Tips for being Green

Being that I am a Mama who has to watch her budget, "Going Green" is peaking my interest, not only for the dollars I can save, but the impact I can have on the environment by just changing my way of living. I did some research, and found some cool tips to make the switch in your home and lifestyle. I am sure that I am only touching on the basics here, and some of this may be "old news" for most of you. But these are some good things that we all should be doing, if not now, then in the near future. For the future! I welcome any other thrifty ideas you have done or heard of for doing the same!!

1. Cut back on paper products. Stop using Paper Towels and paper napkins. Switch to old dishrags for your cleaning jobs, and invest in some cloth napkins instead. Even better, find nice used linens at garage sales/estate sales, further lowering your impact. Keep some generic paper products on hand for when you really need them. Look for recycled, enviro-friendly Toilet paper as well. This is one we definitely don't do well on in our home. I recently made some of these adjustments, and I didn't notice the difference near as much as I thought I would.

2. Reusable shopping totes. Really easy way to eliminate all the waste from plastic and paper sacks. They're available about everywhere, in about every size and every design. Inexpensive, and so much more fashionable than plastic sacks. If you don't want to deal with hauling them around with you, or are just really like plastic or paper, look into recycling your used bags. Our local Dillon's has a drop off for plastic sacks set up in their front entrance.

3. Switch to products with the "Green" logo on their packaging. Or make sure they have recycled "content". (Meaning less raw materials used. Renewable means fibers like cotton are grown without pesticides.) 1 part Vinegar to 3 parts water makes a great all-purpose cleaner that is environmentally safe. Clorox has a line of products that claims to be "green" but still has some petroleum derived ingredients. Make sure what you choose is Biodegradable and cruelty free meaning no animal testing. Your local health food store will have products that fit this description so you clean guilt free.

4. Switch light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent (or CFL's). It is a much brighter, cleaner light than incandescent, and I just enjoy the fact that they seem to last forever. I haven't changed one from my light fixtures in 2 years so far!! That alone is worth it. Check local lighting stores for specialty bulbs or for lamps or unusual fixtures that CFL's won't fit in. There are other options such as LED bulbs, while, more money initially, offer the same benefits as CFL's but with a different effect. Not into it? Consolidate your bulb wattage's. One 100 watt bulb uses less energy than four 60's. Just make certain you don't exceed the wattage indicated for your fixture.

5. Check your toilets for water leaks. Flushing alone takes up to 30% of all water used by the average American, 44,000 gallons per year. Toilet leaks can waste 200 gallons a day! Check out www.nationalgeographic.com for a test to check for this wasteful leaking. If you can't replace to High Efficiency or Water-Sense commodes, there are some handy do-it-yourself tricks to fix leaks. Like wise, check your faucets, and shower heads. Limit your shower time to 10 minutes, and switch the shower head out to High Efficiency or Water-Sense Labeled. There are a wide range of prices for eco-friendly shower-heads and you can even find them at discount stores like Target or Wal-mart.

6. Check your Fridge Temperature. Put an appliance thermometer in a glass of water in the center of your fridge or freezer overnight. It should be at 37-40 degrees Fahrenheit and no more than 0-5 degrees in your freezer. Running it colder than necessary consumes 25% more energy than needed.

7. If you have little ones, consider going to cloth diapers. There are great options out right now for going cloth that will change how you look at using them. And if you are a Mom on the go you will find lots of handy accessories to help you change how you diaper and make it convenient. Not only is it good environmentally, but kids who wore cloth diapers potty train earlier and easier than diapered kids. I like www.bumgenius.com, www.diaperjunction.com, and Target now carries Bumkins. I did not get a chance to use cloth, but have heard good things about these sites. If you get a chance to go to Newton or Manhattan, you should check out the Healthy Baby Boutique. They have a great selection of cloth diapers with a knowledgeable staff to guide your needs.

8. Use your local recycling centers. Pro-Kansas Miller Recycling Center in Wichita takes most recyclable items. Go to their website to see a listing of what they take and won't take.

9. Put out the welcome mat. Make sure you have rugs by all your doors to catch dirt and chemicals from coming in to your home. Taking shoes off by the door is even better.

10. Turn the thermostat down. Try 70 degrees in the day time and 62 degrees at night in winter and 78 degrees or higher in the summer. Half the energy used in our homes is from our Heating/Air Conditioning. Find opportunities to open windows and use fans to help circulate air.

Would love to hear any of your ideas to simplify being eco-friendly and how you feel about it!
If you haven't done anything, start now, by recycling this message!
Thanks!