11 Ways to Green Your Kitchen

Go green at home with these easy steps

Kitchens can be a wonderful source of joy and relaxation, as cooks prepare meals for themselves, friends, and family. But in reality, they are often overcrowded, disorganized, and much smaller than we’d all like. So instead of keeping your kitchen in its current state, try to give it a makeover — in the green sense of the word.

Spring cleaning is in full force (or is on the to-do list, at least), and making simple swap outs or changes in the kitchen can not only help decrease the amount of items in your cabinets, but also lessen the impact you’re making on the Earth.

From purchasing eco-friendly cookware to avoiding paper towels and taking advantage of common kitchen staples for industrial cleaners, there’s a lot that can easily be done to "green" the kitchen. Though they may not seem significant at the time, little steps and changes can make a big difference over time, especially as more and more people begin to adopt green practices.

Vinegar

Moppins recommends using food-grade vinegar as a disinfectant in the kitchen. Simply create a half-half solution with water and use on the affected area. Moppins says that vinegar kills more germs than bleach, plus it doesn't contain pesticides. For linoleum, laminated flooring, and most hardwood floors, she recommends mixing one part vinegar to 10 parts water,  but says to avoid using vinegar on a stone surface because the acid will break down the stone.
Grow Your Own Herbs

Whether you put them on the windowsill or on a ledge, growing your own herbs will literally "green" your kitchen. But in the eco-friendly sense, having fresh herbs means that there is a constant and very local source of easy-to-grow ingredients like basil, cilantro, thyme, or rosemary for quick access whenever you need them. Toss herbs in spring and summer salads, flavor sauces, and use them to add a brightness to sandwiches or cocktails. 
Easy Air Freshener

To freshen the air in a natural way, Moppins says to fill a spritz bottle nearly full of water and add a tablespoon of vinegar and a drop of your favorite essential oil.

Coffee Grounds — But Not for Drinking

Instead of using baking soda to absorb unwanted refrigerator odors, Moppins says to use coffee grounds, which are more effective.

Remove Rust with Lemon

What to do with difficult stains or rust? Moppins suggests pouring fresh-squeezed lemon juice on them with a little salt; it also works on delicate linens.

Refresh Drains with Your Own Home-Grown Herbs

If you've taken tip number one and started growing your own herbs, then this will be a no-brainer for you. For unwanted smells, Moppins says to "freshen up a disposal drain by grinding up an oregano leaf."

The Usefulness of Baking Soda

Leftover baking soda? Moppins suggests using it for scrubbing sinks or mixing it with vinegar, water, and a little organic liquid dish soap to remove food stuck on the bottom of pans mix the vinegar and water together and heat them, then pour into the pan and add a little dish soap and baking soda to really get tough-to-remove foods off.
Cleaning Copper

Instead of purchasing chemical-filled copper cleaners online, take Moppins advice to clean both brass and copper: sprinkle a cut lemon with salt. Rubbing the outside of the copper with the lemon will help return its shine, while the salt adds some abrasive elbow grease.

10 Ways to Go Green and Save Green

How can we live lightly on the Earth and save money at the same time? Staff members at the Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental organization, share ideas on how to GO GREEN and SAVE GREEN at home and at work. To learn more about Worldwatch's efforts to create an  environmentally sustainable society that meets human needs, 

Climate change is in the news. It seems like everyone's "going green." We're glad that you want to take action, too. Luckily, there are many ways which we can take to stop climate change and can make our lives better. Our grandchildren-and their children-will thank us for living more sustainably. Let's start now.

Keep reading for 10 simple things you can do today to help reduce your environmental impact, save money, and live a happier, healthier life :

1.       Save energy to save money.

Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on    heating and cooling costs.

·         Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.

·         Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use.

·         Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.

·         Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy.