Things You'll Need:
- vinegar
- tomato juice
- baking soda
- cinnamon sticks
- lemon juice and slices
- grocery bags
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Step 1
Bleach is a harsh household cleaner that kills germs but also kills our environment as it is dumped into our water system. Bleach is often used in disinfecting and minimzing odors. Here are some alternatives that can offer the same benefits without the tough consequences on our earth.
To minimize and neutralize odors use baking soda or tomato juice instead. Tomato juice is especially helpful in minimizing odors in places like drains, garbage disposals, drains, etc.
Baking soda not only is a good cleaning agent it also netralizes and absorbs bad odors.
If you choose to use bleach make sure it is throughly diluted. -
Step 2
Rather than using aerosol air fresheners, try other natural options like putting cinnamon sticks in a small pot of water and boiling. Or gathering small handfuls of pleasant flowers like lavender or mint to place in small bunches throught your home. Several herbs are available that provide soothing aromas at no cost to our environment.
Keep in mind that electric air freshners consume unnecessary energy. Sometimes using simple techniques like airing out your home by opening the windows can give your home a fresher scent. -
Step 3
Rathering than going to buy garbage can liners, which use excessive plastic, simply reuse your grocery store bags for this purpose. This way you are reusing the materials.
Also remember that most grocers now offer the reusable grocers bags or bins for recycling plastic and paper bags. -
Step 4
Keep in mind that newspapers are excellent for cleaning glass. They leave far less streaks than paper towels. Therefore, use your newspapers for cleaning glass and THEN recycle them. Practice the same thing for any other paper towels you must use while cleaning, remembering that since they are a paper product they can be recycled.
If possible, choose to use reuseable cloths and rags rather than the disposable alternatives. Although paper towels can be recycled it is still preferrable to use cloths that can be rewashed instead of using paper towels that require the waste of valuable resources to be produced. -
Step 5
Lemon juice is very acidic and great for breaking down tough stains on surfaces like counters, toilet bowls, sink basins, etc. The juice also leaves a pleasant aroma. After you have drained all the juice you need for cleaning, put the rest of the lemon through the garbage disposal, it helps keep it smelling fresh.
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Step 6
Clean all filters in your home regularly, this will promote the longevity and effeciency of your appliances including vaccums, air conditioners, stove range hoods,etc. Items that have clean filters pick up more dust and allergens while using less energy to acheive high performance.
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Step 7
Always look for appliances and devices with the Energy Star rating. This applies for all devices including dish washers, clothes washers and dryers, fans, vaccums, stoves, microwaves, etc. These devices save energy and money. Plus, many of these contraptions are now eligible for tax credits.
