Goal For The Green

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.

Apply Personal Loan Apply for a personal loan and put the specialist loans brokers to the test. The whole process will be quick and painless, with friendly assistance. The online application form is user-friendly and you will be contacted within an hour.

For several years the EPA ( Environmental Protection Agency), most large businesses, and power companies have been feverishly promoting the sales and usage of compact  fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). They are a great way to save money and energy, while fighting global warming.

The drawback is, these bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing.  The small amount being about 5 milligrams ( equal to the tip of a ball point pin). Mercury is the essential component that allows CFLs to be an efficient light source.  It should be noted that it would take 100 CFLs to equal the mercury found in an old fashioned thermometer.  The bulbs themselves pose few risks, unless of course, they break.  Normally,there is very little risk of airborne mercury exposure.  It is when we find mercury deposits in lakes and oceans, that then find their way to the fish we eat, that the problem arises.  The most common pathway for human exposure to mercury is from eating fish.

Companies and the federal government have not yet come up with easy or effective ways for Americans to recycle these bulbs.  While most people want to recycle, if it is not easy or convenient, it doesn’t happen at all.  Currently, even though CFL bulbs contain mercury, using them emits less mercury into the environment than its predecessor the incandescent bulbs.  They use 70% less heat, which makes them safer to use, and they save you $30 or more in energy costs per bulbs lifetime.

The EPA is working hard to find a solution that works for the retailers and the consumer to recycle the product.  IKEA is the only retailer accepting the bulbs for recycle at this time.  Others such as Wal-Mart and General Electric are considering what they can do to help.

Here are a few tips on how to dispose of a broken bulb.  Vent the room for at least 15 minutes. If you have an HVAC system, turn it off.  On hards surfaces, scoop up glass fragments and powder and place in a glass jar with a metal lid, or a sealed plastic bag.  Use duct tape to pick up any remaining fragments and powder.  Wipe the area with damp paper towels and place them in the jar or plastic bag.  Do not use a broom or vacuum on hard surfaces.  Follow the same steps on carpet.  Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and clean the canister).  Place the debris in a sealed plastic bag.  Check with local or state governments about disposal requirements in your area.  Laws may vary in different states.  Consumers can contact their local or municipal solid waste agency directly for proper disposal options.  Or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.org for your local recycling options.

One is no better than the other when it comes to the paper vs. plastic debate.  It is becoming apparent that we need to make more of an effort to reuse these products and keep them out of the landfills.

It is a fact that a paper bag holds at least four times more groceries than its plastic rival.  This is true if we don’t overload the bag.  I’m sure all of us have had the occasion when the bottom breaks out or the bag rips, and we go chasing our groceries around in the parking lot.  However, even most brown bags can be used more than once at the store.  They are also good for book covers, storing more paper bags inside of one large one, and making your own wrapping paper or shipping paper. In your own compost pile, they do break down nicely when filled with leaves or grass clippings.  I even use paper bags to cook my turkey or game hens in.  No, it doesn’t taste like the bag, but that is a whole other story.

Plastic bags also can be reused several times at the grocery store.  They can have many innovative uses.  For example, they can be tied together and knotted to make a fairly sturdy rope.  Crafty people use them to make wreaths, or to crochet rugs or bathmats.  They make great packing material, or to use in stuffing pillows, shams, draft stoppers and puffy valances.  Store shoes in them and hang them on a hanger according to the out fit they go with.  Put them over clothes in your closet to keep the dust off.  Every mom should carry some in her diaper bag for the dirty diapers, accidents and a change of clothes.  They are great to have in your car for trips to the beach or wet bathing suits.  Pack in your suit case for dirty clothes.  Use as liter box liners. Cover a cast when you want to shower. Use for knee protectors when gardening.  In the kitchen for peelings and scraps when cooking.  When painting and you are interrupted, put a wet paper towel over the applicator. Then tie a plastic bag over it and store in the fridge. You’ll be ready to start where you left off with a moist roller.  Lining your paint tray with a plastic bag makes clean-up a cinch.

These are just a few of many ides for uses and reuse of plastic bags.  Best of all save yourself from buying trash can liners for cans you use inside your home.  Take your extras to food banks and thrift shops.  Most of all, remember to keep your preference of paper, plastic, cloth or some type of reusable bags in your car for your shooping trips.

Written in association with paper recycling experts