A Few Basic Recipes for Green Cleaning

For sealed wood floor cleaning – damp mopping:

1/8 Castile soap
½ cup vinegar
2 gallons warm water

Optional addition: if cleaning a spill that may have bacteria in it, add 10-20 drops of lavender, rosemary, tea tree, or eucalyptus oil to mixture.

Carpet Deodorizer - Liberally sprinkle baking soda on carpet or rug and leave on overnight.

Leather Cleaner ½ cup Jojoba oil
1/8 distilled white vinegar

Rub into leather with a soft clean cloth for cleaning and conditioning. Do not use on suede.

DIY Fabric softener – Add ¼ cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle to soften clothes and eliminate static.

Easy Laundry Soap

1/8 cup castile soap
½ cup washing soda (to cut grease)
½ cup borax (to remove stains)
¼ cup white vinegar (optional for softness and static control)
Combine all items. If clothes do not feel clean enough, increase the castile soap until you’re satisfied with the results.

Make use of the most natural air cleaner available!

Common households plants are a simple, attractive, and effective way to clean the air in your home. Three cleansing plants per 100 feet of space in your home or office can improve you indoor air quality and add to the natural look and feel to your home.

Aloe: One of the most effective plants for the removal of low-level concentration formaldehyde

Peace Lilies: help remove formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air. They also remove “bioeffluent,” which are the gases, including ethyl alcohol, and acetone, as well as odors, bacteria, and viruses that we exhale.

Philodendrons: One of the best plants for removing formaldehyde from air at high concentrations. Both vines and large floor plants are effective. It’s a good idea to put one anywhere you have particle board or pressed wood furniture, cabinets, or other formaldehyde sources.

Here is a list of other known air cleansing plants:
Areca or dwarf date palm, Boston fern, ficus, Florist’s mums, Gerbera daisy, Dracaenas, and English ivy.

Both the areca and dwarf date palm help remove neurotoxic VOC’s , toluene and xylene from the air. Place these plants anywhere you have ceiling tiles, computer screens, heavy adhesives (like new carpeting), paints, photocopiers, or upholstery.

Room air Purifiers

Most portable air purifiers clean the air in small spaces. For best results place the purifier near an appliance or window that brings in pollution. It is important to clean or replace the filters according to you manuals instructions. At least once a month wipe down the purifier, including the slatted vents with a damp, soapy cloth, (microfiber holds the dust more effectively). Wipe a second time with just water.

Green for your pets

Domesticated animals play an important role in the lives of most people. They provide an opportunity for children and adults to learn the skills of caring, nurturing, and responsibility. We bring them into our homes; sometimes even make them a member of the family. So if your family is a green family, how does your pet fit into the mix?
Spaying or neutering your pet is one of the greenest decisions you can make. Millions of animals are euthanized every year. There are many programs for reduced costs and also for stray and feral cats. Feral cats are wary of people and congregate in groups for protection and food. By releasing them back into their environment they are allowed to stay together without multiplying.
We all want to be sure that what we are feeding our pets is healthy and safe but do you really know what’s in their food! Pet food contains protein from many sources. Primarily from the ground remains of animal processing such as heads, feet, and intestines; it is the discards of human food industry. The meat processed into by-product meal or meat and bone meal may be from sick or healthy animals. In the end nutrients and minerals have to be added back in to the pet food along with preservatives so it can last for months in the stores or in your home.
When choosing a pet food it is important to pick a brand that has an Association of American Feed Control (AAFCO) guarantee. Loom for labels with meat like chicken, lamb, of beef as the first ingredient, not just the word meat. Natural pet food will most likely not use chemical preservatives but will rely on vitamins C and E to partially or fully preserve food. If you want to change your pets food, it’s important not to do it all at once. It might upset their otherwise healthy digestive system. A small amount of new mixed with old and then gradually increase new until there is no more old. You may also go with homemade foods. You must remember to meet the animals’ nutritional requirements. You could consult your vet to determine the breakdown of proteins, vegetables, grains, vitamins and minerals.
There are many ways to green your pet. Buy green bedding and toys made from organic cotton. You can get organic shampoos, skin treatments, and organic grooming products. Traditional cat litter can be replaced with biodegradable litter. Options are recycled paper or reclaimed wood. If you intend to make the switch you show do it gradually like with pet food.
In October 2005 wildlife officials in the Everglades National Park found a thirteen foot python that bit off more than it could handle when he tried to down a 6 foot alligator. The python’s girth wasn’t big enough and it literally busted at the seams. Neither alligator nor python survived. If a new home is needed for pet companions please do research on how to relocate them properly.


Info provided from 365 Ways to Live Green Your Everyday Guide to Saving The Environment

Easy Steps to Fight Global Warming

10 Easy Steps

1. Turn your thermostat down 2 degrees.
2. Change a standard light bulb to energy efficient
3. Stop appliances from being on standby
4. Say no to plastic bags, use reusable bags
5. Shop locally
6. Bring your own mug instead of using Styrofoam.
7. Go by way of public transportation
8. Bike or walk
9. Say yes to short showers
10. Plant something

If one million people stand up to say “I can help fight
Global warming” we have taken the first step!

The two most critical survival skills are clear thinking and perseverance.
Global warming might be the most serious challenge the human race has ever faced, but don’t freak out.

If this is your first exposure to the facts about global warming, you may slip into a state of climate shock-triggered by the realization of the eminent dangers we face. Warning signs include shortness of breath, a sense of powerlessness and despair, a concern for polar bears, and an urge to lecture others about glaciers.
Luckily climate shock is manageable – And so is climate change, if all of us are committed to the task.

Most attempts at change fail – not for the lack of will but for the lack of planning and pragmatism. And yet the behavior you wish to change didn’t occur in one day, so why should you expect to undo it in one day!

Pick one goal

Write it, be clear about it, is it really achievable.

Identify the skills and resources needed

Divvy up your plans into small achievable steps

Anticipate hiccups (It’s inevitable)

Talk about it (tell friends and family)

Review your plan (for progress)

Treat yourself (when successful)

Keep your eyes on the prize (It will become easier and innate)


Fact: Convince every American household to change one incandescent bulb with CFL and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.

• 500lbs is the equivalent amount of coal burned when you choose an incandescent bulb over a compact fluorescent, over the life of the bulb.



Information from:
The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Guide