Earth Day Green Tips

This coming Monday is Earth Day and billions of people worldwide will be celebrating this day and doing something to save the planet.  Whether it’s adding a new green action or starting a greener life altogether, saving the planet we live on is a big priority to people around the world.  Back in February, we gave you some tips for conserving resources.  Are you wondering what more you can do to help our planet?  We have a few more tips for you.

People generally use chemicals when they clean their home.  Well we thought we’d help you clean your house while going Green.  You can prevent toxic chemicals from being dumped in our environment by making your own cleaning products.  Here are the supplies you’ll need and you may already have most of them:

Distilled white vinegar

Baking soda

Olive oil

Borax

Liquid castile soap

Essential oils

Microfiber cleaning cloths

Newspaper

You can purchase the castile soap and essential oils in a natural food store if you can’t find them at the grocery store.

To make glass cleaner, mix ¼ cup of vinegar with 1 quart of water.  Spray and use newspaper to clean all the glass in your house.

For countertops and tile floors, mix 4 cups vinegar and a gallon of hot water – add drops of peppermint, lemon oil, or a fragrance of essential oil you like for a fresh scent.  The smell of vinegar will disappear quickly and the room will smell like the fragrance you use.

For wood furniture, mix equal parts olive oil with lemon juice.  Use the microfiber cleaning cloths to wipe down all the wood in your home.

For a disinfectant, mix 2 teaspoons of borax, 4 tablespoons vinegar, 3 cups hot water, and ¼ teaspoon liquid castile soap.

For cleaning and disinfecting your toilet, use borax soap.  Use vinegar to clean outside areas of the toilet or the disinfectant we listed above.

For mold and mildew, use straight vinegar.

For air fresheners, sprinkle cotton balls with essential oil fragrances and stash them all around your home and in your car.  Fragrances that work for homes and cars are peppermint, lavender, cinnamon, clove, and citrus oils.  Be sure to keep the fragranced cotton balls out of reach of small children.

For filtered fresh air, use plants.  You’ll need 15 to 18 medium-sized plants in containers with a diameter of 6 to 8 inches for an 1,800-square foot home.  If you don’t think you can handle that many plants, then put a few of them in the room where everyone spends the most time.

In place of moth balls, tie cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and cloves in an old sock.

When painting walls or furniture, use green paint such as Eco-Spec by Benjamin Moore, Clarity by Dutch Boy, Enviro-Pure by MAB Paint, American Pride Paint, or BioSheild by Milk Paint.

For mopping, replace your current mop with a style similar to Casabella.  These mops allow you to wash the mop head so it will be clean when you reuse it.

To save trees, stop using paper towels for cleaning.  Instead, use washable cleaning and dusting cloths.

Source: www.sparklepeople.com

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