Many of us are welcoming spring today, so I thought it would be nice to go over some nature loving, tree hugging, eco-friendly ideas that will carry the entire family through the better part of spring and into summer.

1. Quit looking at nature through your frosty windows. It’s warming up, so get out there and enjoy nature in real time, in real life, in full blown color.

2. Throw open your windows wide and let in the fresh air. Natural ventilation is actually a really effective green home goal to aim for. Proper cross ventilation naturally helps to remove any indoor pollution caused by molds, mites, varnishes, paints, cleaners, and more.

3. Have a spring reusable bag sewing party.

4. Use the spring lilacs to create something sweet.

5. Celebrate spring like other cultures do:

• In Egypt, you throw open your windows and breathe deep on the first day of spring. Later have a picnic.
• In Poland a large straw doll is dressed up in old clothes, and then thrown in the river – ok, maybe don’t do that one (not great for fish).
• The festival of colors, or Holi, is a Hindu spring festival, observed in North India and Nepal where children squirt colored water on each other to celebrate.
• What other spring traditions do cultures celebrate? Tell me what you know.

6. See the zoo babies.

7. Try left-over heat cooking for your spring recipes. This means turn the stove top or oven off when food is almost done. Pasta, veggies, rolls, and even meats in the oven will be ok (and fully cooked) if you turn off the heat a few minutes early. Just leave the oven door shut, the pot top on, etc. Imagine how many minutes of energy you will have saved by next spring.

8. Enjoy new blossoms and leaves sprouting to life on the trees.

9. Build a rain barrel to collect spring showers.

10. Rent lawn equipment that you know you will only use occasionally.

11. Alternatively, start a neighborhood co-op of lawn equipment. Purchase together and share major item.

12. Visit a waterfall – this is the best time of year for waterfalls, snow is melting, and the water comes crashing down.

13. Spring clean – just don’t spring clean with chemicals and other icky stuff. Make this year’s spring cleaning actually clean and healthy.

14. Learn which fruits and veggies are in season and eat bunches of them. Buying in season and locally grown is better for the earth, your wallet, and your health.

15. Choose a recycled plastic picnic table.

16. Fold a “springing” froggy out of recycled paper.

17. If your coffee shop of choice serves single serve sugars and creamers, choose a new favorite coffee shop or ask them to get large, bulk containers of cream and sugar.

18. Visit a wetland area – there are still enough wetland areas so that it’s safe to assume that there’s one near you, but there may not be for long. Without conservation we could lose some major wetland areas. I’d visit soon because it’s not clear yet that enough people care to save them. Ask your local visitors center where you can find a wetland area near you.

19. Get some cool spring worthy eco-toys. These new toys from Green Toys are created from curbside recycled milk containers. The actual shop should be open in the spring sometime, but until then you can contact the company directly with purchase inquiries. They have a great Sand Play Set or Organic Gardening Set.

20. Is it still too cold for flowers where you live? Make some colorful recycled tissue paper garlands to add spring to your house. (Use that used holiday tissue that I know you saved). Better yet, make a garland and give it to a neighbor, friend, elderly home, or children’s ward at a hospital.

21. Rejoice in spring flowers.

22. Help your kids to join Journey North.

23. Buy a reclaimed wood garden bench so you can sit outside and read.

24. This season, and each season have your car engine tuned up and serviced. Following a decent tune up schedule will reduce the amount of pollution your car emits by 20%. Better yet you’ll save on fuel – good for the earth and wallet.

25. Hunt for birds nests – don’t touch though, just look.

26. Build your own compost bin for recycling spring garden and kitchen scraps.

27. Visit a rural farm. Notice how a farm in spring differs from where you live. Unless of course you do live on a farm – then visit a city park and observe the same differences.

28. Go ahead, green your entire Easter celebration.

29. Or at least make your own recycled magazine Easter baskets.

30. If you go on a green picnic this spring make sure six packs with plastic rings aren’t on the menu. One, the plastic rings when not cut can kill birds, fish, and other wildlife. Two, plastic won’t degrade until well after your great grandchildren are celebrating their springs. And three, there’s no need to have them. Many canned drink products now come in boxes instead of with rings. If you’re buying canned drinks, get those instead.

