If your gas water heater is over 11 years old, you probably can save energy and money by replacing it with a more efficient model. Plus, if your new water heater meets certain efficiency standards, such as an Energy Factor (EF) rating of .82 or higher or a thermal efficiency of at least 90%, you could be eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $300 in the 2011 tax year.

Good Green Habits

Here are a few good habits for a green water heater.

• Opt for the correct size. Water heaters with tanks keep water hot, all day and night. So, if you choose a smaller size, you’ll save energy and money. A 30 to 40 gallon water heater is probably the right size for one or two people. You can visit the U.S. Department of Energy for more information about estimating the right size water heater for your home.
• Pick a high energy factor level. The EF of the model rates a water heater’s energy performance. Choose a model with an EF rating of at least .65 or higher.
• Program for savings. Set your water heater’s temperature at an energy and money saving level. Most individuals and families find that 120°F is a good temperature for saving money and energy and also protects them from water that’s too hot.
• Insulate your water heater.  If your water heater is warm to the touch, you need to wrap it in insulation. Adding insulation to your water heater can reduce standby heat losses by 25%–45% and save around 4%–9% on overall water heating costs. Visit your local hardware store to find pre-cut jackets or blankets that start at around $10.

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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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Green Your Habits For Watching Movies

The recent Netflix price increase has everybody wondering if there are better ways to watch movies online and on DVD. The answer is, yes, there are lots of better ways. In fact, by taking some of the steps below, not only can you sometimes watch movies for free (or almost for free), but you can also help the planet stay healthy by reducing the need to manufacture millions of DVDs, keep trash out of landfills and reduce pollution. Read on to find eco friendly ways to green your movie watching habits and save money.

TOTALLY FREE

• Swap DVDs. Many times you or someone you know has a stash of movie DVDs. So, to give the DVDs another life, ask friends, family and workmates to join in a movie swapping venture. To get started, all you need to do is exchange movies one-for-one and then trade back when you’ve finished watching.
• Check Out From the Library. Many libraries stock a large collection of movies that you can check out for free. And, oftentimes can reserve them online for easy browsing and pickup.
• Free Screenings. Look for free movie screenings at churches, libraries, high schools, college campuses, city recreation departments, state parks and other places. Check your local newspaper, go online or call around to find upcoming movie events.
• Download movies and TV Shows Fom at Hulu. You can view popular TV shows and movies and for free right online. You don’t even need to sign up or open an account; however, they do show two short ads per movie.

ALMOST FREE

• Movie Night. Set up regular movie night with friends and family. Either take turns hosting the event at your homes OR hold the movie night at one designated location. Then, have individuals or families contribute a couple of dollars to the movie rental fee by passing around a collection hat.
• Invest In Discount Gift Cards. Popular cinemas like AMC and Regal offer discounted gift cards available at places like GiftCardGranny.com.
• Ask Around. Call or visit your local theaters online to find out if they have any special deals of the day, season or month. Ask if they will put you on an emailing list to inform you of their latest deals.
• Matinee Movies. Check with your local theaters to see if they offer reduced matinee prices. Tickets usually cost several dollars less that regular rates, and since matinees are usually offered before 5 p.m. throughout the week, you might avoid big crowds.
• Buy in Bulk. Deal of the day sites like LivingSocial and Groupon sometimes offer cut-rate movie theater tickets for as low as $2 per person when purchased in volume.
• Redbox: Look for a Redbox in front of a local store, and right on the spot, rent a DVD for $1 a day, plus tax. You can also reserve a movie online, and return it to any Redbox location.

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Small Green Steps

It’s usually not the big things that stop us when figuring out how to live green. More likely it is the daily habits that we develop over time. If you have developed some bad green habits, there’s no time like the present to change them. So, how exactly do you live green? It’s a simple two-step process. First, take an honest look at your current habits. Then, find ways to live greener.

