JA Control Panel

Four Seasons of Green

Green on a Dime

Easy and Economical Solutions to Green Your Life

Cheap and Easy (ways to clean green)

E-mail Print PDF

I found a great webpage today from Berkley California that has a fantastic list of easy to prepare homemade cleaners. Great substitutes for harsh and environmentally toxic cleaners, they give you the recipes to clean everything from tile mold to rust, oven cleaner to deodorant. 

http://www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/cleaning.html

 

Green on A Dime: Cheap Tricks

E-mail Print PDF

We all want things to be cheap and easy, so here are a few cheap green tricks...

*Save $100 a year by converting to CFL lighting
*Save over $200 this summer with Energy Star fans
*Save up to $1,200 annually: buy local produce and food products
*Save up to $900 a year: buy fresh produce twice a week in smaller quantities to reduce food spoilage
*Save 20% on your electricity bill by using a powerbar for your electrical devices
*Save $688 annually by using a reusable water bottle
*Save $360 annually: trade in your facial cleanser for a slice of lemon (use a slice of lemon squeezed onto a wet sponge to wash your face, rinse with water)
*Save thousands of dollars annually: use community freecycle stores, freecycle websites, and second- hand clothing stores, secondhand bookstores
*Save $1,500 over the summer with an Energy Star Air Conditioner

Make your own household cleaners...
Distilled White Vinegar (sanitizes, cuts grease, dissolves build-up and tarnish):
Mix 1:1 with water in a spray bottle to clean windows and mirrors.

Use vinegar mix with baking soda to sanitize kitchen sink and bathroom surfaces (let sit for 5-10
minutes).

Use ¼- ½ cup of vinegar mix to replace fabric softener in your rinse cycle.

Baking Soda (gentle abrasive, deodorizer): Sprinkle on a damp cloth to use as a cleanser on kitchen countertops, sinks, bathtubs and ovens, then spray with vinegar solution and rinse well.

Add ¼ to 1 cup of baking soda to your laundry to deodorize and boost cleaning.

To deodorize carpet, sprinkle on, let sit overnight and vacuum up.

To clear a drain, pour baking soda into drain, pour vinegar into drain and plug with stopper while it froths, leave 5 minutes and pour boiling water down the drain—repeat as necessary.

Tea tree oil (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiseptic): For an all-purpose sanitizer, add 1 tsp oil to 2 cups water in spray bottle (avoid contact with eyes). Add 1 tsp to a load of laundry (eg. diapers) to disinfect. Keep out of reach of children.

 

Green on A Dime: Seasonal Eats

E-mail Print PDF

A great way to support the environment is to eat seasonal produce and purchase locally.
How many nights in a row can you eat a baked potato or squishy carrots...
with this recipe - the kids will be begging for root vegetables every night...

Rainbow French Fries

Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 March 2009 18:00 ) Read more...
 

Make Some Easy Green

E-mail Print PDF

Winter Tips...
Ok here are a few easy MONEY-SAVING ways to go green. I don't want to overwhelm anyone so I am only posting 5 suggestions... I challenge you to try one.

1. SAVE 20% on your next electricity bill.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 March 2009 18:01 ) Read more...
 

Green on a Dime: Bottled Water

E-mail Print PDF

How you can make the change...
Purchase a reusable water bottle, there are many available at a variety of price points
Practice bringing it with you everywhere - everyday
It will take some time for this behaviour to habituate - but keep going, the more you use your water bottle, the stronger habit it will become, and you will forget the days you spent $3 for a litre of water
****PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE follow the cleaning instructions on the bottle you purchase to ensure there is no build up of bacteria in your bottle.

The math:
1 bottle of single serving water bottle a day average $2
1 week = $14
1 month = $60
1 Year = $728

1 Reusable Water Bottle = $20
2 Spare Bottles = $40
Total Annual Cost of Reusable Bottles = $60
You just saved $668

I Dont Like Tap Water...
Buy a filter.... price-point starts at $10/ month
Still a savings of $558 in a year
In ten years you will save = $5,580

We want o hear from you - how did you make the change? Share tips and tricks on this action!
email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (subject line: Water Bottle Action, Tips, & Tricks)

Last Updated ( Saturday, 31 January 2009 08:40 )
 

search1

Subscrib

feed-image Feed Entries