A working mom trying to do it all ....and succeeding!
My tip this week is really a question. I have several pillows that are kinda flat. How can I recycle them or re use them?
I was thinkg of cutting the longer ones in half and making throw pillows for my patio to go with my new green cushions.
Does anyone have any other ideas?
Make Your Own Antibacterial Cleaner
Although many of us have sworn off bleach and maybe even tried our hands at DIY green cleaning recipes, the idea of going DIY with an antibacterial spray cleaner made me nervous. It was one thing to clean my windows with a vinegar and water mixture, but I simply didn’t feel safe going soft and natural on potentially terrifying germs, especially in flu season with H1N1 on the loose. Mothers of young children likely agree.
There are, of course, green options to warding off germs. Like many green products, though, my chosen spray by Seventh Generation was more expensive than conventional sprays. It hurt either way—my values or my wallet.
Breakthrough in Science and Green Cleaning
Just as I was biting my nails and debating whether to buy a toxin-laden spray bottle of antibacterial cleaning spray ($2) or the Seventh Generation counterpart ($5), I learned of a study that changed my habits yet again. The Department of Microbiological and gynecological Sciences at the University of Catania, Italy conducted a study that pitted tea tree oil against the dreaded H1N1 virus—and tea tree oil won! The required dose of the stuff did not exceed levels that remained safe for human cellular contact, which meant that it was a safe, natural, and effective antiseptic, meaning it inhibits the growth of bacteria.
Here’s the recipe to making your own antibacterial cleaner to swipe countertops, bathrooms, and more.
6 ½ cups water
9 ¾ tbsp liquid soap
80 drops of tea tree oil
Breakthrough for Your Wallet
I gave the DIY angle another go and discovered much to my delight that I ended up saving money. We’ve already established that the Seventh Generation brand of antibacterial all-purpose cleaner can run up to $5 for a 26-oz spray bottle. You can make just as much of your own alternative cleaner for under $4 per bottle.
Dr Bronner’s Magic Pure-Castile Soap in Organic Almond at 16 oz. costs $8. Since there are 2 tbsp to an ounce, you’ll get 32 tablespoons out of one bottle, or a little over 3 spray bottles’ worth of soap in one $8 bottle. Since 8 divided by 3 is about $2.7.
The 365 Everyday Value brand of tea tree oil is $13 for 2 fl oz bottle. You’ll get about 600 drops per fl oz, meaning you’ll get 15 uses for $13. That’s an added 87 cents to the total cost of your DIY spray.
This makes your DIY spray total at $3.75 per bottle. Admittedly, $1.25 is not exactly a super saving. Taking into consideration, however, that you’ll make fewer trips to the grocery store and fewer non-recyclable plastic parts are involved with less frequency, you’re doing the earth a favor. Plus, this way you know everything that goes into your home cleaner, making it safer for the kids to help out in the cleaning!
Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online degrees, and what it takes to succeed as a student taking online undergraduate degree programs remotely from home. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
Paying your bills on line is another way to green your lifestyle. I know many people are afraid to pay their bills on line, but all of the companies I deal with all have protected websites.
Paying your bills on line will forgo all of the paper trail. You can save money by no longer using stamps. Plus you can schedule your payments and never have to do those monthly payments again.
I pay mine on line, but still do it monthly. I am in the process of setting up scheduled payments. I also need to stop the paper bills and just get them in my email. That scares me a little, but I am ready for the change!
So what to do with all those envelopes you no longer need? I use them to pay to send in notes or field trip monies to Hunter’s school.
Do you pay your bills online?
Another no brainer – use reusable water bottle instead of buying bottle water. It sounds so simple, yet I still see people buying cases of plastic water bottles. Did you know that most of those bottles get thrown away in the trash and never get recycled? Did you know know that most of the water in those bottles in plain tap water? 
Do you have any tips for Green Living? Do you use reusable water bottles, if not is there a specific reason? a chicken wing gets hot when you turn it on
Another way to be greener is to use reusable containers. Of course we all know this, but do we do it? I have several glass containers which would be most ideal. Right now they are all in my refrigerator. Above, is what I took my breakfast and lunch in. I had eggs and sausage and a PBJ.
Kids lunches (or your own) can be stored in these wonderful lunch containers. Hunter’s lunch gets packed everyday in this. I add a go-gurt or cheese stick on top, a bottled water and juice. The water is in a reusable container of course!
We use this for Savannah’s breakfast. We had this 10 years ago for Hunter. The same one! It’s lasted all this time! One of her classmates brings a glass bowl to school. Too risky for me!
Do you reusable containers??
