How green are you willing to go?

I have been doing a bit of reading in my spare time about different ways to be more green. It got me thinking about how green people are willing to go. As in, what you would and would not do / give up. I thought of some 'green' things.

1. Use home made cleaning products, instead of purchased products?
2. Eliminate paper towel for washable cloth rags?
3. Line dry clothing whenever possible, as opposed to using the dryer?
4. Wash clothing with cold water only?
5. Eliminate shampoo and conditioner and use the 'No-poo' method?
6. Use reusable cloth sanitary pads instead of disposables?
7. Use 'family cloth' instead of toilet paper? (I only just read about this, it involves using washable cloth instead of toilet paper. You put it in a bucket and wash in the machine, similar to cloth diapers)
8. Switch to energy efficient light globes?
9. Instead of heating your home, dress warmer (when possible)?
10. Reduce or eliminate air-conditioning, to save energy?

That was all I could think of at the moment, hopefully someone else has some others

1. Use home made cleaning products, instead of purchased products? I have been doing this for a while and love it

2. Eliminate paper towel for washable cloth rags? Again, I do this too and wouldn't switch back.

3. Line dry clothing whenever possible, as opposed to using the dryer? I do this too, but still use the dryer sometimes. I have an indoor clothing rack too but if I do a load of towels, and the weather is cold, it seems to take them forever to dry properly, and they can get musty sitting on the indoor clothes rack for a day or 2.

4. Wash clothing with cold water only? I have been doing this for a long time, mostly to save money on our energy bills, because it costs more and uses more energy to use hot water.

5. Eliminate shampoo and conditioner and use the 'No-poo' method? I have been testing this out recently, more so for myself. I have sensitive skin and the past month or two, it seems like nothing can keep my scalp calm. I have been washing my hair with bi-carb and water paste. As a conditioner I am using apple cider vinegar, warm water and a little lavendar oil. It is working well, my hair looks no different and my scalp is getting some relief.

6. Use reusable cloth sanitary pads instead of disposables? I have used them. I prefer them to disposables, but I don't have enough of them to really last me through the few days. I have been meaning to get more.

7. Use 'family cloth' instead of toilet paper? (I only just read about this, it involves using washable cloth instead of toilet paper. You put it in a bucket and wash in the machine, similar to cloth diapers). I can't see myself being able to do this. I thought the same thing about cloth pads once, but I really don't see myself using the 'family cloth'.

8. Switch to energy efficient light globes? Done. They phased out the old style of light globes in my country quite some time ago, so we didn't have a choice. I am not sure if it is the same in other countries.

9. Instead of heating your home, dress warmer (when possible)? We do this. During the day, we won't run the heater. We just wear more clothes. But, in winter, most nights we will turn the heater to warm the house. The heaters are good, they warm the house up really quickly and then we use hot water bottles in the beds to make them nice and warm.

10. Reduce or eliminate air-conditioning, to save energy? We don't have a working air conditioner and we are not going to get one If it's going to be hot the next day, I close the blinds before I go to bed and don't open them the next day.

1. Use home made cleaning products, instead of purchased products? yup. Exclusively

2. Eliminate paper towel for washable cloth rags? Yup.

3. Line dry clothing whenever possible, as opposed to using the dryer? Yup. I actually line dry in my home in the winter, I have 3 poles that are the length of my laundry room. I hang our clothes on hangers then on those poles. It is so dry around here in the winter that it takes less than 24 hours for my clothes to fully dry, plus it adds additional humidity to the air. I do use the dryer if I am in a pinch tho.

4. Wash clothing with cold water only? yup. Unless I am washing gross stuff like my rags, and I will use warmer water for diapers

5. Eliminate shampoo and conditioner and use the 'No-poo' method? Sorry, just can't do this.

6. Use reusable cloth sanitary pads instead of disposables? Yup! and before you all freak out... it really isn't any worse than cloth diapers, and it truly is like pampering your butt. They feel so much better than paper pads. I can't bring myself to use a diva cup tho.

7. Use 'family cloth' instead of toilet paper? (I only just read about this, it involves using washable cloth instead of toilet paper. You put it in a bucket and wash in the machine, similar to cloth diapers) nope. Can't go there, and there is no way I could get my family on board.

8. Switch to energy efficient light globes? done.

9. Instead of heating your home, dress warmer (when possible)? eeehhh kind of. we keep the house at 68 in the winter, which is the coldest I can stand it, We dress in layers at that temp.

10. Reduce or eliminate air-conditioning, to save energy? we rarely use our AC, it gets kind of uncomfortable for a few days in the dead of summer, but I can usually keep the house fairly tolerable for the most part.





Here are some more I thought of

Composting

using rain barrels

Growing your own food

eating local

eating vegetarian

using public transportation instead of your own car

living plastic free

non-consumerism / buying used

planting a sustainable yard

What is the no poo method?

Shampoo free.

Some use nothing but water, some use vinegar or baking soda, I'm not entirely sure what the exact method is, but that is it in a nutshell.

