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 ECO
TIPS |
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| Simple and
Natural Living |
| Clean Ingredients |
| Controlling
Pests |
| The
Garden |
| GE-free Food |
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| Simple
and Natural Living |
| Being environmentally friendly
at home is easy and reliable with just a few adjustments. |
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| Save Energy! |
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Always switch off the TV,
VCR, microwave and stereo at the power point instead
of leaving them in stand-by power mode. |
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Purchase appliances with the
highest Energy Star rating. |
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Set your fridge temperature to 41°F. Leave sufficient
room around the top and back of the fridge (around
the coils) to allow hot air to escape. |
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Defrost the freezer regularly. |
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If you own a dishwasher, run it only when it is
full. |
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Consider solar lighting for your porch and garden.
Decorative solar garden lights are now available
in inexpensive kits. |
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Replace incandescent light globes with compact fluorescent.
They provide just as much light and use 75 per cent
less power. |
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Install time switches on your lights or movement
and light sensors that provide security while saving
money and energy. |
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Turn off your hot water system when you go on holidays.
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Switch off the light when you leave the room. |
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| Also,
consider this: |
| _Choose renewable
energy sources over fossils fuels |
| _Pick fresh food over
processed goods |
| _Use public transportation
at least once a week. |
| _Cut up to 50 per
cent of your power bill by installing a solar hot
water system. For suppliers, click here. |
| _Purchase energy efficient
products, especially those that include a five star
energy rating. |
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| Clean Ingredients |
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| Soap - Baking Soda/Bicarbonate of soda
- Washing soda - Borax - White Vinegar and Lemon Juice
- Cloudy ammonia |
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| Soap |
| Soap without synthetic scents, colors
or other additives biodegrades safely and completely,
and is non-toxic. Dissolve bars of soap more easily in
hot water. |
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| Baking Soda/Bicarbonate of soda |
| Baking Soda is a slightly alkaline mineral
that cleans and deodorizes. Baking soda can be used as
a gentle nonabrasive cleanser for kitchen counter tops,
sinks, bathtubs, ovens, and fiberglass. It will eliminate
perspiration odors and even neutralize the smell of many
chemicals if you add up to a cup per load to the laundry.
It is a useful air freshener, and a fine carpet deodorizer. |
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| Washing soda |
| Washing Soda is a much more strongly
alkaline mineral than its chemical neighbor Baking Soda.
Washing Soda cuts grease, removes stains, disinfects and
softens water. |
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| Borax |
| Borax is an excellent disinfectant |
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| White Vinegar and Lemon Juice |
| Vinegar and Lemon Juice cut grease and
freshen. |
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| Cloudy ammonia |
This ingredient cuts heavy grease. It
must be used with CAUTION because its toxic fumes can
irritate eyes and lungs. Use ONLY with good ventilation
and when other cleaners won't work.
WARNING! Never mix ammonia with bleach. It will produce
highly toxic fumes!!! |
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| — . Easy
Tips |
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| Dishwashing |
| _Rinsing dishes before
food residue hardens makes cleaning them easier
and uses less detergent. |
| _Dissolve pure soap
flakes in hot water and use in place of your commercial
detergent. |
| _Add vinegar for really
tough, baked-on grease. |
| _Coat the area of
burnt pots and pans with a thick paste of bicarbonate
and water and leave for several hours before washing. |
| _Ovens: don't overfill
pans and scrape up spills as soon as they're cold
enough to handle. |
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| Cleaning the bathroom: |
| _Replace tile cleaners
by spraying vinegar onto the mould, and leaving
it overnight. |
| _Scrub with bicarbonate
and hot water. |
| _Apply a strong solution
of vinegar for toilets |
| _Apply a mix of borax
and lemon juice to stubborn areas. |
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| Mirrors and windows |
| _First wash with warm
soapy water If the glass is especially dirty. |
| _Mirrors and windows
can be cleaned with 3 tablespoons of vinegar in
4 cups of warm water. Use crumpled newspaper to
finish the surface. |
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| The Laundry |
| substitute detergents
with washing soda and soap. |
| _Add 1/3 cup washing
soda and soap to water before adding clothes. Soap
in the form of flakes, bars, etc, may need to be
dissolved in a little hot water before adding to
the machine. |
| _Bleach - Use 1/2
cup borax per wash to whiten and brighten colors. |
| _Fabrics softener
- Add 1/2 cup vinegar or 1/4 cup bicarbonate during
final rinse. |
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| Controlling
Pests |
| *Indoor pests can be controlled
without the use of toxic sprays. |
| *Keep your home as clean
as possible, particularly food areas. |
| *Seal up cracks and repair
flyscreens and other holes that give pests easy access. |
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| — . Easy
Tips |
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A light dusting of borax around your refrigerator,
stove and duct work is an effective deterrent. |
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Use sticky flypaper to catch unwelcome visitors.
You can make your own with honey and yellow paper. |
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Use old-fashioned snap traps to kill mice or rats
(death is likely to be instantaneous). Make sure
the trap is placed so it will not be triggered by
a child or pet. |
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To trap moths, mix 1 part molasses with 2 parts
vinegar and place in a yellow container. Clean trap
regularly. |
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If you have a rainwater tank, pour 1/2 cup paraffin
oil into the tank. This will stop mosquitoes breeding. |
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Herbal products on the market containing ingredients
such as citronella, lavender and tea tree oil can
help to keep mosquitoes away. |
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In general, leave spiders alone because they help
to control pests. |
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| The Garden |
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| — . Easy
Tips |
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Use organic fertilizers for vigorous plant growth. |
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Take the advantage of preparing your own composting |
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Make your own compost bin using a large wooden box. |
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Collect grass, flower clippings, dead leaves and
weeds for the compost bin. You can also use veggie
peels and scraps, tea leaves and even torn newspapers. |
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Alternate layers of garden waste, food scraps with
a thin layer of soil. Keep it moist and compost
every 1 - 3 weeks with a shovel. |
Water wisely
Water in the morning or at night to prevent evaporation. |
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Consider the possibility of communal composting
and garden space with your neighbors or local council. |
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Be part of a community supported agriculture or
organic farming network. |
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| GE-free
Food/Organic Food |
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| What
is GE-free Food?
GE-free Food is Non-Genetically Engineered food
Genetic engineering (GE) is a procedure
that allows scientists to manipulate genes and DNA of
plants, animals and micro-organisms. GE takes genes
from one life form and crosses them with those of another.
As a result, genes from bacteria, viruses, plants and
animals can be inserted into soybeans canola, corn and
cotton and grown as experimental crops. These crops
(also called 'genetically modified organisms' or 'GMOs')
are processed into foods and sold all over the world.
During recent years, Genetic engineering
has raised criticism and rejections among scientists
and scientist organizations. Those groups claim that
current safety testing of GE foods is minimal. The products
of genetic engineering are patented and almost all tests
are done by associates to the GE companies.
Foods that may contain GM products
Vegetable oils: Canola, cotton, soy, corn oil or oil
labeled as vegetable. |
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| Prefer Organic Food |
| The
National Organic Program |
| Organic
Consumers Association |
| Organic
Farming Research Foundation |
| IFOAM |
| Local
Harvest |
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