31. Get some eco-friendly rain gear for the whole family so you can go splash in spring puddles.

32. Get your spring garden seeds organized using recycled milk cartons.

33. Rent a greener car on your spring break vacation.

34. Don’t defrost the Easter Ham in the microwave. Microwave defrosting wastes more energy than planning ahead and defrosting in the fridge.

35. Go searching for the end of a rainbow.

36. You still have time for a spring garden clean up.

37. This year combine your spring cleaning with some green audits: Try green auditing your trash, bathroom, or your pantry.

38. Get in the habit of nighttime watering now. Watering your lawn and garden is much more efficient at night than in the daytime. In the cool of evening plants lose almost 50% less water than in the heat. That adds up to a ton of water saved each year. Of course you can double your water saving efforts by using your saved rainwater.

39. On each of your spring outings pick up one piece of trash. If everyone did this that would be over 300 million fewer pieces of litter on our streets, in our parks, and so on, daily.

40. Relax… think about simplifying your life and time.

41. As summer gets closer consider organizing a summer toy lending program with other families – this cuts down on consumption, teaches kids about sharing, and uses fewer resources and energy. Get ideas for your lending program here.

42. Now that it’s warming up, turn your heating down by 5 more degrees. Each 5 degree decrease saves up to 11% energy consumption a year.

43. If you go camping, leave nothing behind in nature. Pack up all your belongings and carry them out of the forest with you.

44. Get up close and personal with some fresh grass – ponder a single blade. Think about all the good reasons why you shouldn’t add chemical poisonous fertilizer to your grass this year

45. Get that recycling under control.

46. Learn to love slow mail – the quicker you send your mail or ask for packages to be delivered to you, the worse it is for the planet. Transportation is hugely connected to pollution and global warming. The more transport we require the worse it is. Quit with the two day mail services. You don’t need stuff right away, and if you know you will, plan accordingly.

47. Try out one of 10 great organic gardening projects for kids this spring.

48. See how many toads you can count at the local river or lake. Can you find tadpoles too?

49. If you take out an off-road vehicle this spring, stick to where you should be. Running over habitats is not cool – you could destroy an animal’s home, kill rare plants, and harm tree roots. Stick to wide trails that are deemed ok for off-road travel.

50. Get away from it all. Imagine what life would be like away from all the hustle and bustle most of the time.

51. Blow bubbles! Make some homemade bubble mix out of a tablespoon of glycerin, a cup of natural liquid soap, and a gallon of water (give or take). Make your own bubble wands out of recycled items like…

• Butter or yogurt tub tops with holes punched in them.
• Green plastic strawberry containers.
• Bent wire hangers.
• That fly swatter you never use.
• Pipe cleaners bent into fun shapes.

52. Hang out with a family of ducks.

53. Dare your family to take at least 5 small steps for the environment by summer.

54. Go on a wildflower hike.

55. Clean out your closets – give good clothing away to the thrift store, make cleaning rags out of the worst, and save the cherished pieces for a memory quilt.

56. Make sure your family participates in eco-friendly boating (if you boat).

57. Slap a fresh coat of paint on the house – non-toxic, VOC-free paint of course.

58. When spring cleaning, don’t forget the car. However, use a bucket of water and an old rag to scrub away dirt, not the power spray on the hose. Every minute you run the hose you’re wasting 10 (or more) gallons of water. There are people in other countries who can’t even find one decent glass of water to drink, and animals and fish who have lost whole water habitats due to water waste. There’s no excuse for excessive water waste.

59. Go bicycling as a family – double your efforts by actually having an errand destination; the grocery store, library, the park for lunch. Every time you don’t take your car, you’re doing the earth some good.

60. Plant a tree – it’s almost always a good time to plant a tree, but spring is really nice because a new tree’s roots won’t be shocked by the cold anytime soon.

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• Less packaging waste. You’re not buying new bottles over and over.
• Less expensive. I actually started making homemade products before I was really all the way green – why? To save money.
• Less harmful (often not harmful at all) to humans, animals, and the earth.
• Less noxious home smell. Homemade natural cleaners always smell better than store bought. Well, except vinegar – but I have major vinegar issues. There are ways to mask the smell of vinegar though – not completely, but somewhat. Lavender essential oil and lemon juice both work some to hide the icky vinegar smell.

