|
Green
Cleaning
Did
you know that manufactures
aren’t required to show
ingredients on their cleaning
products? Did you know that many
ingredients of cleaning products
can be dangerous to your health?
And if you want to discard any of
these products, many are
considered hazardous waste.
Making
Your Own Green Cleaners
For
a safer and cheaper alternative,
consider making your own cleaners.
Here are 5 natural cleaners that
every home should have: baking
soda, white vinegar, lemon juice,
borax and club soda.
Below
are two examples of the numerous
websites containing instructions
on how to make natural household
cleaners. There are also numerous
books on Green Cleaning.
http://www.womensvoices.org/our-work/safe-cleaning-products/learn-more/green-cleaning-recipes/
http://www.womensvoices.org/our-work/safe-cleaning-products/learn-more/whats-that-smell/alternatives/
Searching
for Green Cleaners
If
you don’t want to make your own
cleaner, but would like some help
determining which Green Cleaners
to purchase, check out the Green
Guide comparison guide at:
http://www.thegreenguide.com/greenguide/buying-guide/all-purpose-cleaners
Don’t
be surprised when the cheapest and
best products are some of the
items listed above under Making
Your Own Green Cleaners
Interested
in cleaners that have the green
seal of approval. To earn the
coveted Green Seal a product must
meet the Green Seal environmental
standard for the category as
demonstrated by rigorous
evaluation, testing and a plant
visit. Check out their website at:
http://www.greenseal.org/
Green
Cleaning Businesses
Dutchgirl Enterprises,
Ft.
Thomas
,
KY
41075,
859-866-0803
Green
Shopping
General
cco-revolution
The
online store for organic clothing
and accessories, from shirts,
hats, gloves, scarves to work
bags, diaper bags, school bags,
back packs, hand bags and purses.
http://www.ecorevolutionapparel.com/
or 859-572-9800
Park+Vine
http://www.parkandvine.com/
Personal
Care Products
Did
you know that the FDA doesn’t
require companies to test their
products for safety? All personal
care products are not created
equal. Did you know that many
lipsticks contain lead? You can
find out how safe the products you
currently use are and identify
safer alternatives.
Environmental
Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetic
and Personal Care Product Safety
Database www.cosmeticdatabase.com
Building/Remodeling
Building
To
find out information about green
building, which includes
modifications to existing
buildings, check out the US Green
Building Council’s website at: www.usgbc.org/
Federal
Incentives for Renewable and
Efficiency
Determine
the Kentucky
and Federal tax incentives that
are given for alternative energy
solutions by checking out the
following website: www.dsireusa.org/
Geothermal
This site
describes geothermal heating and
cooling systems.
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12640
Improve
Energy Efficiency
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_index
Materials
Find
paints that are low in VOCs and
have the green seal of approval.
Check out http://www.greenseal.org/
Information
sources for green building
materials.
http://www.green2green.org/
Remodeling
Are
you planning on a major remodeling
job? Before demolishing anything,
consider donating your items to a
building reuse center. Check out
the Reuse webpage for a list of
these.
Solar
Here
is a website that can help you
determine if solar makes sense for
you. The estimates for the savings
can be low, since they don’t
factor in fuel costs or taxes. So
keep that in mind when using this.
http://www.findsolar.com/index.php?page=rightforme
|
