Do this |
Because |
|
| Choose the better dish washing detergent |
Laundry
detergents may not contain phosphates which damage aquatic systems.
Dish washing detergents have been exempt from the rule. Choose on that
creates less havoc. |
not enough |
| Do your laundry on nice days |
If you do your laundry on a sunny day you can hang it dry outside. It
is faster and costs nothing. The electric dryer uses a lot of
electricity (about the same as 2000 compact fluorescent 13Watt light
bulbs turned on at the same time). |
significant |
| Hang you laundry dry outside under a roof any time |
If you hang dry your laundry under a roof, you can dry your laundry anytime independent from the weather. |
significant |
| Use mechanical force instead of chemicals |
Try
getting the dirt off or out with mechanical means and muscle work
before you reach for a chemical cleaning product. It may not get clean
all the way in all cases, but it will help a lot. Razors, steel wool,
scrubbers, brushes, etc. may be sufficient to get rid of whatever
insults your sense of cleanliness. Getting it clean mechanically does
not pollute. |
significant |
| Use cedar instead of mothballs |
Cedar wood emits a fragrant smell that is disagreeable for many insects. It may be enough to protect your clothes from moths. |
noticeable |
| Put clothes in plastic bags |
Wool
eating moths will not eat through plastic bags. If your clothes are
packed away well, they will not need to be protected with toxic, funky
smelling and possibly carcinogenic chemicals that may damage the
environment much more than you intend to. Make sure the clothes are dry
before you put them in the bag though. Otherwise you invite fungus. |
not enough |
| Clean drains mechanically |
A
mechanical "snake" will do a great job in most situations and has no
adverse effects on the environment. If you do not have one ask your
neighbors. If they do not have one either, buy one and tell them you
have one now and are happy to share. |
significant |
| Clean clogged drains with baking soda |
Baking
soda and some hot water may be already enough to unclog a drain. If
that does not work, try baking soda and some vinegar. That creates some
foaming action. Commercial drain cleaners are VERY aggressive in the
environment and if mechanical means do not open the drain you have an
issue that only a plumber can solve. Don`t drop toy cars in the drain! |
significant |
| Clean and soak very dirty items right away |
If
you wait and the spot/dirt drys it will be harder to clean. If you do
it right away you most likely will need less energy and fewer
aggressive chemicals to clean the clothes. |
noticeable |
| Use a spot remover |
Applied to only the dirty spot you will have success with less hot water and fewer washings. |
not enough |
| Soak all clothes for days |
It will reduce the required amount of laundry detergent. You may almost need none. Add some natural oils if you miss the smell. |
significant |
| Install colored toilet bowl |
Considering
what it is used for it is difficult to understand why a toilet bowl
often is white. If it is colored it will be clean with much less
cleaning than a white one that needs much more effort and chemicals to
"look" clean. |
noticeable |
| Replace bleach with sun or hydrogen peroxide |
Both
sun and hydrogen peroxide have bleaching properties. Even camomille tea
bleaches. Neither works as well as bleach, but most of the time good
enough and always with less damage to the environment. |
noticeable |
| Replace window cleaner with vinegar |
Works well and is no risk to the water systems |
noticeable |
| Sweep instead of vacuum-clean |
A
vacuum cleaner requires manufacturing, repair and electricity. A broom
requires much less. Sweeping may sometimes be an good alternative to
vacuum cleaning. |
not enough |
| Polish silver with baking soda |
A mix of baking soda and water makes a fine silver polish that has no negative effects on the environment. |
not enough |
| Polish brass with ketchup |
It works and does not pollute. |
not enough |
| Clean less often |
Clean
only when necessary. Do not clean on a schedule (unless you are a
hospital) - clean when it is dirty. Work on your standards for
cleanliness. If you use aggressive cleaners you pollute every time you
clean. |
significant |
| Buy and use natural cleaning products |
Some
companies have specialized in offering natural cleaning products that
give excellent results but create much less havoc in the environment.
Do not fall for flashy keywords though! Not all companies are honest -
some try to deceive. |
noticeable |
| Buy cleaning products from reputable "green" companies |
Many
marketing terms such as "green", "natural", "non-toxic",
"biodegradable", "environmentally friendly", etc. are not defined well
or are not subject to industry standards. Make sure that the contents
of the products you use have been independently verified and are what
they say they are. |
significant |
