Vinegar and Vodka = Natural Cleaners

I realized the other day that I have never, not even one time, talked about how to make cleaning supplies with vinegar. Which is just awful because if you look at any other green blog it's probably going to be one of the first things they will tell you to start doing. But today I am going to remedy that by not only telling you about the wonderful things you can do with a little vinegar in a spray bottle but about another, surprising, liquid that can help you clean around the house and avoid using nasty chemicals - vodka. Yup I you read it right, vodka. Now you'll have an excuse to have a little drink while you're cleaning the house. How much better can it get?

White Distilled Vinegar
The most basic surface cleaning recipe I found for vinegar is this:

• Equal parts water and white distilled vinegar
• Essential oils as desired for smell
• Shake well before using to be sure that everything is mixed up
  

I mean, how much easier can you get? I looked around for a recipe that could be made using apple cider vinegar (since you might already have a bottle in the house if you have decided to go no 'poo) but I couldn't find any. However, I did stumble across this page from the Vinegar Institute that has recipes that use vinegar for everything from freshening up your laundry to making sure that your car windows don't frost overnight.

Vodka
Yes, that's right. You can use vodka around the house as you clean ... can you imagine being able to take a swig out of your spray bottle whenever you wanted to and not having to call the poison control center after you do it? Oh the freedom (and the fun)! With these as one of my household cleaning tools, I might actually want to do some cleaning.

Here are few of the things you can do with vodka, all of which I found on a page from a website called the Daily Green.

• Bug Repellent
• Spraying directly onto the bugs or on yourself will help to keep you from becoming a moving buffet.
  
• Hair Beautifier
• Adding a jigger (1 1/2 ounces) to your bottle of shampoo (you'll need to add 1 1/2 oz for every 12 oz in the bottle) will help keep your locks soft and shiney.
  
• Mold Killer
• Load up your spray bottle and let fly. Let it sit for about 15 minutes and then attack with a toothbrush and your problem should be solved!
  
• The Natural Version of Febreeze
• Just spritz it on your smelly clothes and let it dry in a well ventilated place. When the vodka's dry it won't leave an odor and it will take the nasty ones with them! (A tip that can also be helpful the next time you want to sneak out to the bars ...)
  
• Poison Ivy Remedy
• When poured directly onto the affected area right after exposure, vodka will wash away the oil that will make you itchy and give you that nasty rash. It just one more reason why taking that flask with you on your next camping trip is actually a great idea!

Conserve: Electricty in the Laundry Room

Now that you aren't using your dryer anymore and are getting the maximum usage of your drying line (you are, aren't you?) in the backyard before you move the operation indoors for the winter, I think it's high time to talk about how you can save energy in your washing machine.

If you go to Google and type in "wash in cold" the first page that comes up is one from Carbon Conscious Consumer and I can tell you that every page after that pretty much will tell you the same thing (and then tell you that they got it from this page). It pretty much says that heating water uses a ton of energy nationwide and that you really don't need to wash in hot water to get your clothes clean.

And I can attest to that. I have been washing my clothes in the cold/cold cycle for so long that I can't even remember when I started. I do know that the reason I started was that I found out that washing in cold means that when you wash that new red shirt in a load of whites (yes, I am speaking from experience here), everything comes out the same color it was when it went in.

If you're worried about the nasties in your clothes stop and think about it. How dirty do you really get during the day? If you aren't a toddler, I bet the answer is not very. I throw a little bit of color safe bleach with every load anyway to make sure that my clothes are genuinely clean.

If you need to wash something in hot water there are still a few things that you can do to cut down on your energy consumption. Use the warm option instead of hot and be sure to use cold in the rinse cycle (it's the warm/cold setting on your washer).

And of course, using an Energy Star washer will save you even more.

Online Shopping vs. The Mall

I know that I provide you with a lot of links that take you to websites where you can purchase things to help you green up your life ... but have you ever wondered weather or not online shopping is better or worse for the environment? It's something that I've been thinking about lately. Sure, I could buy all of my 7th Generation products from Amazon but I know that I can also get them at some grocery stores. Is it worth purchasing everything online? I decided that I wanted to find out.

There is no getting around the fact that in order to get anything you need you'll probably have to burn some gas to get it. Unless you have a big basket on your bike and live fairly close to the store and you have the leg power to get you there and back (if you do, you are my hero). But if you consider the distances and the number of trips it takes for you to get the item that you're looking for, you will probably find that online shopping is better suited for some products while physically going to the store is better for others.