Here we go. Homemade cleaners, from basic recipes to a few that are more advanced…

1. Clogged sink and bathtub drains: prevent clogs altogether with the amazing drain trap. I’m shocked at how many people don’t use a drain trap. I got one at Home Depot for under two dollars – five years ago. If you have a sluggish drain, pour a cup of white vinegar plus one cup baking soda into the drain. Let that sit for a few minutes (it will bubble). Flush with a teapot full of boiling water. If you really have issues, use a snake or plunger. Drain cleaner is honestly something you should never have in your home – it’s hands down one of the more dangerous cleaning items.

2. Air freshening options: Light a natural candle, burn organic incense, boil orange peels and spices on your stove top, diffuse essential oils, open your windows, buy some air cleaning plants, use cedar blocks sprinkled with lavender in your closets, or make potpourri. Learn more:

• One Small Step: Ditch the Air Fresheners
• Natural Air Fresheners: Part Two

3. Soap scum removal: Apply baking soda (it is non abrasive). Scrub with a damp cloth or sponge. I have an older bristle brush I use for icky scum – like when I go to long without cleaning (bad me). You can use Borax or vinegar too; but Borax can scratch. Vinegar can be applied directly, left to sit, and scrubbed down.

4. Small carpet stain: Two words – club soda!

5. Bigger tougher carpet stains: Sprinkle Fuller’s earth or cornstarch onto the spot. Allow it to sit for about 20-30 minutes. Scrub with one cup vinegar mixed with three cups water. If it really won’t come out try a natural soap based carpet cleaner.

6. Carpet deodorizer: Sprinkle baking soda around the room – my son thinks this is the most fun ever. Add some dried crushed lavender or basil. Wait about 1/2 hour. Vacuum.

7. Oven cleaning prevention: Don’t let spills sit. That’s the best cleaning procedure hand’s down. Clean the oven sooner rather than later. Line your oven bottom with foil to catch spills.

8. “Oh no, I didn’t follow the oven cleaning prevention tip above!”: Ok, if you have a hot spill, sprinkle it with salt. Mix some baking soda – I just toss maybe two tablespoons with into a cup, with some water to make a thin paste. Use an old toothbrush or bristle brush to scrub it down.

9. Everyday toilet cleaning: Sprinkle some baking soda and lemon juice into your toilet and walk away. Eventually you’ll want to return and scrub it with a toilet brush.

10. Bachelor pad toilet cleaning: No offense guys – I’ve seen my fair share of bachelor pads though. Spray vinegar around the bowl, sprinkle with baking soda, scrub.

11. Metal rust: Mix 2 tablespoons salt with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Apply and rub well.

12. Musty stuff: Say you have an old suitcase or truck that’s all musty, but you’d like to use it. Fill it with recycled crumpled newspaper let it sit for a week. The paper will absorb the smell (mostly) then, fill a mister bottle with water, add a few drops of tea tree oil, lightly spray the case and leave it open to dry.

13. Burnt food or fishy kitchen smells: Set aside a thrift store pie plate for times like these. Sprinkle the pan with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of orange essential oil – place in the warm oven, and let it sit as the oven cools.

14. Disinfectant all purpose cleaner: Mix a few drops of natural soap, 2 cups water, and 15 drops each of tea tree and lavender essential oil (you can use just the one oil- but 30 drops, I just like the mix). You can spray this on all surfaces, like cutting boards, counters, toilets, walls, (except it will streak glass). This stuff disinfects but is so safe you can actually spray it on your baby – you can’t say that about most commercial household cleaners.

15. Mold removal: Try not to let mold invade your home. You can prevent it – believe me I lived on the cold, foggy, always wet beach in Humboldt, you CAN prevent mold. Clean often with the disinfectant above and scrub down places that might develop mold with Borax once in a while. Borax will prevent mold and disinfect.

16. Basic furniture polish: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar with 3/4 cup olive oil OR mix 1/4 cup lemon juice with 1/2 cup olive oil. Wipe down furniture with a soft cloth and the solution.

