The Giving Hands is down, for reasons I’d VERY much love to know. GRRR..
If you read my other blog, The Giving Hands, you will know that I have recently started something very interesting called theme-blogging. It is actually a concept I nicked from Joanna Young @ Confident Writing. So, I started with writing about plastic bags in December 2008. This month, I’m writing about something even more exciting, something that ALL OF US can easily contribute to, something that ALL OF US should learn about — the little ways to save our planet.
But since The Giving Hands is down at the moment (all links pointing to The Giving Hands will NOT work), I have decided to do it here instead :)
For a start, here’s some green “cleaning” tips:
- Sprinkle a handful of salt into your rubbish bin to cut down on nasty odours. The salt acts by neutralizing unwanted smells.
- Apply a little carbonated water or club soda to keep fresh stains from sinking deep into clothes.
- Use a damp cloth to work white toothpaste into the silverware you want to clean, then rinse and dry. The mild abrasive in the toothpaste will clean the silverware without you having to resort to chemical cleaners.
- To get rid of chewing gum stuck on clothings, rub with ice and the gum will slowly flake off.
- Use a broom and a dustpan as a low-energy, environmentally-friendly alternative to vacuuming floors ad carpets.
What are the little things that YOU do to save our planet? Tell me about it!
Great tips! =) Thanks for sharing!
That is a neat tip about the salt, I did not know you could use it like that, I will have to give it a shot. I have been making an effort to switch to compact florescent bulbs whenever possible. They cost a little more, but last a long time and use less energy than traditional light bulbs.
Sorry your other site is down, that is never fun :(
I have switched over to CFLs for all the bulbs in my house.
I carry a shopping bag and refuse to accept plastic bags from shops.
That gum one is a great one! Thanks for all the tips.. GREEN TIPS. I try not to use harmful chemicals for cleaning anymore.. they are not only bad for environment, but you too. :left:
Cool tips here. :) As for me, I’m thinking about setting up a compost bin, so that part of the kitchen garbage that usually gets thrown away, can be recycled in house.
Great tips. Compact Fluorescent and LED lightbulbs are a good one – effective and easy. You actually save work since they don’t have to be changed nearly as often as standard lightbulbs.
Another win win. Ride your bike, walk and take mass transit instead of driving. I have posts on environmentally friendly ideas on my blog.
I’ve used some of those tricks more than once. I love using more natural items to do my cleaning with.
Instead of salt, I use baking soda to eliminate odours from the bin. Shake a little onto the bottom of the bin before lining it :) Can also put an open box of baking soda (or pour some onto a small lid) in the fridge to get rid of any bad odours.
Instead of using glass cleaning detergent, mix vinegar with water into a spray bottle and clean the glass instead. Works just as well :)
We don’t have recycling pick up in our town and our town’s drop off recycling centre doesn’t accept more than two kinds of plastic. It doesn’t accept glass, either.
So, even though we don’t have a good place to collect our garbage and it just sits there in our dining room, in bins, we pay to have a recycling service come and take our recycling to a different town.
Also, we don’t flush the toilet after every pee. Helps if you drink enough water that your pee is basically water anyway.
I make my own homemade cleaning products. They not only much cheaper than those you buy at the store, but just as affective. They also don’t stink and cause you to get a headache.