starting to go green

RetromamaJess · 04-23-2008, 03:22 PM

I just watched the episode of Oprah from yesterday about going green, and here are the few things I am able to start doing now....

1. Put the paper towels UNDER the sink. I have baught washable reusable washcloth thingies, and i Have been useing thoes to clean my counters already.

2. Make my own veggie cleaner(from her show)

3. Stopuseing so many water bottles

4. Recycle anything I can(where can I get a list of what's recyclable?)

5. Cut wipes in 1/2 for pee, and i'm looking at my burp clothes thinking I can make them diapers for when I'm home.

What is everyone else doing?

RetromamaJess · 04-23-2008, 03:29 PM

http://www2.oprah.com/omagazine/2008..._eco_101.jhtml

here is her link....

Another question I have is this:

When I'm cutting chicken or something on a cutting board, and some gets on the counter, i usually grab the clorox kitchen spray and spray it down. If I switch to water/vinegar/baking soda, what can be used to kill the ukies from meat?

Kris · 04-23-2008, 03:31 PM

We do a lot.

We use compact fluorescents in all our lights.

We have a recycling center in our basement, we recycle everything we are able to. Dh goes to the center once a week with the kids, and they help out.

Dh has "rain barrels" in the backyard to collect rain water, to use for watering the lawn in the heat of the summer when rain and water are sparse.

We have a compost bin.

Appliances are unplugged when not in use. The lights are only on when they are needed.

We don't eat a lot of meat, but what we do eat is organic and sustainable.

75% of our groceries are organic.

We carry our own grocery bags... avoiding paper and plastic. (though, since Earth day, plastic is in short supply around here!)

We have participated in numerous park cleanups.

I could probably go on and on, but my brain is fried. There are a million "little ways" that add up to great big measures toward "greenness."

Koloe · 04-23-2008, 03:50 PM

I have been switching out my old light bulbs with florescent as they burn out. It's amazing how long some of the none florescent light bulbs can last - years, but those are low use ones.

Check with you local recycling center or county to see what you can recycle there. Not everyone recycles the same things.

As for the chicken issue - I just use hot soapy water myself. It's not something I've every over stressed myself out about. Much to the distress of one of my ex-bfs.

From things I've been reading lately, anything with a remote uses a LOT of energy when shut off. Almost as much as when it's on. Such as DVD, VCR, etc. I'm not so sure about that being true for TVs though, as they can suck up a lot of power being on.

As for wipes - I RARELY use a wipe for pee diapers - just poopy ones. And of course I use cloth diapers vs disposables. Along with cloth wipes. Thankfully, I see the light at the end of the tunnel in this department.

Angela · 04-23-2008, 04:32 PM

I make sure appliances not in use are unplugged and lights are off unless needed... I take super quick showers.. I always try to carpool... I REALLY do need to stop using so many papertowels.. that is my one vice..

tinamariebb · 04-23-2008, 06:08 PM

I have been using cloth diapers since October, and now also use cloth wipes. We have almost every bulb in our house as CFL. We have a water heater blanket (first month of use showed us $20 in savings on our electric bill). I use microfiber cloths for wiping everything down. Vinegar and water are my friends. We have things turned off and unplugged everywhere. I walk the 1 1/2 miles (each way, with a big hill) to the grocery store. I have a Step2 wagon with trailer for the kids and groceries. I bathe the kids together. We have an HE washer (and will have an HE dryer up and running as soon as they fix our water leak in the basement).
I need to work on recycling. We don't use plastic water bottles, we have a brita pitcher. We drink Kool Aid instead of soda (so none of those bottles around). We try and not buy overpackaged things. The girls have natural toothpaste. My fillings are being replaced with non amalgam fillings.
I am going to be working more on making natural cleaners and may go no shampoo soon (baking soda and vinegar), still out on that. Oh, and I buy all meat from our butcher who does everything in house and doesn't get meat from certain sources.

Emma · 04-23-2008, 06:15 PM

As you know, I make as many of my own cleaners as possible out of "green" stuff or I buy method products or dr bonner's veggie soap (now at Target

)
recycle (check with your city and see what they accept)
always use our own grocery bags
hang clothes on the line
Stretch fabric softener with vinegar
use old cut up t-shirts for wash rags instead of papertowels
keep lights off
use flourescent bulbs
rain barrels (get old feed barrels from a feed store, I found them for $17/each)
compost bin
veggie garden (share seeds with a neighbor or friend)
don't use air freshner sprays (not good for the migraines anyway)
buy organic/biodegradable beauty products when practical (many now at Target)
I use biodegradable trash bags
I buy organic groceries when ever I can or at least locally grown food (check out a farmer's market)
Give away old (even not working TV) appliances on Craigs list. Someone can fix it and use it.
Use Craigs list to buy gently used things that you're looking for
plant drought tolerant plants/trees in your garden
turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth (Dh refuses to do this and it chaps my ass!)
Buy products that are not overloaded in packaging (buying in bulk usually helps with this)
I know there's a ton more, but these are some of the things that we do.

As far as the chicken goo, I scrub with soap and water and spritz with alcohol.

Val · 04-25-2008, 10:14 AM

Let's see, this is what our household does:

Being in FL, we have to run the A/C a lot, but we've adjusted the thermostat to 75 when home, 78/80 when we're at work. We have two units to help offset everything.

I NEVER run the water when I brush my teeth, and DH has really improved in this area.

I recycle all of my plastic grocery bags so that I can use them for our bathroom trash cans at home -- that's my tradeoff for not bringing my own bags to the store.

We never buy bottled water for home - just use the fridge filter.

We take advantage of the FL sunshine by opening up our blinds for natural light - what a difference on light usage!

I use vinegar and hot water to mop our floors - nothing else.

I use Seventh Generation products to clean the household surfaces.

I use alcohol to disinfect - great b/c it really works and is very economical.

With regard to food, it really is a mix, but we try to buy organic when possible.

I now drive the more fuel efficient car instead of the SUV since I put in more miles during the day.

When we go to Celebration (local town) we park and walk to our destinations, which can be up to a couple of miles.

We frequent the local farmers market for produce and other goods.

Our town does NOT have any household recycling initiatives in place, so THAT, along with using too many papertowels are my vices!