Up At Dawn?

Water plants first thing in the morning. The cooler temperatures will prevent water from evaporating too quickly and watering at dawn rather than dusk helps prevent the growth of fungus.

A Green Clean For Clothes

Want to get your family's clothes clean without drowning them in chemicals? Natural ingredients such as borax, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, washing soda, and white vinegar are safer for you, your children, and the environment. Check out GreenerChoices.org for specific recipies.

If you just love your laundry detergent, try just using less of it by adding 1/2 cup baking soda to the wash. Need to soften up those stiff baby overalls? Try adding a 1/4 cup of either baking soda OR white vinegar to the wash. And for all of those lovely grass and grape juice stains, you could try a natural bleach such as hydrogen peroxide or a commercially made chlorine-free bleach. Ecover and Seventh Generation are two great companies to check out for eco-friendly laundry detergents, stain removers, and fabric softeners.

Go Low-Flow

As a parent, I would love nothing more than a nice, long, hot shower if for no other reason than to take a break from doling out snacks, referring fights, and wiping up spills. Of course, I'm lucky if I can get 5 minutes to myself. But even 5 minutes is all it takes to wash away 30 gallons of water. Showers make up a big chunk (roughly 22 percent) of the average family's water bill. And showers hit the pocketbook twice...once for water and once for the energy the water heater uses to make the water hot. Low-flow shower heads have come along way since they were first introduced, reducing water use by as much as 500 to 800 gallons of water per month. Install one and you'll save water, energy, and a ton of $$$.

Don't Be A Drip!

Set aside one day this month to repair dripping faucets and leaky toilets. Aside from being annoying, these little drips can add up to big dollars and major waste. Dripping faucets can waste up to 2,000 gallons of water each year in the average home, while leaky toilets can waste as much as 200 gallons per day.
water conservation

Get A Green Clean

Harmful chemicals and toxins abound in the average cleaning products. As a parent, I was always wondering what was worse...dirt and germs or the chemicals I was using to clean them up! But if you're looking for a greener way to clean up those juice spills, don't be taken in by green slogans. Get savvy about labels and learn to separate the green from the toxic. According to David Steinman, co-author of The Safe Shopper's Bible, look for grain alcohol instead of toxic butyl cellosolve as a solvent; coconut or other plant oils rather than petroleum in detergents; and plant-oil disinfectants such as eucalyptus, rosemary, or sage rather than triclosan.
green clean

Park It!

The next time you're headed to the grocery store or the soccer field, make an effort to park in the shade. It will keep your car cooler in the summer and minimize the evaporization of fuel.
driving green

It's A Gas

Tired of paying an arm and a leg to fill your gas tank? Take these steps to save gas, money, and the planet.

1. Go Slow: Stick to the speed limit and avoid excessive braking and accelerating.
   
2. Pump It Up: Make sure your tires are properly inflated (underinflated tires reduce fuel economy).
3. Clean It Out: If your car is like mine, it is a rolling closet, fileld with clothes, toys, books, strollers, and snacks. But all of that extra weight may cost money at the pump. The Department of Energy estimates that drivers can save anywhere between 3 and 6 cents a gallon just by removing unnecessary weight.
4. Go Cruisin': Using cruise control, especially on long trips, can save you as much as 7 percent on fuel (according to Edmunds.com.)