Two Eco-Friendly Ways to Prevent Static Cling!

Dryer sheets or fabric softeners can help soften, scent and prevent static cling as we all know.  My favorite is Purex Crystals because it does all you want it to do and will not build up in the fabrics over time. Nonetheless, if you tend to be allergic to dryer sheets or fabric softeners and want a simple way to prevent static cling, I have two solutions that can save you grief from an embarrassing situation.

Though you won’t get that wonderful softness and scent of either form, what you can do is reach for some aluminum foil.  The plan is to take a sheet big enough to form a ball (about the size of a baseball) to throw in your dryer with the clothes.  Believe it or not, this little laundry solution is a green and chemical free way to prevent static electricity.

Another excellent solution to help fight static cling is something I learned years ago from a co-worker that works beautifully using hand lotion.  Unscented, eco-friendly body lotions can also do the same thing.  So check out my earlier post because this handy solution can save you potential embarrassment, too.   

20 Mule Team Borax Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

20 Mule Team Borax

Since most of us have "hard water" in our homes with a lot of calcium and magnesium to clog up efficiency when doing laundry, it's a good idea to soften the water.  By doing so, you can maximize the cleaning power of your detergent.  This is a simple way to make sure your clothes are getting as clean as possible  like using  20 Mule Team Borax, a 100% natural mineral along with your load.

As a Purex Insider, I got to test this laundry booster out.  All it takes is 1/2 cup of Borax along with your detergent and whatever you wash does seem to look cleaner.  After I read the box, I was surprised to learn how multipurpose this one natural cleaner was. 

This product was also recommended for washing your delicates, pre-soaking tough stains, cleaning toilet bowls, wiping  showers and tubs to even tackling soap scum on bathroom tiles, cleaning kitchen counter tops, garbage disposals, drains to helping clean carpets and rugs.

Since I am particularly fond of green products to do my part to protect the environment, I think next on my agenda is to see how Borax works cleaning the bathroom!   Have you tried Borax yet?

Yet, I have more exciting news to share--The Borax - Fresh Year, Fresher Laundry Facebook Sweepstakes is LIVE for a chance of winning a Grand Prize of $1,500 or one of 171 coupons for FREE BORAX until February 22, 2013.  Enter daily here and good luck!

*Disclaimer:  This is my own honest opinion.  Borax provided a free product strictly to facilitate this review.*

Natural Double Duty Cleaning to Be Nuts About!

Some people love to clean for reasons only they know.  A friend of mine is one of those people who cleans every window in her house once a week without fail whether all fourteen need them or not. 

However, I am not one of them.  I clean only because I must to preserve my sanity.  This means I do not enjoy spending time with bucket, mop, vacuum cleaner or an assortment of cleaning products, etc.  The time I put to cleaning is just a needless chore I know I must do out of necessity--never out of pleasure. 

With that thought, I always am on the lookout for ways to shorten my time on the cleaning front so I can do other more enjoyable things instead of cleaning toilets and the like!  This is why I am nuts about using cheap, environmentally friendly natural product combinations like white vinegar and baking soda that cut the work while still getting the job done.

I like to pour a cup of white vinegar in the toilet bowl.   Give it a swish with the toilet brush and watch the bowl start to shine!

Save an empty spray bottle and clean it thoroughly before filling it with white vinegar.  This is a great inexpensive spray cleaner for a bounty of surfaces from countertops to shower doors. 

Beside being a green cleaner, your lungs will also appreciate saving them from those powerful chemicals that often overwhelm you, especially when locked in closed quarters like the bathroom.  Use it straight or to lessen the vinegar smell I like to dilute the bottle with a little water (about one-fourth) to help the aroma. 

Baking soda is wonderful to sprinkle on your carpeting or rugs.  Leave it there while you go have a cup of coffee.  By the time you're finished, the soda will have done its magic to remove any odors, maybe from your dog or cat and you can vacuum it up. 

If your pets happen to have an accident on the carpeting, you should try dampening the area with equal parts white vinegar and water before blotting dry.

