The How to Guide to Green Living at Home: Going Green at Home

PRACTICING GOOD CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN OUR HOME

Generally as human beings, we are of good nature and usually have the best of intention for our future.
However, because we become taken up with our hectic lifestyles, we often procrastinate and almost never keep to our plans.
In the case of conservation, we keep saying that we meant to use eco-friendly products, start a compost pile or begin recycling, but we never get around to doing it.
Surprisingly it is much more easier than we think. Nowadays there are many easy, simple practices we can start as well as products we can purchase to save the planet.

All we have to do is be aware of our surroundings and practice these new habits and you and the rest of the world will have a brighter future !

I have compiled some tips and useful information on what each of us as responsible human beings can practice within our homes to win the battle in preserving and salvage what is left of mother earth.

THE KITCHEN

Picture of Sink Aerator

Lets face it, the kitchen is the room we spend much of our time in and unfortunately one of the major places we use up a lot of unnecessary resources and
eco-"unfriendly" products !
A vast majority of the tools and products we use are from non-renewable resources which is rapidly depleting. For example, because of the increasing demand for copper, the world’s supply will be depleted in less than 100 years ! Quickly followed by the world’s forestry division.
Saying this, let us look at a few key practices we can take on to preserve what is left.

Conserving / Recycling in the Kitchen:

When we recycle, energy is saved, the use of landfills are reduced and global warming is curbed. In some cases there are many items that are made from recycled materials. Examples of these are paper products, glass and plastic bottles and jars, aluminum and steel cans, hard – wood flooring, household décor and even glass tiles.

Here are some quick and easy tips to jump start the recycling process in your home:

• When you turn on the taps (for example when you are brushing your teeth) or using the hose in your yard, turn them OFF when they are not in use

• Instead of purchasing goods in containers or plastics that cannot be recycled, how about choosing to purchase biodegradable packaging

• Choose to purchase recycled products – check on the packaging of the product for the most percentage of post-consumer recycled content. This ensures that the materials have been used before, for example - paper towels.

• Choose to purchase eco-friendly cleaning products

• Batteries are very high in toxins and are often used in our kitchen appliances or other electric items. The safest and best way to discard batteries, would be to take them back to the store you purchased them from because (by law) they would be able to dispose of them in the appropriate manner.

• Install sink aerators – these conserve both energy and water.

• Install high-efficiency dishwasher – this also saves energy and water

• Reduce the water temperature when in use to 120F or thereabouts

• Instead of using plastic bags when doing your grocery shopping, use / purchase a cloth bag to store your goods in. Another alternative is to collect all the plastic bags you have accumulated through shopping and return them to your local grocery store where they can be recycled.

• Follow your area’s recycling policy and maximize your recycling methods on everything you can !

THE LAUNDRY ROOM

The laundry room is another room in the house that is often used and may contain several chemicals and toxins in detergents we use.
There is also a high volume of energy and water consumption that takes place in this part of the home.So how do we go green in thsi part of the house?

Conserving in the Laundry Room

• Instead of doing several separate loads of laundry, do full loads and use as little water as possible.

• Up to 90 percent of the energy used for washing clothes goes to heating the water. A warm wash and cold rinse will work just as well as a hot water wash and a warm rinse on nearly all clothes.

• Many items of clothing such as sweaters, pants and skirts can be worn more than once without laundering. Only wash clothes that need it.

• Hanging clothing outside to dry or inside in a dry, warm room saves energy.

• If using a dryer is necessary, first clean your dryer’s lint trap after every load so that air can circulate freely and efficiently therefore saving energy and possibly protecting your home and family from this fire hazard.

• Choose to purchase eco-frendly detergents and other cleaning products

• Remember to rinse and recycle all containers after using.

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PEST CONTROL

As long as we live in houses, there will always be the occasional pests that find their way into our pantries, walls or floors.
The following is a list of eco-friendly guidelines provided by Greenpeace which can be easily practiced by all of us:

• Ants: Locate the place of entry, squeeze a lemon onto it and leave the peel. Ants will also retreat from lines of talcum powder, chalk, bone meal, charcoal dust and cayenne pepper.

