your cooling system well maintained by a professional.

Wrap your water heater in an insulated jacket. You can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 4,000 pounds a year.
Turn off unneeded lights and appliances. Lighting accounts for 30 to 50 percent of a building's energy use, according to Earth Share. Simply by turning off unnecessary lights, you can reduce the amount of energy used for lighting by up to 45 percent.
Use cold water to wash clothes -- not hot water.

Install a whole-house ventilating system. This system can cool an entire house for about the same price as runing an air conditioner in one room.

[Peace]

cool, thanks!!

[♥Starlene]

Yea, thank you Elaine, some great stuff in here.... I love it....
((hugs))

[veggiechef]

Elaine, Awesome Awesome Awesome article..thank you!

[saffy]

Hey those are great ideas...

Also, I would like to add one big thing we did. When we were looking for new carpet, we were introduced to plastic carpet. Seriously, it was made out of all the plastics, like the 2 liter bottles. It feels just like regular carpet and one of the best things, to clean a stain, at least most of them, all you need is water and a cotton cloth. I usually cover it up with a towel or something. Once it is wet and you walk back on it, it does collect the dirt again, so you just rewet and do it all again. It was also cheaper than the regular stuff.

[♥Starlene]

Where did you get that carpet from Saffy? My mom and dad are redoing their apartments carpeting where Bob lived and I told them about this... They want to know where it came from...

[saffy]

I found it at a carpet warehouse. I have never seen it in any traditional store. See if there is a warehouse, not a distribution center around you.

[♥Starlene]

I will tell her
Thanks!

[Sloan]

What a cool thing Saffy. I like it! Plastic carpet...awesome.
I'm going to check out the website too! Thanks Star.
And Laniey, thanks for the tips! I'm going to try a few.

I've always done the rags thing. Mom always did it growing up so I saw no reason to change. Why waste it?
I recently donated almost 10 bags of cloths...see our addiction here is a little thing called Frenchies. Have any of you heard of this? Buy cloths there all the time, most of mine are from there and almost all my king size bedding. It's a second hand store that has just about everything. Love it!

[completewellbeing]

Some great tips here, thank you. Here are a few of my own.

I use Microfiber cloths for almost everything. All you need to do is use them damp and maybe also have a dry one nearby. The special fibers in the cloth lift dirt and grease from every surface without the use of chemicals. They are fantastic on glass for instance and also stainless steel.

The only time I use products is to clean my shower/bath to lift the hard water build up, for instance. I use soda crystals, borax, bicarbonate soda diluted in water in a spray bottle. (not all 3 but separate bottles). The spray bottles are great for lifting grease in the kitchen aswell.

[♥Starlene]

Where do you get the microfiber cloths from? They sound great!
Thanks for sharing

[completewellbeing]

I got some of my cloths at the Dollar Store. They work just the same as the others I bought out of Linen N Things!