1. Turning off the water while you brush your teeth can save 1,800 gallons of water per year.
2. A low flow shower head will use 10 gallons of water during a 5 minute shower; a regular flow shower head uses up 25 gallons in 5 minutes. It requires fifty gallons of water to fill a tub.
3. Turning down your thermostat by one degree will cut your heating bill (and energy use) by 3%… but don’t stop there.
4. There are 5 trillion non-biodegradable cigarette butts thrown out of car windows, worldwide, each year.
5. Institute a mug (and a metal utensil) policy in your office. Americans throw away 25 billion non-biodegradable polystyrene cups per year.
6. Use re-usable mesh coffee filters at work.
7. If all U.S. households would pay their bills online, it would save 19 million trees and over 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide and almost 2 billion pounds of trash.
8. Most electrical appliances (and chargers) move to standby mode when turned off, requiring them to continue to use 40% of their full running power. Plug them into power strips and turn the strip off when they are not in use. If all Americans did this, it would save the amount of power annually that is generated by 26 power plants.
9. There are 180,000 tons of small batteries thrown away each year in the U.S. alone. Rechargable batteries are the answer.
10. Attach a rain barrel to your downspout.
11. A trigger nozzle on your garden hose will save as much as 6 gallons of water per minute.
12. Recycling all newspapers in the U.S. would save 130 million trees per year.
13. Use natural pesticides to save the birds and the bees. (When I was a child there were birds singing constantly and everywhere… my grandchildren will never experience that.)
14. One bat will eat up 1,000 mosquitoes per night; put up a “bat box.”
15. Get a bike… walk… use your legs… burn a calorie.
16. Drive your car until it dies and then buy a hybrid.
17. Re-gift gift wrap.
18. A lawnmower actually uses as much fuel as a car… go electric.
19. Switch to flourescent lightbulbs. If every American household replaced one regular bulb with one flourescent bulb, the pollution reduction would be equivalent to removing one million cars from the road. Flourescents last 12x longer. LED lights are great too. Recessed lighting is the worst and most hardware stores have solutions to this problem.
20. Avoid plastic bags… take your own cloth bags to the grocery store.
21. Skipping the pre-washing of dishes, before putting them in your dishwasher, would save each household 7,300 gallons of water per year plus the energy that it takes to heat the water.
22. Pre-heating ovens (except when baking pastries) is a complete waste of energy.
23. Buy a whole-grain breadmaker.
24. Recycling all glass containers would save Americans from burying 13 million tons of glass waste per year. Glass takes one million years to decompose.
25. When an appliance breaks, replace it with an Energy Star appliance. If everyone in America replaced all of their applicances, it would save literally trillions of dollars of wasted fuel per year.
26. Learn what the words “peak oil” mean.
27. Get a clothesline.
28. Use green materials when building.
29. To produce only one pound of meat requires 2,500 gallons of water. Rainforests are being cut down at record rates in order to raise beef cattle. Cattle produce 20% of the methane that is released into the atmosphere. Methane is the worst of the greenhouse gases. Go veggie.
30. Buy organic local produce in season to reduce oil consumption by 40%.
31. Fix leaky plumbing. A faucet drip can waste 20 gallons of water per day.
32. Insulate your house. Heating and cooling makes up 70% of the energy use in most homes.
33. Grow some of your own food, even if it is one plant in one pot.
34. Walk through nature and feel the life all around you… and within you.
35. Buy recycled products.
36. Skip the coffee stirrer to save 138 billion plastic straws per year.
37. Take a train instead of a plane. Warren Buffett understands that trains are the future of America.
38. Recycle your own printing paper by using both sides of the paper.
39. Diapers add 3.5 million tons of waste to landfills each year… use cloth or environmentally friendly disposable diapers instead.
40. Re-use a cloth napkin instead of paper. Landfills receive one billion pounds of napkins per year.
41. Re-use water bottles and buy a water filter for your home to save huge amounts of money and a million tons of trash.
42. Using cruise control gives 15% better mileage.
43. Batch errands. Take a friend.
44. Turn off lights. If you’re not in the room, the light isn’t helping you anyway.
45. Keep your fireplace damper closed or warm house air will be rapidly sucked out.
46. Let your fingers do the walking.
47. Donate rather than throw away.
48. Teach one other person that it is okay to enjoy the natural world and that it is our responsibility to be its guardian.

One dilemma that many households experience is the lack of teamwork from every member of the family. If everyone is not on board on energy efficiency, we would not be able to notice these little results. It would not help much if, for example, only one is turning off the lights as opposed to everyone else leaving them on. So get the family to pitch in and help, and assign each member a task they can work on.

