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As 2011 draws to a close and 2012 begins, let’s reflect on our personal green report cards. Have you been mostly naughty? Mostly nice? Do you deserve a green lump of coal or has your eco-lifestyle been merry and bright? If you think you could incorporate more eco-aware principles into 2012, here are some easy ones to start with – or  some key ones to keep.

Watch Your Waste

Much of being green is monitoring what you’re using. Are you wasting lights when you’re home by leaving lights burning? Do you leave the water running when brushing your teeth? What about travel? Are you aware of carbon credits?

Reuse: Avoid the plastic bags at the supermarket and shop with reusable bags. If you’re going to reuse the plastic or paper bags, that’s one thing, but choose to use them sparingly. Once you have enough for household garbage, go back to using reusable shopping bags.

Pick One To Start With

My main green lesson learned in the last six months was to fully read all the labels on hygiene products. I no longer purchase mainstream shampoos or body washes because I don’t want to spend money on products that contain toxic products. The main ingredients that I avoid are sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (both of which can be toxic to skin and eyes), paraben-based products (often found to be cancer-causing), and diethanolomine, (DEA) which has been linked to hormone issues and cancer-causing nitrates.

Ring in the New Year With Recycling

Yes, I know it sounds simple, but the basics are powerful. I’m surprised how many paper goods and aluminum cans never make their way to the recycle bin. Even people who know better have been known to toss cans away or use more paper than needed. Take stock. If you’re in the car, keep a trash bag handy to put waste in when you’re on the road. What if your neighborhood doesn’t recycle? Sad, but true – some don’t. Make sure that you collect your recyclable items and at week’s end, take them to a recycling bin near you.

Photo by Passion Leica

By Marissa Cohen

Vacation day is here and you’re ready to leave. Your bamboo, eco-friendly bags are packed and you’ve got your solar chargers. You’re ready to go! But what about the house? When preparing for a small getaway, there are things you can do to greatly reduce your carbon footprint, even when you’re not home.

Pull the Plug

If you’re going to be home anyway, unplug electronics. Make sure to unplug chargers, night-lights, or lamps. Also, don’t forget to hit the kitchen and unplug everything from toasters to the microwave. It’s also important to unplug the entertainment gadgets – computers, printers, tvs and DVD players should all be unplugged.

Turn off the Air Conditioner

If you’re going to be away for a significant amount of time, turn off the A/C unit (unless of course, dogs or cats are going to be home alone) and turn off all the fans. That will help save a ton of energy. After all, there’s no reason to heat or cool an empty house.

Cleaning

If you’re going to clean house before you leave town, consider cleaning with eco-friendly supplies. Why? For the simple reason that once the house is sealed, there won’t be any toxic chemicals in the house.

Switch to Electronic Bills

This might be a good time to switch from paper bills (less mail while you’re away) to electronic bills sent right to you email address. You’ll have less paper to worry about in your mailbox while you’re on vacation.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo by functoruser

When I was a kid, I remember the little boxes of yellow baking soda that my mother used to keep in the fridge. The paper flap on the top was always open and if you weren’t careful, you could easily spill the whole thing over when you were pulling out the morning’s juice. That little baking soda box (as long as its tucked away in the back of the fridge) is great for taking away odors. But it’s also good for everything from cleaning your teeth to creating all-natural body scrubs.

Baking Soda Bathroom: By brushing your teeth with baking soda, you can effectively clean your teeth, either by dipping your toothbrush into a baking soda/hydrogen peroxide solution or just add some baking soda to your usual toothpaste for an extra kick. Want to experiment with mouthwash? Mix some warm water with a few teaspoons of baking soda and use it to rinse out your mouth for a fast, fresh feeling. Want to clean your oral care appliances? Leave dentures, mouth guards, or other dental products to soak overnight in a solution of two teaspoons baking soda in a cup of warm water.

Baking Soda Spa: If you want to avoid fragrance-heavy and nongreen beauty products, use baking soda as a facial exfoliate. Find the water-to-baking soda ratio that works for you and scrub it on your face or skin, then wash away with warm water. Experiment with essential oils to give it a scent.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo by RowdyKittens

I never thought my bathroom would start to have a green transformation, but it has. There’s a drying rack (also known as a clothes horse) sitting next to my tub. It’s right there, in front of the bathtub and the sink. As household items go, it looks cozy, quant, and helpful. I  feel like I’ve somehow traveled back to the days of Little House on the Prairie. I don’t mind it.

Upon learning that I could save hundreds of pounds of carbon dioxide emissions every year by drying my clothes on a drying rack or clothesline, I’ve set myself a challenge, namely to rack-dry as much as possible over the next month and then see if there’s a drop in my bill.

When I went shopping for my drying rack, I chose one that was tall (about 3 ½ feet) rather than some of the wider, shorter choices available, for the greatest space economy. Also, out of the several available at my local household goods store, pick the one that’s the most sturdy if you want to try larger items of clothing on it.

I haven’t stopped using a dryer for the larger things but so far, I’ve been hand washing small items like socks, underwear, or tee shirts – things that I can safely experiment with to see if they become wrinkly. Even if they do, it’s easy enough to get some steam going and watch the clothes slowly let go of the wrinkles. I’ve found it’s also a good idea to move the dryer rack outside into direct sunlight if I want to keep white fabrics looking bright. I’ve noticed, though, that, even in the brief time that I’ve been experimenting with drying racks, that colored clothing can lose their brightness if dried outside, so turning them inside out is a good idea. That’s another thing I’ve noticed about rack-drying your clothes. It forces you to slow down.

