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Green at Home
How To Make Your Garage A Green Garage
A typical garage is a good place to start working towards an eco-friendly way of life. Garages tend to get little attention compared to the rest of the house, and are sometimes treated like that closet you never go into. The idea of just putting everything in the garage is great until the garage is so full of junk that there is almost no room for the car! Making positive changes in your garage is a great way to reduce waste, get organized and recycle. You can save money on energy costs by insulating your garage door, water heater, and windows. Replace your un-insulated garage door with an insulated garage door. Change out your single pane garage windows with insulated, double-pane windows. The other option is to invest in insulating window film or curtains. If the water heater for your house is in your garage, make sure it is outfitted with an insulating blanket. These small changes will do wonders for your energy bill. Be careful and responsible when it comes to getting rid of any hazardous materials you may have lying around in your garage. Check the use by dates on chemicals, car maintenance items, cleaning solvents and pesticides. Dispose of ...- Bookmark :
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Don’t Toss That Used Lemon! Part I
Did you know that lemon juice is roughly 5% to 6% citric acid with a pH level between 2 and 3? Lemon juice's low pH acidity makes it a great tool for breaking down mineral stains and rust, but lemon juice is gentle so it doesn't dull finishes. There is typically enough juice left over in a used lemon that can be put to work for a surprising number of tasks. The oil from a lemon peel is great for different culinary uses and as well as for personal beauty. Check out some unique ways to put your used lemon peels to work for you around the house: Cleaning The Kitchen Put a used lemon peel to work for you around the kitchen to clean dirty stove tops, greasy pans, and dirty countertops. The lemon juice from the peel is a great eco friendly option as compared to chemical cleaning products for the kitchen. Add salt to a juiced lemon half for abrasion and rub the lemon half on the greasy area, and wipe up with a towel or cloth. It's important to remember to be careful when using lemon on marble countertops because marble is sensitive to acid. Cleaning The Teapot Clean out mineral ...- Bookmark :
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Eco-Friendly Flip-Flops
Flip-flops are some of the most convenient and comfy shoes to wear because they are easy to put on and take off, and you can get them super cheap. Every brand makes them and almost every store sells them. But have you ever considered how eco-friendly or not your flip-flops actually are? Unfortunately for the flip-flop lovers of the world, many flip-flops are made with non-biodegradable plastics that end up washing up in the oceans and lakes of the world as waste. Most people will use their flip flops all summer long and then toss them in the trash and replace them with new ones. This is bad for the environment because these flip-flops are just ending up in landfills or oceans. Fortunately a company called Okabashi started up cycling and recycling flip-flops. The typical shoe is 15-25% recycled content and you can send your old flip flops back when you’re done with them so that they can recycle them. They use 100% of all materials and have closed the loop in manufacturing as they aim to be zero-waste. You can buy these flip-flops on Amazon or find out more about them on earth911.com. There is also the Flip Flop Initiative which ...- Bookmark :
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Eco-Friendly Ant Elimination
Ants can be a real pain when they start showing up around your house. It’s when they find a way inside your home, that you have a real problem. With all of the chemical based ant sprays on the market, what’s an eco-friendly person to do to get rid of their pesky ant problem? Fortunately, there are many ways to get rid of ants that aren’t harmful to the environment. Check them out! If you can locate the point of entry that the ants are using, try placing any of the following items in a small line for them to encounter: citrus oil (which you can soak in a piece of string), cayenne pepper, lemon juice, coffee grounds, or cinnamon. The ants will not cross these items. You can also place cucumber peels or slices near their point of entry as they have an aversion to cucumber, especially bitter ones. Ants also have an aversion to baking soda. You can draw a line of baking soda to stop them in their tracks. Also try blending orange peels with water and placing it in wherever the ant trail goes. The citrus from the orange peel will deter them. You can put all sorts ...- Bookmark :
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Creative Things To Do With Your Old Yoga Mat
Have you ever wondered what to do with your old yoga mat? There are eco-friendly ways to get rid of your old mat, whether by recycling it or reusing it for different purposes. Recycle Your Mat was started in 2008 to provide information on locations where people could drop off or send their old yoga mat. Recycle Your Mat works hard to prevent old yoga mats from clogging up landfills. The Green Yoga Association was also formed to develop ecological consciousness and action for the yoga community. There are plenty of different ways to put your old yoga mat to use. Check them out: - Use your old yoga mat when you take your dog in the car. Lay the mat down on the backseat to protect the car’s interior from getting scratched up. - Make tree ornaments with your yoga mat. All you have to do is take cookie cutters and cut different shapes out of the mat. - Cut your yoga mat into squares and use them as makeshift bases for an impromptu game of baseball. - Place your old yoga mat under pet dishes so that they don’t slide around on the floor. Cut the yoga mat to fit perfectly under the ...- Bookmark :
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