The Grocery Store
A typical trip to the grocery store for me has two legs: I drive there and then I drive home. As long as I know that you will find everything on my list in one store, I figure it can't hurt to drive there. But you can get your groceries delivered to your door if you would rather. You can read an article about it here and you might want to look at companies like Netgrocer and Dinewise if your local grocer doesn't have their shopping site online yet. Personally, I like to get out of my house every now and then and I think grocery shopping is something that you don't have to take online if you don't want to.

If you want to be a little greener about it (and have more fun at the same time), ask your neighbor if they want to go along with you. You'll save gas when you carpool and it will be great bonding time for the two, or maybe three, or you. If you're scared to ask your neighbor to go with you because you've never talked to them before, you can start the conversation by making them a batch of cookies just to be nice.

The Mall
This was quite interesting to read about online when I was doing my research for this article. There are several things that malls are doing these days to green up the way they run business. This includes providing recycling options for retailers when they are disposing of their cardboard stock boxes to putting a garden on the roof! However, this doesn't make up for the fact that these sprawling malls take up a ton of land space, space that probably was a farm at one time, and covers it with tons of asphalt. This alters the landscape and can cause all sorts of drainage problems when rain water can't be absorbed into the ground like normal. You can read about all the different problems that can come from paving large areas in this article from Florida.

But again, you can make a mall trip only have two legs: one to get there and one to get back. And usually when I go to the mall I go with another person so I carpool too. But depending on where you live, your mall could be very far away (it takes me 20-30 minutes to get to mine) and the traffic could be terrible on the drive over. My mall is in the middle of a commercial area with tons of apartments and neighborhoods around it which means that there is always traffic and there are tons of stoplights.

Shopping Online
There are many benefits to taking your recreational shopping habits online rather than to the mall.

1. You save gas, time and energy.
• You save money on gas because you don't have to drive to get to your computer, hopefully.
  
• You save time because you don't have to drive anywhere and you can find websites with the wares you want in 5 minutes with a Google search.
• You save energy in two forms: it costs less and does less harm to the earth when you run an internet search than it does for you to drive to the mall and back home. Also, you don't have to wear yourself out walking around the mall to go to every store that you need to.
  
2. You can shop and compare from multiple stores at once, in the same browser.
• The next time you're at the mall and you see a pair of pants you like but you want to compare them to the pants that they have in the store down the hall, you have no way of doing that without getting tackled by a security guard in the end.
• Using the internet you can read reveiws and compare your pants to any other pants your little heart may desire without the fear of getting any shoplifting charges added to your rap sheet.
  
3. You can find exactly what you want instead of settling for something close.
• There are lots of times when I go shopping I have a picture of something in my mind but I can't find it anywhere and I end up settling for something that's close but may be something that I don't necessarily want.
• You may have trouble finding all the eco-friendly products that you need at a store near you. Rather than drive all around town, you can check around online and find exactly what you want.

I found a couple articles that are worth reading about the benefits of shopping online, for you and the environment. This EcoIQ article sums it up very well and while this New York Times article may not be about online shopping, it talks about how shopping malls affect our environment. Quite interesting.

The bottom line is, if you can get everything in one trip at the same store without spending a bundle to get there, then shopping in the real world is the way to go. If you know that what you want is going to be hard to find then I think that online shopping is the way to go. Use your head, be smart, and shop on my greenie friends.

Line Drying - Back in Style

Line drying your clothes isn't just for your grandmother anymore. There is a movement afoot in the green community to get back into the habit of line drying your clothing for a few reasons.

1. It will save you money.
• No joke! Your dryer, refrigerator and washer are the biggest electricity hogs in your house.
• The sun acts as a bleaching agent and it's antibacterial which means that you don't have to buy any more bleach.
  
2. It's relaxing.
• Just pretend that you're playing house in the 1950's. Dig out that apron you have with the ruffles and saunter into your back yard to get to work - I like to do it at least. The trick is to reward your hard work with a martini when you get back in the house.
  
• Lots of blogs I've read on the subject mention that it's just nice to spend some time outside and getting their chores done all at the same time, and I agree.
  
3. Your clothes will last longer.
• The lint that you pull off the screen in your dryer comes from your clothes, but did you know that it's because they're being destroyed? I never put 2 and 2 together until a few months ago.
• The less time your clothes spend in the dryer the more fibers stay in your clothes which will make it much easier to make it through the 365 no new duds challenge with your pants in one piece.
  
4. Your clothes will smell "sunshine fresh".
• Another common 'thread' (haha) in blogs and articles about line drying is just how good your clothes will smell when you bring them down off the line.
• You can stop paying more for the smelly detergents because you are now getting the smell for free.