17. Herbal disinfectant: Choose one fresh herb – lavender, eucalyptus, juniper, sage, thyme, or rosemary. Simmer the leaves and stems for 30 minutes. You can use any amount of water, but the less you use the stronger the solution and disinfectant properties. Strain, pour liquid into bottle, and use on any surface but glass. If you add a dash of natural soap or biodegradable dish detergent it will cut grease.

18. Homemade herbal scouring pad: Horsetail stems are just like a scouring pad for pots and pans and won’t scratch. Simply rub a handful of dried (leafless) stems on the pots and pans. It will leave a bit of a green color – but that washes right off in water. Since you’re washing dishes anyhow it won’t be an issue.

19. Wood floor wax: Mix equal parts olive oil and vinegar. Apply a very thin coat and rub -you can simply stand on an old towel and sort of surf around the floor.

20. Window / glass cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup vinegar with one gallon water – spray and wipe.

21. Glass cleaner that does not smell like gross old vinegar: Use straight up lemon juice or club soda. If you use club soda than newspaper is the best scrubber to use. If you use lemon juice than use an old less linty cloth.

22. Sink cleaner: Scrub with baking soda and water.

23: Microwave cleaning: Place a bowl of straight vinegar or a bowl of water with 15 drops tea tree oil in the microwave. heat for about 2 minutes. Microwave will steam itself and be easy to wipe out with a wet cloth. I don’t have a microwave, but I did this at my friend’s house and it worked.

24. Silver polish: Rub silver with plain old toothpaste and rinse with water.

25. All over home cleaning: Never underestimate good old hot water and some scrubbing. If you really want to get fancy add a few drops of natural soap, but honestly hot water will clean just about anything. Alone it won’t completely disinfect, but it does kill many germs and removes dust. Hot water is especially useful for basic floor mopping.

Whew, that should at least get you going.

What natural cleaning products do you make at home?

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Seriously folks, there’s a reason you shouldn’t take hallucinogens and then make commercials.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

That said, this week we’ll look at some major points related to the dangers of cleaning supplies, some earth and people friendly alternatives, and lots of links to extra info. There’s a lot to digest. Too much. For example, two years ago the University of California at Berkeley conducted research surrounding just one small area of cleaning supplies – the exposure to indoor airborne chemicals while cleaning and what resulted was a 200+ page report.

What current research says about the dangers of household cleaners:

Almost all the major long-term research on household chemicals shows that the most dangerious chemicals in our homes are almost always basic cleaning supplies. Some of this relates to the actual ingredients and some of it depends on how we use these chemicals.

Research shows that people terribly misuse household chemicals i.e. mixing items that should never be mixed. If you have a bucket of ammonia diluted with water solution, and you pour that in your bathtub, and then wipe down that same tub with a sponge that has bleach on it, you’re already producing enough toxic gas to be classified at a harmful to human level.

The Washington Toxics Coalition notes that the most dangerious chemicals in most homes include corrosive drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and acidic toilet bowl cleaners.

VOCs found in oven, carpet, and other cleaners containing Toluene, Formaldehyde, Nitrobenzene, Chloride, Methylene, and Ethylene glycol have been shown to cause asthma in children.

Numerous OSHA studies show that individuals in the cleaning industry develop health problems at higher than normal rates related to cancer, skin issues, permanent eye damage, and organ damage because of their use of toxic and strong cleaning supplies. These are people who tend to use full strength cleaners as opposed to diluted – but the exact same ingredients are found in both industrial cleaners and household cleaners, simply in different amounts. If a product causes major health issues at high levels than low levels truly aren’t technically safe either – you’ll just become exposed and sick slower. Slower is not too big a consolation if you end up with major organ failure.

Many of the chemicals found in cleaning supplies are only supposed to be used with protective equipment. This means gloves, eye goggles, long sleeves, and face masks. If you aren’t cleaning your home with protective gear then technically you aren’t following proper safety procedures, and you shouldn’t be using the products.

Whether or not you believe the research related to the dangers of household cleaning chemicals there’s plenty of proof that people are being affected negatively. U.S. Poison Control Centers relate that in 2000, cleaning products accounted for 206,636 phone calls to the centers. Of these calls over 120,000 involved children under the age of six.

An entire page of scary research about the cleaning products in our home – an eye opening read.

OSHA/EPA Occupational Chemical Database: Enter a chemical and see how dangerious it is.

More later, including more dangers and safer option.

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Resources for greening your church:

•Get LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. Your church can decide how green it wants to become and pursue the chosen level of certification. A great way to start is to get involved with your local chapter of the US Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to greening all of our existing buildings and new construction through LEED certification. Several churches have already gained LEED certification.

•Green your Palm Sunday with Eco-Palms. Here’s a New York Times article about them.

•Visit Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light for some great resources. Some of their suggestions include taking stock of how much energy the church is using, looking at how space is being used and when it is used, and surveying equipment. They offer forms you can download to help with this process.

•Know your options for clean energy. Visit the US Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy as a first step. For more on clean energy, visit the Sierra Club’s articles.

•Visit EarthCare to download comprehensive resource guides about eco-management of churches.

•Be inspired by Boston’s historic Old North Church with its new LED lights. Here’s the CNN article.

If you’ve been involved with helping to green your church, please tell us about it.

flickr Photo Credit: Moreton Church, Dorset

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What we’ll be looking at this week will include:

• How schools can protect resources such as paper, water, and electricity.
• What’s scary and not so green about the school cafeteria.
• Schools supplies and how they affect sustainability.
• The school grounds; including cleaning and maintenance.
• School-based traffic and transportation.

We’ll also take a look at some very green schools, and a few other random issues that affect school greenness. I’ll offer some easy checklist formats this week, so that the kids in your family can participate easily in learning about the impact their school has on the environment.

For youth – how to get started with your green school audit:

Not all schools have environmental guidelines. Many don’t have complete guidelines. Some kids have tomorrow off for President’s Day; however, when you return to school, ask your teacher if he or she is aware of the environmental guidelines for your school. Ask at the main office. Try to find out, who, if anyone knows what the exact eco-guidelines for your school and district are.

Don’t be surprised if you get some blank looks. Like I said, not all schools have eco-sense. Not yet anyway. The point of this green school audit will be for you and your school friends to start a process of change. Your audit can help to remind people that the earth’s resources are important. If people, if you, don’t question what your school is doing to save the environment, maybe no one will.

Your one voice can change everything. Think about it. Tomorrow, we’ll get going on our green school checklists.

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The habit discussion isn’t that long. You can sum it up in about three words…

Use less water.

Not enough? Ok, more tips…

First off there’s the whole, which saves more water argument, showers or baths. According to the Environment Agency, “A 5-minute shower uses about a third of the water of a bath. But remember that power showers can use more water than a bath in less than 5 minutes.” It’s really variable. If you have followed some of the tips for greening your shower, then a shower is the better choice. However, it’s going to vary considerably per person.

In one house I had, I did an experiment, before I installed a low-flow shower head. All I did was plug the tub and take a shower. I took a typical length shower for me (which is pretty short) and the tub still almost filled up with water. I did the experiment again after installing the new shower head and the tub did not come close to filling. So, it does depend. Also, if I try to get Cedar to take a shower, we waste a lot of water. He fusses and messes around thus making the shower take years to finish – Cedar saves more water by taking a bath.

You could also try washing your clothes at the same time; like this kid…

Just kidding! But there are other (real) habits to try:

• Only take a shower every other day (seriously, how dirty are you getting each day). I lived out of a truck one summer – on a road trip, showering only when I found a camp site with showers, or I’d jump in a river or lake, and guess what, I lived. That was with a lot of hiking involved too. Not showering won’t kill you.

• Turn off the water when you shave your legs, scrub up, or apply hair treatments.

• Shower with a friend.

• Shower with your kids. I have friends who pull this off. I can’t do it because Cedar hogs the water side of the shower, but it works for some.

• Put all the kids in the tub at once.

• You can use a timer to make sure you keep your showers under a certain time frame. I hate this option by the way – I don’t like being forced into stuff by time or clocks – but it works for some people.

• Turn the water down some to save energy. Hot water is bad for your skin anyhow. It can dry your skin out and cold water makes your hair shiny.

• If your tub is big enough, you can place a plastic bin in the tub with you as you shower (don’t trip over it!). Collect some water and use it to water house plants or outside plants.

What other water saving habits can you think of?

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Check for water leaks: You can do this by checking your water meter say, at 8am. Wait two or three hours but run no water during that time. Re-check your meter and if it’s changed, there’s a leak.

Insulate your hot water pipes: This can give you hotter water even if you preset your heat lower.

Insulate your water heater tank: You’ll re-coop the cost of doing this in about a year; after that, all you’ll do is save money.

Install water-saving shower heads: These are easy for anyone to install and can save you a ton of water.

Install low-flow faucet aerators: Eartheasy notes, “All household faucets should be fit with aerators.” One reason is water conservation, another is cost. Aerators are inexpensive and work well.

Don’t install water softeners unless really necessary: According to American Water & Energy Savers, you can “Save water and salt by running the minimum amount of regenerations necessary to maintain water softness. Turn softeners off while on vacation.”

Go green from the start: If you’re building or remodeling, consider an earth-friendly tub. Diamond Spas, Neo-Metro, and Durat have eco-friendly options. Durat, is really neat, with mod designs, containing solid material made with recycled plastics. According to Durat, “The surface is easy to keep clean, resistant to various chemicals and can always be renewed by a light sanding if needed.” Look at these beautiful tubs from Durat:

Also, be sure to look around for a company that will take and recycle your old tub or stall materials. Or, you could always turn the old tub into furniture.

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Now when we do a green bathtub / shower audit, we’ll need to look at some different items. Following are the things we’ll be concentrating on.

• The actual tub or shower.
• The products you have sitting on your tub – shampoo, soap, sponges, etc.
• Water use.
• Cleaning the tub.

These are the types of issues you need to consider if you want to complete a true and total green tub audit. If you ignore water use but buy organic shampoo that’s really only doing some of what you could be doing. That’s ok; small steps are cool. But the goal is to eventually green each situation in your home to it’s fullest potential.

Start thinking about your bathtub and shower situation. Tomorrow morning we’ll get started by focusing in on one part of the audit.

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Weekly Green Audit Challenge: Trash!

Daily Green Audit Tip: Trash Control

Daily Green Audit Tip: Trash Control & What Can’t be Recycled

Update: Aerosol Product Recycling

Now, let’s add the audit all up and see where we stand. The key point is that this audit should have made you aware of what you’re throwing out vs. what you’re actually recycling.

If you noticed that there was an excess of paper, cardboard, cans, and plastics in your trash the fix is easy – recycle those suckers. Why? Well, first of all the earth will thank you. You’ll save energy and resources by making sure your recycling-ready trash is being recycled rather than lounging in a landfill.

Another benefit is you’ll save money; if you pay for garbage. Some of you don’t I’m sure, in that case please refer back to why you should recycle for the planet. But if you do pay for garbage you could lower your bill by having one less trash can. I do know families with two or more – so I know this is an issues. If you have that much trash something fishy is going on (besides the smell).

There is no way you’re recycling all you can if you have more than one trash can. Period. Families simply don’t buy, on average, that many non-recyclables. And if by some off chance you are; think about why. Do you really need those non-recyclable items? Really?

If you are buying some items that you know are recyclable, yet, your local recycling center won’t take the items, you can stop buying those products and look for new packaging options OR convince your local recycling center to take said items.

Did you look at your trash this week? If so, what did you learn? Is your family tossing recyclables? What about compost items?

Following are some Tree Hugging Family resources that can help you make the most of a trash audit:

Two Weeks Worth of Reuse

Are You Recycling?

One Small Step: Refillable Liquid Hand Soap

Seven Trees A Year

Get Your Recycling Under Control

How To Recycle Prescription Bottles

One Small Step: Remove Plastic Beverage Lids

Following are some outside resources that can help you make the most of a trash audit:

The Recycling Center: Enter your zip code and locate local recycling centers. I tried and got more than 10 centers.

Recycling facts from the EPA.

One of your best recycling resources is going to be your local trash or recycling company (often the two are associated, if not the same company). Call or visit yours to find out what’s accepted in your community.

Don’t forget – tomorrow is kid day here at Tree Hugging Family.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family