Category: Featured

Categories
Eco Tips Featured

8 Simple Ways to Use Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil Has Many Eco-Friendly Uses

Coconut oil has become one of the most favored organic and eco-friendly products on the market due to its rewarding qualities.  I noticed the increase in popularity of coconut oil over the last few months and asked myself, “What is so special about this stuff other than cooking?”  I normally use coconut oil as a substitute for olive or vegetable oil in cooking because it contains healthier saturated fat.  So I did some research and learned that coconut oil can be used for more purposes other than a cooking aid.  It can be used for hair, skin, health, and household duties.  Who knew that coconut oil could cover such a broad spectrum of functions?

Coconut oil has the same consistency as lard and Crisco; therefore it is seen primarily as a cooking aid.  However, because of its consistency and natural qualities, it can be used to help with other functions such as body and household care. Here are four of many ways to use coconut oil for personal hygiene.

Coconut Oil Moisturizer – Extra virgin coconut oil would be the best for this.  You can find this at an organic food store or in the health and body aisle of a grocery store.  Just simply take some from the jar and apply to skin and use as much as needed. Simple!

Coconut Oil Deep Treatment Hair Conditioner – This is an overnight treatment, so a shower cap will be needed.  Apply a teaspoon of oil to the ends of your hair and run your fingers through.  For deep treatment, apply a teaspoon of oil to your scalp and massage it through to the ends of your hair.

Coconut Oil Ointment – This can be used for scrapes, bruises, or any other form of “boo-boo” that comes your way.  Apply a thin layer to the scrape or bruise.  This coating protects the area from dust, bacteria, etc.  It also gives a more pleasant odor than the medicinal brand.  Place a bandage over the affected area.

Make-Up Remover – Put some oil on a cotton ball or pad and wipe away the make-up.  It’s like Vaseline but without the harsh smell. It’s impressive how well this works!

Here are some interesting ways to utilize coconut oil for household purposes:

Coconut Oil “Goo Gone” – Mix equal portions of coconut oil and baking soda, then apply the mixture on the sticky residue area.  Wait for about five minutes before scrubbing the “goo gone” with a washcloth or scrub sponge.

Coconut Oil Furniture Polish – Mix oil with a bit of lemon juice for furniture polish.  Work the polish on a small portion of the furniture to test the consistency and strength you desire.

Coconut Oil Bronze Polish – Simply put some oil on a wash cloth and rub it over the bronze surface for a lustrous shine!  This will clean and deepen the color of the bronze.  This also works on stainless steel.

Coconut Oil Bug Repellent – Mix with some peppermint extract and rub into the skin.  No more chemicals and has a pleasant smell!

Categories
Featured Green Building Home Design

3 Green Insulations You Should Consider When Remodeling

When thinking about remodeling a great way to reduce your carbon footprint is by choosing green insulation.  By choosing the correct insulation you can also reduce your energy cost.  You don’t have to choose the traditional fiberglass insulation; there are many different environmentally friendly choices.

Here are the top 3 green insulation options:

Sheep’s Wool

When wool fibers are compressed, they form millions of tiny air pockets. These pockets trap air, which keeps the animals — and homes — warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Plus, wool is very breathable, which means it can absorb moisture from the air without affecting its capacity to retain heat. Specifically, the outer layer of wool fiber is resistant to water. However, the fiber’s inner layer loves water and can absorb about one-third of its weight in moisture without ever feeling damp. And when wool becomes moist, it generates heat, which in turn prevents condensation. If you insulate your home with wool, you don’t need to adjust your heating or cooling systems as often as you would with other materials and that saves money. Wool insulation keeps buildings cool in the day and warm at night, and it’s more fire resistant than other types of insulation.

Cotton

Cotton is a natural and renewable resource, which makes the plant one of the greenest insulation products on the planet. Cotton insulation is similar to fiberglass insulation in several ways. For one thing, it can be rolled into batts. Cotton insulation doesn’t contain formaldehyde which has been linked to some types of cancer.  Cotton is very good at absorbing moisture, and when treated with boric acid, becomes flame retardant. However, one of the drawbacks of cotton insulation is that it costs about twice as much as fiberglass.

Icynene

Perhaps no home insulation seals your house as completely and as thoroughly as the spray-on foam insulation known as Icynene, which is made from castor oil. Once it hits the surface, Icynene expands nearly 100 times it volume. The puffy sponge cake-like substance creates a thick blanket of insulation that tightly seals air leaks. Not only does Icynene stop drafts, it also muffles noise. Icynene can reduce a home’s energy bill by 30 to 50 percent. Icynene works so well because it traps air in tiny bubbles during the foaming process. As the foam cures, the air remains in place. However a drawback of Icynene is that it’s expensive — about three times the cost of fiberglass.