Don't believe me? Check out this Mom Advice article on the subject as well as Thrifty Jinxy's thoughts on the matter (which also happens to be an Ideal Bite tip!). They will pretty much tell you the same thing. The Mom Advice article also give you some great ideas on how to reduce the amount of wrinkles in your clothes as they dry on the line.

Don't let your line drying days come to an end when it starts to get cold outside! You can just as easily dry your launder on a few folding racks, which is what I use right now anyway. I find that my clothes get dry just as fast as they do when they are in the dryer and I haven't had any trouble with stiff clothes at all, something that can happen when you dry outside.

Now that I know you're all ready to get out there and line dry your clothes you will need some supplies to get you started. Here's where to get the goods:

1. A clothes line
• I found this outdoor clothes line setup that was something I thought I might like ... if I had a backyard.
• You might also want to consider a retractable clothes line if you don't want a giant thing standing in your back yard all the time.
  
2. A drying rack
• Thanks to Ideal Bite, here is a site that is dedicated to sustainable production of wooden drying racks and boy do they have a bunch of styles. I was really impressed.
3. Clothes pins
• You can't get the clothes to stay on the line without these little guys! You can find them several places around town probably.
• Here are some wooden clothes pins and here are some plastic clothes pins. I personally prefer the wooden ones.
  
4. Clothespin bag
• Here is a basic clothes pin bag.
  
• But you can also make your own with things that you already have in your house. Check out these awesome instructions I found for this style and these other equally awesome instructions to make another style.
  
5. A ruffled apron and martini shaker
• This apron will blow your neighbors away.
• These aprons have a very vintage look to them if you really want to look authentic.
• I found a site called Martini Art that should become your one stop shop for any martini supplies you might ever want or need. They even have drink recipes!

And there you have it. Every question you may have had about line drying your clothes answered and several resources at your finger tips. So what are you waiting for? I'll see you in the back yard!

Conserve: Water in the Kitchen

Since I recently looked at the many ways that you can conserve water in your bathroom, I thought I might look into conserving water in the kitchen. And when you look at conserving water in the kitchen you can't help but stumble upon the question that everyone is asking ...

Is it better to hand-wash dishes or use the dishwasher?

Well, I am here to tell you that every website I looked at said the same thing. Dishwashers use less water overall than you would if you were hand-washing your dishes. Especially if you have a energy star dishwasher. There was even a study that proves that using a dishwasher is better for the environment than if you were to wash your dishes by hand. This is a link to an article on Tree Hugger than also has a link to the study.

So now that we have that figured out, are there any other ways to save conserve water in the kitchen? You bet there is.

1. Make sure the dishwasher is FULL before you run it.
• It not only saves water, it saves you money and the time that you would spend putting away those 5 loads that could have all gone in at the same time.
  
2. Don't let water run down the drain.
• Don't defrost meat by running water on it. Plan ahead and let it thaw in the fridge or use the defrost feature on your microwave.
  
• When you rise your veggies, do it in a plugged sink or in a bowl of cool water.
• Consider keeping a jug of tap water in the fridge so that it's just the right level of chilly so that you don't have to wait for the tap to get really cold.
• Save all the grey water you can! You can use it to water the garden or anything else you can think of.
3. Use your garbage disposal sparingly.
• You will save quite a bit of money by not running the water to wash all the nasties down your sink.
  
• What is your other option? Start your own compost bin! Save water and make your own dirt for your garden.
  
4. Get an aerator for your kitchen sink.
• By these work like a low flow shower head and can significantly cut down on the amount of water you use.
  
5. Be sure to have any leaks fixed.
• Leaks = wasted water (and a higher utility bill).

I found these and other fabulous tips at the Queensland Government site, Savewater.co.au, and The Town of Cary site.

Conserve: Water in the Bathroom

If you want to take your water conservation out of the shower and into your bathroom as a whole, I found some great tips and ideas for that too! Below are the best 4 that I found.

1. Watch your toilet bowl!
   
• If you have the money and the desire, go to your nearest home improvement store and buy a new low flow toilet to replace the water guzzler you have now.
  
