Please welcome today’s guest poster, Stefanie, who blogs at Stefanie Says.
Science has never been my strong suit (I was an English major; words have always been more my thing), so I remember how confused I was the day in college when my Chemistry professor’s TA called to ask me if I’d be interested in tutoring the class. “Me? You must have the wrong number,” I wanted to say. It’s sort of how I felt when Allie and Courtney asked me to guest post about eco-friendly cleaning products. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t quite live in filth and squalor, and I do care a great deal about the planet and my impact on it. But if I were making a list of my areas of expertise, eco-friendly cleaning products wouldn’t be at the top of it. Need someone for your Gilmore Girls trivia team? I’m your woman. Eco-friendly cleaning products? Well, we shall see.
That disclaimer out of the way, I do think there’s a benefit to my amateur greenist status. As Allie says, going green is a learning process, and I’m looking forward to learning along with (and from) the rest of you. Like many of us, I’m trying to make more responsible choices whenever I can, but I generally don’t think about those choices until I’m faced with them. For example, when I’m staring at a shelf full of drain openers at the store a few hours after taking a shower in three inches of standing water.
We bought our mattress 6 years ago, and it’s already done for. It’s a King Koil, and I am naming names, because they aren’t a green company and I’m utterly disgusted by the short lifespan of this product. We bought the mattress before I started paying much attention to materials and conservation. It is enormous, and heavy, and chock full of all sorts of materials. We spent a little more on it than we’d planned, because the salesman pushed the fact that it had a fifteen year warranty. If you’re going to have the same mattress for the next fifteen years, maybe it pays to splurge. Right?
We were in desperate need of some throw pillows. I eyed some pretty ones at the store, but, for one thing, the pair I liked was $60, and I’m a tightwad, and for another, with two dogs and a cat, everything we own needs to be rugged, and the pretty ones were made from a delicately woven fabric. And, whenever I shop, the great green mantra goes through my head: Why buy new when you can make do with what you have? Read more…
Thinking about doing a little landscaping around your house this summer? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, well placed trees, trellises and vines can add up to significant energy savings (up to 25%).
The DOE says that planting deciduous trees, (trees that lose their leaves in the fall) on the south and west sides of your house will provide shade to your house in the summer to help keep it cool. As the weather gets colder, the trees will lose their leaves, allowing the sun to shine into your house and keep it warmer.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation says “The greenest house is the house already built.” Of course, most homes could use a little greening up. Read more…
Do you feel like making your home energy efficient is an overwhelming task? Sometimes, I do. EnergyCircle.com is a great resource to help you make efficient choices in your home.
I love the above video, because it shows how a simple choice can make a world of difference.
How exciting is this? Tim from EnviroVogue was so pleased with the overwhelming response to the bag giveaway, that he’s offered a discount for Allie’s Answers readers.
For the month of March when you order three reusable EnviroVogue bags, you’ll get one free! Shipping is free too!
Order three bags through the normal checkout process and add the fourth in the “Special Instructions” section.
From Tim:
“Be sure to enter promo code: AA-name of free bag in the check out process when you see the field called, “special instructions for merchant.”
So for example, if you wanted a free Leopard print design you would put in, “AA - Leopard”.
Thanks to everyone who visited our site!
EnviroVogue bags are are made from recycled plastics through fair trade labor.
It’s never simple, is it? Few things are, and when it comes to the environment, there aren’t many easy answers. It’s less about right and wrong and more about lesser evils in many circumstances. Do the benefits of CFLs outweigh the use of mercury in the bulbs? Does the fuel efficiency of a hybrid outweigh the environmental impact of the battery?
I love cleaning with baking soda. But what is baking soda? Where does it come from? How is it produced? Read more…
We all know that reusables are the best way to go green, but fine china doesn’t work well at a picnic, or your kid’s birthday party. But, while one use plates make for easy clean up, often they aren’t recyclable. Even paper plates can be coated in plastic, and the ones that aren’t can have serious strength problems.
VerTerra plates are made from steamed, pressed leaves. Not only are they attractive, and strong, but they’re completely compostable. You can use them in the oven up to 350 degrees for up to 45 minutes, and they’ll even last through a few hand washings, if you’d like to use them more than once. Read more…
You know how I have that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all review policy?
Well, I’ve been struggling with how to handle the topic of a certain brand of recycled toilet paper I tried recently (not Seventh Generation, we like Seventh Generation) that is so bad that if you used it you might be turned off to ever using recycled toilet paper ever again. Seriously, I have some sheets of sandpaper in the garage that are softer. But, I promised that if I didn’t have anything nice to say about a green product, I wouldn’t say anything at all. So, here’s what I’m saying:
I’m saying that Seventh Generation Recycled Toilet Paper is good. It’s not the softest brand out there. It’s recycled toilet paper. It’s never going to be that cushy fluffy paper kids in commercials stuff down their pants while rollerskating, or cartoon bears rave about. No angels are quilting this stuff. But it’s usable. It may take some time to get used to, but it’s useable. You won’t injure yourself using it (cough, unlike some other brands out there, cough).
Seriously. That certain brand of TP we tried was so bad that even though I bought a 6 pack of it, after two rolls, we just couldn’t stand it anymore. So I am now using it like paper towels until it’s all used up. It’s great for cleaning grime off the counter, because it’s so abrasive that it scrubs really well.
Are we clear? Seventh Generation 2 ply TP = OK. There’s a mysterious brand of absolutely awful recycled TP out there that isn’t. So if you try recycled TP and think, NEVER AGAIN, give Seventh Generation a try before you give up completely. CVS’s brand of recycled TP is okay too. I know there are some others out there that are good too, but these are the two brands that are available here.
I warned you, and I didn’t go back on my policy.
If you want to learn more about why it’s important to use recycled paper products, read about it here.
I carry a titanium backpacking spork around in my purse. I know that sounds kind of weird, but it saves me from using disposable utensils when I eat out, and it’s so light, I never even notice that I’m carrying it.
Before the Industrail Revolution it was common for guests to be expected to bring their own utensils with them when invited to dine, because utensils were expensive, labor intensive items, and most people didn’t own extra sets. Now, when it’s possible to buy a set of 1,000 plastic utensils for under $20, people don’t even think about bringing their own.
But think of the plastic waste that can be saved by slipping a fork from home in your purse on the way out the door. You don’t need anything fancy. Grab one from your kitchen drawer, or if you’re worried about loosing a piece of a set, pick up a few spare utensils the next time you hit a discount store, thrift shop, or yard sale. It’s simple a simple way to cut down waste, and it’s always nicer to eat with real utensils anyway.
