• How to Have an Organic Party

• 4 Simple Tips for Decluttering Your Home

• 10 Ways to Save Money On Gas

  The Many Uses of Vinegar

   

4 Simple Tips for Decluttering Your Home

from thedailygreen.com

These simple steps will not only clear space around the house, but cut waste and reduce your environmental impact.

By Dan Shapley

“Clutter." The word itself seems too full of letters.

If the word makes you cringe, it's probably because your home is full of it: Piles of paper on tables. Books so thick on the nightstand you can't see the time on the clock. Closets so overstuffed with clothes that you can never find what you're looking for, and whatever you do find is full of wrinkles. Kitchen cabinets so full of flat soda and half-empty chip bags you wonder if there's anything other than a stale chip.

Sound familiar?

Then consider these simple tips to help declutter your home. Clear up a little space around the house -- and breathe a little easier, even when confronted with evil, vile words like "clutter."

Say No to Junk Mail

The average American household receives an estimated 850 pieces of junk mail every year -- enough, as we all know, to cover our kitchen tables several times over.

Even if you spend just 10 seconds with each piece of junk mail, deciding whether to open it or toss it in the recycle bin, you will have wasted nearly 2 1/2 hours of time every year -- not to mention the time, effort and grief it takes to haul that pile of paper to the curb or transfer station. (It's no coincidence that paper makes up one-quarter of all landfill waste, or that the junk mail industry's environmental footprint is large, equivalent to the tailpipe pollution from 9 million cars.)

You can reclaim the calm of a clean kitchen table, and 2 1/2 hours to reflect on your clutter-free ways, with a few keystrokes. Just register for the Mail Preference Service on the Direct Marketing Association Website. For $1, your name and address will be removed from prospective mailing lists, ending 75% of junkmail within about 90 days.

Empty Your Closets

Never in history have we had so much stuff -- but never in history have we had so many ways to get rid of the stuff we no longer want. Start with your closet, and all those clothes you think you might wear one day. (I mean, gosh, that Empire Strikes Back T-shirt was a real hit in college, but the way your belly makes Yoda bulge now is a tad unseemly.)

Take a tip from Good Housekeeping and have an annual fashion show. Be ruthlessly honest about what the mirror tells you, and get rid of anything that doesn't make you look good.

In years past the options for getting rid of old clothes were limited: Junk it, donate it, give it to a friend, or turn it into a rag. Thanks to Internet innovations, we now have moneymaking options like eBay and Craigslist (someone might pay for that retro T-shirt), and far easier ways to network with friends who might need your old clothes. (We hesitate to recommend clothingswaps.com only because you might end up filling your closet up with your friends' discards.)

There! Doesn't that feel good? Now move on to the hall closets, the kitchen cabinets, the attic, the basement, the ...

Simplify Your Grocery Shopping

Whether grocery shopping is a joy or a royal pain, no one loves the kitchen mess that results in unloading all those bags. Here are three good ways to cut down on the grocery clutter:

Get a few sturdy reusable shopping bags -- and use them!
The average American uses about 500 plastic shopping bags every year. If you're a hoarder, or at all concerned about the old Reduce Reuse Recycle mantra, you've probably been stuffing these under the sink, or in some closet for years, in case you need them. Stop! Get a couple good reusable bags, and make a habit of storing them in the car so they don't clutter your kitchen and they're on hand when you need them.

Drink in bulk
Sick of lugging 2-liter bottles of soda and seltzer, and case after case of bottled water from the grocery store, only to watch them clog up your counters, cabinets and closets? So stop. For water, a reusable bottle and a good filter will pay for themselves -- in psychic wellbeing -- in no time. And even soda and seltzer can be made at home with simple home carbonation systems.

Snack on fruit
Even the most well-organized kitchens tend to overflow onto countertops. One way to keep that overflow from looking like clutter is to turn it into decoration: Get a simple decorative fruit bowl; then, substitute your junk food snack purchases for fruit. One nice side benefit: You'll cut down on the number of times you have to take trash to the curb, since the majority of American household waste is made up of packaging. An even nicer side benefit: You're more likely to choose a healthy snack if it's right in front of you, so fill up the fruit bowl and enjoy!

