Although organic vegetables and fruit aren’t grown with pesticides or chemicals, they can be cultivated with natural soil enhancers and fertilizers such as manure, bone meal, and worm castings. Plus, before you buy fruits and vegetables in stores, they could have been handled by farming staff, farming equipment, market employees and other shoppers. Hopefully, the equipment and hands were clean, but you just never know.

So, whether you buy vegetables and fruits that are conventionally grown (using pesticides), organically grown (without chemicals or pesticides), or whether you grow your own, you should always inspect and clean everything thoroughly before eating or cooking.

Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to remove pesticides, germs, and bacteria by using inexpensive ingredients found right in your kitchen cupboard. All you need to do is concoct a mixture of water, vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice and then use it as a spray, rinse or soak.

In the past, we provided several easy ways to Wash Your Fruits & Veggies With Vinegar to remove pesticides. Right now we’d like to share another recipe tha uses vinegar to remove germs, bacteria, and pesticides.

We hope you’ll try the solution below to clean all fruits and vegetables. This recipe is especially important to use on herbs, vegetables and fruits that sit directly on top of soil or beneath soil to grow (rather than those that hang from branches or in bushes), like basil, carrots, potatoes, watermelons, carrots and squash.

It’s also really  important to wash all fruits and vegetables that have peels, even if you don’t plan to eat the peel. That’s because the knife can transfer pesticides, germs and bacteria that are located on the outside of your fruit or vegetable into the edible parts of the item.

Green Tips  for Cleaning Fruits and Veggies

1. Combine these ingredients in a spray bottle
   • 1 cup water
   • 1 cup white vinegar or cider vinegar
   • 1 tablespoon baking soda
   • 2 tablespoons lemon
2. Spray the mixture on fruits and vegetables.
3. Allow the mixture to sit for about five minutes
4. Rinse it off with water.
5. Give items a final visual inspection.

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Eat chilled fruit to keep cool.

If you’re looking for green ways to keep cool this summer, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve gathered a variety of eco-friendly tips that either don’t use an air conditioner or help you use your air conditioner more efficiently.

So, to keep you and the planet healthy and to save money on your energy bill, here are 20 green ways to help you keep cool when summer heat threatens to get inside your home and under your collar.

Green Habits to Keep Cool 

1. Avoid the dry cycle and plan ahead. Allow dishes to air dry in your dishwasher. And, wash dishes late at night or early in the morning so you can keep the dishwasher door closed for several hours after the wash cycle completes to avoid hot air from spilling into the room.
2. Check refrigerator settings and coils. Set your refrigerator between 37 to 40 degrees and remember to keep the coils clean. Dirty coils make your refrigerator work harder and run longer, which heats up your kitchen.
3. Open windows and doors in the early morning. Allow early morning cool air to circulate throughout your home.
4. Close windows and coverings mid morning. Shut windows, blinds, shades, shutters and curtains later in the morning to stop afternoon heat from getting inside.
5. Drench your extremities. Run cold water over your hands and wrists, soak feet and ankles in a tub of water, splash water on your face and ears.
6. Dress for the heat. Wear loose or lightweight clothing made from natural fibers, such as cotton and linen (rather than synthetic materials), including sleeveless and short-sleeved shirts, shorts, capri pants, skirts and dresses. Rotate your shoes or sandals, so you’re never wearing shoes that are damp from sweat. Go barefoot when possible.
7. Eat smaller amounts of food. Your body produces less heat to digest small amounts of food than compared to large amounts of food.
8. Freeze a wet a towel. Allow the towel to thaw a little and then place it on your forehead, stomach, or feet to lower your body temperature.
9. Notice outdoor temperatures. Open doors and windows when the temperature drops down outside.
10. Practice green bathing habits. Open the window and close the door when showering, so hot steam doesn’t reach other parts of your home. If you don’t have a window in the bathroom, remember to turn on the fan to vent hot air.
11. Service your air conditioner. If you must use an air conditioner, make sure it runs efficiently by keeping filters clean and using the right amount of coolant. To help your air conditioner work better, use a fan to circulate the cold air. (If you can live with without using an air conditioner, do it. Use an air conditioner only during the hottest part of the day.)
12. Shut off heat-producing devices. When not in use, unplug or turnoff electronic devices such as computers, televisions, stereos, and incandescent light bulbs.
13. Sip cold beverages and eat chilled foods. Drink cold beverages, like ice water with a squeeze of lemon, or eat cold food, like chilled strawberries and blueberries, to lower your body temperature from the inside. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol, since both can lead to dehydration.
14. Sit under a tree. Hang out under shady trees where it can be up to 10 degrees cooler.
15. Spritz with water from a spray bottle. Mist your face or feet with water to cool off. While still damp, sit in front of a fan to get even cooler.
16. Take cold showers or baths. Lower your body temperature by cooling off your body from the outside.
17. Turn on fans to circulate air. Turn off the fan when you’re not in the room.  For a short-term treat, place a bowl of ice in front of the fan to move colder air.
18. Use a microwave or toaster oven. Cook food in a microwave or toaster oven, since both produce less heat and cook foods faster, which keeps your house cooler.
19. Visit the library, mall, grocery store, movie theatre or gym. Go to public places where many people can be cooled by air conditioners at the same time.
20. Wash and dry clothes before or after hottest periods. Do laundry early in the day or late at night when it’s cooler. Use a clothesline when possible or at least air dry part of the load. (Not everything may need to go in the dryer, especially items made from synthetic materials like workout clothes, blankets, and fleece jackets.)