So far, we’re right on track. We may not know if we’re saving money yet, but we’re definitely helping the environment – and taking time to smell the roses as well.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo by storebukkebruse

Green cleaning is a new concept for me. I’ve never done this before and I’ll be the first to admit it. I used to think that green cleaning was only something to try if you were nowhere near civilization or had accidentally fallen through time to 19th century Oklahoma. It turns out that I can appreciate green cleaning without falling through a time rip and over the last several weeks, I’ve read dozens of statistics that unanimously support going green. I’ve slowly made the transition from non-green cleansers to green, store-bought cleansers.
Lately, though, I’ve become inspired to step up my green, so to speak, and use household items instead of green cleaning products.

While I remember mom mopping the floors with a mixture of vinegar and water, it’s only recently that I’ve begun my foray into the great adventures of cleaning green. So far, I’ve accumulated an interesting list of kitchen essentials – right from my own kitchen – and so far, they are working nontoxic wonders.

Vinegar

Vinegar is my first big staple. Since reading and researching several vinegar-loving sites in the last few weeks, I’ve learned that not only does vinegar clean my countertops, but also the acid can get rid of all kinds of bacteria and germs. An added bonus is that, like most people, I’m sensitive to the harsh smell of cleanser, but white distilled vinegar smells sweet and clean.

Baking Soda

Another die-hard, green staple is baking soda. (I also remember my mother keeping a small box of baking soda by her sink. She’d brush her teeth with regular paste and then clean her teeth again with the baking soda). Baking soda is not only a great tooth cleanser, but it’s also good for cleaning tarnished silver by mixing together three parts baking soda and one part water. I rubbed the mixture onto the silver and then rinsed with warm water – it looked like new.

My kitchen is slowly starting to transform into a very, very different place than it was two months ago. The greener my kitchen becomes, the less money I am spending, the healthier I feel, and the more I’m doing for the environment.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo by panyvinito

Did you ever take the time to read the warning labels on the backs of most household cleansers? Most basic cleaning products (with the exception of environmentally friendly lines) are chock full of dangerous toxins. However, using natural and non-toxic methods can get your house clean while protecting your health and respecting the environment.

Lemon

Due to the acid in the citrus, lemon is a natural stain remover. It’s also a fantastic natural cleanser and  green bleach.

Another great thing about lemons? They can be used to remove stains from everything from pots to clothing, just sprinkle some juice directly on the stain. (Rust, mildew stains or tarnish can all be removed from clothing or kitchenware by mixing lemon juice with some salt.) Make sure to wash fabric right after the lemon treatment, though.

Vinegar

Vinegar is harmless, non-toxic, and a fantastic, multi-purpose cleanser. It’s non-pollutant and non-toxic – as green as can be! I can speak from personal experience – this one has become a favorite in my kitchen. Vinegar and water mixed together (the more vinegar, the stronger the “cleanser” will be) becomes a great kitchen spray. It’s perfect for cleaning kitchen or bathroom countertops.To clean the green way, get to know the many uses for vinegar. Use vinegar to clean windows by mixing ½ cup of it to every gallon of water and pouring inside a spray bottle. To get vinegary-fresh tile floors, mop with the same vinegar-and-water mixture.  Brian Clark Howard mentions that vinegar is a great way to remove bacteria and other residues from fresh fruit and veggies, too. Much better than those expensive produce cleansers from the supermarket!

by Marissa Cohen

Photo by Golf Bravo1

In the recent articles, Green Laundry, Parts 1 and Part 2, we looked at several great tips to make laundry day environmentally friendly. Thanks to the fact that driers use about as much energy as your average refrigerator, many experts suggest using a clothesline for at least some, if not all, of your laundry load. The world outside our laundry rooms can provide us with natural wind and sun, two things that can help save over 700 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per family per year. But how do you put up a clothesline?

How To Put Up a Clothesline

Clothesline should run north and south in order to maximize sunlight, but also should be more or less out of your daily sight, because who wants to look out of their window and see a clothesline and not, say, flowers? You can either purchase a ready-made clothesline pole set or set about the exciting weekend project of creating your very own clothesline. (Just make sure that Junior is inside and his Smartphone confiscated, unless you want this DIY adventure to go viral.)

Get some galvanized iron pipes, hooks, and cement. Dig a hole that is about one foot wide and one foot deep, put the pole inside and then pour in some cement mixed with water. Repeat the same process for the second pole. There are several different kinds of clotheslines and each has a different method of installation.

Many, many people find it very easy to install a clothesline. You can even purchase clothesline kits at your local hardware store. (In our family, we don’t have that kind of  coordination to get seriously involved with galvanized iron pipes and then be that daring to throw cement into the mix. I’m certain the dog would be lost forever.)

For more instructions on how to put up a clothesline, check out these great links from eHow or LiteGreenLiving.com.

How Far Apart Should the Poles Be?

Clothesline poles should be far enough apart to accommodate your laundry  because you don’t want heavy items dragging. Be sure to make the hooks (which hold the clothesline) high up. Once you put wet clothes on it, the whole thing will droop so making sure that the line is a bit taller than you is a good idea.

And, once your project is over, you can give Junior back his Smartphone.

by Marissa Cohen

Photo by MrB-MMX