Baking soda is also super cheap to use in your wet tub as a nonabrasive cleaner that won't scratch.  It does a fine job of getting rid of soap scum and dirt--and costs pennies compared to the commercial alternative. 

Adding a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle saves you battling a lint buildup on your clothes.

You can remove tea or coffee stains inside cups by wiping with a paste made of baking soda and water.  Another good stain remover for that problem is salt and white vinegar.

Perspiration stains can be difficult to remove.  However, you should try saturating the stain with white vinegar before you throw it in the washing machine. 

These are just a few simple tricks to save you some money and time while doing your part to help the environment so your day will be freed up for more pleasant things!

 

Going Green Is Easy

Being eco-friendly is energy-efficient and a great help to the environment.  At the same time, you'll save more money if you're going green just by doing little things.

For starters, check each door and window  for wasting energy.  Hold a ribbon near the openings and see if it flutters.  If it does, then you have air leaking inside.  All you need to do is add some weatherstripping or caulking to save that escaping energy.

Another way to go green is by pulling plugs from your electronics when not in use.  Computers, TV and stereos continue to draw power even when they're turned off.  Believe it or not, most of us waste enough energy to power a 100-watt light bulb just because we leave everything plugged in. 

Try to do your laundry at night--not at peak energy consumption time in the day.  Also, if you can get your family to use their towels more than one time, your laundry pile will shrink.  Even one load less of laundry saves you work and that washing machine and dryer from eating energy.

Often we jump into our cars and make wasted shopping trips.  Make a list and plan a route to shop or do errands at one time, instead of making several trips.  Shopping less often helps save your budget and even more gasoline.  Better yet, if you live close enough to any store, try walking or biking instead of jumping in the car.

Learn how to compost your vegetable peels, fruit skins, etc.  You'll save money from not buying garbage bags and improve the soil once those materials decompose.

Swap your old light bulbs for the energy saving bulbs!

If you have an old furnace, you may want to eventually switch it out for a newer model.  The energy alone it takes for a pilot light to work on some old furnaces would shock you.

These are just a few quick ways to help you go green.  With just a little thought, your efforts will make a change in bettering the planet and your budget as well!

How to Fight Mildew Naturally

Growing thyme is useful in the fight against mildew!

Mildew is a frustrating problem for practically everyone.  Doesn't it seem like no matter how often you clean or what product you use those ugly mildew spores keep making us constantly work?   However, I found a natural homemade solution you may want to consider trying.

Place some sprigs of fresh thyme inside a plastic spray bottle and cover with white vinegar.  Allow the herb and vinegar to blend inside for two weeks so the herb's essential oil can be activated.

What you'll get is a healthier, green living type cleaner that will cut grease and grime while helping to kill future mold spores.

Another plus to using this cleaner is knowing the stimulating effect of thyme on the nervous system in the way it increases the information flow to your brain and muscles.  As a result, you'll feel an increase in pep from the scent of this herb's essential oil in the cleaner so you'll clean even faster!  Now you can understand why I'm nuts about this easy remedy.

Have You Ever Heard of A Water-Powered Alarm Clock?

Bedol Water-Powered Alarm Clock

If you're like me, you may have been unaware there are environmentally friendly clocks that do run on water instead of batteries or electricity.  However,  I recently won a Bedol Water-Powered Alarm Clock.  I was skeptical at first about how well this clock would work until I gave it a try.  Now I am nuts about this clock.

All  I needed to do was unscrew the top and fill it up with water to the appropriate level.   A few more presses and I set the alarm, which in my three months of use, has never missed a beat and sounds off at the exact designated time I set.  This clock is fantastic because you never have to worry about replacing any battery or worrying about the correct time if you lose power.  

You do, however, need to change the water when the time begins to fade, usually after a few months.  My screen didn't fade; but, the water looked cloudy so I decided to clean it out according to the directions.  All I added was some white vinegar, then allow the inside container to dry before resetting it.  

My only complaint with this clock is the complicated set of directions themselves--not the clock itself!  Why companies fail to write simple instructions instead of assuming all customers have a technical background stumps me.  Anyone else feel the same way?