 Can you share any good green habits for keeping cool in the summer?

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Prepackaged lunches for kids can cost about $4.02 a day compared to $2.65 a day for a waste free lunch—a savings of about $250 per year. Adults can save even more! When a take-out meal costs $6 compared to $3.50 for a home-packed lunch—an adult can save about $100,000 over a 30-year career by packing lunch from home. Plus, whenever you create less waste, you reduce the need for disposal, save energy, prevent pollution and conserve natural resources such as coal, oil, natural gas and trees.

Good Green Habits For Making A Green Lunch

1. Pack only what you can eat in one sitting.
2. Store sandwiches and snacks in reusable containers or wax paper.
3. Provide whole fruits and vegetables without packaging.
4. Offer beverages in stainless steel containers.
5. Use a thermos for hot and cold foods, like soup and yogurt.
6. Keep food cold with a reusable ice pack.
7. Purchase bulk food rather than individually packaged items.
8. Use stainless steel or bamboo utensils.
9. Avoid individually wrapped snacks, plastic wrap/baggies, and disposable napkins, forks, spoons and straws.
10. Carry lunches in reusable bags or totes. Today’s eco-friendly choices are found at places such as Kids Konserve Lunches, Beaba Lunchbox, Eco Lunchbox, Goodbyn Lunchbox, Green Smart Lunch Boxes, Healthy Kitchenware Stainless Steel Lunch.

Hanah Snavely of Ideal Bites discusses saving money and natural resources by taking your lunch:

Fortunately, you can drastically reduce your exposure to pesticides and bacteria found on produce with a thorough vinegar and water wash.  Experts found that a white vinegar and water wash kills 98% of bacteria and removes pesticides.

You can concoct your own vinegar/water mixture at home to save money.  You’ll probably spend less than 20 cents  to make a homemade vinegar and water rinse, compared to around $4 for a premade produce wash.  Plus,  you can use the same bottle many times when you make your own wash!

Good Green Habits for Washing Produce

• Mix 3 parts water to 1 part white vinegar (3:1 ) in a spray bottle.
• Spray on fruits and veggies to get rid of pesticide residue.
• Rinse with water after spraying.

-OR-

• Fill a bowl with water and add 1/8 to 1/2 cup of vinegar, depending on the size of your bowl.
• Place your fruits and veggies in the bowl.
• Soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Rinse with water.

Note: GGH loves the second version because it’s super easy and quick.

Update:  You can read more about this topic (and get a new recipe!) at Cleaning Fruits and Vegetables: Organic and Conventionally Grown.

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Good Green Habits for Thanksgiving

You can create less waste, save energy and oftentimes save money with these eco-friendly steps:

1. Serve less meat and more yummy side dishes.
2. Consider your guests’ size, age, appetites and food preferences when shopping for food.
3. Use this starter list to average per person food and drink portions:
   

   Turkey	1 pound
   Stuffing	1/2 to 1 cup
   Mashed   Potatoes	1/2 to 1 cup (1 potato per person)
   Veggies	1/2  to 1 cup
   Cranberries	1/8 cup
   Pie	1/8 slice of 9 inch pie

4. Buy organic and locally produced milk, meat, veggies, wine and in-season fruits.
5. Cook a turkey that is USDA-certified organic and free-range.
6. Decorate your home with plants or leaves from your backyard placed in wicker baskets and glass vases and bowls.
7. Set the table with cloth napkins and reusable dishes, glasses and silverware.
8. Allow leftovers to cool before placing them in the refrigerator to avoid using extra electricity.
9. Suggest guests bring their own reusable containers to take home leftovers.
10. Show guests where to dispose of recyclables such as aluminum, glass, and plastic beverage containers.
11. Donate whole, untouched leftovers to local food banks or homeless shelters. 
12. Collect food waste to compost at home or through your garbage company’s recycling program.
13. Scrape foods off plates rather than pre-rinsing them.
14. Fill dishwasher to capacity before running it.

ECO FACT: At least 28 billion pounds of edible food is wasted each year in America!

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Foods placed in plastic wrap or plastic containers―and then heated in a microwave oven―can end up containing harmful chemicals leached from plastics. Many of the chemicals in plastic have been classified as toxic and unsafe for consumption.

And, plastic containers labeled “microwave safe” or “microwavable” are no better since they can also potentially leach harmful chemicals when heated. The safety labels just mean that the plastic container shouldn’t melt, crack or fall apart when used in microwave ovens―the labels are not related to your health. They simply let you know that the containers can withstand heat. Chemicals from microwave-safe containers can migrate into your food. 

Plastic-laced food is probably not what you had in mind when you sat down for a nice, hot meal, eh?

Good Green Habits for Microwaving

Since all plastics potentially leach chemicals into food, water and soil under certain conditions, follow these eco-friendly steps: 

• Microwave food in ovenproof glass or ceramic. 
• Never allow plastic or plastic wrap to touch heated food. 

ECO FACT:  Staff at Good Green Habits like to store all food in glass or ceramics, whether it’s hot or cold.  We definitely prefer our pasta without plastic.

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