Shampoo free.

Some use nothing but water, some use vinegar or baking soda, I'm not entirely sure what the exact method is, but that is it in a nutshell.

Due to the nature of my hair, I haven't used shampoo in years. I use conditioner only, and only every 2nd time I wash it.

Ps, my hair is gawwwwdgeous.

Shampoo free.

Some use nothing but water, some use vinegar or baking soda, I'm not entirely sure what the exact method is, but that is it in a nutshell.

Due to the nature of my hair, I haven't used shampoo in years. I use conditioner only, and only every 2nd time I wash it.

Ps, my hair is gawwwwdgeous.

So then how is it actually clean? With conditioner only wouldn't you get some seriousl build up?

i recycle and use energy efficient light bulbs. That is as far as I'm going.

How far am I willing to go green-wise? As far as my family is willing to go. When we make these choices, it is as a family - collectively. So if everyone is not on board, we don't do it.

#1 - some, but not all
#3 - yes
#4 - yes - almost all the time
#8 - yes
#9 & #10 - we went with geothermal heating and so we use less than we ever have. Our usage/and bill cost has gone down over 1/2 going with geothermal versus propane heating. We do not go without air conditioning when it's hot, though, because unfortunately with my allergies we can't have the windows open so that leaves us not with much choice. Every year at the beginning of spring we try to open the windows in the house and every year I am so stuffed up I can't breath and end up using my inhaler more than needed. I'm miserable. Otherwise I'd LOVE LOVE to have our windows open.

We have grown a lot of our veggies up until this year. Sadly my family out-voted me on the garden. We have to move our garden out of the area of where the dogs are at because they keep laying in it and that would mean all the way back on our large property near the wooded areas. And hence no one wants to deal with it but me and I can't do it alone. Especially since we can't get water back there unless we walk buckets out there and I would spend all night trying to water the garden doing that all alone. It's WAY TOO far back on our land. I'm thinking of talking my mom into letting us plant some stuff in her huge garden. She usually gives us a lot of what she grows anyways. We do always buy locally for veggies, fruits.

We do not water our land as there is too much, so no use for rain barrels, especially with the garden gone. We do have 4 small flower boxes up on the deck that we do water, though.

I'm not sure of the "argument" on using shampoo or conditioner or not. I mean, why not give up all products then? You'd have to explain that one to me more? Like why wouldn't you have on there other products? I do only wash my hair every other day unless it's on a day I'm mowing and it's not my hair washing day, then I wash it because all the grass, dust, dirt, bugs get caught in my hair.

We eat more local than not.

Can't use public transportation - live out in the country, there is no public transportation.

I'm surprised "not flushing all the time" is not on the lists of being green. My oldest tried to pass that one over me after staying with her grandma one day and I stopped that one right away. Sorry, we will flush every time we go potty. Grandma was disappointed in us on this.

We also recycle cans. We used to recycle quite a bit of stuff, but our local township recycle bins have been taken away.

1. Use home made cleaning products, instead of purchased products?
Yes, but I still have to use bleach in the bathrooms.
2. Eliminate paper towel for washable cloth rags?
No, but I have cut down on paper towels, but haven't eliminated them.
3. Line dry clothing whenever possible, as opposed to using the dryer?
Yes, I would be willing but not feasible year 'round
4. Wash clothing with cold water only?
Nope... I have to wash linens and white clothes in hot
5. Eliminate shampoo and conditioner and use the 'No-poo' method?
No, how clean could your hair possibley get?
6. Use reusable cloth sanitary pads instead of disposables?
No, sorry.
7. Use 'family cloth' instead of toilet paper? (I only just read about this, it involves using washable cloth instead of toilet paper. You put it in a bucket and wash in the machine, similar to cloth diapers)
No, sorry, but sound gross.
8. Switch to energy efficient light globes?
YES!!!!
9. Instead of heating your home, dress warmer (when possible)?
Yes
10. Reduce or eliminate air-conditioning, to save energy?
Yes, reduce. Eliminate, no way.

Composting - We have a compost bin, but I don't use it properly. I generally throw food scraps on the lawn, we have a lot of birds and they eat them.

Rain Barrels - I want to do this but need to find the time to get on to it. I don't know when that will happen, though.

Growing food - We have a veggie patch in the back yard

Eating local - Well, we buy as much locally produced food as we can. Our milk, butter, etc. is all made at the factory about 20 minutes away with milk bought from local farms.

Vegetarian - I couldn't do it.

We use public transport sometimes. Or we walk.

Plastic free - We use re-usable bags. I used to just cover food on a plate with cling wrap but now I use washable containers.

Sunstainable yard - What does that involve?

Fairly clean. I stopped using the shampoo I have because it really started irritating my scalp and my hair looked horrible. That wasn't too long ago. Anyway, I used the bi-carb paste as a shampoo and the apple cider vinegar/warm water as a rinse. My hair felt soft and clean after my shower and it feels as soft as if I'd used a regular conditioner, but it doesn't feel like there is any build up.

