Spring Cleaning? Take it to Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste

Cleaning out the garage typically means you are going to have rusty containers of yuck to get rid of.

These include paint, thinners, solvents, strippers, motor oil and motor additives, garden fertilizers, rat poison, cleaners, bleach and many other toxics.

These can be responsibly disposed of every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Hayward, Oakland, and Livermore dumps from 9:00am-1:00pm and by appointment on alternative days by calling 800.606.6606.

www.household-hazwaste.org

Happy Earth Day!

I'm celebrating with a clean kitchen and bath! I used my vinegar glass cleaner for the shower doors and now they are sparkling.

Some tips for using these clean, green products

Keep them handy!
*a shaker bottle of baking soda near the sink
*pre-mixed vinegar and water glass cleaner

Some new tips that I recently picked up:
*cornstarch will lift oily stains from granite
*cinnamon makes a great ant repellent, just sprinkle near the opening where they come in

Plastics and Food Storage

Conversations about plastics...

The Green Guide, a National Geographic website has some of the most detailed information about going green. This morning's email newsletter discussed FSH hardwoods and the types of hardwood substitutions that are available for building.

I had to link to the page on plastics though. It's is the most mundane objects in our existence where our choices can make a difference on a daily basis. Unless we are in the trade building supplies don't enter our realm too often, but plastics do. Check out their guide to the healthier choices in plastics and understand what is recyclable and what is not.

Plastic Guide

Going Green is a Practice not a Perfect

Starting Fresh?
I have been thinking a lot about the New Year. There is always a flurry of promises and predictions and if we are not thoughtful, it can sound like a lot of noise. It makes sense to pare down to the essentials. I try to look at major categories and see what impacts I can make in my own family and outside in the world.

Healthier A healthy house means a happy family. Get rid of toxic cleansers, particularly Chlorine Bleach which is highly toxic to the environment in production.

Envigorated Use your kids or your dog to reinforce your exercise regimen. I started running with my ten year old son. We’re not very fast but our time together in Redwood Regional Park is really fun!

Refreshed Consider a new paint scheme as an inexpensive fix for enlivening your home interior. EcoHome Improvement’s no VOC (volitile organic compounds) paint lines will protect your family and your painters from fumes. I am redoing my foyer with a lovely water color and now am inspired to paint the kitchen cabinets as well.

Reinforced Stand outside in the rain and look to see how your gutters are doing during the heaviest downpours. Look for fallen branches, and plant material that might impact nature’s own drainage system. Clear gutters of debris. Look for cracks in black PVC piping designed to carry water away from your home. Walk the perimeter of your home after the rains both inside and out. A new gutter is inexpensive compared with rot created by water intrusion. Service your sump-pump, and check for mold growing on the up-hill side of your interior foundation. Is water seeping through cracks?

Accomplished Set small and realistic expectations of yourself, your family, and your efforts toward your home care and repair. Put a couple things on a list to take care of by April and when you cross them off add a few more to do by the end of summer. In this way, you are accomplishing what you set out to do and not feeling guilty about not saving the planet by May.

Conserved Do not wait! Change all your light bulbs now! You will save up to $50 per month in your electricity bill if you use a lot of lighting. The new bulbs last a long time but must be carefully recycled. The selling store usually recycled them for you, but when in doubt, Ikea has a bin for battery and bulb recycling at the front the the store near the return desk.

I practice Green Real Estate. Going green is a "Practice" not a "Perfect." I encourage you to begin.

Best,

Nicole

Green Tick List for 2008

Going green doesn't have to cost the BIG BUCKS!

HAVE YOU?

Changed all your light bulbs to florescent, even the Christmas lights. (Go to the day after Christmas sales to pick up fluorescents and LED's for next year.

Are you composting kitchen scraps?

Do you have water aeration filters on all your faucets?

Have you stopped buying plastic water bottles?

Do you always bring your owns bags to the grocer?

Do you unplug all your appliances when not in use? Try using power strips for stereo equipment, DVR and monitors that go into sleep mode but still draw. Unplug your phone charger.

Stop using paper towels and household bleach. Change your cleaning products to non-toxics. Method and Shacklee products are excellent.