208 replies to this topic

[Usty]

Reuse scrape paper, unplug appliances when not in use, line dry your clothing, wash clothing with cold water, and 5 minute showers.

[lovelikewinter3]

I use vinegar and baking soda for cleaning, rubbing alcohol for "yucky" messes. We wash our clothes once a week, making sure that everything being washed is actually dirty (we have coin operated machines, so it saves us money as well as energy). When it's cold, we throw a blanket on the couch for when we're watching movies/playing on the computer instead of increasing the heat. I'm working on crocheting myself a thick fuzzy hat, instead of buying a new one this year (last year's is getting a tad ratty). Little things every day add up

[carol4]

I think that going green is a process.  You do one thing at a time until it becomes a habit. I started using vinegar and baking soda to clean my house.  Not only am I saving money but providing a non toxic environment.  I make a paste with the baking soda and clean my bathrooms instead of the toxic spray.

[Julie]

I use lemon juice to clean most things and cider vinegar for tougher jobs.
I have a small lidded bucket conveniently situated by my sink where I can put stuff suitable for the compost heap.
I live with my daughter and when either of us goes for a pee we yell out "Should I flush?" if the other person reckons they could "go" within the next (say) 10 minutes then answer is "No" (I tend to answer "no" more frequently than her - maybe it's my age!!!). We do NOT do this for solids....
I layer clothing rather than turning up the heating.
I save rainwater for houseplants and cleaning jobs (windows etc)
I switch everything off at night - and am ashamed that I left appliances on "Stand-By" for too many years.

[lucky120]

Well I have to say recycle everyday. I would say as well make sure that you use go green items. I usually try and use cleaning products and stuff that does not have a lot of chemicals in it. You can use some hair products as well that is all natural, but sometimes you will be looking at a lot of prices that may not meet your needs. If you want to go green then I would use those type of items so that you will have a big advantage on everything. Good luck to you all as well.

[carol4]

I think if all do our part, slowly the planet will survive and thrive.  I have been thinking about cutting down on the length of my morning shower. Our toilets and faucets all have water-savers installed. One of the things I do, which you might not have thought as a "green thing" is never buying prepared foods.  Most of what we eat is fresh food.  Staying healthy is another way to keeping medical costs down.

[lovelikewinter3]

Cutting off the "phantom power" from the accursed "standby" setting was one of the easiest ways to save money and cut consumption. It's amazing how much a little trickle does, especially when it's coming from multiple outlets. The ability to flick a switch and know that my appliances are cut off from electricity is kind of exciting!

[carol4]

I have never heard of that.  Sounds pretty cool. Is  electricity high where you live? I think when you live in very cold or hot climate and spend a lot warming or cooling the house, you need  to find ways to save on electricity.  We have both gas and electricity.  I try to cut down on number of washing loads and use cold water.  It is a little thing, but everything we do can help.

[Alli]

Recycling is a big one. Growing your own food or choosing locally-grown food whenever possible is also good. Trying to use sustainable products whenever possible- like organic clothing can help, too.

[lexibethr]

We have replaced all of our windows and put more insulation in, I keep my temp down low and we just bundle up more. All of the appliances are energy star and we conserve water and wash all laundry in cold. Recycling is a must not just with glass cans paper but we also donate everything that we will no longer use or try to find a new use for them. I want to try the fresh garden but im afraid that I wont do well with it.

[Germs]

Usty, on 31 October 2011 - 01:26 PM, said:

Reuse scrape paper, unplug appliances when not in use, line dry your clothing, wash clothing with cold water, and 5 minute showers.

Very useful tips for beginners to use, if your new to going green then these are some simple things you can do.

[karmaman]

Heat the room you're in rather than the whole house. In the winter we save a lot of money by using an efficient space heater rather than our central furnace. We really only spend time in the living room/kitchen, which is connected, unless we are sleeping.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

lexibethr, on 18 November 2011 - 03:25 PM, said:

I want to try the fresh garden but i'm afraid that I wont do well with it.

Start small. Buy some seeds or small starter plants of produce you like and plant in containers.
Herbs too.
Don't overwhelm yourself. Once you have a few goodies growing, plant more the following year.

[tigerlily78]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 23 November 2011 - 04:33 AM, said:

Start small. Buy some seeds or small starter plants of produce you like and plant in containers.
Herbs too.
Don't overwhelm yourself. Once you have a few goodies growing, plant more the following year.

I would also recommend starting with a container garden. It's a good transition to gardening without all the investment and labor to establish a garden. If after a season or two you have been successful with the container garden, then it may be worthwhile to expand to a real garden.

If you like peppers (both bell and hot varieties) they are VERY easy to grow and do well in pots. You may find it beneficial to give them a tomato cage if you live in a windy area. Tomatoes also can be grown in pots, pick a plant variety with small to medium fruits.

Herbs in pots are fantastically useful and most are also easy to grow. I have thyme, oregano, sage, basil, rosemary, chives, mint, and catnip. The great thing is that you can pull most of these inside for the winter (if you have the sunny space) and keep them year round.  

Lettuces also do well in pots or containers as long as the weather is still fairly mild... most lettuces do not tolerate hot temps.

[eds]

We replaced all the lights in our house and
. . . cut our electric light bill in 1/2.

Many items around the home, use electricity,
. . . even when the are "Turned Off."
This is called phantom or Vampire load:
. . . . . . TV's,
. . . . . . TV cable boxes
. . . . . . DVD player/recorder(with clocks in them)
. . . . . . Microwave Ovens(with clocks in them)
. . . . . . some countertop kitchen appliances.

 powerstrip.jpg   26.83K   1 downloads

Quote

Purchase a power strip.
Plug your countertop kitchen appliances, such as the
. . . . . . toaster,
. . . . . . coffee maker,
. . . . . . juicer, and
. . . . . . blender into the strip.
When you need these appliances to make breakfast in the morning,
. . . just hit one button and they all have juice!
When you’re finished, just click them off and
. . . it stops the phantom load that the items would draw!

For more ways to save energy using power strips,
. . . see "VampireEnergy" in the "Download" section,

[kasheba]

Wow this is such an awesome thread so many great ideas as of right now i dont have any new ideas to share but i cant wait to start using these great tips and ideas.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Recycle
Install cfl's or led.s
Power strip all electrical equipment (except frig) and use the off switch when away or bedtime.
Most e-items power up quickly. Beware the vampires.
Garden
Wash in cold, hang dry (summer) drying rack (winter)-also adds humidity to the air.
Keep a large bucket in the shower/tub to hold water as you wait for it to heat up. Water plants, or
water a tree outside with it.
Clean with baking soda and vinegar; steam cleaners. Eliminate chemical cleaners.
Insulate, Insulate. Insulate.
Check all rooms for nooks/crannies-drafts. Heat loss-a/c can be high through small holes.
Check pipes coming in, window frames, doors, electrical plugs on outside walls. Plug kits are available
or just use leftover pieces of insulation.
Turn down thermostat in winter, add a sweater or robe.
Turn up thermostat in summer, use fans to help circulate the air.
Shade a/c; they have to work harder in full sun.
Plant trees.
Eliminate grass. Plant native plants in your area that are drought tolerant.
Compost.
Install a counter-top water filter. Better than using bottled water. Even if you recycle the plastic bottles,
you're still using more oil/gas for those bottles.
Reusable bags for shopping.
If the label on your food has more than 3 ingredients, the rest is chemicals and fillers.
Buy local.
Buy farmers market.
Keep your car tuned up, tires checked for pressure. Less mpg with low tires.
Low flow toilet/shower. Or put a full liter plastic bottle in toilet. Less water to flush.
Buy organics.
Have the kids unplug cell phones/games-etc. after they're charged up and unplug chargers.
Switch to wind up or battery clocks vs. electric clocks.

[Zachariah]

What about adding a cistern water displacement device to your toilet. They save about 30% of the water used when flushing after you've had a clearance. Every time you flush, depending on your toilet, about 10 litres of water is used which is excessive. Some toilets are not in need of this but if you have an older thunder throne you may want to consider it.

[magickat]

Energy wastage is a huge problem, we have a very well insulated attic and our energy company provided us with a monitor to see exactly how much electricity you are using, it really makes you start turning off unused appliances etc.

[jacobnomi]

We discovered a great way to control ants in the kitchen without using chemicals or traps. Ants dislike cinnamon and either powder or sticks can block ant pathways. The coolest thing though is controlling the ants without using anything at all. Keep your counters really clean. If you miss a few crumbs, they'll probably come back. That's when you break out the noisemakers. A stainless steel pot cover seems to work best. Crash it down on the counter a few times--not near the ants, you don't want to harm them. They'll start stampeding towards their escape route. Watch for stragglers and encourage them by using the pot cover to herd them to their bolt-hole. Eventually, when they see you come into the kitchen, they start to leave on their own.