Home & Garden...

As you may recall we're talking about green audits this week. So far you can read about:

• Green Audit Your Home & Yard
• Green Audit Your Pantry
• Green Audit Your Cleaning Supplies
• Green Audit Your Bathroom

Today we'll look at closets. Most people don't think about green auditing their closets, but it's actually a place that can create a big impact environmentally. Following are some issues to consider during a green home closet audit.

Clothing materials: Synthetics like polyester, acrylic, rayon, and nylon; and materials like wool, fur, and plastics in clothing are bad for the environment. These are not green materials. It's much better to look for natural fibers like hemp, or buy organic cotton when you buy new. There's some controversy about thrift store finds. Personally I think thrift stores are a good thing, yeah, some of the materials may be bad, but face it, the clothing has already been made, and by reusing it, you're saving on production of new clothing (a process that takes energy and resources). There is a camp that believes you should never wear bad materials, even used, but I think that's sort of silly.

Ivory: You shouldn't buy ivory. Ivory turns up in odd places too - jewelry, hair clips, buttons, and more. Ivory production is responsible for hundreds of elephant deaths daily. It's not worth it.

Other animal materials: Stay clear of shells, skins, and items like coral - all are from animals and don't need to be wardrobe accessories.

Air fresheners: You don't need to use toxic moth balls, or other chemical air fresheners in the closet. Try to place Cedar blocks or shavings in your closet. OR you can stuff a small pouch with dried lavender, cloves and cinnamon, or dried citrus sprinkled with essential oils, to keep your closet smelling great.

Make sure hangers are made of recycled material.