10/8/13

After you’ve boiled a pot of pasta or potatoes, ever wonder what you can do with all that leftover starchy water? Instead of pouring it down the drain, let it cool to room temperature and reuse it to water your garden. The residual starch in the water actually spurs the nutrients in the soil, which helps feed the plants, making them stronger. In essence, they are carbo-loading for strength! Just remember this one tip: Don’t add any salt to the water when cooking, since salt is harmful to all plants.

10/7/13

While many people choose not to use chemical chlorine bleach in their home, there are those of us who still use it to disinfect and brighten whites when doing laundry. When used properly, chlorine bleach can be safe. And many of us know that when mixed with acids -- like ammonia -- it can be very toxic since mixing bleach with acid turns it into chlorine gas. But that warning also includes ALL acidic products, including seemingly harmless white vinegar. If you do buy chlorine bleach, designate a sole reusable bag for it, and don’t put anything else with it. Accidentally dropping a grocery bag with both bleach and any acidic product could create an unwanted chemical cocktail in your car.

10/6/13

While antique and vintage furniture is the greenest way to furnish a home, sometimes you can’t find the right piece or want something new. One type of sustainable wood furniture new to market is called mango wood, from the fruit-bearing trees of the same name. Mango trees are fast growing and bear fruit for about 15 years. Once the trees stop producing fruit, they are cut down and replaced with new trees. In addition to being sustainable, mango wood is stylish: It comes in beautiful natural colors ranging from blonde to a dark brown. And since it comes from mango farms that quickly replenish the trees, mango wood furniture is affordable, too.