Car Care, the Green Way

With the new green cars coming to the market, more and more consumers are trying to determine ways to keep the cars that they already have as green as possible without having to buy new. If you are already in the market for a new car, and can afford it, purchasing one of the new green cars is a great option. Otherwise, smart car care and maintenance can be green and most of the time it only takes a few more minutes or dollars. No matter if you have a gas or diesel powered vehicle, you can get started cleaning up your car now and keeping it green for as long as it runs.

The first and smartest thing you can do to keep your car green is to ensure that you regularly maintain your vehicle, including regular oil changes and flushing the various systems, because a well maintained car will run better using less gas which is in the end better for the environment. Not only is it necessary to change your oil regularly , but you must change the filter as well to make sure that it is keeping the oil that you do have as clean as possible. Staying on top of the condition of your tires is also of great importance because the way they perform directly results in the amount of gas that you consume as well.

While the maintenance under the hood gets most of the attention, you should not forget about the other products that you purchase to care for your car. There are several companies that manufacture green and clean care care products, including washes, polishes, and other interior care products. If you turn to keeping your car clean in one way, it does no good to neglect the other areas so make sure that you embrace it entirely and wholeheartedly.

Going Green in the Garden

Going green in the garden can be a lot easier than it sounds, regardless of how green your thumb is or if you are going to be starting your garden from scratch or using nurseries.  Obviously, the easiest and surest way to make sure that your garden is entirely green is to begin growing your garden and doing all the maintenance yourself, from scratch. This is not always possible though, and luckily there are several nurseries, manufacturers and stores that are developing and supporting green practices that they pass on to consumers. Here are several things to look for when shopping for plants and products for your garden and when beginning the garden yourself.

To start, seek out plant nursery that practices green principles to grow its own plants, and in the products it sells. Beginning plants by seed in your own home is the best option, because then you can regulate everything that goes into your soil, otherwise check the labels and purchase only seedlings that have been grown organically.  Use biodegradable planters to start seeds, or purchase starter plants that come in containers that will break down easily as well. Once you have planted your garden, do so in a way that will allow it to take full advantage of the sun, water conservation and the natural setting. Gardening in this way is not only green, but it will ensure that your garden will prosper with the least amount of work or money on your part.

Continuing to care for your garden is the hardest obstacle when you want to keep everything green because most products for insects and weeds involve a lot of chemicals.  Instead of using pesticides and herbicides, practice organic methods such as green cleansers and weedkillers that can be made from basic household products that are natural.  Also, co-planting and using cover crops, and using plants that deter bugs helps stop problems right in their tracks.

How to Save on Utilities Expense by Going Green

With greener living much more accessible these days, you can make some changes in your life and also save money by going green.  You can cut back on your utilities expense by also going green today.  In a time where environmental damage and pollution is a major and continuing concern, going green just makes sense and is also a cost effective method.

If you are thinking that going green may be tedious or even expensive, the truth is, that going green is actually quite easily accessible and affordable nowadays.  As a matter of fact, if done correctly, you can save a lot of money by going green and incorporating Eco friendliness into your lifestyle.

Below are some tips on how you can save on your utilities expense by going green :

1. You can lower you winter heating costs by some level if you can stand to live in a home that is at least two or three degrees lower in thermostat.  In the summertime months, just allow the air conditioning to cool down your house a little bit and this can enable you to avoid using air conditioning to cool your house.  Only open your windows in the evening or when there is a breeze outside if you would like to cool your house in the hot summer months.
2. Wash your clothes using cold water, this will also help you to reduce your overall utilities expense as you aren’t using water that will require heating before hand.  Washing your clothes with hot water takes a lot of energy and this will show up in your monthly bill.
3. Never dry your clothes using your dryer , this process uses way too much energy and it can be expensive to use.  The outside air is great for drying your clothes especially in the summer months you can get a clothes line in your backyard, here you can put out your clothes
4. Use compact fluorescent bulbs to light up your house, they only use up 10% of the energy as compared to regular light bulbs, these light bulbs also last 10 times longer.  If you would like to further decrease your utilities expense, you can use LED bulbs as they can be almost twice as energy efficient as CFL light bulbs.
5. Make sure that your home is much more environmentally friendly by incorporating green living such as heat controlled thermostat.  You can set the maximum and minimum heat you want the thermostat to warm up to in order to avoid any wasteful energy and rise in the furnace heat.

Landscaping Tips to Save Water

While landscaping can really make your house exteriors look great, it can make you water bills shoot up high. This can lead you to question whether you really need that much water. The truth is that you can save a lot of water by making a few simple modifications to your water usage.

Here are a few tips to help you save water with landscaping.

Inefficient watering systems

Everybody wants their piece of automated equipment, whether it is the latest automatic land mower or the modern sprinkler system. Most often these automated sprinklers cause a lot of waste of water.

You might have noticed the water running off the lawn down into the street. This is utter wastage when you need to save water. However, most homeowners who have a landscaping use this kind of inefficient watering systems that causes so much waste. If you can find a good and efficient one then it will save water and prevent wastage.

Find an efficient watering system to suit your needs

You should remember a great thumb rule. It says that the bigger and closer to the ground, the delivered water droplet is, the better it is. Systems that give fine water sprays usually lose most of the water to the wind and evaporation.

You might be surprised to know that a hand held hose is the most efficient way to water, saving as much as 33% water compared to other systems.

Automated systems are no better

You might think that because relying on modern technologies means saving money and time. Well, you need to think again, at least as far as watering systems are concerned.

These automated systems such as the ground sprinklers, in fact use 35% more water while those systems that have an automatic timer to accompany utilise 47% more compared to other places that do not use any of such systems. While these devices keep you under the illusion of saving time, they are actually causing you to spend more.

Add some rain sensors or soil sensors

If you already have some kind of an automated system, then you do not need to throw it out and incur more loss. Instead, add such sensors to your system. This will help the sprinklers to know when the soil is moist enough not to need any watering. Hence, you will end up saving water.

Go for automatic drip irrigation

These systems are more efficient compared to sprinklers and with the sensors they will work even better.

Green Cleaning Tips

If you’re interested in saving the earth, you should know about green cleaning products. These products help you keep your home clean and allow your stay eco-friendly at the same time. Although cleaning with no chemicals does take some getting used to, once you start you’ll find that green cleaning products are an effective and inexpensive alternative to traditional cleaners.

You can rid your home of non eco-friendly products by taking a quick look at the labels of your cleaners. Anything with ingredients that you can’t pronounce, cleaners will special scents and those with dyes should be avoided. You should also look at the bottle to see if it’s recyclable.

You can make a lot of your own green cleaning products at home. With a few basic ingredients, you can make products to clean most surfaces in your home. You can use baking soda, borax, cream of tartar, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice and vinegar to create a wide variety of eco-friendly cleaners. For example, you can use vinegar and baking soda as a deodorizing cleaner for your kitchen sink. You can find recipes for green cleaners online or find books that have recipes for helpful cleaners.

If you’re not the type who likes to make your own cleaners, many commercial brands are now making eco-friendly cleaners to respond to the market’s demand. You can find these brands at your local supermarket. Eco-friendly kitchen cleaners, bathroom cleaners and air fresheners will help your home stay clean and green all at the same time.

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