Increasing the “Greenness” of Your Lifestyle Organized by Joe Naumann

Discovering Organic Fertilizers – Gardening The Natural Way Discovering organic fertilizers means that you have found the means of encouraging a lush growth of beautiful flowers and plants without contaminating the soil or the water systems. When herbs, vegetables, and fruit grown for consumption are fertilized organically, you avoid introducing chemicals into the food, which is important to health- conscious consumers.

Solar hot water One of the most energy intensive and therefore costly processes in the average house is heating water. Learn more about how solar hot water systems can save you money and lessen your environmental impact.

Green your computer use When not in use for extended periods, switch your computer off at the wall to avoid phantom power load consumption. - Have your power saving/management options enabled and properly configured for periods when your computer is temporarily not in use. In Windows, this can be found in Settings/Control Panel/Power Options

Green your computer use During usage, only have your screen as bright as you need it - unneccesarily bright screens really chew the juice If you're going to use a screen saver, use a blank (black) screen - animated screen savers just consume electricity unnecessarily. - When buying components and peripheral items, try to choose those that come in the least amount of plastic packaging as possible.

Removing Mold A teaspoon of environmentally gentle dishwashing liquid and a teaspoon of borax mixed with one quart warm water; pour into a spray bottle, soak the affected area for as long as possible; rinse and air dry. Pour 1 part vinegar and 1 part warm water into a bowl, then add 2 parts baking soda to make a thick paste. Apply and leave to dry, then scrub off. Repeat if the mold is particularly stubborn.

Green Alternative to Moth Balls - Try one of the following in a cheesecloth bag; but ensure the bag doesn't touch the clothes: Bay leaves, cedar shavings, cinnamon sticks, cloves, eucalyptus leaves, lavender, peppercorns, rosemary, wormwood.

Dryer “sheets” contain toxic chemicals... but really, a couple of drops of essential oil on a cloth sounds like a very easy, cheap and very green way to go for a “fresh” smell! If you're also wanting the fabric softening qualities that normal dryer sheets provide, try throwing 1/2 a cup of vinegar in with your washing - that's the washing load, not the dryer load :).

Front-Load Clothes Washer Uses less electricity Uses less water Less wear and tear on clothes Faster drying times Larger loads Less detergent

Replace Electric with Crocheted Blankets Costing a few hundred bucks for a queen size, these blankets and good quality down quilts are a little expensive, but view it as an item that will be long lasting and over time you'll probably save money through not having the ongoing electricity and replacement costs of an electric blanket. A well made blanket can be a family heirloom!

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