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Cleaning Tips

Vinegar

1. Did you know vinegar is a powerful antibacterial? A better bet is to put vinegar in a spray bottle, spritz affected area.  Then, follow up with hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle.  Do not mix!  And, the peroxide must be kept in a dark container (like the one it came in) to be effective.

2. Deodorize your sink drains: Pour a cup down your drain, let stand about thirty minutes, then run cold water.

3. Unclog a drain: Dump 1 cup of baking soda down your drain and follow it with 1 cup of vinegar. When they mix, they foam and expand, cleaning your drain. Allow a few minutes for the mixture to do its job, and then flush with hot water for several minutes.

4. Disinfect and for clean wood cutting boards: Rub with vinegar to disinfect and clean. If your cutting board has deep grooves, you can also soak the board in vinegar for 5-10 minutes.

5. Cut grease: When washing greasy pans or dishes, add a few tablespoons of vinegar to your soapy dishwater.

6. Clean the dishwasher: Vinegar reduces soap build up, so throw a cup of vinegar in your dishwasher and let it run a full (empty) cycle once a month or so.

7. Clean the coffeepot: Hard water can clog a coffeepot and cause yucky buildup inside it. To remedy this, pour 1 cup vinegar in your coffeepot, fill the rest of the way with water, then run it through a cycle as usual (without coffee grounds in the filter). Rinse the coffeepot out. Fill it with fresh water and run another cycle without coffee to rinse the inside of the coffee maker.

8. Loosen food grime and clean the microwave: Place a microwave-safe bowl with 2 cups water, 1/2 cup vinegar inside the microwave and microwave on full power for 3-4 minutes (it needs to boil). Keep your microwave closed for a few minutes to allow the steam to loosen the grime, then open your microwave, carefully remove the bowl, and wipe clean!

9. Clean windows: Mix 1 cup vinegar with 5 cups water, and you’ve got a great window cleaner. If you must have blue window cleaner, just a few drops of blue food coloring!

10. Remove grease from kitchen walls: Put straight vinegar on a dishcloth to wipe grease off kitchen walls, or the stovetop.

11. Remove pet urine stains (and smells) from carpet: Mix about 1/4 cup of vinegar to a quart of water. Soak a washcloth in the mixture and blot the area several times.

12. Clean kitchen and bathroom faucets: Soak a paper towel in vinegar then wrap it around your faucet to remove mineral deposits.

13. Clean and shine no-wax vinyl or linoleum floors: Mix 1 gallon of water with 1/2 cup vinegar in a bucket, then mop or scrub your floor with the solution.

14. Inexpensive scouring powder: Combine two tablespoons each of vinegar and baking soda for an effective scouring powder.

15. Clean the toilet rim: Put straight 5% vinegar in a squirt bottle and use it to clean the rim of the toilet. It disinfects, too!

16. Prevent mold and mildew in the shower: Wipe down tile or Formica shower walls with a sponge or cloth dampened with water and vinegar. The vinegar will clean the walls and inhibit the growth of mold and mildew.

17. Unclog the showerhead: Mineral deposits from hard water can cause a sputtering, clogged shower head. Place the showerhead in a pot, add enough vinegar to completely cover it. Heat the vinegar to just below boiling, then remove from heat. Allow to sit for at least 6 hours. The acid in the vinegar will eat away the deposits. Rinse the showerhead well, and it’s ready to go again.

18. Get rid of the funky smell in that lunchbox: Soak a piece of plain bread in vinegar, then place it in the lunchbox overnight and the smell will disappear!

19. Remove rust: To get rid of rust, soak items in vinegar (do not dilute). This will work on any metals.

20. Remove residue and styling product build up from hair: After shampooing, rinse your hair with a mixture of 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 warm water to remove all the build up and get rid of that dullness.

21. Eliminate smells: Run a hot tub of water and pour in one or two cups of vinegar. Hang smelly clothes on hangers along your shower curtain rod. This will remove smoke and other tough smells.

22. Get rid of stickers, decals and sticky residues: Rub a few coats of vinegar on the area and allow to soak. Then wash off with a wet washcloth and the sticky will rub right off.

23. Polish patent leather purses and shoes: Place vinegar on a clean cloth, then rub over patent leather. Wipe dry with another clean cloth.

24. Remove stains: Rub a small amount of vinegar gently on fruit, jelly, mustard or coffee type stains and wash as usual. No more stain!