STEP ONE ─ Assess Your Habits

Make a list of areas in your life that you can improve. Keep your list short and manageable. Here’s an example:

• Transportation. Include when and how you get from point A to point B for work, entertainment and errands.
• Energy Consumption. Include when and how much gas and electricity you consume.
• Food. Include when, where, and how often you eat in restaurants. Also list your grocery shopping habits, including the amount of food you buy, eat and throw out.
• Clothes, Electronics and Furniture. Include the types of products you buy and how often you you replace them.
• Cleaning and Personal Care Products. Include the types of products you buy and how often you replace them.

STEP TWO ─ Green Your Habits

Look at your above list to see your current habits. Usually it’s fairly easy to see where you can make little adjustments to green your habits.  Here are a few samples to help you get started:

1. Bring your own bags when shopping.
2. Buy vintage clothing, furniture, electronics and other items. You can find vintage items on Ebay, Craigslist, garage and estate sales, thrift store and at vintage specialty stores.
3. Call your local garbage company to ask for a current list of items accepted in their recycle program. Post it on your refrigerator.
4. Carpool whenever you can and work from home when possible.
5. Compost food and other accepted items through your garbage company and start a compost bin at home.
6. Do all your shopping at one time instead of making many trips.
7. Drive your car for long as long as possible instead of replacing it every couple of years.
8. Keep your vehicle tuned up and in good condition so that it will last a long time, won’t cause air pollution, will consume less gas, and will need fewer repairs in the long run.
9. Make a list before grocery shopping that includes organic foods (when you can afford them), non-processed foods (foods without chemicals), and foods that use small amounts of packaging.
10. Pack a waste-free lunch from home for you mid-day meal.
11. Recycle batteries, paint, oil and other household hazardous waste (toxic materials) through your local garbage company if they offer programs. If they don’t, find a household hazardous waste facility in your area to properly get rid of them.
12. Remember to use cloth napkins and towels instead of items made from paper or plastic.
13. Save glass jars from items such jam, pickles, and marinara sauce to reuse as storage containers for food.
14. Save printer mistakes and use the flip side to make your own tablets.
15. Split large meals at restaurants when possible or order an item with the intention of eating the leftovers at home. Bring a container from home for leftovers instead of asking for a to-go box.
16. Shut off, swtich off, turn off whenever possible, for example shut off water, switch off lights, turn off electronics.
17. Use the internet to listen to music, watch movies, and to read books and magazines.
18. Avoid impulse purchases by waiting a day before buying non-essential and big-ticket items.

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Good Green Fashion Choices

Whenever you make good green fashion choices, you send a message that you not only care about how you look and feel but that you also care about the well being of our planet. Fortunately, right now it’s easier than ever to make groovy green fashion choices. Since the demand for eco friendly clothing and accessories is on the rise, the fashion industry now offers a large selection of hip clothing and fun accessories to go with them.

1. Make sure that the stuff you buy is made from good quality fabrics and materials so that it will last a long time. And, choose classic pieces that won’t go out of style in a nano second and end up in a landfill.
2. Look for items made with natural dyes made from roots, nuts and flowers because those pigments are often produced in non-toxic, eco friendly ways that don’t harm the environment. Natural dye processes do not use heavy metal substances that are dangerous to the health of people and the planet.
3. Select clothing made from organic, natural, recycled or sustainable fibers, including fabrics and materials made from organic cotton, bananas, bamboo, flax, hemp, pineapples, SeaCell, Sasawashi, sisal, ramal, and soybeans. Hybrid fibers that are eco friendly include Tencel and Modal. You can also look for recycled fibers made from soda pop bottles, plastic bags and other second-hand materials.
4. Purchase repurposed vintage (i.e. previously owned, worn, used) items made from all of the above materials, and also cashmere, leather, silk, and wool. After all, you’re extending the life of these materials by giving them a second chance.
5. Find items made by fair trade labor. When a product has displays a fair trade label, it usually means the item has been produced in ecologically sustainable ways, and it also means the manufacturer has paid local craftsmen decent wages.

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Green Your Lifestyle

If you’re looking for green solutions to help you live an eco friendly lifestyle, you’ve come to the right place. Below you’ll find a list of simple green solutions that can become good green habits in no time. And, if you need even more solutions, you can go ahead and use this website’s “search” key.

