Top 5 Green Laundry Room Tips

How can you go green in the laundry room? There are various ways. Not only is it healthier to go green with your laundry, but you can potentially save a lot of money. For example, it is less expensive to make your own healthier detergent alternatives, and you will know exactly what is in them, so you know you aren't using dangerous chemicals. 

Try these tips for going green in the laundry room:

1. Make your own detergent

It is very easy to make homemade detergent. You can make either liquid or powder laundry soap--it depends on your personal preference. For either recipe, you will need a bar of soap, washing soda and borax. You will find the green laundry detergent recipes by clicking on the link. 

2. Use less detergent

Whether you make your own laundry detergent or decide to stick with store-bought soap, you probably don't need to use as much as you think. Use half the amount the bottle recommends; too much soap can actually harm your washing machine. 

3. Skip the dryer sheets

They may smell great, but dryer sheets are loaded with yucky chemicals. A healthier option is to buy a couple wool dryer balls (affiliate link) - which last a very long time - to de-wrinkle your laundry, along with a bottle of lavender scented essential oil. Place a few drops of the oil on the wool balls and dry with your laundry. 

4. Hang clothes to dry

Whenever you can, it is much cheaper to hang clothes to dry. This may not always be your best option, however; in these cases, even taking ten minutes off the drying time can save a lot of money. The clothes will be slightly damp, so hang them on a drying rack to finish.

5. Avoid using bleach

Bleach is a very harmful cleaning product. It can burn your skin and lungs and cause long-lasting damage to your body. Instead, try healthier, greener alternatives for whitening laundry. For example, borax is known to help remove stains and it is not harmful. 

There are many ways you can go green in the laundry room, which will assist in keeping you healthy as well as save you money. By making your own laundry products, you know you will be healthier and it will cost a lot less money. 

And for those of you who haven't been following my 2014 green challenge...

Why you should "go green" in the laundry room - plus more ideas for ways to do so!

Note: This article was previously published at Yahoo! Voices and the rights reverted back to the author when the site closed. 

Photo courtesy of Flickr / Daniela Vladimirova

Easy “Going Green” Tips for Beginners

Do you want to change to a greener lifestyle? Aren't sure where to start? It can be overwhelming for a beginner to think about all the ways there are to improve your life with a healthier, more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. Don't worry--you don't have to make a dozen changes overnight. Take it slow. There are several different ways beginners can get started "going green". 

Set your priorities

 

The first step is to decide which green living aspect is most important, or relevant, in your life. Do you have health concerns? Need to save money? Want to waste less? There are numerous aspects to consider, from preserving energy to making the environment a healthier place for everyone. If no single aspect stands out, then simply start small and work your way up. 

Start small and work your way up

 

If you aren't sure where to start, then start making one change at a time. Begin with something that is easy for you, personally, to do. Recycling is always a good place to start. It only requires a separate bin for recyclable items and perhaps a little time for sorting them. Once you feel confident in your recycling abilities, move on to something else, such as buying--or making your own--green cleaning products. Larger goals to work toward may be replacing appliances with energy-efficient ones or installing solar panels, depending on how far you are willing to take your greener lifestyle. 

Replace non-green products as they run out

 

It seems like such a waste to toss perfectly good non-green products into the garbage for the sake of going green. No worries; you don't have to get rid of everything and start fresh. If you are a beginner in the green life, simply find ways to replace your chemical-infused personal care products and wasteful plastic baggies with healthier or non-wasteful options when that time comes. 

Do your research ahead of time

 

Rather than going all out and jumping in head-first, take your time and do a little research before committing to the green lifestyle. Make healthy, eco-friendly choices for the long-run. If you try to make dozens of changes in a day, or even in a month, you might find yourself becoming a little overwhelmed and revert back to your old ways. To make these changes last, you have to put some thought into them and turn "going green" into a lifelong effort. 

Personally, I have started small and am continuing to work my way up. I am also doing my research and replacing my regular products with greener versions as they run out. My biggest priority is my health, but saving money is a close second. Of course, it doesn't hurt that my carbon footprint has gotten slightly smaller since starting to make these changes.

What are some areas you have "gone green" in your life? Where are you struggling? Share your experience in the comments below.

Top 10 Reasons to Go Green with Home Cleaning Today

Why go green with home cleaning? I have found that there are a number of ways my family and I can benefit from cutting out the commercial cleaners and going green today. I feel much better about using alternative cleaning products in my home; these are just ten reasons to go green with home cleaning. 

1. You can save money. I haven't purchased cleaning products from the store since I started making my own at home. By using items I find in my own kitchen, which costs just pennies (or less) per use, I have saved a substantial amount of money. Many stores sell green cleaning products, but if you learn how to make your own, you can save a lot of money. 

(c) Tonya Mickelson 2014

2. Your health will benefit. Most commercial cleaning products, including laundry detergent, glass cleaner and bathroom cleaners, contain harmful ingredients that, when inhaled, can be toxic to your health. You might not even realize their impact until you stop using these products and go green with home cleaning. 

3. Your family will be healthier. Everyone in the house benefits from green cleaning: your spouse, the kids and even the family pets. The toxic chemicals have a much stronger impact on animals and small children than healthy adults. 

4. You can preserve the environment. Toxins from these cleaning products may directly or indirectly impact the environment. For example, when they are washed down the drain, these chemicals remain in the water that reaches local aquatic life, potentially killing them. 

5. Cleaning is much simpler. You won't need to buy a different product for each task; many household items can be used for cleaning multiple areas of the house. Vinegar, for example, is the main ingredient in almost all of my homemade products, from glass cleaner to floor cleaner. 

Click to learn more about green all-purpose sprays

6. You will save a trip to the store. When you run out of your homemade all-purpose spray, there is no need to make a trip to the store. Instead, simply whip up a new batch using ingredients that can be found in the kitchen for mere pennies. 

7. Your immune system will benefit. By avoiding harsh cleaning agents, your body will be able to build up a natural defense system and, therefore, will be able to fight off the flu and common colds much more effectively. 

8. Indoor air quality will be improved. Every time they are used, chemicals from commercial cleaning products seep into the indoor air you breathe. By removing these products from the home and going green with home cleaning, you can breathe easier knowing that your home has cleaner air. 

9. They are just as effective. Too many people associate the strong chemical odor with a "clean" smell. Because green cleaners don't smell so strong, does that mean your house isn't getting clean? I've haven't yet had a problem with my homemade products getting the house clean. 

10. You will be a role model. When others, particularly the younger generation, see that you are cleaning your house with healthier products, they will be inclined to do the same. Today, you can teach them the benefits of using green products to clean the home.

'Go Green in 2014': The halfway point

Well...this year is already half over, which means my 2014 challenge is also half over. How's it going so far?

I'll admit, I have started to slow down a little in the motivation department, but I'm not running out of steam yet.

Luckily, I have been able to come up with different ways to go green each week this year. I have been publishing my weekly blog posts on Monday morning every week. Although I am getting a little low on ideas, I still have enough to cover the next couple months at least. By then, I will surely have more green tips to make it through the rest of the year.

Visit this page to see my progress so far.

The first half

I kicked off the new year by signing up for the curbside recycling program; since then, I have blogged about greening the laundry room, reducing office waste, composting - not to mention the various recipes I have shared for cleaning and personal care products.

The second half

This coming week's post about green yard care is all set and ready to publish first thing Monday morning. In the next few weeks, you can expect to see more recipes, as well as ideas for safer personal care products, ways to reduce waste, and sometime in the near future I'll share my current project: How to make your own no-sew reusable cloth napkins and "unpaper" towels.

What can you expect after the year is over? 

Although I will no longer have scheduled weekly posts, I still plan on blogging on a regular basis about various green living topics. And because some of the topics I have gone over in the past few months have been pretty broad, I will likely get into more detail once we get into the next year.

Note: If you have any suggestions or ideas that you would like to learn more about, please let me know either in the comments section below or using the contact form on the right sidebar.

Come back Monday for Go Green in 2014: Week 26!

Green for a Cause

As some of you might already know, this blog isn't the only place I write and publish... I first started writing online over five years ago (I can't believe it's been that long already!) for a site that is now owned by Yahoo! I write a lot of green-related stuff over there, too. In addition to getting paid upfront for each article, I also get paid when my articles are viewed.

During the month of May, I have offered to donate my upfront and pageview earnings to a wonderful cause: My aunt is adopting a little boy from China, and along with many other family members, I am trying to help raise the funds needed to cover the adoption-related expenses. This is my way of pitching in and helping to bring this little boy home to his family.

I am asking my readers to help out...

Naturally, I am hoping to increase pageviews this month so I can make as big a donation possible. If you are able, I would ask you to visit my contributor profile and read any articles that are interested in. Please, I ask you not to click on them just to click and increase views. I understand if you visit and do not find anything that interests you...although there are 1,179 pieces of content (and counting!) to choose from. :-)

My profile has a number of different article topics, but if you are specifically looking for green-related content, please visit the tab (above) titled "Green Resources" and look under the section called "Tonya's Green Living Articles". A lot - but not all - of my green/natural content is listed here.

It costs you nothing but a little bit of your time

Even if it's just a few minutes. Your time is valuable, and we appreciate that you have even read this far! So now I'll quit taking up your time with this blog post and just say....thank you!

Ways to Go Green in the New Year

Have you made your New Year's resolutions yet?

To be honest, I don't like the idea of making New Year's resolutions, because they usually don't last past the first few days or, at best, a couple months. However, the start of a new year is always a great time to make changes to better your life.

If you have been following my blog, you might know that my goal is to find 52 ways to go green in 2014. Making weekly posts will help keep me accountable, and I will be more likely to follow through with my plan; I hope I will inspire you to make greener, healthier changes throughout the year, as well.

Maybe you don't feel up to taking on such a large project, and that's fine. Even a small step, such as recycling, can have a big impact on the environment.

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10 Green Resolutions for the New Year

If you are looking for a way to make a difference in the coming year, why not take some baby steps to going green. Make a resolution to minimize your carbon footprint. Try one or more of these ten green resolutions for the new year.

1. Reduce waste by recycling. Some cities offer curbside recycling pickup; take advantage of this service by starting to recycle in the new year. 

2. Bring reusable bags when shopping. If it's hard to remember your cloth bags when you go to the store, keep them in your car in a place where you will easily see them. 

3. Start composting in the new year. Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as fertilizer. Learn about what you can keep for compost, and start saving your decomposable items in a bin. 

4. Learn how to make green products. There are many non-toxic alternatives to cleaning and beauty products that you can easily make at home using items you already own. Make it your goal to learn how to make your own green products this coming year. 

5. Start thinking before you print. If you find yourself printing anything and everything, start thinking about whether you really need to print and cut back on the amount of paper you need to buy. 

6. Drink from refillable water bottles. By now, we all know how wasteful it is to drink from store-bought bottled water. Instead, buy your own water filter and carry a refillable water bottle with you. 

7. Cut back - or eliminate - paper towels. If you really want to save money and the environment, make a new year's resolution to cut back on the number of paper towels you use. Instead, take advantage of dishcloths or washable "unpaper" towels. 

8. Walk, rather than drive, whenever possible. Some of us may find it difficult to walk the distance to work every day, but think about the various places you frequently visit that you can easily walk to. 

9. Replace your light bulbs to save energy. By switching to energy-efficient bulbs, you will find that you don't need to replace them as often and they will cut back on electricity usage, saving you money.

10. Go paperless whenever possible. Switch to paperless billing and pay your bills online. Use fewer paper products in everyday life. Print less.

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How are you planning to 'go green' in the new year? Please share in the comments below.

Come back soon to find out how I'm progressing with my green challenge! It officially starts on January 1st (although I've already gotten a bit of a head start!) and my first post will be on January 6, 2014.