Categories
Eco Tips Featured

Four Ways to Switch Up Your Exercise Routine

Winter weather means comfort food, sweaters, holidays, family time and boots. That also means we get comfortable with all the big, baggy clothes. Don’t get comfortable, get fit! Here are three tips to green your exercise routine.

Get Rid of Cotton

Cotton is a common fabric but it isn’t the most eco-friendly material. Did you know that it takes on average 400 gallons of water to grow the cotton required to make one t-shirt? Imagine how much water it takes for a sheet set. However many designers for home and fashion have started using bamboo. Bamboo is a great material for work-out clothes because it’s softer and wicks moisture and harmful bacterial away from the skin and it’s better for the earth!

Exercise Outside

While gyms are super convenient to work out, they are super hard on the environment. Many of the exercise machines stay plugged in all night, whether or not their being used. Talk about a phantom load! That also doesn’t include televisions and lights that are used every hour inside.  Our advice? GO OUTSIDE! Ride your bike, go for a run, clean up your yard and more. It’s more eco-friendly and some studies show that spending time outside will help naturally boost your spirit.

Water Bottles

We all know that one-time use plastic water bottles are bad for the environment. It’s time to commit to using a refillable water bottle for your workout routine. By using a refillable bottle means less waste in landfills and more money in your wallet!

Recycle Your Sneakers

Bought a new pair of sneakers because your old ones are starting to have holes in the soles? Instead of just tossing them to the curb, give your shoes a new purpose with Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program. Old shoes are used to build tracks, basketball and tennis courts!

Categories
Eco Tips Featured Gadgets & Gear

Tips to Help Keep Your Reusable Bags Clean

Reusable shopping bags are a great way to be eco-friendly and stop yourself from using plastic bags. I not only use them at the grocery but also when I’m out clothes shopping, sometimes when I need a gym bag in a pinch, or even to run errands. I was recently told how dangerous it was to use the reusable bags without a washing in-between. When I thought about it I realized I don’t think I have ever washed my reusable bags! However I’m sure I’m not alone. A quick study was done of patrons in a grocery store and 97 percent of shoppers admit that they have never washed their reusable bags!

A recent study funded by the American Chemistry Council found that nearly every reusable bag examined for bacteria contained bugs, coliform bacteria (suggesting raw-meat or uncooked-food contamination), mold, yeast or E. coli. The study didn’t specify what strands of E. coli were found (many of which are harmless).

If you take a moment to really think about it, people are putting meats, unwashed foods and all sorts of items in these bags. Logic would tell you these bags could get unsanitary pretty quickly, however don’t just toss your bags just yet.

Some simple tips to help keep your reusable bags clean and sanitary:

  • Reusable bags should be washed after every use when carrying food just as you would clean a kitchen towel
  • Use more than one bag and label them “Meat, Dairy, Produce,” etc.
  • Don’t leave any unwashed bags in your car, the heat can help bacteria grow

How to Wash Reusable Bags

Some bags have labels with instructions on how to launder. For those that do not, if the bag is a woven canvas bag launder in hot water with your usual detergent. These can be line dried or tossed in the dryer.  Plastic-lined reusable bags should be scrubbed using hot water and soap and air-dried.

Make sure that both the cloth and plastic-lined reusable bags are completely dry before storing them.

Categories
Featured Recycling

How to Safely Recycle Prescription Bottles

While all prescription bottles may look the same, there can be subtle differences in disposing of them safely for your family and in an environmentally-friendly way. With spring cleaning underway, now is a good time to finally clean out your medicine cabinet and get rid of expired or empty prescription bottles.

However don’t just toss the bottle in the recycling bin, here are tips to keep in mind to properly and safely recycle your prescription bottles.

  • Don’t flush unused or expired medications down the toilet. This water eventually ends up in our waterways, where trace amounts of your medicine can cause contamination.
  • Do figure out ahead of time if you can recycle your prescription bottles with your regular trash. Most of the “brown” prescription bottles are #5 plastic, which is polypropylene. The clear prescription bottles, like the kind you get from Target, are #1 plastic or PETE. This is the same stuff that soda bottles are made from. While many recyclers now accept plastic #1 through #7, not all do. So double-check that you can recycle the bottles with the rest of your household containers before assuming you can and tossing them in the bin.
  • Don’t trash prescription bottles if you can’t recycle them—reuse them instead. There are plenty of reuses for prescription bottles—after you give them a good washing. I’ve heard of scouts who put matches in these bottles as a way of keeping them dry. I know crafts people who used them as mini containers that hold like items, such as push pins, beads or needles.
  • Check to see if your local town or city offers a take-back program for unwanted prescriptions/expired prescriptions before just tossing the medicine in the trash.
    • If no instructions are given on the drug label and no take-back program is available in your area, throw the drugs in the household trash, but first:
      • Take them out of their original containers and mix them with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter. The medication will be less appealing to children and pets, and unrecognizable to people who may intentionally go through your trash.
      • Put them in a sealable bag, empty can, or other container to prevent the medication from leaking or breaking out of a garbage bag.
Categories
Featured Gadgets & Gear

Is Your Shower Curtain Safe?

