Tag: bathroom

Earth Friendly Hacks You Can Try Right Now

Earth Friendly Hacks You Can Try Right Now

Posted on by Lydia D

Earth-Friendly Hacks You Can Try Right Now

In honor of Earth Month, we’ve assembled a bunch of earth-friendly hacks that will not only make your life easier, but will save you money. We firmly believe in eliminating unnecessary product purchases as much as possible. Replacing them with more earth-friendly and sustainable options just makes sense. Give these a try and see if you don’t save time, money, and your sanity.

  • Buy white vinegar by the gallon – vinegar is not just for dressing. White vinegar is, in fact, great in the bathroom. Use it full-strength in the toilet to remove lime buildup. Dilute 1:1 with water in a spray bottle and remove soap scum in the shower. It’s great for cleaning glass, as well. In the kitchen room, it’s great for sweetening the coffee pot. In the garden, use it full-strength to kill weeds without the need for toxic pesticides. These are only a few of the many uses for this versatile staple.
  • Not just for cleaning wounds, the bathroom staple hydrogen peroxide is the secret ingredient in “oxyclean” products, and is thoroughly biodegradable. It’s great as a whitener and spot remover on clothing. In the bath, create a paste using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to remove stains from porcelain sinks, toilets, bathtubs and tile. Save on cleaning products and detergents by using this one item.
  • Trade up to Cartridge-free Printers – Even though printer cartridges are recyclable, over 50% of them end up in landfills. Recycling cartridges can be complicated and they are expensive. Many companies have responded by creating all-in-one printers with refillable ink tanks. This allows them to print as many as 7,000 pages, while keeping printer cartridges out of landfills. You can find a list of printers here.
  • Barter for goods and services – bartering is coming back in a big way. All networks have one thing in common; members take advantage of a network of individuals or businesses that combine their resources and provide them for free. From babysitting coops to business-related networks, individuals and businesses can save lots of money. It’s a win-win! Examples include the Hudson Barter Exchange and Hudson Valley Current. For individuals, try swapright or barterquest.com. There are also product-swapping Facebook groups that help keep used products out of the trash. You an even housesit for free using sites like trustedhousesitters.com
  • Embrace solar – Today, earth friendly solar powered products are everywhere. They are capable of powering everything from cell phones to entire homes and communities. Moving off the grid has real benefits. One of the biggest ones is the advantages to the environment. Solar power is entirely renewable compared with oil and gas. It is also getting less expensive every day. From solar powered backpacks to solar lights, solar power can make our lives easier, save money, and make our planet a cleaner place. Check out the solar devices available here.
  • Learn how to forage – Food foraging is the norm in many parts of the world and it has caught on in the United States as well. Many great herbs and vegetables grow wild in our own backyards. and are loaded with vitamins, minerals and flavor. From dandelion greens and purslane to wild garlic and burdock root, there are many opportunities to add plants that you can harvest for free, with a little guidance. Check out a foraging manual and get picking! You’ll save money and add awesome taste and nutrition to your usual garden vegetables.
  • Choose reusable stainless steel – We love earth-friendly stainless steel items for many reasons. It’s inert, easy to clean, and endlessly versatile. Most stainless steel has about 60% recycled metal, making it pretty sustainable. One of our favorite products is this stainless steel food carrier from Thrive Market. You can also find water bottles, straws, camping gear and cookware that will last for years to come.

We hope you enjoy our list of earth-friendly hacks. Look for more ideas in the coming months. For us here at WEBA Natural Products, every day is Earth Day.

References:
Forbes article on bartering

Your bathroom medicine cabinet, expired medications

Medications – Hiding in Plain Sight

Posted on by Lydia D

Do you know what is in your medicine cabinet?

A clean and orderly home is something that most of us want for ourselves and our family. This is no less true for the smallest room in the house – our bathrooms. The average time spent in the bathroom daily is about 30 minutes. Usually the smallest room in the house, it is sometimes neglected when it comes to style and décor. After all, bathrooms serve a utilitarian purpose, don’t they?

Our Medicine Cabinets

The same thing can be said for our medicine cabinets. We may maintain an immaculate home, but our medicine cabinets often become cluttered by items that have long since expired. When it comes to prescription and over the counter medications, it can mean that those medications won’t work as effectively as they should. The same can be said for more natural products like essential oils or saline nasal sprays. While the U.S. Food & Drug Administration does not require that non-drug products use expiration dates, many include them. Once past an expiration date, a product’s volatile oils and/or active ingredients may not be as effective. If you can’t remember when you purchased a product or if it smells or looks “off”, the safest thing to do is to toss it.

The same principal applies to personal care products like creams, lotions, balms, cosmetics, etc. Most products lose their potency after 36 months, but there are other considerations, especially if products are marketed as “natural”. These generally don’t stay potent for more than 24 months. Most cosmetics should be tossed after 6 months due to the danger of contamination. If you like to recycle containers, it’s best to stick with glass or aluminum jars. Plastic containers are difficult to sterilize. Otherwise, most can be taken to your local recycling center. For more information, visit the Natural Society’s Guide to Plastic Recycling

Expired Drugs and Proper Disposal

When it comes to prescription and over the counter drugs, proper disposal is important. Drugs should not merely be flushed down the toilet or put in the trash, for environmental and safety reasons. The Drug Enforcement Administration, in an effort to help reduce the danger of illegal use of prescription drugs, began National Drug Take Back Day. Held in October, information is provided to local law enforcement agencies that can help residents dispose of their medications safely. There are also MedReturn Drug collection locations across the country where you can take your expired drugs for safe disposal. You can find more information at http://medreturn.com.

Create a Clean-out Schedule

Cleaning out your medicine cabinet should be performed twice a year. You can attach this task to specific times of the year like Daylight Savings, July 4th or New Year’s Day can make it easier to remember. Remembering to do it when you check the batteries in your smoke detectors is another option. People who are ready to take control of all that they can by developing systems that make tasks easier can be difficult for some. However, if you are able to do so, you’ll find that you have more time to enjoy friends and family, and that small tasks will not turn into big ones later on.

Reference: Bathroom habits survey

Credit: Deidre Dolan Nesline, Founder of DeClutter by Deidre
DeClutter By Deirdre is committed to assisting people and their families who struggle with de-cluttering their homes so that they can enjoy a more stress-free life. To learn more visit their website at declutterbydeirdre.com