Cleaning up the kitchen

The kitchen seems to be the place where family and friends always gather, it is the heart of the home. It is where we are sustained and it is also the most cleaned place in a home or business. So it would make sense that when you start to convert to green cleaning that this would be a good place to start. Most of switching over to green cleaning is simple, just switch to a nontoxic all-surface spray, but what about when you need to disinfect surfaces.

You can find non-toxic cleaner at most stores in their “green” section, but here are some cheaper and greener solutions that you can make at home when needed.

All-surface spray when you need a little extra:

16oz hot water
2 tsp borax
mix well then add
1/4 tsp liquid castile soap
Spray on surface let it sit for a minute or so then wipe clean.

If you need to disinfect areas (NOTE: this is not an FDA approved solution and we cannot officially call this a “disinfectant”
Mildew and Germ Killer

1 16-oz spray bottle
2 cups water
1/4 tsp tea tree oil
1/4 tsp lavender oil

Mix well and spray on surfaces to clean. Essential oils can be found at most health food stores and online.

Every little bit helps!

Recipe taken from Green Up Your Cleanup

Ten Ways to Save Water

The United Nations Environment Program predict that if present consumption patterns continue, two out of every three persons on Earth will live in water-stressed conditions by the year 2025. Here are a few ways to conserve water and help do your part:

1. Cut a minute off of your shower every day to save more than 900 gallon of water annually. And if you swap out a 2.5 gallon per minute showerhead for a 1.75 gpm showerhead you can save 7,500. Water-conserving showerheads range from $8-$50 depending on features. Hand-held models are more expensive than fixed models.

2. Use efficient faucets and install low-flow aerators on kitchen and bathroom faucets to save hundreds of gallons of water each month. Low-flow aerators cost about $5-$15 each.

3. Make sure dishwasher is fully loaded, and use the energy-saving dry option if available.

4. Use leftover drinking water for houseplants instead of pouring down the drain.

5. Replace pre-1992 toilets with High-Efficiency Toilets (HETs) to save up to 22,000 gallons of water annually. HETs use 1.3 gallons of water or less per flush.

6. Use the appropriate water level and load size when doing your laundry in your washing machine. If you are looking to replace consider a front-load washers which are usually the most efficient.

7. Use a broom rather than a hose to clean off driveways, steps and sidewalks. For hard to get off gum consider a bucket with a deck brush.

8. Water plants and gardens during the coolest part of the day and avoid watering on extremely windy days.

9. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.

10. Landscape with native or low water plants to reduce outside watering usage.

Every little bit helps! Do your part.

Tip of the Day (#1)

At the office they are a multitude of ways to slim cost by doing little things, especially for the small business owner. Here are three things to start. Set in place these practices for you and your co-workers. You will see a little more green in the bank and if your co-workers are “forgetful” let them know it is their raise budget they are working on, that will motivate them.

* Turn on the sleep function on all computers and monitor, and make sure to turn off computer at the end of day. Doing this can save $50 in energy costs per year per computer. This can be applied to copiers, printers and fax machines.
* Speaking of fax machines: Avoid a cover page when possible and reuse the other side as scratch or turn over and put back into the tray, when purchasing a new fax machine buy one that functions as a printer, copier and scanner. The best possible solution is electronic fax. Faxes are delivered directly to email accounts. Here is the one I use www.efax.com Cost is minimal ($20.00 a month), but saves on paper, ink and energy.
* Most of us live and breathe off of coffee. If you frequent your local coffee shop, bring your own cup, if you are consuming the java at the office, bring your own mug. Also stay away from disposable stirrers and sweeteners in a packet. You are using as much packaging as the sweetener in it. Not so sweet.

Little things can make a big difference and small changes, like the ones above can help get everyone thinking a little greener.