ECOFRIENDLY ORGANIC PRODUCTS

Chip Griller of Environmental Magazine grist.org offers a seven-day plan for reducing your family's energy consumption by nearly 10%.

Monday- turn down your thermostat just 2°. This will cut your energy bill by 10%. Try turning it lower when you're sleeping or out of the house, bring it back up when you return home or rise in the morning.

Tuesday- most people don't know this, but leaving items plugged-in even when not in use is burning energy. Unplug all unused electronic devices and appliances. We Americans waste $1 billion a year powering items like televisions and DVD players while they are turned off. So try unplugging your microwaves, DVD players and cell phone chargers when you aren't using them.

Wednesday- do your laundry in cold water. 90% of the energy used to wash clothes goes to the heating of water. Washing in cold water is a simple and easy way to reduce your energy use dramatically.

Thursday- eat less meat! You probably would be surprised to find out that 18% of human generated greenhouse gas emissions come from the livestock industry. You don't have to become a vegetarian, just try to have one meat free day in your week. If every American did this, it would reduce emissions by as much as removing 8 million cars from the roads.

Friday- carpooling or riding your bike. Vehicles consume half of the world's oil, and emit a quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. By parking your car just one day a week over a years time you will save gas and emissions. Also keep your tires inflated properly, under inflated tires can reduce your gas mileage by 5%.

Saturday- its home-improvement day. Pick one small project to do around the house that can save energy. This may include changing your light bulbs to energy-saving fluorescent. These use approximately 1/5 the energy and last 12 times longer. Or maybe you could install a low flow shower head, and turn your water heater down to 120° and insulate your tank.

Sunday- write a letter. Sometimes the best thing you can do to help with the climate control issues is to write a letter to the business and political leaders who care about these issues. Let them know how much you appreciate their hard work and encourage them to do more.

Living green and eco-friendly is important now, and in our children's and their children's future. Our care free life styles have damaged our beautiful planet Earth for the sake of advancement. We can still advance in society and grow in technology and give back to our Mother Earth and her environment. This lens is about the many different ways we can give back and contribute as an individual or society as a whole.

Long before chemical and synthetic cleaning products were introduced and available at your local stores, most people created their own home cleaning products from everyday household supplies. All-purpose scrubs and window cleaners are made from natural ingredients from the kitchen cabinets. They proved to be powerful enough to battle the toughest of dirt and grime.

When the cleaning bug bites you this season, you won't have to restrict yourself to the usual disinfectants and sprays. You could consider any of these natural ingredients to bring yourself into a mean, green cleaning routine.

Use olive oil as wood polish- olive oil is not only great for your skin and overall health, but also is helpful in keeping your wood floors and furniture in top condition. Olive oil gives plenty of nourishment to any of the wood products in your home. All it takes is a few tablespoons of olive oil on a soft cloth to recharge and revive your furniture or floors.

Distilled vinegar as a mildew remover- not only is vinegar and excellent disinfectant it can also be used to remove soap scum, mold, and mineral deposits in your kitchen and bathrooms. Trouble spots on floors use vinegar to help break up the dirt and grease which will make it much easier to scrub away. Put vinegar in a spray bottle to reach hard to reach areas to combat mildew. You can also mix with natural soap and water to make your own window cleaner.

Baking soda as a household scrub- baking soda is not only great at absorbing odors but it is greatly helpful in scrubbing shiny surfaces without scratching. Mix with water for stainless steel surfaces, refrigerator doors, and counter tops. Baking soda is also great for shining up your pots and pans when they need a little care.

Fresh lemon juice for stain removal- don't spend a fortune on staying removal gels and sprays for your carpet or wood floors. Mix fresh lemon juice with baking soda and a natural soap, this makes a great all-purpose scrub that leaves your work area with a fresh scent.

Tree oil to kill mold- are you having trouble with mold or mildew in the bathroom or kitchen? Tree oil is your best friend and best source of removing mold successfully. Organic tree oil is available at most natural food stores. Just mix 2 teaspoons oil with 2 cups of water, this makes an easy mold fighting spray. Tea tree oil also works well as a disinfectant, mix 3 tablespoons of liquid natural soap, 2 cups of water, for a natural mixture that can be used in any room.

Vinegar again- this time as an air freshener, a few bowls of vinegar with a few drops of essential oils can help make a simple and easy air freshener. Let it evaporate into the air for an instant freshness in any room. But make sure you place the Bowls far away from your pets and small children.

Using these hints makes it easy to turn your daily household cleaning chores into a environmentally friendly routine. Stock up on the basic supplies so you will always be ready to enjoy a lifestyle that is clean and green.

If you're not into the home remedy thing I have a great website to recommend for your all-natural organic cleaning supplies. Property perfections carries:

Safe Shield 32oz

Stainerizer

Rusterizer

Molderizer

Rub A Dub Tub And Tile Cleaner

Degreaserizer

Green Bean All Purpose Cleaner

Safe Shield

And many other helpful organic cleaning products to aid in a green living environment.

Some of today's top designers, along with many boutiques are catching on to the necessity of being environmentally friendly and socially conscious. Including fair trade beauty products, organic cotton for your favorite fashion styles. Sustainable designs is a rising trend in the fashion industry, and there are numerous ways you can achieve living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Experts teach us 60% of what we put our skin is absorbed into the body. For a woman that equates to approximately 5 pounds of chemicals per year.

Organic bath and body products are a good place to start. It's not a new trend but an ever expanding trend in the choices of products like deodorants, toothpaste, soaps, bath oils and salts etc. A good place to start is a website called beautorium.com, they have quite the extensive line of organic products to help you on your venture.



Another great website to find your organic cosmetics/makeup is lavera.com. Now you can ride the Green/Organic wave that has hit the streets of the Unites States with the global leader in skin care. Lavera's all-natural, paraben-free skin care and makeup has been created in germany for over 21 years. made to the strictest European standards, Lavera is perfect for even the most sensitive skin. Lavera supports Susan G Komen For The Cure with its Lavere Intensiv Line and has recently been named "Top Green Beauty Brand" by OEKO-TEST Magazine, the leading consumer report, environmental, and health focused organization in Europe.