If you’re showering behind a vinyl curtain, especially a new one, best not to inhale too deeply — the plastic contains phthalates and other toxic chemicals that readily evaporate, or “off-gas” into the air. Hot steamy conditions promote the release of phthalates that are not chemically bonded to the polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC), to which they lend that soft but creepy cling. There are many side effects that can occur from PVC plastic shower curtains. Some of these symptoms include: eye irritation, nose and throat discomfort, breathing problems, allergic skin reactions, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness and nosebleeds.

However there is a solution! When shopping for a new shower curtain make sure to pick up a non-vinyl one. There are so many different solutions on the market. You can buy a cotton, hemp, and PEVA shower curtain. All of these curtains are safe for you and safe for the environment!

A lot of chain stores are now moving toward PVC free shower curtain and liners. Check out your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond or Target stores for chic and safe shower curtain and liners that will help keep you and your family safe.

Categories
Articles By Topic Eco Tips Featured

Best of the Best: Green Laundry Detergent

With so many “green” laundry detergents out on the market, how do you know which is the best for the environment and which is the one that is the best for your family? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a system that allows consumers to find out which laundry detergents live up to their claims. The EPA asks the manufacturers to submit a list of all the active ingredients and if they are using the safest chemicals they will earn the seal of approval (the Design for the Environment Seal to be more specific.)

Even when you know which chemicals are harmful, the manufacturers don’t have to list them. That’s where the Design for the Environment logo becomes extremely helpful. You know that you’re buying the best eco-friendly product. However when you are picking out laundry detergent and the product does not have the seal, be sure to check the label for some of these worrisome ingredients/chemicals:

  • Phosphates– especially nonylphenol ethoxylates
  • Chlorine
  • Petroleum

According to consumersearch.com these are 3 of the best laundry detergents you can buy to help keep your family and yourself safe and help the environment out as well!

iStock_000021578870XSmall

  • Seventh Generation Natural Powdered Detergent (*Est. 36 cents per load). Currently Seventh Generation is waiting for the Design for Environment Seal; however the consumer reviews are very positive.  You can order online at their website here.
  • Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day (*Est. 24 cents per load).  Mrs. Meyer’s Clean day has attained the Design for the Environment Seal and also has a strong fan base.  Consumers that have reviewed the product have mentioned that the variety of scents is not too overpowering and the detergent does what it claims. Go here for more information or to purchase the detergent.
  • Arm & Hammer Essentials Liquid Laundry Detergent (*Est. 37 cents per load). Good housekeeping has ranked this #1 among 9 detergents tested for effectiveness.  Currently this product is only sold as a liquid and does not have the Design for the Environment seal. Click here to read reviews and purchase this product.

Not ready to make the switch just yet? For consumers unwilling to make the switch to green laundry detergent just yet, try purchasing eco-friendly laundry products and avoid buying fragranced products. That may help eliminate some of the worst chemicals in your laundry detergent (from a health perspective).

Sources: consumersearch.com

Categories
Eco Tips Featured Green Building Home Design Home Improvement

Save Money This Winter With New Windows

Do you have old creaky windows or your winter energy bill outrageously high? Have you recently been considering remodeling your house and replacing your old windows with new energy efficient windows? There are many benefits to replacing your old windows.

How windows lose and gain heat. Windows lose and gain heat by conduction, convection, radiation and air leakage. This heat transfer is expressed with U-values, or U-factors (U-values are the mathematical inverse of R-values. So an R-value of 2 equals a U-value of 1/2, or 0.5). Unlike R-values, lower U-value indicates higher insulating value. Conduction is the movement of heat through a solid material. Radiant transfer is the movement of heat as long-wave heat energy from a warmer body to a cooler body. Air leakage siphons about half of an average home’s heating and cooling energy to the outdoors due to poor weather-stripping or single paned glass windows. For more information on ways windows lose and gain heat check out this website.

