How to Give Your Household a Green Makeover (Page 2)

1. Cleaners are the easiest thing in the world to switch, since the eco-friendly versions work just as well, if not better, than the creepy harsh-chemically ones. As each of your home cleansers run out, simply restock your cabinets with some gentler, non-toxic alternatives.

See: How to Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit

2. Perhaps surprisingly, your grooming routine is another easy exchange. Vegan, organic, and all-natural bath and body products are totally en vogue, so they’re everywhere these days. Extra for experts: you can also make your own!

See: 5 Recipes for DIY Personal Care Products

3. The kitchen is also the perfect place to “green up” your act. Some starter ideas: Try using pretty cloth napkins instead of paper at the dinner table. Trade in the paper towels for awesome cotton dish rags, and use a designated sponge to clean up spills. Replace your bleached white paper coffee filters with the unbleached, recycled paper version – or better yet, use a washable hemp filter (or brew in a French Press). Save large glass jars to use instead of plastic bags and plastic food storage containers (big ones, like pickles and pasta sauce). These also work great for storing dried goods, which you can buy in bulk to save on packaging and pinch your pennies!

4. The bathroom is the final major area where you can get your green on, and I’m not talking about those beauty products mentioned above. Think outside the box, like: doing away with disposable items such as like Q-tips, cotton balls, etc. Believe me, you can learn to live without them (or find a reusable alternative). As well, investigate brands like Preserve, which offer toothbrushes, razors, and more. Not only are they made from recycled plastic, but when you’re done you can send the product back to them (with free postage!), so that they can recycle it all over again. Pretty amazing! Finally, for the females, please look into reusable “monthly” products, such as cloth pads and menstrual cups. This may seem like a crazy leap to make, but please just trust me when I say, I’ve never met a woman who’s regretted the switch. Look into it!

See: 12 Disposable Items to Dispose of for Good

As you can see, there’s a million minor adjustments that you can make in your own home. Each one is tiny, but working in congregation they’ll create a massive shift in your consumption and your impact. One little step at a time. And HAVE FUN!

Sayward Rebhal writes for Networx. Get home & garden ideas like this on Networx.com.

Image credit: thephotoholic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

2 of 2
back to page 1

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Laura M.

8:27PM PDT on Apr 30, 2012

Last paragraph of the first page is SO ESSENTIAL! everyone keep that in mind!

April 30
send a green star

Past Member .

1:53AM PDT on Apr 14, 2012

thanks for the article

April 14
send a green star

Duane B.

9:53AM PDT on Apr 8, 2012

Thank you for sharing.

April 8
send a green star

Jason S.

8:06PM PDT on Apr 5, 2012

thanks

April 5
send a green star

Brenda T.

5:11AM PDT on Mar 31, 2012

Thanks.

March 31
send a green star

KS G.

12:06AM PDT on Mar 31, 2012

Thanks for the article.

Robert O.

2:13AM PDT on Mar 30, 2012

Thanks Chaya.

March 30
send a green star

Heidi A.

12:08AM PDT on Mar 30, 2012

I will never reuse my monthly products, thank you very much. I would like a recipe for Simple Green though. Its the best multi-purpose cleaner I have ever used.

Annemarie W.

5:18PM PDT on Mar 29, 2012

thanks!

March 29
send a green star

Bruce H.

5:25AM PDT on Mar 29, 2012

Two things about coffee filters, the unbleached paper is good in the compost and worms just love coffee grounds. In our house we use a permanent filter that holds up for a couple of years. It's plastic and so gets recycled when done.