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40 tips for going green - easy to do ideas for everyone...
This site has numerous tidbits of information for anyone who wants to learn what they can do
to help the environment anywhere..
find more about local rebates at save our h2o link above - this website will help you find out what rebates are being sponsored for your area according to zip code! Excellent up to date resource for all areas!
DID YOU KNOW...
TIPS TO CONSERVE WATER...
- Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full and you could save 1000 gallons a month.
- Don't let the water run while you brush your teeth and you could save up to 4 gallons a minute - 200 gallons a week for a family of four.
- A leaky faucet could waste up to 140 gallons a week!
- When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load, and try to only do a full load.
- Installing low-flow showerheads in all showers and aerated faucets on your sinks can save your family up to 900 gallons a week. (Hint: If your shower can fill a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, then you probably need to replace it with a more water efficient showerhead.)
- Verify that your home is leak-free! Many homes have hidden water leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.
- Use a hose nozzle and turn off the water while you wash your car and save more than 100 gallons at a time.
- Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap water run every time you want a cool glass of water. This could save hundreds of gallons a month.
- Use of bowl of water to clean fruits & vegetables rather than running water over them. You can reuse this for your house plants.
- Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.
- If you water your grass and trees more heavily, but less often, this saves water and builds stronger roots.
- Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street.
- When you shop for a new appliance, consider one offering cycle and load size adjustments for water and energy-efficiency.
- Time your shower to keep it under 5 minutes. You'll save up to 1000 gallons a month.
- Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. Longer grass shades root systems and holds soil moisture better than a closely clipped lawn.
- Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. It's easy to fix, and you can save more than 600 gallons a month.
- Plug the bathtub before turning the water on, then adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.
- Soak your pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
- Make sure you know where your master water shut-off valve is located. This could save gallons of water and damage to your home if a pipe were to burst.
OTHER WATER FACTS...
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The Earth has somewhere around 326,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons (326 million trillion gallons) of water on the planet.
- Less than 2% of the Earth’s water supply is fresh water.
- Of all the earth's water, 97% is salt water found in oceans and seas.
- Only 1% of the earth's water is available for drinking water. Two percent is frozen.
- The human body is about 75% water.
- Every day in the United States, we drink about 110 million gallons of water.
- If every household in America had a faucet that dripped once each second, 928 million gallons of water a day would leak away.
- The average 5-minute shower takes 15-25 gallons of water--around 40 gallons are used in 10 minutes.
- An automatic dishwasher uses 9 to 12 gallons of water while hand washing dishes can use up to 20 gallons.
- You can refill an 8-oz glass of water approximately 15,000 times for the same cost as a six-pack of soda pop.
- 300 million gallons of water are needed to produce a single day's supply of U.S. newsprint.
- A dairy cow must drink four gallons of water to produce one gallon of milk.
- It takes 3.3 acre feet of water to grow enough food for an average family for a year.
- If every household in America had a faucet that dripped once each second, 928 million gallons of water a day would leak away.
- The average American uses 140-170 gallons of water per day.
- Every day in the United States, we drink about 110 million gallons of water.
FUN PLUMBING FACTS...
- Toilet paper was first invented in China in 1391AD, The Bureau of Imperial Supplies began producing 720,000 sheets of toilet paper a year, each sheet measuring two feet by three feet. For use by the Emperors. In 1857 in the USA a New Yorker, Joseph C. Gayetty, produced the first packaged bathroom tissue named "The Therapeutic Paper" as it contained an abundance of aloe, a curative addition. The company sold it in packs of 500 sheets for fifty cents, and Joseph Gayetty had his name printed on each sheet! In 1890 The Scott Paper Company is the first company to manufacture tissue on a roll, specifically for the use of toilet paper.
- Albert Einstein was named honorary member of the Plumbers Union after saying publicly he'd become a plumber if he had to do it all over again.
- Archeologists recovered a portion of a water plumbing system from the Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt evidencing indoor plumbing dating back to 2500 B.C.E.
other go green thoughts ...
- Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100 watt light bulb burning for almost four hours.
- Parents and their children can help recycle. It's easy to pack school lunches that don't create excess waste and that are environmentally friendly.
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Skip the bottled water - Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water, not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste - so bring a reusable water bottle with you.
- check out yahoo freecycle - http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=freecycle - where people give away what they're done with instead of throwing it into the landfills
green clean ideas...
- Glass - Mix together equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle to clean surfaces. Wipe away with newspaper for streak-free shine. And make sure to clean your windows on a cloudy day!
- Chrome / Stainless Steel - Forget polishers! A dry cloth and baby oil will keep your faucet handles looking brand new. Lemon oil works fantastic on stainless steel.
- Stinky Carpet- Sprinkle baking soda onto the carpet. Let it sit for a half hour, then vacuum it up. Also, adding a little essential oil to the baking soda combined with equal parts cornstarch (how much cornstarch and soda you need depends on the area you are covering) will help.
- Carpet Stains - Combine equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and wet the stained area. Then dab and scrub with a sponge until the stain lifts. Another tried-and-true method: spray shaving cream onto the stain, let it sit for a half hour, and then remove with a sponge.
- Furniture Cleaner - Mix the juice from a half a lemon with one quarter cup vegetable or olive oil. Dab the mixture onto a cloth and rub directly onto the wood.
- All purpose Cleaner - For a general all-purpose cleaner that you can keep on hand to clean the kitchen or bathroom, combine one half cup vinegar and one quarter cup baking soda in a spray bottle.
- Toilet - Pour one cup of vinegar in the bowl with one quarter cup baking soda and let it sit for a half hour. Then scrub the toilet clean with a brush.
- Mildew - Combine vinegar and lemon juice in a spray bottle with a pinch of salt. Let the mixture sit on the mildewed surface but don't wipe it clean.
- Mold - Mix one cup hydrogen peroxide to three cups of water and apply to surface with a spray bottle.
- Stinky Drain/Garbage Disposal - Drop half a lemon down the drain and run boiling water over it. Remove the lemon after a half hour. Another method: one half cup vinegar down the drain works, too. Flush with hot water. Natural remedies can have the same cleaning power as store-bought cleaners minus the toxicity.
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