• Cockroaches: Plug all small cracks along baseboards, wall shelves, cupboards and around pipes, sinks, and bathtub fixtures. For a trap, you can try lightly greasing the inner neck of a milk bottle and putting a little stale beer or a raw potato in it.

• Fruit Flies: Pour a small amount of beer into a wide-mouth jar. Put a plastic bag across the mouth of the jar with a rubber band. Poke a small hole in the bag. Flies will enter through the hole and not be able to find their way out again. Change the beer when necessary.

• Flies: Sunny windows are flies’ most common entrance into your home, so close windows before the sun hits them. Use regular sticky flypaper to catch unwelcome flying guests. You can make your own with honey and yellow paper.

• Moths: Keep vulnerable clothes clean, dry and well aired — moths are attracted to your body’s oils on the clothing. Camphor can be used, as it is the major, non-toxic, ingredient of moth balls. To trap moths, mix 1 part molasses with 2 parts vinegar and place it in a margarine or yogurt container. Clean regularly. Cedar chips or black pepper also work well as all-natural moth deterrents. Cedar chips can be placed in cloth bags and hung in the closet or placed in drawers.

• House Plant Pests: Blend 2 or 3 very hot peppers, 1/2 onion and 1 clove garlic in water, boil, steep for two days and strain. Used as a spray, this liquid is good for indoor and outdoor plants and can be frozen for future use. Also try spraying 2 Tbsp (30 ml) liquid soap, or 5 grams dry soap, diluted in 1 quart/litre of water. Remember to spray with fresh water a few days afterwards (the shower can be used for this).

• Silverfish: Traps can be made with a mixture of 1 part molasses to 2 parts vinegar. Place near cracks and holes where pests live. Silverfish can be repelled by treating baseboards, table legs and cracks in cupboards with a mixture of borax and sugar or honey.

• Spiders: Under ideal conditions, do not kill spiders because they help to control pests.

• Stored Food Pests: Keep mites and moths out of your staples by drying food in a warm oven for one hour or by freezing for 2-3 days. Always store food in air tight containers.

• Weevils: Weevil's favorite foods are beans and grains. To keep weevils away, hang small cloth sacks of black pepper in your food bins or around your food storage area. A few soap berries per bushel of stored wheat will also drive out weevils.

• Ticks and fleas: If your pets are infested, wash them well with soap and warm water, dry them thoroughly and use this herbal rinse: Add 1/2 cup (125 ml) of fresh or dried rosemary to a quart/literof boiling water. Steep 20 minutes, strain, and allow to cool to body temperature. Spray or sponge evenly onto pet and allow to air dry. Do not towel down as this will remove the residue. Make sure pets are dry before letting them outside.

OUTDOORS - COMPOSTING

Picture of Compost Bin

The rise in solid waste has been increased by 60% from 1980 to 2005 but thanks to the aggressive action taken by many states this problem is on its way to being minimized.
Composting is a method of accelerating the natural decay process. This reduces overcrowding in our landfills and is a natural and healthy way of fertilizing our plants.
Biodegradable items such as leaves, twigs, weeds, branches, fruit, vegetables and many other natural products can be used as compost.

You can get started by either creating a heap in the corner of your yard where there is not too much sunlight or moisture exposure. The option would be to purchase a compost bin (as seen above) or make a wooden box to place the compost in.
There must always be room for air circulation because this plays a major factor in compost break down.
The compost must be layered about every 1 to 3 weeks with soil then the waste particles to keep it moist which should then be followed by stirring.

When the compost is dark and crumbly, it can then be added to the soil of plants and the lawn as a natural source of nutrients.

To get a full description on how to make compost, please click on the following link:
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/recycle/FACTS/COMPOST.HTM

LIST OF ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE PRODUCTS FOUND IN YOUR GROCER'S STORE

• Aura Cacia • EO
• Heather's • Method
• Mountain Green • Mrs Meyers
• Natrics • Naturally Clean
• Nellie’s Laundry Products • Seventh Generation
• Shaklee • Thieves
• Twist Clean • Watkins
• Babyganics • BioBag
• Biokleen • Bon Ami
• Caldrea • Casabella
• Charlie's Soap • Citrus Magic
• Dr. Bronner's • Earth Friendly Products
• Ecos • Ecover
• Enviro-Magic

GOING GREEN AT HOME VIDEO CLIP