Green Living Household Tips

Pencinta Alam Newsletter October 2014

Green Living Column

Green Living Household Tips

Compiled and edited from http://www.dailydanny.com/

1. The ultraviolet radiation from the sun can be a natural and effective way to deodorize and kill smelly bacteria in hard-to-wash household items.  On a sunny day, bring items like rugs, yoga and workout mats and throw pillows outside.  Place them on a clean tarp away from animals and cars emitting fumes into the air.  Allow them to absorb the sun’s rays for several hours to fully deodorise before bringing them back inside the house. 

2. If rust has encrusted gardening equipment such as trowels, shovels and shears, brew a pot of strong black tea (about 4 teabags) and allow the tea to cool. Pour the tea into a bucket and fill it with cold water.  Soak the tools for about 1-8 hours, depending on how rusty they are. As the rusty tools soak, the tannic acid in the tea is gently attacking the rust and making them easy to scrub clean. Remove the tools and scour with a coarse brush or sponge and dry off with a soft towel. 

3. If wearing perfumes triggers headaches or makes you feel ill, there are two options for you.  One is to look for USDA certified organic scents, which use food-grade natural oils free of any synthetic chemicals. But if you can’t find an organic scent you like, consider wearing single note scents or absolutes.  Traditional perfumes use about 200 chemicals to create their complicated scents; a single note —like Mint, Sandalwood or Lavender — uses significantly less and may be a calmer alternative to help you smell delicious and fresh. 

4. One way to conserve water when watering your garden is to water early in the morning or at night when the sun’s rays are not at their hottest and won’t quickly evaporate the water droplets. 

5. Donating used items to charity is a great way to find a new home for your old things and help a worthwhile nonprofit raise funds.  However, not everything can be donated to charities, so it’s best to ask before you drop off. Mattresses and boxsprings, for example, are difficult to give, due to sanitary concerns. Used electronics have become very difficult to donate, since prices have come down and functionality is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. It’s best to bring old electronics to recycling centres to be stripped for recycling and materials recovery instead. 

6. Many people are juicing fresh fruits and vegetables at home to create delicious and healthy beverages. But what can you do with all the dry pulp from all that juicing?  One idea is to semi-compost it in your potted plants.  Simply rake the top of the soil of your plants and sprinkle the dry mixture into the soil.  Rake again until it is fully incorporated into the soil.  Very quickly, the organic mixture will break down and become beneficial mulch for your plants.  They’ll thrive and you’ll find a way to deliver great nutrition to your plants via juicing, too.

  

7. A simple way to keep your stainless steel appliances at home looking clean, shiny, streak-free and almost new is to use olive oil. If you have stubborn stains, watermarks, and fingerprints that just won’t go away, grab olive oil and a microfiber towel. Pour a few drops of oil onto your microfiber towel and buff away. It will help shine the stainless steel all while removing grease and dirt.  The microfiber towel has millions of microscopic fibers that grip onto the surface and absorb grime. Olive oil works as a lubricant that will not leave surfaces greasy.

8. Each rechargeable battery inside a smart phone can be recharged about 1,000 times before it needs to be replaced.  One way of extending the life of these batteries is to do just a few easy things that help to preserve the lifespan of the battery. One easy tip is to never put your phone’s ringtone on “vibrate” mode. The buzzing motion actually uses more power than ring tones. Silent mode is, of course, the most energy efficient.  Also, disable any screensavers that are animated. A still image uses far less energy than one that moves and can also help extend the life of the rechargeable battery. 

9. You’ve heard of staycations, but have you heard of traincations?  When traveling for work or play, choosing a train instead of driving or flying is the greenest way to go. The carbon emissions savings by using a train instead of a car is about 50%; instead of flying saves a whopping 68%.  Plus, not to mention the ease of train travel: most major cities have train stations in the heart of the city, unlike airports that are often far away.    In addition, instead of the stress of driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic, you have views from a comfortable seat where you can also plug in personal electronics.  Remember, half the fun is getting there, so why not try a traincation?

10. Going camping for the first time?  Are you a white water rafting virgin?  Instead of buying all new gear and spending on equipment you may or may not use again, think second-hand instead.  Trawl local flea markets such as Secondhand Suq for bargains. Look in online sites like craigslist.org to find lower prices on lightly used gear such as backpacks, life jackets, tents and other things you need for your first adventure in the Great Outdoors, or ask around in hiking & camping forums and environmental organisations' social media groups.