Discussion
I want to share ways we can go green without going broke.
Posted 6/25/08 11:11 AM
I want to share ways we can go green without going broke.
It is so surprising to me that often you need to spend more money to consume less. For instance, it costs more to buy "natural" household cleaners than it does to buy the more toxic stuff. Why is that?
I would love to share ideas on how to make, or where to buy natural household cleaning products. I especially like the idea of products that do double or triple duty.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Posted 07/15/09 9:46 PM
I'm interested in using good
Hi Cindy,
You can use vinegar & water equal parts on all mirrors, windows, clean outside of aquariums.
I knew a professional window washer & he gave me this recipe:
Window Wash Recipe
1 gallon distilled water, minus 1 cup the d.water & minus 1 pint of the d. water,
add 1 cuo non-sudzing ammonia (bluish in color..I get at hardware for about 79 cents a quart)
add 1 pint rubbing alcohol mix together, shake & use funnel to pour into a windex or any spray bottle...this works on mirrors, windows, car windows (in the summer only), chrome on the stove, refrigerator it costs pennies to make a gallon & no streaking (I usually use newspaper with either vinegar & water or window wash. Both also can be used on countertops, stove, refrigerators, micro waves.
1 cup tap water in micro-wave for 3 minutes will steam then you just wipe clean.
Use Essence of lavendar to make a room fragrancers: 3 drops to water in your vaporizer bowl to gently fragrance your room (calming effect) can be bought at most Co-ops, Michael's, Craft stores alittle goes a long way. Cinnamon sprinkled onto tin foil & put into oven at 250 degrees will smell like cooking pies all day. Furniture polish: tack cloth with linseed oil & lemon. Mix linseed oil with lemon on cloth & use on furniture always put in a baggie to keep until you use it again. Tiolet bowl cleaner: a can of coke (I only use regular coke as I found off brands didn't work as well). or a denture tablets will clean the bowl
Baking soda mixed with fresh lemon juice=cleanser with citrus smell (good on cutting boards, rrefrigerators. Hope these help. Heloise books usually has recipes that use household ingredients, also google cleaner products naturally.
Posted 07/15/09 2:40 PM
I'm interested in using good
I'm interested in using good homemade cleaners, any ideas
Posted 12/27/08 3:51 PM
No Need to buy Fabric Softener
Using white vinegar in the final rinse of your wash cycle eliminates the need for fabric softener. At home, I run an extra rinse cyle with about 1/4 cup of vinegar added. The vinegar does double duty because it also removes odors, such as perspiration or residual diaper odors and leaves the fabric soft.
Another cost savings is to use worn-out washcloths and dishclothes as your kitchen picker-uppers rather than paper towels. And use pretty cloth napkins daily instead of paper napkins - more elegant- (mine are about 20 years old and still pretty) and both can go through the weekly wash, rinsed in white vinegar, all clean and soft for next time.
Posted 10/18/08 9:34 PM
The Green Scam
Do you know that when they build a "green" building, most times they are doing more damage than good? A company abandons a building in a metro area and builds a green building outside the city. The energy to build the first building is already spent. But think how much stuff must be made, shipped and installed to build the new building. And think of how many employees will now have to drive further to work. The best bet is to work with the building you have and make it more efficient.
Posted 10/01/08 6:19 PM
green cleaners
Hi Cindy - did you find some green cleaners yet? My Mom is here for a few days and she does drive me nuts with her use of baking soda, but it is a moderately effective cleanser - if you haven't found any other resources yet, please post and I'll give you some info next week.
The reason that it costs more is often, very simply, supply and demand. In my very green and eco-conscious neighborhood, a recycled paper and cleaner store opened about 5 years ago and failed. Why? probably too soon, and the products are too costly because many people won't look harder or spend a bit more. Where I work, the office staff won't buy recycled paper...I can't control that, and most rarely recycle, although they have kids and I don't.
OOps, I've gone off on a rant! I'll post if I hear from you that you could use some more info, or if anyone else would. I have recipes for green, effective cleaners.
Posted 06/26/08 5:55 AM
I hear ya!
I know exactly what you mean about needing to spend more to go green. Where I live, they are putting up a "green" housing development where the neighborhoods are built within walking distance of a central business district. It's supposed to be like an old-fashioned small town. The problem for me? The houses START at around $350,000! That's in an region where the average house sells for around $180k, and many homes are between !00k and 150k. Not sure how many people of average means can afford to spend $350,000 just so they can walk to the bank.
Ads by Google
More on Budgeting & Bargains
The ThirdAge Download Store
Is Now Open!
Is Now Open!
Newsletter Sign up
Sign-up for our free ThirdAge newsletters to receive the latest articles, advice tips and more!
