bathroom habits

Green Audit Your Yard & Garden

jchait — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:45:40 -0400

This week we've been going over some easy green audits you can try at home. So far we've looked at:

Tonight let's look at our last green audit of the week - your yard. Following are some tips you can use when green auditing your yard and garden.

Do you use a green lawn mower.

Are you using smart water tactics?

Watering in the early morning or at night.
Keeping your water where it needs to go, not running off into the street.
Consider having less grass, and more bark, patio space, or soil.
Mulch plants and trees to conserve water.
Plant like with like - you don't need to plant water loving plants among plants that conserve water. You'll waste water when watering.

Are objects in your yard and garden recycled and sustainable - think about decorations and planters you may have.

Use recycled bags for clippings.

Toss out any toxic chemicals and pesticides and use natural fertilizer, weed control, and pest control options. To learn more read:

Reduce Your Fertilizer Use with Grasscycling

Natural Ways to Get Rid of Garden Pests

Plant organic seeds and organic plants.

A big part of proper green gardening and yard tactics has to do with where you live. There are general tips you can follow, but water conservation is going to be different in New Mexico vs. Oregon, so it pays to learn regional tactics. Visit the National Gardening Association and check out their regional site which will connect you with a regional newsletter and regional gardening blogs.

Visit Mother Earth’s Garden to learn all about green gardening.

Green Audit Your Closets

jchait — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:52:16 -0400

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

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.

Green Audit Your Bathroom

jchait — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:34:44 -0400

This week we've been taking a look a green audits for the home and garden. So far we've seen:

Today we're going to take a closer look at how to green up your bathroom. The bathroom is a great room to green audit because you use it daily, many times daily in fact, so it's a room where small changes can create big differences.

Look at your water habits: Do you take 30 minute showers? You really shouldn't; that's pretty wasteful of water. If you find you’re having trouble taking shorter showers you might want to try a timer. Place a basic kitchen timer on your counter, and set it for ten minutes - how fast can you wash.

Do you take baths?: Baths can take up more than twice the water of a typical shower. Saving water will save you both energy and water.

Check for leaky toilets: Remove the lid of your toilet tank, add some bright food coloring. Wait about 20 minutes, go back and check around the base of your toilet. If you see colored liquid you have a leak. Some leaks are easy to fix with a basic hardware store kit, and other leaks require a plumber; check at your hardware store to see which option you'll need.

Look at bathroom packaging and supplies: Are you buying organic, animal testing free, natural products in recyclable containers? Recyclable toothbrushes and razors? Do you buy too many bathroom items? Trust me you don't need eight face creams, that's just a waste of packaging.

Do you re-use your towel?: You don't need to rewash your towel every time. That's an energy and water waste.

Check your shower head: You should have a low-flow shower head installed. You'll still have a nice shower but save lots of water.

To learn more read:

[Image recycled toothbrush via Recycline]