the simple me » going green

DIY stain removal tips

alana — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:00:13 +0000

Check out these DIY stain removal tips from Gal’s Guide. You’ll be happy to have them as a reference the next time you have a spill. I’ve made a list of everything you need to remove practically every type of stain. Take a look at the list & put together a little kit to make sure you’re prepared!

Stain Removal Must Haves: Spring the list!
- dish washing detergent
- white vinegar
- salt
- ammonia
- an iron
- sponge
- paper towels
- shampoo
- laundry detergent
- baking soda
- unseasoned meat tenderizer
- club soda
- salt
- lemon

Does creating a stain removal kit simplify my life? Yup. Now I’ll be prepared for the next inevitable wine spill!

Get rid of slugs using beer

thereasa — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:00:58 +0000

With all the recent rain here in New England, we’ve had a greater infestation of slugs than normal. The problem with slugs is that they can seriously damage leaves, eat seedlings, and even eat fruit and vegetables later in the season.

Question: So, what is an environmentally safe way to rid your yard/garden/green space of slugs?

Answer: Beer!

Put a tuna can filled with beer in the ground, so a slug might be crawling along and just fall into the beer & drown. It turns out that slugs like yeast, so your tuna can might just be full of the little buggers in a few days!

Add just a couple of things to your shopping list & rid your garden of slugs…

Does using beer to get rid of slugs simplify my life? You betcha.

Remember to water the plants

alana — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:14:08 +0000

My life is often so busy that I neglect my plants. Though I initially purchased them to brighten up a room, I forget to water them… leaving me with a dried-up, dead plant. This has happened to me more than once, so I’ve decided to try something new:
CREATE A WEEKLY REMINDER to water my office plant, Stella.

By using springpad, I can create an alarm that gets sent to me via email or text message every week at the same time. Spring the reminder!

Will a weekly reminder to water the plants simplify my life? We’ll see…

Painted Wine Bottles

alana — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:36:14 +0000

Image Source: Lifehacker

I’m all about craft projects, especially those that utilize items I already have in my house. That’s why I love this painted wine bottle project found via Lifehacker, originally from instructables. What’s great is that the final product can be used as either an oil bottle or a container for dish soap. I might just have to make two!

Supplies:
- Empty wine bottle
- Bleach
- Rubbing alcohol
- Enamel paint
- Paintbrushes in various sizes
- Bottle spout

Will this craft project simplify my life? Probably not, but it’s a great way to re-use empty bottles I have lying around the apartment. Plus, crafting is a great way to spend the weekend!

Humidify your bedroom inexpensively

celena — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:51:45 +0000

Spring is finally here and I am proud to say that I have survived my first Boston winter. It has been quite the battle against the elements, and while I couldn’t control the weather outside, I did my best to make conditions comfortable inside. As I slept, heaters kept me nice & toasty – However, they also sucked all the moisture out of the air, leaving me to wake up with dry skin & an itchy throat every morning.

Here’s my solution: Hang-dry some of your clothes inside (especially those heavy winter coats), rather than in the dryer.

Benefits to air-drying clothes indoors:
- The air stays nice & moist
- You’ll save money & electricity that you would have needed to run the dryer
– You may not even need to invest in a humidifier

Has drying air-drying my clothes inside simplified my life? Absolutely.

How do you keep comfortable throughout the seasons without spending extra money?

Shine your shoes with banana peels

celena — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:54:52 +0000

As a college student, it’s hard to ignore that it’s interview season. There are loads of students on campus dressed up in their interview attire, a clean pressed suit with a light colored dress shirt/blouse inside. They are clearly dressed to impress, but if you look down you’ll often see one mistake: dull shoes.

I ran into this interesting article from DIY Life a couple weeks ago about shining your shoes with the inside of a banana peel, and recommended it to my friends. At first, they didn’t believe me, but when I explained that potassium is a major ingredient in shoe polish, they agreed to try it.

Try it for yourself! Just a few benefits: save the money you’d spend on shoe polish, save the time running to the store, prevent the mess of the icky polish, reduce the waste of having shoe polish around in lots of different colors.

Has shining my shoes with a banana peel simplified my life? Sure has.

Duraflame logs for your holiday fire

katin — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:07:41 +0000

Quick Idea: Consider Duraflame logs for your fireplace from EnviroMom

“I paid a quick visit to the Duraflame Web site, and right there on the landing page they proudly announce that After 30 years, we’ve gone all-renewable by making the switch to non-petroleum waxes. In other words, Duraflame is the most eco-friendly way to enjoy a fire!“

It’s definitely a personal choice whether to go with natural wood, Duraflames, some other brand of “logs”, or no fire at all. But at my house, we’ll be burning Duraflames over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Why, you ask? For simplicity – When it gets cold, we always go out and buy one case each of the 2-hour logs, 3-hours logs & 4-hour logs. It’s really nice to be able to start a fire that will last for exactly the amount of time you want, all with only one log & one match.

Add Durflames to your shopping list. Spring the Shopping List!

Buy new laundry baskets

katin — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:10:14 +0000

Managing laundry isn’t something that many people get excited about. But, I’ve been trying a new system & am pretty pleased with it. It has not only saved me time, but has gotten rid of the need to buy a “presentable” laundry hamper to keep in the bathroom.

Here’s what you do:

Buy 3+ laundry baskets that are oval-shaped & are about the size of one load of laundry, which depends on your washer
Line them up in your closet
As you accumulate dirty clothes, drop them right into the appropriate basket – darks, lights, whites
When one of the baskets is full, pull it out, replace with an empty basket & wash that load (keep an empty basket stacked under one of the full baskets)

Spring the task list!

Doing this will eliminate the annoying process of digging into a hamper just to sort loads. You’ll also reduced the likelihood of washing loads that are too small or too big.

Why buy laundry baskets in bulk? (6 at a time, in my case)

It’s really nice to have them stack neatly, whether in the closet or the laundry room
They crack, break & melt, so you will need to buy new ones eventually
It’s usually cheaper – I ordered mine from Ace Hardware (Did you know that they have free delivery if you have your order delivered to the local Ace?)

Did buying new laundry baskets simplify my life? Yes.
Check out the results.

Saving eggs for later

katin — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:04:54 +0000

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Quick Idea: Save your excess egg yolks or whites from Martha Stewart

“Save the egg yolks when a recipe calls for using only whites, or vice versa. If you don’t plan to use the eggs immediately, pour them into an airtight container and freeze.”

When it comes to making our grocery dollar go further, little tips like this one can go a long way.

Shampoo every other day

katin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:18:01 +0000

I am going to try to only wash my hair every other day. Now, I do this with the full knowledge that I will have to suffer through a few greasy weeks as I adjust. I first got this idea when I read It’s Easy Being Green, but many a hairdresser has recommended it since. Here are the main benefits:

1. Save money on shampoo & water
2. Save time in the morning
3. Healthier hair
4. Hopefully longer-lasting hair color

Just to be clear, I will still shower every morning & likely wet my hair down (and maybe use use a touch of conditioner). Babysteps, people.

Will shampooing my hair every other day simplify my life? I’ll let you know.