1. Green solutions for toilet paper tubes in the bathroom. Practice paper conservation by recycling toilet paper tubes in the bathroom. Plus, since there always seems to be unwanted paper and wrappers in the bathroom, place a basket just for recyclable paper next to the trash can in your bathroom.
2. Green solutions for dingy sinks and toxic cleaners in the kitchen. Keep toxic products from poisoning our water ways, your lungs and off of your skin by making your own green cleaning solutions. For a gentle scrub, combine 1/4 cup of baking soda along with 1 tablespoon liquid soap. Then, add just enough white distilled vinegar to create a creamy texture. For particularly tough spots, allow the solution to sit for awhile and then scrub grime off the surface. (Test a small area beforehand.)
3. Green solutions for toys that run on batteries in the kid’s room. The optimum solution is to avoid buying toys or household items that use batteries in the first place. Since that’s not always an option, purchase rechargeable batteries so that you can at least use them many times. Never put any type of battery in the trash.  Instead, follow your local garbage company’s household hazardous waste guidelines or take them to a designated recycling facility.  Many stores now offer battery recycling services, including Best Buy, CVS Pharmacy, Black & Decker, DeWalt, The Home Depot, Kragen Augo Parts, Interstate All Battery Centers, Lowe’s, Milwaukee Electrical Tool, Office Depot, Orchard Supply, Porter Cable Service Centers, RadioShack, Remington Product Company, Sears, Staples, Target, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless, and Walmart.

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These days there are literally thousands of actions you can take to be green. From the products you purchase at the store to the green habits you practice at home and at work, each day brings a new chance to live a green lifestyle.

Tips To Be Green

1. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Before you buy something new, ask yourself if you really need it. You may already own a similar item that can be cleaned up, dressed up, or fixed up. If you must buy new, make sure it is made well, is designed to last a long time, doesn’t use a lot of packaging, contains no or fewer chemicals, and uses as little energy as possible.
2. Green Your Transportation. As always, the greenest forms of getting from point A to point B are walking, car pooling, biking, and public transpiration. But, if you need a new car, consider purchasing a hybrid. Not in your budget? Buy a conventional car that gets good gas mileage, or even better, tune up your old car.
3. Green Your Wardrobe. Revamp old clothes with a new look by taking them to a tailor or by altering them yourself. Turn long pants into capris or shorts, make a long sleeved tee into a sleeveless tee, or add accessories like buttons, belts, tassels and other types of trim to change the style. Donate unwanted clothing to friends, family or charitable organizations so it can be worn by someone else.
4. Plan Green Events. You can green up all your special celebrations, like birthdays, graduations, wedding and holidays. All you need to do is make choices that produce less trash and consume fewer natural resources, such as avoiding disposable plastic and paper products like paper plates and plastics cups and utensils. Instead, try for options such as using your own ceramic plates, silverware, and glasses. Or, rent party gear from a party store, borrow stuff from friends, or purchase items on-the-cheap from thrift stores or at garage sales.
5. Plant A Garden. Use a portion of your front or back yard to grow vegetables and herbs. If you don’t have a yard, grow vegetables and herbs in pots on your balcony, patio or in a sunny window. Not only is growing your own food good for the environment, but home-grown veggies taste delicious.
6. Use Less Water. Whenever possible, remember to use less water. For example, don’t over water your garden or lawn. Remember to turn off the water when brushing your teeth and don’t take overly long showers either. And, don’t leave the water running when when cleaning your bathroom and kitchen.

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1. Contact your local energy company for a free energy assessment to help you target high energy consuming appliances.
2. Switch off electrical appliances at the power point when not in use. Standby power (also called vampire power) accounts for about 4 percent of the average home’s energy use.
3. Turn your thermostat up in the summer and down in the winter. Turning it up or down by just 1°C can save up to 10 percent on your energy bill.
4. Use pot lids when cooking foods to reduce the amount of energy required during the cooking process.
5. Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the tap water run for a few moments as you wait for the water to become cold.
6. Allow laundry to dry on a clothesline rather than using a dryer. (Remove wrinkles and soften clothesline dried laundry by placing wrinkled or stiff items in a dryer for about five minutes or until warm.)

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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: