I found an article which I wanted to share with all of you about the top 10 greenwashing words or phrases used to lure you into buying products which in fact may be anything but safe, eco-friendly or allergy-free.
The article is: Huffington Post Natural Products Labels
What’s lurking under your kitchen sink, laundary cabinets and the “cleaning closet”?
Instead of This: Ammonia-based Cleaners
Use This: Vinegar, salt and water mixture for surface cleaning.
Instead of This: Abrasive Cleaners
Use This: Baking soda and water for bathroom
Instead of This: Floor or furniture polish
Use This: Rub area with 1/2 lemon dipped in borax, then rinse
1 part lemon juice, 2 parts olive oil or vegetable oil
Instead of This: Silver polishes
Use This: Soak in boiling water with baking soda, salt, a piece of aluminum
Instead of This: Toilet cleaners
Use This: Baking soda, toilet brush
Instead of This: Disinfectants
Use This: 1/2 cup borax in 1 gallon water
Instead of This: Drain Cleaners
Use This: Plunger; flush with boiling water, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup vinegar
Instead of This: Rug/Uphostery cleaners
Use This: Dry cornstarch sprinkled on, then vacuumed
Instead of This: Mothballs
Use This: Cedar chips, newspapers, lavender flowers
Instead of This: Enamel or oil-based paints
Use This: Latex or water-based paints
Instead of This: House plant insecticide
Use This: Old dishwater or bar soap and water; spray on leaves and rinse
Instead of This: Flea collars and sprays
Use This: Gradually add brewer’s yeast to pet’s diet
Instead of This: Roach and ant killers
Use This: Roaches: baking soda, powdered sugar mix
Ants: chili powder to hinder entry or peppermint oil
Find out how big your footprint is at: http://myfootprint.org/en/
8. Carpool, especially with other parents for kid’s activities! Even with summer coming up, think of ways to carpool or take public transportation!
Every once in awhile, I come across a blog that makes my skin tingle and I get a little giddy inside. This is one of those sites that encompasses my passion for real estate as well as my passion for a better planet, less waste more green.
Plastic Bottle Uses in Construction
If you have a few minutes, please check it out. Some of the ideas are simple enough to incorporate today! Would you like to have a small green house, capable of growing fresh produce year long? Make one out of bottles. As a tip from one of my gardening friends, put water into the bottles before sealing up. It helps create a greenhouse effect inside, and acts as a great insulator on those coolder Colorado days.
As you replace appliances, look for an Energy Star rating. Energy Star appliances are 10-50% more efficient than their standard counterparts, and may be eligible for rebates through the local utility company. For more information on Energy Star, check out: http://www.energystar.gov/
6. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent – this saves time, money and energy. Compact fluorescent bulbs now come in all sizes and styles.
Check these sites for more information: Energy Star Compact
5.Create a rag bag using worn out sheets, washcloths and t-shirts – use (and re-use) them for just about anything for which you use paper towels.
4. Catch bath or shower water in a bucket as it warms – use the water for plants, pets, and cleaning.
3. 3. Special All Purpose Cleaner Recipe!
2 parts water, 2 parts vinegar and 1 tablespoon of dish soap in a spray bottle can be your homemade, easy on the environment primary household spray. Use it on your glass shower doors, counter tops, and anything else on which you use an all-purpose cleaner.
2. Baking soda can be a primary household cleaner. I use it anytime I need a mild abrasive cleaner, for example, the kitchen sink. A scoopful is also a good addition to a load of laundry. So environmentally sound, you can brush your teeth with it! Check out the Arm and Hammer Baking Soda website and learn the many uses for this under-used product that we all have in our homes! http://armhammer.com/myhome/
1. Recycle! This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you don’t already recycle, find out how to in your community. Most communities have a drop off site if not curb-side pickup. You can buy recycling bins at your local home improvement store, or make them yourself out of scraps of lumber you may have handy.
Welcome to my real estate blog, Mary Blogs Houses. My goal is to create an informational blog about green homes and green living. Plus a few time/money saving DIY tips and my listings. One thing I’d like you to know about me: I walk the talk. I continuously work to improve my home and my habits to have a lighter impact on the planet.
So keep checking back, sign up as a follower , and let me know how I can assist you with your residential real estate needs.
