Household

Earth day is now over and many people are moving on to the next forseeable holiday forgetting that Earth Day -is everyday! Living Green is a definite needed lifestyle but how do you do that on a budget? Well my husband and I have been “Living cleanly” over the last year and a half and when I first told him he sighed and said “Can we afford this?” I said “Of course!” and now he will tell you “Living “Green” is cheaper!” Here are some tips on how to start.  One of the first areas of major concern that can cause a negative impact on the environment is cleaning products! Remember what goes down the drain comes out in your cup! (Yes I will definitely write more on CLEAN drinking water!)

Use Green Cleaners!
Yes, green products are more expensive- a price some people are willing to pay for the cause but I have found some amazing recipes for all purpose cleaners using simple cheap ingredients such as: Essential oils- Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, &; Tree Tea Oil.  All of these essentials can be mixed according to a recipe separate or together with some H2O and provide cost effective “clean” cleaners for every room in your home!  These essential oil solutions clean and disinfect wonderfully as well as they smell great!  Eucalyptus, Peppermint and Tea tree Oil have amazing antibacterial properties! I use a mix on my kitchen counters and to clean the bathrooms and also it is great for when I want to freshen up our furniture or mattress to get rid of unwelcome dust mites!

These ingredients are also great solutions to make sure surfaces are germ free and they are so easy to prepare and have mutiple uses besides cleaning such as Aromatherapy and healing! Just buy a cheap spray bottle, google and find your favourite recipes, buy at least 3 types of essential oils and presto you have enough supplies for up to a year!
Use the stand bys: Vinegar and Baking Soda (Not together because they neutralize each other- just add hot water to Baking Soda, vinegar is just as powerful on its own and a great antibacterial- add Lavender to cut the smell!) to scrub away grime!

Don’t forget the great combo of cooking oil and citrus (squeezed lemon or orange) to polish furniture. Google “Do it yourself natural cleaners” and you will find tons of recipes using these basic ingredients- so cheap and I haven’t had to replenish my supplies in over 6 months! * Please note you need to find a recipe when using essential oils as they are VERY potent and can be harmful if misused! Also Borax can be toxic so be wary of recipes calling for it!  I hear the famous “Duggar clan” have a “do it yourself” Laundry Soap recipe I am hoping to find (with 17+ kids and all those hand me downs looking so clean- it must work!) I will post it when I find it! So there you go,  live clean and sorry Kermit (The Frog) but “It is easy being green!”