• If you don't have the cash to replace all your pottys don't fret, you can put a bottle or bag of rocks in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water you use when you flush.
• While it may make you think of college boys being lazy, you might want to consider this rhyme: "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down". Not flushing every time can save water and money for you. Just make sure that you don't let it sit forever because that's gross and it'll probably start to smell. And any house guests you might have will probably be a little put off if they were to discover it.
2. Get an aerator for your sink faucet.
• They act like a low flow shower head and mix a little bit of air with your water so that you end up using less water overall. Check out this little beauty on Green Feet.com
  
3. Check for leaks and get them fixed.
• A leaking facet or toilet can waste a ton of water and cost you more on your utility bill.
• By finding and fixing leaks, you can save yourself from wasting around 400 gallons a month.
• To find a leak in your toilet, just drop some food coloring into the tank. If it ends up in the bowl without a flush involved, you've got a leak.
  
4. Don't let the water run!
• Now I'm sure that once in childhood you were reminded not to let the water run while you brush your teeth, and you really shouldn't.
  
• While it may not save you a ton of water, you can still save about 3 gallons a day by just turning off the water when you aren't using it.

Keep working to save water and save the planet!

Brown Bagging It ...

If you don't already take your lunch with you to work, then it's something that you really, really should consider making a habit. Once you start I will promise you that you will wonder why you haven't been doing it for years! I know that you will get several things out of taking your lunch to work: the satisfaction of reducing the waste you send to the landfill, eating healthier (hopefully), and you will save money. How do I know these things you might ask? Because I bring my lunch to work with me almost everyday and I have experienced these results first hand.

First, lets look at how you will be reducing the amount of trash you send to the landfill. By bringing your lunch with you to work, you have the opportunity to have a waste free meal if you pack all your food is reusable containers and carry it all to work in a reusable lunch bag. Just take a moment and think about how much waste is produced when you're done with your value meal:

• The cup, including the straw, the straw wrapper, and the lid
  
• The bag
  
• The napkins in the bag
  
• The wrapper for your burger or the box for your nuggets
• The container for your fries
  
• Any little extras like ketchup packets or receipts
  
• The wrapper from the toy (if you get a kid's meal), any instructions it comes with, and ultimately the toy itself when it breaks (they always do)
  

By taking the single, small step of bringing your lunch to work you will be practicing two out of the three R's: Reducing and Reusing. I spent a while looking around on the interenet to find products that are stylish, Earth friendly, and so easy to use that there could be no way that you avoid wanting to use them. These are my favorites:

• I thought that this lunch bag from Built NY was super cute and functional (I'm thinking about getting the one that folds out into a place mat). How could you go wrong? I would also take some time to check out the Built website, their products are awesome.
• These sandwich "baggies" aren't plastic! But they do just as good a job according to the reviews. Plus, they act as a plate too which would help cut down on the number of crumbs on your desk after you're done eating your sandwich.
• If you are feeling crafty and want to creatively recycle some of the stuff in your home, consider making your own sandwich wrapper! I found these instructions for making your own. Here is the post where I got the link to the blog article.

Now, I don't want to make your stomach turn, but do you know what you're eating when you go to McDonald's? Do you understand just how many calories you are consuming in one single sitting when you have your double cheeseburger with large fries and large Coke? You might be shocked by the answer: Over half of your recommended calorie intake for an entire day. Not to mention the fact that while McDonald's has been talking about it, not all of their restaurants use trans-fat free oil to fry their french fries and so you could be getting about 7 grams of it every time you eat an entire serving of fries. Don't believe me? Check out the nutrition page and calorie calculator on the McDonald's website and see for yourself.

NOTE: But don't get me wrong, I eat at McDonald's every now and then and I am not fat or sick with a heart condition or at a greater risk for a heart attack (I hope) or anything. The name of the game when it comes to maintaining a healthy body weight and healthy eating habits is moderation. If you want it, don't make yourself go without it forever - that can sometimes lead to overeating in an effort to make up for whatever it is you're craving (believe me, I've done this before too). In fact, talking about McDonald's is really making me want some. I might go get some for lunch.

If my other two points had no effect on your desire to start brown bagging it at work, maybe my last point will. I want to give you a quick breakdown on how much money you could save if you didn't eat out for lunch everyday. Let's assume for a moment that you get a $5 meal at a fast food place everyday.

• Lunches for one week means that you've spent $25
• Lunches for one month means that you've spent $100
• Lunches for one year means that you've spent $1,200
  

$1,200?! Just think of what you could do with that much money! You could go on a pretty sweet little vacation with your family or maybe just that special someone. Or you could pay off that credit card debt that just won't go away. That money could also equal 120 hours of babysitter pay (if they charge $10/hr) so that you can start dating your spouse again. Or you could start funding your retirement account. Or you could use it to help green up your house like installing solar panels on the roof or buying an energy efficient appliance to replace an old one. The possibilities are endless and just think that you could earn that much by getting up 10 minutes earlier and throwing together a salad or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.