Let’s take a detailed look on where you could possibly improve your energy efficiency, and assign these specific areas to each member:

1. Completely turn off the faucet. It might sound like a no-brainer, but sometimes you just can’t get it right and water might still drip. To combat this, make an experiment by placing a bucket under a faucet with a slow drip and check how much water you have collected after 24 hours of dripping. The water you have gathered shows how much you waste every time you leave a faucet running. If the drip continues no matter how much you try to turn it off, then it might be the right time to have to repair it or get a new faucet. This investment will pay off in the long run with more saved water and energy.

2. Adjust the window blinds. In the summer, go around your house and close the blinds when you leave in the morning. This will help keep the cold air in and the hot air out. But if you live in northern climates and windows are well insulated, you may want to do the opposite and open the blinds on the south side of your house to absorb the solar heat and enjoy the warmth of the sun during winter. The idea is to think about your windows and how they affect the temperature inside the house.

3. Wash and dry full loads. You may have little ones insisting that their shirt needs to be washed before they can wear it again. I suggest you have to make a rule that nothing gets washed without it being part of a full load, or you will waste more water and energy if you wash and dry only a handful of clothing.

4. Always keep the refrigerator door closed. Everyone has spaced out while gazing inside the fridge for something to eat. Every parent has watched their children stand and think of what to snack on while the refrigerator or freezer door is open. Each time you stand there with the door open, cold air is flowing out onto the floor. And every time your refrigerator is “drained” of cold air, it will take much more energy to re-cool the food inside when you close the door. Energy wasted and money lost is added up if each person in your family does that a few times in a day.

5. Dress accordingly instead of adjusting the thermostat. We all know that if it is miserably hot outside and you’re feeling the heat, it is awfully tempting to set the thermostat low. You are making yourself accustomed to an increasingly chilly interior when you turn down the thermostat. If the temperature outside rose to about 95 degrees, by comparison, keeping your air on about 75 will seem very cool and quite comfortable. Same goes for a winter day. If it’s around 20 degrees outside, then a comfort zone will be somewhere around the 60’s. If you find yourself constantly adjusting your thermostats, your air conditioner or furnace therefore is making more energy to keep up with your demands. To counteract this, suggest that each family member dress appropriately inside the house with light clothes in the summer and warm and cozy clothes in the winter.

Start with these 5 easy tips given above to save money and resources to prevent wasteful spending and energy conservation.

Top Green Cleaning provides commercial and residential natural “green” cleaning services in Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Queen Creek, Arizona.

Most households have at least five different cleaning products under their kitchen sink or in their bathroom. Each product may have a warning label that tells you what might happen if you accidentally get it on your skin and eyes, which causes you to overreact and dress in a fully covered suit before you go and do some cleaning.

There are other options that might be able to help you out. You could probably produce more of your own cleaning supplies with the things that are now present in your kitchen. Our grandmothers didn’t need loads of fancy bottles full of chemicals and scrubbing bubbles to keep their house clean, so why should we? Here are some tips to help you get your house clean without breathing toxic air.

1. Use dishcloths instead of sponges. Instead of removing germs, sponges can get lots of bacteria and actually spread germs on your countertops the longer you use them. Dishcloths are washed regularly along with dishtowels so they get clean more often. It will clean and kill germs sufficiently if you wash your cloths with cold water and detergent. You can also add white vinegar as it helps to disinfect without harmful chemicals.

2. Produce your own cleaning supplies. A simple mixture of vinegar and water can do some magic tricks in cleaning your house. It can be used to cut grease on surfaces such as stove and countertops. It is also an excellent solution to clean floors, windows, and the refrigerator and freezer. You can also use vinegar with baking soda. This will help you dissolve whatever that might be stuck in your bathroom drain. Also, baking soda and fine steel wool can help out in eliminating dirt from the grout in the tub and shower, around the sink fixtures, and other places where crud tends to collect.

3. Use eco-friendly products. Many companies create their own line of cleaning products that are environmentally friendly and with less toxic chemicals. They are usually reasonably priced and concentrated so they go a long way and are available in many of the big department stores, and even online.

Going green in cleaning is simple. Throw all those chemical based cleaners and use more natural resources. Start now and live a safe and healthier environment.

Top Green Cleaning provides commercial and residential natural “green” cleaning services in Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Queen Creek, Arizona.

Lights are one of the reasons why our bills get out of control. It’s true, we need lights. We need them to add color in our homes or simply use them to see what’s in front of us. It may help us see where we are going, but does it lead us to an eco-friendly path?