Different Types of Energy Efficient Windows.  Make sure to check for the Energy Star rating seal when looking to purchase new windows. Here are the different types of windows you can purchase.Energy Efficient Windows

  • Awning. Hinged at the top and open outward. Because the sash closes by pressing against the frame, they generally have lower air leakage rates than sliding windows.
  • Casement. Hinged at the sides. Like awning windows, they generally have lower air leakage rates than sliding windows because the sash closes by pressing against the frame.
  • Fixed. Fixed panes that don’t open. When installed properly they’re airtight, but are not suitable in places where window ventilation is desired.
  • Hopper. Hinged at the bottom and open inward. Like both awning and casement, they generally have lower air leakage rates because the sash closes by pressing against the frame.
  • Single- and double-hung. Both sashes slide vertically in a double-hung window. Only the bottom sash slides upward in a single-hung window. These sliding windows generally have higher air leakage rates than projecting or hinged windows.
  • Single- and double-sliding. Both sashes slide horizontally in a double-sliding window. Only one sash slides in a single-sliding window. Like single- and double-hung windows, they generally have higher air leakage rates than projecting or hinged windows.

Energy and Cost Savings. Windows have typically represented a major source of unwanted heat loss and unwanted heat gain, but there has been a major technological revolution. According to National Geographic, “Energy Star estimates that homeowners can save at least $27 a year by replacing windows. If you have single-pane windows, replacing them with Energy Star-qualified products will save you between $126 and $465 a year, depending on the number of windows you replace and where in the United States you live. The cost savings of replacing double-paned windows, however, is less than 25 percent of that amount; the most you can save by replacing double-paned windows is $111 per year”.

Sources: Green Living,  Efficient Windows, Energy.gov

Categories
Articles Eco Eats Featured Recycling

Green Your Shopping Trip

A simple way to green your life is by choosing eco-friendly products. When walking down the grocery isle at your local market so many products are labeled “eco-friendly”, “recycled”, and “organic” just to name a few. With so many “green” and eco-friendly products on the market, how do you know which is the real deal? These tips will give you the knowledge on how to choose which eco-friendly products are right for you and your family.

Look for certification.  There are a handful of reliable and trust worthy certifications you can reference. Use these as your guide to choose the best eco-friendly products. These are the seals you are going to want to keep an eye out for “federal government’s Energy Star designation on appliances and electronics; the USDA organic seal on food and cosmetics; Green Seal (and, in Canada, EcoLogo) on household cleaning products; and the Forest Stewardship Council logo on wood and paper products.”

Be Aware. With the current trend of “going green” companies are changing the product packaging to remain part of the trend, when they really aren’t going green! Look for specific words such as “natural,” “green,” “eco,” “nontoxic” and even “biodegradable”. These words make a product look eco-friendly however they aren’t currently regulated however “organic” and “recycled” are!

Buy Local. One of the best ways to be certain your fruits and veggies are fresh and organic is simply purchasing from your local farmers. Produce bought from your local growers do not have to be sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals.  You are also supporting your local economy and local produce tends to be a little bit cheaper than produce from the grocery store.

Trust Your Gut. If it sounds too good to be true, unfortunately most times it is. Make sure to do your research before making any major purchases and check out consumer reports as well as GoodGuide.com. Good Guide rates products from 1-10 on their eco-friendliness. Just because a company is saying they are “green” does not mean that they are.

Sources: NBCNews.com

Categories
Eco Tips Featured

Be Green on Halloween

Halloween is a fun time filled with candy, costumes, and most importantly fun, family bonding time. It might be scary to think of all the waste that accumulates on Halloween but have no fear, we have come up with tips that will help reduce your Halloween waste.

  • Instead of buying plastic pumpkins  for trick-or-treating that might get ruined, make your own candy knapsack. Take old pillowcases and decorate them with your children.
  • Buy re-usable decorations instead of one-time-use ones. This might seem like a no-brainer but you would be surprised at the number of people that buy disposable decorations because of convenience or price. I personally think that you should invest a couple more dollars for products that will last a couple of years compared to one Halloween.
  • After Halloween is over, don’t throw away your costume. Re-use it or donate it to a local thrift store.  If you want to keep your costume, you can always take certain pieces of each costume to make a new one for next year!
  • Before buying decorations, make your own. A simple Pinterest search turned up creative and cleaver decorations using all sorts of household items. One popular craft is to make your own ghost lanterns out of old gallon sized milk jugs.
  • Make your own scarecrow out of old clothing and household materials. Your scarecrow doesn’t have to be scary, you can decorate him or her with leaves, hats, flowers, old scraps of material, and old clothing. Make your scarecrow unique, like you.

What are your green Halloween tips?