208 replies to this topic

[Lucy]

Thought it would be good to create a thread for ideas for going green in your own home.

recycling glass, plastics, cans, etc..
compost


any other ideas....

[mommymumbles]

I like this idea for a thread!

I too am looking for ideas.

Growing your own garden
Limiting water use
re-using as many items as you can
biking/walking instead of using the car, when you can

Anyone else?

[soccerbai123]

Since I am just living in an apartment, I cannot do gardening but I use to do that in my own home.
I help the environment by recycling some products like softdrink bottles, I cut it in half and use it as a container.
I do not use electricity that much and I turn off all the lights if not needed.

[lorindaleigh]

There is a way for you to garden if you live in an apartment. You can have a patio garden. Use multi-level boxes. Try googling apartment gardening.

[godarna]

Use energy saving lights in stead of ordinary bulbs.
Collect rainwater in a tank on the roof, to water the garden during periods of drought.
Shower with cold water during the hot season.

[nick87]

The typical home wastes 20% of energy from not having good temperature control, so proper insulation inside of the home is a good way to start. Energy star appliances also waste less energy, for an appliance to get a rating of energy star qualification the government oversees that it really does waste less energy, so it's not just a company advertising something that may not be true.

[artistry]

Just wanted to leave a nessage. My computer is whacko, so I will be back to the Forum when I have the oroblem fixed. Thabks so much fior the card. Really appreciate it. Take care.

[mommymumbles]

A couple more ideas for going green in your home:

Make you own dish soap

Just combine the following-
1 cup of borax
1 cup of baking soda
¼ cup of table salt
2 packets (half an ounce) of unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid

Make Your Own Laundry Softener

Add 1/2 cup baking soda to the rinse cycle (using cold water for the rinse cycle) for soft fresh towels and sheets.

[esims2003]

Using essential oils to do household cleaning is one way to "going green".  I use 10 drops of tea tree oil mixed with water in a spray bottle as an all purpose cleaner and disinfectant.  Vinegar is also an excellent all purpose cleaner. It always amazes me how a simple mixture can work so well.

[mommymumbles]

esims2003, on 24 September 2011 - 03:56 PM, said:

Using essential oils to do household cleaning is one way to "going green".  I use 10 drops of tea tree oil mixed with water in a spray bottle as an all purpose cleaner and disinfectant.  Vinegar is also an excellent all purpose cleaner. It always amazes me how a simple mixture can work so well.

I love these tips, esim2003! It really is amazing how many ways we can use natural products in our home for different things, such as cleaning. It helps our environment as well as our wallets. Vinegar is an excellent cleaner, I agree. I use it in the dishwasher all the time. Baking soda is another item with countless uses. So is oatmeal, salt, lemons...really the list goes on and on!

[zararina]

Have a habit of separating waste that such as plastics, bottles, cans, papers and cartons. And then bring it to the junk shop or to those organization that collects such materials. Also try to have plants even just on pots since there are some plants that are easy to maintain/take care. And then save electricity and water the best we can.

[mommymumbles]

Yes, recycling is extremely important, Zararina. I also try to re-use as many things as I can. For example, instead of throwing away a cup with a broken handle, I will see if I can turn it into a cute pot for a plant. Coffee cans make great containers for pens and pencils and other things. It's easy enough to recover them in cute fabric or paper too. Even jar lids you can attach contact paper to and use as coasters, frames, spoon holders when cooking, and so on.

It actually can be fun trying to get creative and come up with ways to reuse something you would otherwise toss out.

[catnap]

mommymumbles, on 25 September 2011 - 03:46 PM, said:

For example, instead of throwing away a cup with a broken handle, I will see if I can turn it into a cute pot for a plant.

What a neat idea!  I really love this.

There are so many good suggestions in this thread.  Temperature control is the most recent thing I've tackled at my home.  I make sure to turn the thermostat up when we leave for work in the mornings since no one is home to worry about being cool.

[neodoxa]

Here is a list of a few ways you can "go green" and cut back on your waste, emissions, etc...

http://www.thedailyg...siest?click=nav

Something as simple as just paying your bills online rather than from printed mail can really add up and help the cause.

Neodoxa

[mommymumbles]

I found this recipe for a homemade natural dishwasher detergent. It actually works well, and is cheaper than store bought boxes of dishwasher soap. And of course, is better for the environment.

1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup citric acid

Shake thoroughly or stir and store in tightly covered jar. Use one tablespoon per load. For best results add white vinegar to the rinse dispenser.

Arm and Hammer makes a washing soda also known as sodium carbonate. It is a natural substance made from salt and limestone. Borax is a naturally occurring substance in the environment and you can usually find it in the laundry detergent isle. Kosher salt is a pure salt.

source

[mariaandrea]

I live in an apartment and I've found that living as green as possible also saves me money, which is very important to me as well. I use canvas or re-usable shopping bags for most grocery store purchases, but I also have some packed into paper bags which I use as garbage bags at home. I'm lucky enough to live in a city where food waste can be put in the yard waste bin where it'll go to make compost. Our building has only one trash dumpster and three recycling dumpsters so we make good use of those. I clean with vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda mostly. I use CFL bulbs in most fixtures and rechargeable batteries in our electronics.

[mommymumbles]

neodoxa, on 09 October 2011 - 09:51 AM, said:

Here is a list of a few ways you can "go green" and cut back on your waste, emissions, etc...

http://www.thedailyg...siest?click=nav

Something as simple as just paying your bills online rather than from printed mail can really add up and help the cause.

Neodoxa

I checked out this list, thanks, neodoxa! I have started washing clothes with cold water, and also am being far more careful when idling the car engine. I am guilty of doing that too long when picking up my kids from school So no more. Thanks for the list!

[milkdonormama]

I have a family of four, including two little kids. I just transitioned to be a stay at home mom so now I have more time for "green" activities. Here is what we do in our home:

• Cloth diaper
  
• I use cloth "mama" pads
  
• I breastfeed- my baby is 15 months old and "still" nursing
  
• We buy used clothing, books and toys whenever possible
  
• I reuse materials for making crafts, gifts and wrapping gifts
  
• I have a worm farm for composting food waste
  
• We compost yard waste in our city
  
• We recycle
  
• We wear more clothes in winter and keep the furnace set to just 66

[duffield1]

I'd add a tip for the garden - every year, we prune a huge number of branches and twigs off our shrubs and trees, and have previously taken them down to the local refuse collection facility where they are chipped.

Last year, I put together a bit of cash with family and neighbours and we invested in our own garden waste chipper. Now we chip our clippings ourselves and use them as a mulch on the garden. They rot down and provide the soil with extra nutrients, and also provide a natural barrier to stop weeds coming up and reduce the need for watering.

[Liv]

There are some really good ideas here and I want to thank everyone for taking the time to share. I am particularly pleased with the homemade dishwasher powder, because that stuff costs a fortune!! I would also love to grow my own garden, but the foul weather here has always put me off. I will have to look in to what exactly I could grow.