After I became a mother I quickly realized that I needed to change the way I did a lot of things. Because I live in a very small house the first thing I discovered was that I was unable to use bleach. The smell permeated the whole house and the thought of my little baby breathing it in scared me. That’s about the time I started thinking about ways I could change my old habits into more earth friendly, green ones. 

Although not everything I do can be considered green  I am always striving to learn more. If you have any tips that you can offer me I would be grateful and if you can learn from any of the following that I am offering, that would be wonderful.

I’d also like to let you know that this post was inspired by Twittermoms and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day products. You can find more tips on the widget in my sidebar.

Recycle

Many cities nowadays have recycling centers or bins that they distribute to residents. I know that for me it was a bit of an issue for years because I lived in a city that only had recycling centers so you actually had to save up your recycling and take it there yourself. So it’s really just a matter of finding a place to store your recycling until you can drop it off or have someone do it for you.  Luckily the city I live in now, each resident has a bin that they can set out to the curb each week so as far as I’m concerned there is NO excuse not to recycle.

Over the years the amount of things you can recycle has increased. For instance you can now recycle old batteries (which you shouldn’t be leaving around the house anyway, they’re a choking hazard) and almost any type of bottle or jar, even the brown and green ones. If you’re unsure how to recycle most cities have a website that you can refer to, or call them they may have a pamphlet that shows you how.

Simply make it a habit and teach your children and family how to recycle and you will be absolutely amazed at how much less waste you put out to the curb and don’t forget the little things like toilet paper or paper towel rolls! Every little bit helps our planet and it helps your city save money.

 

Energy Usage

• Unplug – One of the quickest things you can do right now is to unplug all your appliances, chargers, and other energy hogs that you are not currently using. They usually call these things “vampires” because they still suck energy even though you’re not using them. For example I never keep my toaster plugged in. I don’t use it every day but when I do I wait for it to cool off and then I unplug and put it away. For me it’s also about fire hazards and just being extra careful because I have a toddler in the house. There are tons of other things you can unplug that you do not need to use while sleeping. Here are just a few examples
• Digital frames
• Cell phone chargers
• TVs, Vcr’s DVD players, stereo’s – plug them all into one strip and click it off before bed or work.
• Computer, printer, lamps, speakers – Same as above. 1 switch and they’re all off.

Switch Over To CFL Light Bulbs – According to the Energy Star website: “If every American home replaced just one light with a light that’s earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year, save about $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to those from about 800,000 cars.”

For me this was a no-brainer a while ago. After each old bulb in my house was used up I switched over to CFL’s. They create a much brighter light, they use less energy BUT you have to be careful because not all are created equal. If you find some on sale for sale $1 you have to be aware that they’re probably not the best quality. So don’t be scared to spend a few bucks because in the end you’re really saving.

Water Usage

• Flush Only When Necessary – Some people will find this really disgusting but I can tell you from personal experience that it saves a TON of money on your water bill. I think you can probably only get away with this one if you live alone or you’re not very shy. I only do it during the week when my husband is at work because I know it would make him uncomfortable.  First of all let me tell you that I’m pregnant and I use the toilet A LOT. Maybe up to 10 times a night. Am I going to flush every single time? No way! Call me a cheapskate, call me weird, but I can’t bring myself to do that. It just creates so much waste. My water bill? around $40 every 3 months. No joke.

Laundry

According to the U.S. Dept of Energy appliances account for about 17% of your household’s energy consumption, with refrigerators, clothes washers, and clothes dryers at the top of the consumption list. With just a few small changes you can save money and energy.

• Wash in cold water – Most of the energy your washer uses goes towards heating the water.  I personally wash all my clothes in cold water except for 1 load each week. I wash socks and other whites such as underwear, bras etc. in hot water. I use a oxygen whitener and let the load soak overnight, the next day I rinse them in cold water.
• Line Dry Your Clothes – I know some people really love wrinkle free clothes and you can still have that when you line dry your clothes. Yes it can be hard in the winter time if you live in a place like we do, Michigan but there are tons of racks you can buy to hang your clothes on. As long as their is good ventilation in your house they should dry within a few hours or so. When you take them off the rack THEN throw them in the dryer for 10 minutes or so to get the wrinkles out.
• Get rid of multiple detergents and softeners –This one is just a matter of choice because I know there are a lot of people who would like to go “even greener” by buying special laundry soaps etc. I personally buy Purex laundry sheets. Since I’ve started that I’ve had far less bottles going in the recycling bin and I get softener right in with my detergent. When I throw my clothes in for those 10 minutes they’re nice and soft. I then re-use the sheets to put in my dresser to keep my clothes smelling fresh.

Cleaning

Making your own cleaning products doesn’t have to be a hassle. There are several of them that are so simple you probably never realized it.  Now I’m not one for the whole “use newspaper to clean your windows/mirrors” I just never could get the hang of it and always created more than of a mess. But here are a few that I use myself and that are tried and true.

• Vinegar Is The Way To Go – I’m not going to go into ALL the uses of Vinegar but it’s extremely versatile and you can find tons of info online. My biggest use for it? Pour some on a wash cloth or paper towel and wrap it around your shower head to loosen calcium, lime and rust or wrap it around your faucet handles, leave it while you’re cleaning the rest of the house and you’ll come back to find your faucet super shiny and clean. No toxic chemicals needed and it works better than most commercial cleaners!
• Disinfect and clean wood cutting boards – Rub with vinegar to disinfect and clean or better yet, soak it to make sure it gets into all the grooves and cuts.
• Clean Your Drain – Dump 1 cup of baking soda down your drain, then 1 cup of vinegar. When they mix, they foam and expand, cleaning your drain. Flush with hot water after about 10 minutes to half hour. Do this on occasion and you won’t have to be as worried about plugs.

Thank you for reading and I hope that this post helps you get started on your way to living a cleaner, greener life. Best of luck to you and Thank you for loving our planet!

 

About Mrs. Meyer’s:

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day makes household products for people looking for a better way to clean. Our natural, plant-derived essential oils are powerful against daily dirt and grime, but leave your home smelling like a garden, not harsh chemicals.

Our refreshing scents include cool and crisp Basil, soothing Lavender, invigorating Lemon Verbena and uplifting Geranium. We also make a line of Baby Blossom personal care products specifically formulated and dermatologist-tested for little ones.

All of our cleaning supplies are earth friendly — biodegradable, phosphate-free, and not tested on animals. Cleaning is something we all have to do. So why not make it just a little more enjoyable?

More info: http://www.mrsmeyers.com

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