Green Living Tips & Ideas

My wife and I designed this lens to be a resource for people to gain knowledge and insight about what a normal family can do to make a difference.

Here's an example: My wife recently started making our own laundry detergent (click here to get the recipe). Now keep in mind, it's important that you understand that we can afford the $6 or $8 a bottle brand name. We decided to start making it because we determined several things. First, we can make better detergent than you can buy in the store. Second, the detergent we make costs about $2 for 10 gallons worth! Third, the detergent that we are making is completely safe and all natural. There are no issues with it leaching back into the ground and contaminating our soil years from now.

It just makes sense!

Download Audio Books

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Showerhead
Install low flow showerheads. They are a worthwhile investment (especially if you live in a rented space because you can take them with you). They cut down on water usage and save energy costs.

You can get a Massaging Adjustable Low-flow Showerhead here for about $30.


Digital Thermostat
Consider investing in and installing an automated thermostat. High tech thermostats are well worth the cost, and what you spend, you will get back over time in lower energy bills. It is estimated that you can save about 3% of your heating costs for every degree you lower your thermostat during the winter and up to 6% for every degree you raise it during the summers.

You can get a HUNTER 7-Day Programmable Digital Thermostat for less than $40 here.


Stop A Leak
Stop a leak. Organize a "stop a leak day" on which everyone in your family tightens, insulates, replaces, caulks or does whatever else is necessary to make your home as tight as possible. You can remove wall outlet and switch plates and add spray foam insulation around the box. Add caulking around window and door frames. It's as simple as walking around any exterior access with a thin ply of toilet paper. If it moves - seal it!

Flushing Too Much Water
You don't need the full tank of water to get a good flow of water when you flush. Reduce the amount of water being used by adding something that will take up space in your toilet tank such as a milk container filled with sand. Simply remove the cover to your tank, flush the toilet and then add the container or brick before the water fills up again.

Automatically Shut Things Off
If you are using portible space heaters or anything that requires temporary electricity such as a diesel truck being plugged in then install a simple timer. This way you will never forget to turn the unit off or in the case of plugging in a vehicle, set the timer to go on several hours prior to needing it rather than leaving it on all night. Incredibly simple to use.

You can get an Intermatic Inc. Lamp & Appliance Timer here for $6.00.


Lights Out Automagically

We all have a light that ALWAYS gets forgotten like in a laundry room or closet. Install a motion detector switch so the light will never be forgotten again. When you enter the area, the motion is detected and the light goes on. It will automatically turn off when motion is not detected. It is also helpful in the laundry room when your hands are full and turning off the light is more difficult.

You can get a Leviton motion detection light switch for about $15 by clicking here


Compact fluorescent light bulbs
The facts are plain. Compact fluorescent light bulbs or C.F.L.s use less energy and, over the long haul, save money.

They are so efficient, in fact and their predecessor, the basic incandescent bulb, is so comparatively inefficient that Australia passed legislation in 2007 that would effectively phase out incandescent bulbs by next year. The European Union has followed suit, mandating that incandescents be removed from the marketplace by the end of 2011.

You can get these bulbs for about $4 if you buy 4 or more by clicking here


Make Your Own Laundry Soap - EASY!
There are toxins present in laundry detergents that are very harmful to the environment. Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates (LAS) are more commonly listed as 'anionic surfactants' on detergent labels. They are one of the more common surfactants found in laundry detergents. They are a synthetic product.

As they are manufactured, cancer causing or carcinogenic toxins, as well as reproductive toxins are released into the environment. Benzene is one such toxin, and if this were not detrimental enough, these also biodegrade very slowly.

Another harmful chemical that is frequently found in laundry detergents are phosphates. Used to remove hard-water minerals and as a preventive measure to keep dirt from settling onto clothes while being washed. Overall, they are used to make detergents more effectiveand their negative impact on the environment is monumental

Click here to make your own - It is so easy and from personal experience, works GREAT!

Make Your Own Fabric Softener
The chemicals contained in the soft and fragrant fabric softeners and dryer sheets you use to make your familys clothes smell nice and feel soft are full of chemicals that could make everyone in your home very sick.

Here is a VERY simple recipe to make your own for a fraction of the price!

Fill The Empty Space In Your Freezer and Fridge

Fill up the empty space in your refrigerator and freezer with bottles of water and it will stay colder longer, without it having to switch itself on. An empty refrigerator or freezer is very expensive to keep cold because it will run almost constantly.

