Goal For The Green

Here are a few tips you can put into practice right away that take little effort and your wallet will thank-you.

Did you know that Americans idle away approximately 2.9 billion gallons of gas a year?  With the prices going up almost daily, that is almost $80 billion a year in wasted gas. Obviously, the less you have to stop and go the better. It also helps to maintain a steady, rather than fluctuating speed. Also, be sure your tires have the correct amount of air in them.  Just little things, but they make a difference in the air we breathe and in your wallet.

Just by turning off your computer when not in use, you can save about $90 a year. You can also save more by unplugging small appliances when not in use.  Every little bit helps, because even though it doesn’t seem like it, everything that is left plugged in still uses energy.

By signing up for Green Power, you are supporting the future development of renewable resources. Green Power, is electricity from renewable non- polluting resources like wind and solar power, that can be used over and over. Green Power usage does less harm to the environment.  Turning down your thermostat a couple of degrees can save you between 1-3% on your power bill. It might not seem like much, but it can add up considering 50-70% of your electric bill is calculated based on your heating and cooling consumption.  Wash your clothes in cold water.  This also makes a difference in your power bill.

Paying your bills online saves you time, money gas, and stamps.  It also saves on the amount of paper used to send you that bill.  To get rid of junk mail you can sign up ($1.00 fee ) at Mail Preference Service on Direct Market Assistance website. Most junk mail will stop within about 90 days. To stop opt-in offers from cluttering your mailbox, you can call 1-888-5-OPTOUT.  Follow the instructions, and you can opt out for 5 years or for life.  Next, it takes a little work with our at home printers but it can save a lot of paper if you print on both sides of the copy paper.  Here in the U.S. we use approximately 4 million tons of copy paper per year, most of which is copied on one side only.  That averages out to about 27-30 lbs. per person per year.

You can keep a lot of dirt, pesticides, and germs from entering your home and causing allergies or illness, just by taking your shoes off outside your door.  Something else to consider is to drink hormone free milk. It’s a healthier alternative. Thank goodness it’s the time of the year to start enjoying the wholesome freshness of the farmers markets for fresh fruits and veggies.  Here’s to your health and your wallet.

You don’t have to spend a dime on cleaners and solvents, to do your Spring cleaning.  There are products in your kitchen or pantry right now, that will do the job nicely, and in an earth friendly way.

Most household cleaners, fall into the acid or alkaline region on a pH scale.  The scale ranges from 1-14, with 7 being the pure or neutral (like water) region.  Acidic solutions fall below 7, while the alkaline solutions are on the up side of the scale.  Cleaners that rank on the high end of the alkaline scale are considered caustic, and the very acidic cleaners are corrosive.  Usually, areas that are soiled with grease and oil are best treated with alkaline cleaners.  This is because alkaline cleaners work by separating heavy soil and grease from surfaces and fabric, so they can be easily blotted up, or rinsed away.  The most common alkaline cleaners are sudsy ammonia, borax, chlorine bleach, detergents and soaps, TSP (trisodium phosphate) and washing soda.

Common acidic cleaners, are white vinegar, lemon juice, commercial rust removing products, and metal cleaners that remove tarnish and corrosion.  These cleaners work best on particulates (such as smoke) and in hard water areas where lime scales are formed by calcium and magnesium deposits.

For kitchen clean-up, nothing more than 2 Tablespoons of Bleach to a gallon of  water and a few drops of your dish washing detergent, is all that is needed for sparkle and disinfecting.  For your copper bottomed pans, take half of a lemon dipped in table salt and work it like a scrubber on the pan.  Ketchup and table salt, also works well.  Wash and dry, and your pans will look like new.

My favorite, around the house cleaners, are white vinegar and baking soda. White vinegar is great for cleaning anything, from your coffee pot to windows, sinks, bathrooms and chrome fixtures.  It works well, at removing mineral deposits and stains. When paired with baking soda it will bubble, but works wonderfully well for cleaning out your oven and drip pans, if you don’t have a self cleaning oven.  For best results, just let sit over night. Its much better, than the fumes from oven cleaning products. Proper ventilation, should always be used, when using commercial cleaners, as some can cause burns to the skin, and shouldn’t even be breathed. Baking soda, is both gentle and powerful, and has many uses like removing odors and fruit juice stains, and as a mild abrasive in other cleaning applications.

When it comes to making home made cleaners, it is by far more, the economical choice. Most recipes make about a gallon, and you probably already have the ingredients on hand.  For pennies, you can make your own, and there is no waste.

If you prefer to buy ready made cleaners, look for brands such as Ecos, Simple Green, and the new line of green cleaners from Clorox, just to name a few earth friendly alternatives.

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