I have been reading about sodium lauryl sulfate in shampoo's and I think it contributes to my skin problems. I know at one of my local stores they have some organic shampoo's so I might go see what they have, and what the ingredients ar.e

1. Use home made cleaning products, instead of purchased products?
Some I use, some not. I still use bathroom cleaning products in the bathroom.

2. Eliminate paper towel for washable cloth rags?
I've always preferred rags to paper towels. We do have paper towels but we don't use them that much.

3. Line dry clothing whenever possible, as opposed to using the dryer?
Absolutely not. I hate the smell of it on my sheets and towels and we live on a tree lined street. The birds bomb with great regularity. I used to do it in the summer. I usually had to rewash about half of it from bird poop~so not worth it.

4. Wash clothing with cold water only?
No. I've never even used the cold setting on my washer. I do only wash very full loads, though.

5. Eliminate shampoo and conditioner and use the 'No-poo' method?
Sorry, no. My SIL tried this and her hair looked awful, positively awful! I was so glad when she decided to go back to "poo". Someone told her that method was better for frizzy hair . . . umm not so much!

6. Use reusable cloth sanitary pads instead of disposables?
The cloth things seem like they would feel disgusting and you have to increase your washing so I really don't see how much it saves. I actually think the cup is intriguing. I would definitely try it.

7. Use 'family cloth' instead of toilet paper? (I only just read about this, it involves using washable cloth instead of toilet paper. You put it in a bucket and wash in the machine, similar to cloth diapers)
Absolutely never.

8. Switch to energy efficient light globes?
We did this a number of years ago.

9. Instead of heating your home, dress warmer (when possible)?
Yes, we do this.

10. Reduce or eliminate air-conditioning, to save energy?
I hate AC but my husband has allergies so we have it and use it. If anyone turns it below 74 degrees, though, it goes off for the summer. I hate being cold in my house in the summer!

We grow veggies in the summer (yummy), have a rain barrel but it doesn't meet our outdoor water needs most of the time, we've composted for many years, we buy local produce in the summer which is the only time it is available, we wash dishes once a day and only after filling the sink, we buy most clothing used or greatly reduced and other things used when it is available, we sell or donate our unwanted items. No to vegetarian living (although we eat meatless 3-5 nights a week as a means of controlling our grocery costs), no public transport available in our very rural area but do use it when visiting an area that has it. We live in town and walk to work, school, church & several activities. Plastic free~no but we do use washable plastic containers, recycle all other plastics. I have tupperware bowls I've used since our wedding almost 27 years ago.

This is kinda my problem too. I LOVE to line dry just because I grew up doing it, so I've gotten used to it. Ryan absolutely despises anything line-dried. He won't let me line-dry his shirts - he says they feel funny and feels body odor smell comes quicker with it. Not sure, but whatever. I do line-dry his jeans and shorts, though. I do not line-dry underclothes because even though I live in the country, people can still see that stuff and it just seems a little white-trash to me. Sorry if others do it, just not for me. I will do all the laundry (since I do it all in one day) before drying all the underclothes so it ends up being one load. Ryan also requests that I fluff everything in the dryer after line-dried. So I'm still using the dryer, some, just not as much. The girls and him hate towels after they are line-dried too.

My only complaint with line-drying isn't the birds, although I've had it happen, but it's all the bugs I have to pick out of the clothes before going into the house. Maybe it's because my lines are closer to the wooded areas, I'm not sure, but if I take the clothes in first I end up with many bug-like creatures in my house I have to rid of.

karen, i have a round umbrella style clothes line and put the underwear on the inside, then strategically place towels. lol diapers i put on the outside to get bleached by the sun .

So no one has a 2 story home that they can look down from the 2nd story to see? I just don't think I could do it. I just have lines strung around the posts on the kids playground area.

Honestly people probably couldn't see my undies out on the line where I live, but if someone came to visit, then they could. I don't want to run into the situation of someone coming over unannounced and having them see my underclothes. Especially kids in the neighborhood.

So no one has a 2 story home that they can look down from the 2nd story to see? I just don't think I could do it. I just have lines strung around the posts on the kids playground area.

i don't think so, my closest neighbors don't, it doesn't really bother me for some reason.

I have never thought of people seeing my underwear. A lot of people hang their clothes out in the sun to dry in my area, so I guess I am just used to seeing people's underwear hanging on the line.

I don't think it would embarrass me anyway, we all have underwear

My neighbors don't seem to mind it. They are in their late 80's. Kinda gives me a baby barf though. Ewww . . .granny panties!

Maybe it's a question of where you live? I've just always been brought up that it's not appropriate. We don't go walking around in our under clothes for everyone to see so why should we have them hanging outside for everyone to see? - I'm just saying that's how I've been brought up so that's why I would not be able to do it. My parents would always tell me it's "trashy" to do that.