Waukegan Public Library - lifestyle

Green Cleaning

Sara T — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:50:10 +0000

This post is for everyone who thinks that it’s too expensive to live green.

When I first started to “think green”, I did spend more money than I needed to on green cleaners, laundry detergent, recycled paper towels, and the like. It took me a few years before I realized that spending $4.99 for glass cleaner wasn’t doing the environment any favors. I was still buying a plastic bottle and though they were gentler, that bottle was still full of chemicals. Here are a few everyday changes I’ve made that are both environment- and budget-friendly:

1. I stopped buying paper towels. Try it! You won’t miss them as much as you think, and it saves a ton of money.

2. Before cleaning with chemicals, I always start with elbow grease and a damp microfiber cloth.

3. I clean glass with a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water.

4. I scrub tough messes with baking soda instead of commercial cleaner.

5. I always try a homemade cleaning product before I buy a specialty one. For example, I have three metals in my home to maintain: copper, stainless steel, and sterling silver. Instead of buying a cleaner for each one, I use different combinations of baking soda, vinegar, and lemons. It’s nontoxic and so much cheaper than storebought.

How do you save money AND live green?

Tales from the (Green) Trenches

Sara T — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:22:04 +0000

Today’s post comes from Richard, the Executive Director of the library. Here’s the story of how he first “went green”:

When I was younger (and slimmer) I used to change the oil in my cars. I had a little plastic basin big enough for about 6 quarts of old dirty oil and a filter wrench and I’d wait for a nice sunny day and get busy. It only took about 20 minutes or so to do it. I would buy a new filter and oil ahead of time and be ready to go when the time was right. It was common to get rid of the old oil yourself. Heck I thought that the earth produced the oil therefore it would reclaim it. Not true. That’s pretty nasty stuff, really. Then when the Go Green movement hit, it just so happened that oil changes were getting cheaper, in fact they were almost the same in price so I figured why in the heck should I climb under my car when I can have someone else do it for about the same price. Also, I found out that a single quart of oil can contaminate up to 2 million gallons of fresh water. I thought, Geez, if that oil I poured out gets down to our water table, that junk could be coming out my kitchen tap! Here’s a tip…almost any filling station (no, probably not the quick food marts with pumps) but the ones that still have hoists and places that service cars will accept your used oil for safe, clean disposal. Or you could go to www.earth911.org.

Drive Green

Sara T — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:45:28 +0000

I have a terrible sense of direction. I mean, really terrible. I use my GPS to get just about everywhere, but I recently discovered a new tool that has saved me lots of time and gas money: online trip planners. You can type in each address you need to visit and it automatically finds the most efficient route. In this season of errands and shopping, a trip planner can save you lots of time and CO2 emissions. Try Google Maps or Mapquest Route Planner to find the shortest distance between two, three, four or more points. If you want to save paper and get directions on your smartphone, you can download mobile apps for these services, too.

Clean for the Holidays

Sara T — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:53:13 +0000

I love pulling out the good china and silver to use for the holidays, but I hate polishing silver! The chemicals give me a headache and it makes my hands grimy. If you’re tired of polishing silver, try this green trick instead:

Find a glass or ceramic container big enough to hold your silver. Line the bottom with aluminum foil.
Next, put your silver in the container. Don’t overlap the pieces.
Sprinkle all the silver liberally with baking soda. You just used all the chemicals you’re going to use for this chore. Awesome, right?
Now pour boiling water (carefully!) in the container until your silver is submerged. You’ll see and hear the baking soda fizzing away the tarnish.
Let it sit until the fizzing stops and the silver is cool enough to handle. Admire the tarnish that has magically adhered itself to the aluminum foil.

Rinse the silver and dry it with a soft cloth. You’re welcome!

Composting for the Rest of Us

Sara T — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:35:03 +0000

I’ve been thinking about composting for months now, but there seemed to be too many obstacles in my path. One book suggested an outside compost heap, but I live in an apartment. Another book suggested a special rotating bin that can be placed outside on the deck, but the bin is expensive. Another book suggested vermicomposting (composting with worms) but the specially designed worm bin was too expensive. Finally, I have found a blog that describes composting — simply! I have a quiet shelf under my sink just waiting for this project. Check out this inspring blog here. It may have just the information you need to start composting!

Green Thanksgiving

Sara T — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:15:40 +0000

Have you ever noticed how many more bags of trash leave your front door during the holidays? Start reducing the amount of trash you produce this Thanksgiving with small steps: trade cans of soda for large bottles, use real china and silver instead of disposables and pull out cloth napkins instead of paper (no, you don’t have to iron them). Instead of buying flowers for a centerpiece, scatter some leaves from the front yard down the center of the table and cut holes in the tops of apples for tealights. Easy!

My Favorite R

Sara T — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:41:08 +0000

Yesterday we talked about the four R’s, but there’s one more “R” that happens to be my favorite: Repurpose. For me, nothing is more rewarding than rescuing a scrap of something that others write off as trash. Repurposing is a chance to unleash your creativity and sense of fun.

For an imagination jump-start, check out sites like Pinterest or Confessions of a Curbshopaholic. Once you start repurposing, you’ll see furniture and other everyday objects not as what they are, but as what they could be.

The best part of repurposing is that it prevents perfectly useful items from entering the waste stream. What’s not to love about that?

It's not easy being... you know

Sara T — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:06:00 +0000

Today’s post comes from David, a staff member at the library. Here’s the story of how he turned green.

WOW! I am turning Green…..and I like it!

Just a year ago, I never took stock in the idea of “Going Green.” There was nothing in my lifestyle that prompted me to consider “Going Green.” To me the words green, sustainable, and even recycle meant nothing. I was comfortable throwing all my waste in a trash can. I told myself: “I don’t have a recycling bin, so I can’t recycle.” Sometimes I would use a recycling bin at a store I was at, with emphasis on sometimes. Now, the idea of “Going Green” is taking a strong hold of my conscience, and when I look around I think about how much waste can be recycled. When I am at a store I seek out a recycling bin. If the store doesn’t have any recycling bins I wonder: “Why doesn’t this store recycle?” I find myself grimacing when I toss something in a trash can which is a far cry from my mentality a year ago. For me “Going Green” was, is, and will continue to be a process. Like many things in life change starts with a simple step. Whenever, I take on something new I tell myself: “You always got to start somewhere.”