Go to the Library

The Internet hasn't killed print -- not yet. If you're a bibliophile whose library overfloweth, or a magazine or newspaper subscriber who watches unread issues pile up on the nightstand, it may be time to reintroduce yourself to the local library. Borrowing one book at a time not only saves you money, but will cut down on clutter and keep your conscious clear of that nagging feeling about not reading enough. Let someone else worry about restacking your books neatly when you're done with them.

Ask yourself: do you really think you will re-read A Prayer for Owen Meany? and just who do you think you'll impress with that set of Proust novels you've never read? If you must catalog your intellectual journey, keep track of your reading list on a site like goodreads.com -- and then go to the library. (You'll save a lot of paper by making the habit, too.)

Most libraries also have pretty good newspaper and periodical collections, and comfy chairs, making the library a nice place to escape your cluttered house for an hour respite with your favorite rag.

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10 Ways to Save Money On Gas

Want to save up to 20% or more on the cost of gas? Follow these 10 simple tips from the Consumer Federation of America.

By Dan Shapley

1. Check Your Air Filter

Nearly one in four cars needs an air filter replacement. A clean air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%.  

Cost Savings: 20 cents a gallon*.

* Cost estimates in this feature are based on $2-a-gallon gas, and assume that the car goes from the worst possible condition to the best.

2. Straighten Up

Poor alignment not only causes tires to wear out more quickly, but also forces your engine to work harder. Align your tires, and save up to 10%.  

Cost Savings: 20 cents per gallon.

3. Tune Up

When was your last tune up? A properly maintained engine can improve mileage by up to 4%. 

Cost Savings: 8 cents a gallon.

 4. Pump 'em Up

More than one-quarter of vehicles are driving on deflated tires. The average under-inflation of 7.5 pounds causes a loss of 2.8% in fuel efficiency. 

Cost Savings: 6 cents per gallon.

5. Check Your Gas Cap

Believe it or not, it's been estimated that nearly 17% of cars on the road have broken or missing gas caps. What's the big deal? Escaping fumes not only hurt fuel economy but release smog-causing compounds into the air. Avoid air pollution and improving fuel mileage is as easy as replacing a bad gas cap.  

Cost Savings: 1 cent per gallon.

6. Slow Down

For every 5 mph you reduce highway speed, you can reduce fuel consumption by 7%.

Cost Savings: 14 cents (by reducing speed from 70 mph to 65 mph).

7. Drive More Smoothly

Avoiding jack-rabbit starts and stops, and herky-jerky driving will improve fuel economy. Don't believe it? Lousy driving on the highway can add as much as one-third to your gas bill. 

Cost Savings: 66 cents a gallon.

8. Lay Off The Brakes

Riding with your foot on the brake pedal will not only wear out brake pads (which will cost you at the maintenance shop) but can also increase gas consumption by as much as 35%.

Cost Savings: 70 cents per gallon.

9. Lighten Up

For every 100 extra pounds carried around, your vehicle loses 1 to 2% in fuel efficiency. Don't drive around with too much junk in the trunk. 

Cost Savings: 3 cents per gallon (assuming 100 pounds of weight removed).

10. Don't Idle

Besides causing pollution, idling wastes gas. If stopped for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine, and don't bother to "warm up" your car before driving -- it is not necessary.

Cost Savings: 1 cent per gallon, for every three minutes you avoid idling.

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The Many Uses of Vinegar

by heather on August 27, 2009

from www.thegreenestdollar.com

When it comes to green cleaning, most of us know that baking soda and vinegar are two of the mainstays. But vinegar on its own is incredibly versatile. It’s a healthy, cheap, non-toxic solution to everything from bathroom mold to cleaning the toilet bowl.

So, let’s look at all the frugal, eco-friendly ways we can use vinegar to clean our homes.

1. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Mold and Mildew- Fill a spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and water, and spray on the mold or mildew. The acetic acid in the vinegar kills the mold and mildew, and will discourage future growth.

2. Use Vinegar To Clean Your Toilets- 2 cups of vinegar in the toilet is all you need. Pour it in at night, let it sit, and then next morning swish with the toilet brush. The vinegar kills bacteria, and will dissolve hard water stains.

3. Use Vinegar To Stop Itching- Have a bug bite or poison ivy? Soak a cotton ball with some vinegar and wipe the area.

4. Use Vinegar As An Air Freshener- You can put vinegar in a spray bottle to neutralize odors from garbage cans or smoke. Just spray it in the air! And o, this won’t make your home smell like vinegar. Vinegar absorbs odors, so as soon as it dries your house will just smell neutral. You can also use this in the refrigerator or your kids’ lunch boxes. Spritz, let it sit a few minutes, and then wipe down.

5. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Hiccups- One tablespoon of vinegar down your throat and the hiccups will be gone. Good luck not gagging, though…

6. Use Vinegar To Clean Your Microwave- In a microwave safe bowl mix equal parts water and vinegar, then nuke it for two minutes. Next, dip your sponge in the solution and wipe down the sides. If you’ve got baked on food it will come right off. In addition to softening the food, the vinegar will disinfect and neutralize the odors.

7. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Grease- All you have to do is soak your sponge or rag in some vinegar and then start wiping. The vinegar will cut right through the greasy gunk to give you a sparkling clean stove.

8. Use Vinegar To Clean Cloth Diapers- Use one cup of vinegar to two gallons of water. Soak diapers in this solutions to neutralize odors and prevent staining.

9. Use Vinegar To Clean Crayon Marks Off Walls- Don’t blow money on a MagicEraser. Simply dip and old toothbrush in vinegar and start scrubbing. The crayon marks should come right off.

10. Use Vinegar To Wash Fruits and Vegetables- If you have hard skinned fruits and vegetables, simply spray them with a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water. For soft skinned, fill a bowl with an equal balance of vinegar and water and then soak for up to two minutes, then rinse. The acetic in the vinegar helps dissolve waxes and pesticides.

11. Use Vinegar To Clean Windows- Forget Windex. Mix a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar, and clean windows with that instead.

12. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Clothing Stains- Soak the garment in full strength vinegar. Stains should wash right out.

13. Get Rid of Bad Breath With Vinegar- Sound counterproductive? Well, it’s not. Brush your teeth once or twice a week with vinegar. It will also help whiten your teeth.

14. Kill Weeds With Vinegar- If you have weeds or plants where you don’t want them, simply pour full strength vinegar on them. This also works well in cracks between cobblestones or in your driveway.

15. Make Cut Flowers Live Longer With Vinegar- If you have cut flowers that are on their way out, or you want to make a fresh bouquet last a long time, simply add two tablespoons of vinegar and one tablespoon of sugar to the vase.

16. Kills Ants With Vinegar- If you have ant hills in your hard, pour full strength vinegar on them.

17. Clean Your Dog With Vinegar- If your dog has gotten sprayed by a skunk, or rolled in something nasty, wipe them down well with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water. Then, rinse with plain water.

18. Dissolve Chewing Gum With Vinegar- If you have chewing gum in your hair or on your shoe, dissolve it with full-strength vinegar. If the vinegar is hot, it will work even better.

19. Dissolve Frost On Car Windows With Vinegar- If you want to keep your car windows frost-free overnight, spray them down with a solution of 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar.

20. Clean Urine Stains From Carpet With Vinegar- Spray thoroughly with an equal part mixture of water and vinegar. Then wipe up with a rag.

21. Deodorize Your Garbage Disposal With Vinegar- Pour a half cup of vinegar and a half cup of baking soda down your drain. Let it sit for at least five minutes, and then run your garbage disposal.

22. Clean Stainless Steel With Vinegar- Simply spray down with full strength vinegar and wipe up. Your stainless steel will sparkle!

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