What's The Temp?
Reprogram the thermostat. Each degree warmer you leave the thermostat in summer, and each degree cooler you set it in the winter can save 6 to 8 percent in energy costs.Reprogram the thermostat. Each degree warmer you leave the thermostat in summer, and each degree cooler you set it in the winter can save 6 to 8 percent in energy costs.

Reducing Paper Use
Watch the paper and ink. Avoid printing documents that could just as easily be emailed, and print necessary papers on both sides. It also helps to institute a recycling program, and to switch to recycled paper and water-based inks

Copiers are #1 Energy Hog
Copiers use more energy per unit than any other type of office equipment. Try to make double-sided copies whenever possible. A duplexing option helps cut back on energy use, as well as decreasing paper costs and reducing waste. (The energy to produce the paper far outweighs the energy needed to produce an image on the paper.)

Reducing Computer´s Energy Use
Activate your computer´s ´sleep´ or ´quiet´ mode option so that when the machine is not being used, it will automatically switch from full power to sleep mode. This can reduce your computer´s energy use by as much as 70%.

Remove Staples - LITERALLY!
Use a staple-less stapler - we would save 120 tons of steel if every office worker used one less staple a day for a year (that's about the equivalent of 25 SUV's!).

Nature's Clean Air Machine
You don't have to be a gardener to pick up a few small plants to keep in your office. Plants have been referred to as "nature's clean air machines" and studies have shown that plants notably improve the quality of the air by effectively removing carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide among other pollutants from the atmosphere. The common English Ivy, Heartleafed Philodendron or Green Spider plants are three that been named as some of the most efficient air cleaners that prosper indoors with low light and don't require too much water.

Refill Your Ink
Purchase refill kits for ink cartridges - Printer cartridges can be refilled with high quality ink, by purchasing this option you create less consumer waste and you create demand for your used cartridge when it is time to throw it away. You can also buy kits that will allow you to refill your printer cartridges yourself.

Click here to visit 123inkjets.com and look at the many options to refill your ink cartridge


Refill Your Toner
Purchase refill kits for toner - Your copiers, faxes, and laser printers all use toner cartridges, but the toner runs out long before the useful life of the cartridge has been reached. There are refill kits available for toners similar to ink jet printers which will allow you to extend the life of the cartridge and save some serious $$. This will allow you to refill the cartridge 3 times, give or take. Find refill kits at ABC Ink and Toner Refill Yourself.

You can get a Toner Refill KIT #1 here for about $23.

Use The Rain
Collect rain water and use it for your plants. Getting a rain barrel or two for your yard is a simple way to collect and reuse Mother Nature's water. Just put it under your gutter's down spout and you'll be amazed how fast it fills up.

You can get a Rain Catcher Water Barrel here for less than $150


Don't Over Water The Grass
Make sure you're not over-watering. Most of us over-water our lawns. Do you have moss growing on your driveway or sidewalk or in your garden? That's a sign you're watering too much. Do you have pools of standing water anywhere? Another sign. You can buy a very inexpensive lawn moisture meter that will tell you if you're over-watering. You might also consider getting an intelligent irrigation control system that attunes your watering to the weather and your lawn's needs.

You can get a Raindrip R672C Electronic Water Timer for about $25 here.


Do You Really Need To Water The Driveway?
Don't hose down your sidewalks and driveway. That water is a valuable resource and the water you send into the gutter is carrying oil and a host of chemicals out as run-off that go on to pollute our rivers, lakes and oceans.

Compost
Be sure to compost your other yard waste. If your city doesn't collect green waste for composting, please get a composter and do it yourself. It's super easy and the composter will turn your waste into great mulch for use throughout your yard and garden.

You can get The complete Worm Factory 3 Tray Composting System for less than $100.


Can't Grow Grass?
Are you addicted to the look of grass but live in a high-drought area? You may want to consider synthetic grass. It uses no water, lasts over ten years, and looks & feels surprisingly real.

What Are You Spreading On Your Lawn?
Use non-toxic fertilizers and pest-control agents for your garden and lawn. Not only are these better for your plants (particularly any food you might eat), they reduce the amount of toxins that run-off into our waterways.

Light It Up
Use solar or LED lighting in your lawn. Solar lighting is obviously an energy-saver. If you don't find solar lights bright enough, check out LED lights-they are very bright and use very little power. They will last 5-10 times as long as standard outdoor lights. Find energy-efficient lighting options here.

Click here to get a Set of 4 Solar Lights for about $35.


Click here to get a Solar LED Outdoor Three Tier Pagoda Path Light for about $100


Mulch, Mulch, Mulch

Use mulch to help conserve water outdoors and improve your drainage. One of the best eco-friendly products is Vigoro Rubber Mulch, an innovative, non-toxic mulch made from 100 percent recycled rubber tires. The mulch maintains its color for 12 years, so there's no need for annual mulching.

Get a 20lb bag of Rubber Mulch is on sale here for about $20

Car Washing
Well, summer is almost here and you know what that means. People hauling out the hoses, buckets and soaps for their traditional driveway car wash. Fun as this may be, many people are still unaware of the devastating impacts the at-home car wash can have on our environment. Each time you wash your car, an average of 80 - 140 gallons of water are used. Carried in this soapy mess are contaminants such as brake dust, exhaust fumes, oils, and harsh detergents from the soaps. Once this drains into open sewers it wreaks havoc on our water supply. Outlined below are ten eco-friendly car washing techniques that work!

• Consider switching to an waterless car wash this summer. Trade the hoses and buckets for a small spray bottle and two microfiber towels. Currently popular overseas, waterless car wash products are finally here in the U.S.
  
  
• Swap paper towels for re-usable microfiber towels. Microfibers are super absorbent and can be re-used up to 50 times.
  
  You can get 2 Microfiber Towels here for about $10
  
  
• Steer clear of products containing "petroleum-distillates, kerosene, silicone, or mineral spirits" These products are known carcinogens and have an adverse impact on the environment.
  
  
• If you do continue using the hose method, buy an automatic shut-off valve so that water is not continuing to flow as you wash.
  
  
• Look for soaps which are phosphate-free. Phosphates encourage algae bloom when they enter water and reduce oxygen levels for other aquatic species.
  
  
• Wash your car over the lawn instead of in the driveway. You'll both water the grass, and also prevent the contaminated water from hitting open sewers.

Over Inflated Tires
Over inflated tires can reduce your fuel efficiency. Remember to check your tire pressure and never overfill them. This is because you need to leave space air expansion when the tires get hot when driving.

You can get a Smart Pressure Digital Tire Gauge here from Brookstone for about $30


Under Inflated Tires
Conversely, you should avoid driving with soft tires. When soft and not at the correct PSI pounds per square inch, your car requires more energy to move and maintain speed as well as increase fuel emissions. According to a Carnegie Mellon University informal study, majority of cars on the roads are only 80% inflated to capacity and inflating tires to the proper pressure improves mileage by about 3.3%. And the best part is that it is definitely safer too.

You can get the same Smart Pressure Digital Tire Gauge here from Brookstone for about $30


Tire Rotation
Rotate your tires to ensure even tire threading. This causes less strain to the engine.

Air Conditioning
In summer, run your air conditioner sparingly at a low setting. When the car is sufficiently cool, switch to fan mode instead. Ensure that windows are tightly shut and not rolled down when the air conditioning is running

Starting The Engine
The first few minutes after starting are the periods when the engine efficiency is on the lower side. Drive away by accelerating slowly and gradually increasing the speed through the gears. The first mile of operation after the engine is started is when the mileage is least and hence careful driving might get the most out of the fuel.

Get Comfortable
Adjust the seat according to your comfort and make sure you are in a comfortable driving position before you start driving. A comfortable driving position lets you have a lighter leg on the gas pedal there by saving fuel.

Stay The Course
As far as possible, stick to the same lane. When you shift lanes to overtake, acceleration is necessary which leads to increased fuel consumption. Avoid lane switching as far as possible.

Don't Put The Pedal To The Metal
Build up speed gradually before you get to a hill and keep the gas pedal steady when climbing. This helps in reducing fuel usage. While coming down a hill, coast with the help of the vehicle's momentum and the earth's gravitational force!

Overdrive
Use overdrive. Using overdrive results in upto 10% increase in fuel efficiency. Shift into higher gears whenever possible and do so without lugging or over revving the engine.

Maintain A Consistent Speed
Avoid over speeding and keep the engine at speeds where its performance is the highest. This will result in better fuel efficiency, smoother engine operation and longer engine life.

Keep an eye on the "9"
Check the numbered stickers on fruits and veggies. If they start with #9, your produce is organic, meaning it's grown pesticide-free.

Don't Open The Oven
Avoid opening the oven door while cooking is in progress as this lowers the oven temperature by almost 25 degrees and the food will require a longer time to get cooked. You can check your dish by turning on the light and peering in through the glass on the oven door.

Shop Locally
Look for locally grown produce at farmers' markets, farm stands and food co-ops. You get fresher fare, support your community and help reduce fuel waste and emissions from long-distance shipping.

Bring A Re-Usable Grocery Bag
Skip your supermarket's plastic bags and transport groceries in reusable tote bags or canvas produce sacks.

You can get a Reusable Grocery Bag - "I'm Saving the Planet - What Are You Doing" by BlueQ for about $12 here.


Get Rid Of The Plastic Water Bottles
Outfit your kitchen tap with a purified water filter, and tote around a refillable sports bottle, made of glass, aluminum or recycled plastic.

Concerns had already been raised in 2007 about the safety of Bisphenol A, a chemical found in plastic bottles and containers. The controversy grew in September 2008 when another study linked exposure from Bisphenol A to the risk of heart disease, diabetes and liver problems.

Why take a chance? You can get an OGGI Aluminum water bottle here for about $9 by clicking here.


Let's Not Forget To Recycle
Kick those cleaned-out cans, jars, plastic bottles, pizza boxes and even used tin foil to the curb on recycling day. When sorting plastic containers, look for #2 and #3 on the bottom and trash or reuse the rest.

Reduce Your Waste
Buy in bulk, pick fresh ingredients and look for products with limited - or at least recyclable - packaging. Switch to cloth napkins or buy paper towels and napkins labeled "recycled," "unbleached" and/or "post-consumer waste."

Have You Tried Composting?
Feed fresh kitchen scraps (no meats or oils, please) to a compost pile. Then use the nutrient-rich compost to perk up your herb or vegitable garden.

You can get The complete Worm Factory 3 Tray Composting System for less than $100.


Look For A Natural Substitute
Look for alternatives to your everyday, chemically infused products. For instance, if you have a flat glass top stove, don't buy the expensive and eco-"UN" friendly store bought product. I use simple baking soda and a little water and it works great! All you have to do is ask around and see what other people are doing. You can also Google a substitution such as natural substitute for Soft Scrub.

Remodeling or Purchasing

Go to Abe's of Maine and view their appliance Closeouts & Clearances


Refrigerator - When choosing a new refrigerator look for the units with the Energy Star label. These guarantee they are 10-50 percent more efficient than other models. Also, consider a top and bottom freezer/refrigerator unit instead of the side-by-side style. Less cold air escapes from these. Using an energy-efficient refrigerator saves you approximately $400 per year while reducing your use of precious energy.

Dishwasher - Consider a dishwasher drawer over a conventional style. These not only take up less space in your kitchen, but also use less water when you have a small load. If you have a conventional dishwasher, try not to run a load until it is full. You will save on both water and the energy to heat it.

Convection oven - These use a fan to move heat rapidly from source to food to cook 25 percent faster than conventional ovens.

Lighting - Wherever possible, use fluorescent lights; they cut your energy use by 50 percent. Also, consider using motion sensors so lights come on automatically and turn off when you leave the room. These will eliminate lights being left on, unused. If remodeling, try adding more natural light by installing larger windows or skylights.

Faucets and hot water heaters - Faucets with aerators inject air bubbles into the water stream to create the same pressure with less volume of water used. Also, try tankless hot water heaters that heat water at the source. These use less water and 10-20 percent less energy.

Cabinets - Some cabinetry contains urea-formaldehyde, which off-gasses and can be harmful to your health and the environment. If you must have wood cabinets, look for solid wood or those made from materials such as wheat board. Some cabinet manufacturers are now making wood cabinets from scrap wood. It still makes a nice cabinet while saving trees.

Flooring - Bamboo has become popular to use as flooring because it grows faster than trees; it only takes seven year to regenerate a bamboo forest. Bamboo is strong and can stand up well to pets, high heels and other abuse. Cork has also become popular among eco-friendly homeowners. Cork is made from the bark off of trees, is sound absorbing, hypoallergenic and resistant to mold and mildew. One flooring that is making a comeback is linoleum. Linoleum is made from natural materials, is durable and easy to clean.

Countertops - Consider countertops made from recycled paper or hemp. These are durable and very easy to clean. Another option is a recycled stone-chipped composite countertop. This countertop resembles granite and holds up just as well.