25. Clean your glasses: Place a drop of vinegar on the lens, then rub with a cotton cloth.

26. Get the smell out of your cloth diapers! Next time those cloth diapers start to smell, add a 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar in your last rinse.

27. Polish your car: Rub vinegar on chrome to clean and shine it.

28. Remove bumper stickers: Soak a cloth in vinegar and lay it over the bumper sticker. Allow to soak a few minutes. The bumper sticker should peel right off. Rub vinegar over the area to remove the sticky residue, if necessary.

29. Next time you have a sore throat, try gargling with cider vinegar!

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General

• Baking soda – a gentle abrasive, great for cooked food stains on pots, pans, and on the stove

• Dye-free liquid soap – when you really just want the sudsing power, a way to cut grease, another all-purpose cleaner

• Super washing soda – harsh abrasive, relative of baking soda but more caustic

• Rags – old towels, t-shirts, any cotton cloth

• Vinegar – disinfectant, antibacterial, odor remover, all-purpose cleaning (and cooking) product

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No-dig garden beds
(Mother Earth News Article)

1. Lay down cardboard, mulch, set out transplants.

2. Plant directly into bags of topsoil.

3. Make frame with straw bales and fill.

4. Use wood frames and fill with compost or topsoil.

5. Build a “bird nest” from brush and fill.

6. Make “lasagna” – layers of leaves, peat moss, and compost.

7. Build compost pile, add soil, and plant.

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Menu-Planning Tips

• Buy in bulk – 50lbs of flour at a time

• Freeze & can – how much sauce is in your freezer?

• Compliment your proteins – beans & rice, baby

• Muffin recipes

• Garlic – boosts immune system, consumption can help with skin conditions

• Eat seasonally

• Local first, then organic, the importance of U-pick farms

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Travel Tips

Get to Salem in less than $6

1. 12 to Barbur Transit Station

2. Bus to Wilsonville City Center

3. Wilsonville bus to Canby

4. Canby to Salem

5. About 6 hours travel time, one way

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Around the House

• Keep those showers short, measure your time

• Lavender for sleepy time

• Wash your hair every few days instead of every day

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The Tolman Guide to Green Living in Portland

Water

Toilet Papers: Recycling Waste and Conserving Water. Van der Rys, S. 1998.  Ecological Design Press.  Sausalito, CA (Book)

Shade and Color with Water-Conserving Plants. Walters J. and B. Backhaus. 1992. Timber Press. Portland, OR. Pp. 240. (Book)

Eco Car Wash Homepage. www.ecocarwash.com.

Permeable Surfaces and Filter Drains. 2006. Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA). www.ciria.org/suds/permeable_surfaces_and_filter_drains.htm.

Flushable Diapers from gDiapers. 2007. gDiapers Homepage. www.gdiapers.com.

Ecoroof.  2006. Portland Online. www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=34663.

Ecoroof: Questions and answers. September 2005. Environmental Services. Portland, OR. www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=153098.

Start Harvesting Rain Water Today! Borba, D. 2006. Natural Rain Water. www.naturalrainwater.com.

Jumbo Jar Ready for Rain. Redden, J. August 28, 2007. The Portland Tribune. Portland, OR. (Newspaper article)

BioKleen. 2007. www.biokleen.com.

 

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Air

Indoor Plants Improve Office Air. Stefens, M. August 28, 2002. News in Science: Health & Medical. www.abc.net.au/science/news/health/HealthRepublish_660586.htm.

NASA Study Shows Common Plants Help Reduce Indoor Air Pollution. 2002. Tropical Plants Zone 10. www.zone10.com/tech/NASA/Flyh.htm.

Stick with Safe Paint. Hurst-Wajszczuk, J. October/November 2003. Mother Earth News. 200:84-84. (Magazine article)

Alternative Cleaners and Recipes. 2006. Ecocycle. www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm.

Check the Weather in Any Part of the Country. 2008. www.wunderground.com.

 

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Soil

To Revitalize a City, Try Spreading Some Mulch. Schneider, K. May 17, 2006. The New York Times. New York, NY. (Newspaper article)

The Secret Life of Fungi. Pennisi, E. June 11, 2004. Science. 304(5677):1620-1622.

Drought Resistant Soil. Sullivan, P. November 2002. National Center for Appropriate Technology. www.attra.ncat.org.

