208 replies to this topic

[yoder]

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.

"essential oils" is a fairly new term for me.  I remember I had to ask GTD (short poet) what they were.  I've yet to use any (probably because I don't know what to look for), but I'll have to keep an eye out for tea tree oil next time I'm at the Co-Op.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Glad to be of help.

[GreenQueen]

A few more ideas for making your home green is to pur some plastic up against your windows so that you dont have to turn the heat up as much. In the day time open  the blinds and let some natural heat from the sun in. Let the natural light in so that you can turn off the lights. Definitely use LED's and CFL's. The lifetime is good though the prics may be high. You energy efficient lightbulbs in rooms where there are children who are afraid of the dark. Avoid leaving that bathroom light on all night. Just a few tips. Thanks

[tinkerbulilit]

This is a good thread! Thanks for sharing. I am actually into trying those new ideas lately. I love the information shared in here.

Thanks guys! :)

[Nadia R.]

One way to go green at home is getting rid of the chemicals we use for personal care and cleaning. Some great recipes for cleaning were already shared in this thread. Here is a homemade toothpaste recipe that I use and am very happy with the results:
Ingredients

1. baking soda (cleanser); 2. essential oils; 3. xylitol (natural sweetener); 4. coconut oil (as a base).
Directions

• Mix the baking soda with coconut oil so that a thick paste is achieved. Adjust thickness by adding more coconut oil.
  
• Add a few drops of essential oil.

Notes:
Different essential oils are for different purposes:
- tea tree and lavender are for killing germs;
- lemon oil dissolves the plaque, kills the bacteria that cause gingivitis and strengthens the gums.
Lemon oil is not like lemon juice (one of the strongest food acids). Lemon oil is pH neutral. You need to dilute it in water and then add to toothpaste. But, in case of already existing issues with tooth enamel, then it is may be better to use another safe essential oil.
- peppermint, cinnamon and fennel are for flavor and freshness.
Essential oils are highly concentrated. That’s why always use a few drops only and make sure the one you use will not harm you in case of ingestion.
Natural toothpaste should be especially considered for toddlers who often ingest toothpaste while learning to brush their teeth.

[GreenQueen]

I am in a dorm and I can't really do much either inside of here. I did change all of the lightbulbs to CFL's. I put up a water saving shower head and plastic over the windows so that I could turn down the heat in here. I can't do much but surely as much as I can.

[jbgreen]

Reading this post really made me conscious of the excessive energy I use and things I waste that could be put to better use and help the environment. I guess that's one of the themes of the green movement, to become conscious of waste and how it effects the environment overall.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

A continuing "teachable" moment.

[joeldgreat]

From my Article : ( http://expertscolumn.com/content/simple-steps-how-plant-tree)
Summary of the tips included here.
Simple Steps on How to Plant a Tree

1. Decide where you want to plant the tree.
2. Find out if the area you chose is suitable for a tree.
3. Determine how tall you would like the tree to grow.
4. Get permission from the powers that be.
1.    5. Buy the tree.
  6.Transport the tree to the site.
3.    7. Use a shovel to dig a hole.
4.    8. Remove any container or burlap covering the root ball and loosen the soil around the roots.
5.    9. Place the tree in the hole.
6.    10. When is the best time to plant a tree?
7.    11. Fill in the holes.
8.    12. Water the tree.
9.    13. Make your tree a blanket of mulch.
10   14. Take a moment to savor your handiwork.

[Sustained Living]

Watering your lawn and things like that usually contribute to about 33% of your water bill and during droughts you cant maintain your yard one of the best ways of going green I think is saving your own water treating it and using it instead of utility water which has chemicals anyways, but there is a list of reasons to do it to check out this art http://www.sustained..._own_water.html

[Shortpoet-GTD]

joeldgreat, on 19 December 2011 - 04:02 PM, said:

Use a shovel to dig a hole.

Regarding that;
make the hole bigger around than deep. It needs to be deep enough to be at the same level as it
was in the pot, but not too deep that the roots get smothered.
And never plant or transplant a tree in summer. It's doomed to failure. Fall is best, or early spring,
if the ground can be worked.

[tigerlily78]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 20 December 2011 - 03:25 AM, said:

Regarding that;
make the hole bigger around than deep. It needs to be deep enough to be at the same level as it
was in the pot, but not too deep that the roots get smothered.
And never plant or transplant a tree in summer. It's doomed to failure. Fall is best, or early spring,
if the ground can be worked.

Another tip... it's often a good idea to start digging the hole BEFORE you go to buy the tree, particularly if you already have a good idea about what size tree you will be planting. Here in Georgia especially because of our hard red clay soil people often start with the best of intentions, run to the nursery and buy a tree or a number of shrubs, and then fail to actually get all the holes dug to plant the things. If you dig a starter hole first you can always expand it as needed to accomodate your root bulb, and then you will have already done half the work. It also gives your a chance to identify any potential obstacles and check with your utility for buried power lines. Large buried rocks, trash mounds, changes in the soil at depth can all make digging a hole in preparation for the tree take longer than anticipated.

[GreenQueen]

You could also shop at the salvation army and at plato's closet. I once went there to help my brother with his project. We cut some old clothes up and used it for his work. It was really cheap and I didn't have to spend a lot of money.

[MakingCents]

One thing I"ve started doing is using old t-shirts and rags instead of dust cloths, paper towels etc.   I used to spill a glass of milk and get the paper towels to clean it up, now I get one of the old rags, clean it up with and then throw it in the laundry.   We take like 2 months now to get through 2 roll of paper towels.

[Sustained Living]

You could build one of these and save 25-27% of your power bills remove the spaces im not allowed to post links, so sorry... sustained living . org / content / articles / diyposheater . html


It give you information on materials and the formulas... you can build 7 or them or so for 120-140 bucks and replace your water heater and save 300 or so bucks yearly .. and seeing as how its a huge reduction it makes it easier to roll over to 100% renewable energy production when combined with other power savers

[Shortpoet-GTD]

More ideas here:
http://www.ways2gogr...t-Go-Green.aspx

[Hysssss-teria]

You know those swarms of pesky little soil gnats that like to congregate around your indoor potted plants? Well, here's a nifty little homemade trap that works like a charm :)

Color both sides of an index card bright yellow with a highlighter or crayon. Glue a wood craft stick or Popsicle stick to one of the short sides of the card to form a stake. Coat both sides of the colored card with a thick layer of Vaseline (vegetable oil works, too, but not as well).

Poke the stake into the soil of your potted plant. Gnats are attracted to yellow objects, so they'll flock to the trap and get stuck in the Vaseline.

When you no longer see gnats flying around, you can pretty well bet you've got them all. It's a good idea to discard the old soil and repot the plant at this point. Re-think your watering habits, and make sure you're not over-watering your plant. Warm, moist soil is what attracts these pests to begin with.

Some outdoor gardeners swear that this trap works well for aphids, too.

[Green Thumb]

When I was still studying, I would put together all the unused pages of my notebooks to be used as a new one.  And I also make paper crafts out of used art materials and cards to create a colorful greeting cards and tags. I tried recycling paper one time (because I love papers) as replacement for stationaries. I should do paper recycling again because it’s also good as gift wrappers, table covers, invitation cards & envelope, writing paper, origami and other form of art and crafts.

[brihooter]

This post is really helpful to me.  I am really new at this and need help kind of getting started.  I thank all of you who added to this.  I am going to start some things this weekend.