Goal For The Green

It’s been awhile since I posted about Green Spring Cleaning Agents, but the truth is, vinegar is quite the unleashed powerhouse in your pantry, that you can use anytime, and in so many ways.

If you use Vinegar for cleaning, it doesn’t matter what kind you use, except for Brown (apple cider) Vinegar, which is more for eating and your health.  It is known to stain porous materials, so therefore, white distilled vinegar is the wisest to use for cleaning purposes.  So, make smart choices and use vinegar wisely!

Do you know what all vinegar can do?  It serves a purpose in just about every room of the house. There are also dozens of household and personal use products that vinegar can replace, saving you money. Best of all, it’s cheaper, better for the environment, and better for your health and home, because it eliminates harsh and unnecessary chemicals.

Vinegar, in general is a natural, powerful and inexpensive disinfectant. It can be used on almost anything except marble, and porous materials.

You can make a great all purpose cleaner by mixing 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water.  Or, I often pair it  straight with baking soda and use it to clean my bathroom tubs and sinks. This combo also works great to unclog a drain, or clean your oven and drip pans. For this job, it is best to let it rest in the bottom of your oven overnight, no muss, no fuss, and NO harmful fumes.

Here are a few more of my favorite uses for vinegar. Hard water stains and mineral deposits like those that are often found behind your faucet are stubborn and hard to remove. Take a cloth soaked in vinegar and place it on the hard water stain or mineral deposit for a few hours. Then wipe clean with a soft dry cloth.

Clean your coffee maker, washing machine or dishwasher by running vinegar through it, followed by two rinses of water. It reduces soap buildup, mineral deposits, and scale and keeps everything in great working order.

I love this one- to remove labels from glass jars,  just saturate the labeled area in vinegar and scrape the stickiness right off. No more sticky residue.

Clean and crisp up your veggies by soaking them in a mixture of cold water and a tablespoon or so of vinegar. Bugs lingering on your produce will be whisked away, and your limp celery will come to life again.

Eliminate onion odor off your hands by rinsing them in vinegar. This also  works with other smelly parts of your body, such as your underarms and feet.

To eliminate smoke odor in a room, put a bowl of vinegar near the source. Let sit overnight in a closed room. If you would like to reduce icky smells throughout your house, but would rather not have the  room smell like vinegar,try adding some fragrant spices to your bowl of vinegar and leave it in the warmest corner of the room. Next day the smoke odors will be gone!

For personal use, vinegar will also remove soap scum and buildup from your hair. Rinse with a pitcher filled with ½ a cup of warm water and ½ a cup of vinegar ( I like to use the apple cider vinegar in this application). Your hair will be shiny and free of buildup. This same treatment also works as an effective dandruff treatment. Just use a higher concentration of vinegar to water. You should notice improvement in about two weeks.

As an acne treatment, just apply equal parts vinegar and water to problem areas. Using vinegar as a facial toner, is a great and inexpensive alternative to using harsh alpha hydroxy based products, that are often drying and irritating to the skin. Vinegar, is also effective in taking the sting out of a sunburn. Use the same type of dilution as for the hair rinse, only use cool water.You will find it to be quite soothing.

As you can see, there are these, and hundreds more uses for vinegar. When it comes to making home made cleaners,vinegar is by far the more economical choice. Most recipes make about a gallon, and you probably already have the ingredients on hand right now, in your pantry. For pennies, you can make your own, and there is no waste, and harsh chemicals involved. Once you start using vinegar, I’m quite certain you won’t go back to commercial cleaners again.  You’ll be green and save green, while your house is spotless.

If you prefer to buy ready made cleaners, look for brands such as Seventh Generation, Ecos, Simple Green, and the line of green cleaners from Clorox, just to name a few earth friendly alternatives.  Give vinegar a try though, and I think you will be surprised at the great job it does on just about everything. Together, we are working toward a better tomorrow.

The best way to quit smoking!

Keeping with the topic of going solar, as in my previous posts, Ready to go Solar? and  Facts on Who Goes Solar, here is an new info-graphic from 1Bog(One Block Off the Grid).  Just click the link and you will go to 1Bog. There the graphic examines how we Americans are rating our utility companies, our commitment to renewable/green energy sources, and solar versus grid usage. When at their site, you can also sign up for news from 1Bog, and also see what solar offers are available in your area.

As always, feel free to let me know your thoughts by commenting, to let me know if you agree with the information presented in the info-graphic. Enjoy, as it is quite useful info.

Are you ready to go solar, at your home or business? You may have noticed, that I have spoken about the benefits of solar power on several occasions. Most recently, I posted about  Facts on Who Goes Solar?  The choice to go with solar powered electricity  these days just makes sense.

English: On 140 acres of unused land on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., 70,000 solar panels are part of a solar photovoltaic array that will generate 15 megawatts of solar power for the base. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For most of us, the decision to invest in solar powered electricity, is made primarily to help the wallet of the purchaser. Interestingly, most purchasers of solar systems are middle of the road income earners, who are both liberal and conservative. They care more about jobs, than they do about the environment, and they regard their decision to purchase a solar system, basically as a wise and sound financial investment.

The good news is, most solar systems can be paid off in as little as five years. Depending on the cost of electricity in your area, they give you a good return on your investment, especially after they are paid for.  Just imagine, NO more power bills.

Solar powered electricity, is a great way to take care of your home energy needs. Local contractors  in your area, have been offering sun-powered options since the early 2000’s, to help promote a cleaner environment, and offer customers lower energy bills.  Solar energy is renewable clean energy, that is the wave of the future. It’s a great way especially for those living in naturally sunny areas, to reduce their dependence on traditional electricity, while saving money in these challenging economic and uncertain ecological times.

These days, finding new ways to make use of renewable energy resources, is one of the best choices most Americans can make.  At a time when the economy is at an extraordinarily fragile point, and many home and small business owners are struggling to make ends meet, investing in solar powered electricity is a wise economic choice.  It also helps reduce our dependence upon less abundant and more costly forms of energy, by keeping our environment intact and in good shape for future generations.

Electric Solar contractors, are making it more affordable and more rewarding than ever before, to bring solar energy to your home or business.  Many are offering convenient financing options, some are even including zero down financing.  In addition, it’s time for both home and business owners, to take advantage of and maximize on government incentives, that have been created to help encourage the use of this natural energy source. Most solar purchases and installations, qualify for at least a 33% reduction in the cost, due to the government incentives and tax credits currently being offered.

Like I said earlier,  it just makes sense, for the average person to reap the benefits of going solar now, especially at 1/3 the normal cost. This could be the best time for your wallet and for you, to consider going solar while working toward a better tomorrow!