Using Super Plants to Clean the Environment. Radin, J. June 2000. Agricultural Research. 48(6):2. (Journal article)

Getting Down and Dirty, Earthen Floors Reduce Heating, Environmental Impact. Gelles, D. Sunday, March 4, 2007. The New York Times News Service. New York, NY. (Newspaper article)

Earthcare: Landscape Maintenance Businesses Increasingly Offer Alternatives to Synthetics. Pokorny, K. Thursday, September 14, 2006. The Oregonian: Living Green. Portland, OR. (Newspaper article)

 

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Energy

O, Pioneers in Pasadena, One Family Unplugs from Technology and Lives Off the Land. Robinson, J. January 25, 2007. Special to the Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. (Newspaper article)

5 Things to Know before Going off the Grid. Stover, D. May 2004. Popular Science. 264(5):127. (Magazine article)

The Sun’s Within Reach. Van Fleet, T. September 11, 2007. The Portland Tribune, Portland, OR. (Newspaper article)

Ethanol’s Wherewithal. Burnham, M. 2006. Sustainable Industries Journal. 40:14018. (Magazine article)

How to Recycle Rechargeable Batteries. September 2008. Journal of Environmental Health. 61(2):31. (Journal Article)

Recycled Art. Jimenez, G. Artists Helping Children Foundation. www.artistshelpingchildren.org/articlescribles4.html.

Can Plant-Based Plastics “Clean Up the E-Waste Stream? Streeter, A. 2006. Sustainable Industries Journal. 37:11-13. (Magazine article)

How Green Are You? Davis, J. June 2006. Portland Monthly. Pp. 65-70. (Magazine article)

Eco-Shuttle. www.ecoshuttle.net.

Pedi-cabs.

 

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Food Gardening

Crockett’s Victory Garden. Crockett, J.U. 1977. Little, Brown & company. Boston, MA. Pp. 326. (Book)

The Chicken Coops of Portland. July 30, 2006. Portland Ground. www.portlandground.com/archives/2006/07/chicken_coops_of_pdx_1_in_1.php.

Eating Healthy and Organic on $7 a Day. Weiss, J. 2007. MSN Health & Fitness. http://health.msn.com/dietfitness/dietfitness/articlepage.aspx?cpdocumentid=100153740.

Fungi Perfecti, LLC. 2006. www.fungi.com.

Mushroom Growing Tips. www.brmushrooms.com/mushroom%20growing%20tips.pdf.

On Dry Land: How to Plant a Drought-Resistant Garden. Constance, C. July 27, 2007. Slate. www.slate.com/id/2171232.

How to Grow More Vegetables (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine. Jeavons, J. 2002. Ten Speed Press. Berkeley, CA. pp. 240. (Book)

 

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Biodiversity

Ten Birds That Help Control Garden Pests. Boyle, S. June/July 2002. National Wildlife. 40(4). (Newsletter)
http://enature.com/articles/detail.asp?storyID=627.

Bringing Conservation from the Countryside to your Backyard. 2006. Natural Resource Conservation Service. www.nrcs.usda.gov/Feature/backyard/pdf/BkYdWeb6.pdf.

Inviting Children into Nature. November/December 1999. Audubon. (Magazine article)
http://audubonmagazine.org/content/content9911.html.

 

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Processes

Clean Compost. 2004. Organic Gardening. 51(2):1. (Magazine article)

Wiggle While You Work. 15,000 Worms Turn Food Scraps into Fertilizer for Wells Fargo. Bartels, E. Tuesday, August 8, 2006. The Portland Tribune, Sustainable Life. Portland, OR. (Newspaper article)

Water Resources Education, Yard Care & the Environment Series. University of Wisconsin.
http://clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/.

• Rethinking Yard Care

• Lawn & Garden Pesticides

• Managing Leaves & Yard Trimmings

How to Make Paper Out of Lint. Amber, A. October 29, 2007. Instructables: The World’s Biggest Show and Tell. http://www.instructables.com.

A Plea for Nature’s Pollinators: Garden’s Exhibits Highlight Need to Protect Crucial Creaters. Becker, A. August 29 2004. Washington Post. Washington, D.C. (Newspaper article)

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard. Tides Foundation & Funders Work Group for Sustainable Production and Consumption. http://www.storyofstuff.com.

 

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Paper Lint

How to Make Paper Out of Lint. Amber, A. October 29, 2007. Instructables: The World’s Biggest Show and Tell. http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-Paper-Out-Of-Lint/.