1. Compact Florescent Lighting (CFL). You have most likely seen this spiral bulbs being sold in stores for quite some time that you might have even thought of putting those things in your fancy lamps. These bulbs have been recently made to fit most fixtures. And you know what’s great about these CFLs is that they last longer, no heat, and use less energy. Since they last longer, you don’t have to constantly change them as compared with the regular bulbs. You also have the option to have CFLs in yellow to use as bug lights. You can use this during summer evenings to prevent hungry bugs annoying you. These bug lights are powerful that you will not only enjoy bug-free hours, but also being quite energy efficient.

2. Motion-Detecting Lights. Did you know that leaving lights on all night costs more? We may have family members staying out late and would need lights to see their path when they get home. But there are times that we forget to turn them off when they get home. Installing this kind of light will save you more cost. When someone comes near, the light turns on. Once motion stops, it will automatically be turned off. It only lights up when you need it. You don’t have to turn on the light all night and waste energy.

By using these bright ideas, we can not only trim down our energy bill, but also preserve our earth’s precious resources.

Top Green Cleaning provides commercial and residential natural “green” cleaning services in Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Queen Creek, Arizona.

1. Your Mail – The clutter on your desk. Not too long ago, we used to run to our mailbox happily to check if there are letters and packages. Well now we get excited if we see someone sends us an email. Sending emails is better than sending snail mail packages because it has a quicker response time, no use of paper, and junk mails can be easily disposed.
There are actually 2 ways to trim down your snail mail clutter and keep it out of the landfill:

a. Bills. Are you one of the people who still receive their bills in the mail? Most people just open them up, check the amount, and then pay it online. So why not opt to receive bills directly on your email? This will lessen our paper usage and the space it takes up on our desk right after we open them. These days, most utility and credit card companies have an option for paperless billings. Every month, we will get an email reminder that your bill is due and a link where you can pay the bill. This way we could reduce our clutter and we do not fill up our landfills.

b. Online banking. Since we pay our bills online, why not also try and sign up for electronic statements. This way we don’t have to shred monthly statements and we can even have them saved on our hard drive, USB drive, or back them up for security reasons. Not only you can reduce the piles of paper but also keep away from the dangers of identity theft.

2. Your Pictures – The other clutter. These are the pictures that you have sorted, framed, put in albums, or sent out. But there is a new way to view, store, and share your pictures – investing on a digital camera. Digital pictures come out wonderful, clear, acceptable, even to the most diehard photographer.

Have you ever taken a picture with your film camera and didn’t really liked at all? Most people have taken at least a few pictures that didn’t come out right but we end up still paying for it when we have it developed. Unfortunately, you don’t have that option to select what you want to be printed out with film cameras unlike with digital cameras, you may be able to view beforehand and pick those pictures that you want.

Moreover, pictures can now be easily shared. Ever taken a group picture and everyone wants a copy? Now you can share pictures with just one click. You don’t have to re-print photos so everyone could get a copy. You can just email to them directly, or you can sign up for a free photo storing sites that allows you to send pictures through them. Some sites even offer you benefits to make books, cards, and gifts using your pictures. In this way, you could save money, paper, and other resources for photos that you did not want.

Since you are now using your computer more, here are some examples to keep it running efficiently:

1. Shut down your computer. Once you’re done working for the day, you should turn them off. This will save energy and wear and tear on your computer. It may damage the battery and reduce its life if it is left turned on the whole day. It may also overheat. If you have an automatic back-up, you may choose to configure the time of back-up for a time you want your computer to be on.

2. Invest in a laptop. Laptops draw less energy than desktops. They also don’t take up much space.

At present times, computers have helped us all do things more efficiently. From clearing out the clutters to handling our paperwork better, cyberspace has helped us a lot. If you use your computer wisely, you’ll save time, money, and eliminate on that pile of wasted resources you have on your desk right now.

Top Green Cleaning provides commercial and residential natural “green” cleaning services in Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Queen Creek, Arizona.

First, donate the clothes that you throw away when you clean your closets. Some of the clothes you don’t want any longer might still be good for other people. You can donate these clothes to some families who may need them. You do not just help these families, but also eliminate the clothes that you dispose of end up in the landfill and get stuck there.
Some companies like Goodwill Industries and the Veteran’s Administration collect gently used clothing and sell it for a fraction of the cost. People can find great deals at a cheaper price.

Second, take good care of your clothes. Simply read each clothing label to know how to care for them so they won’t easily fade. Let’s see a few examples to extend the life of your clothes:

a. Wash clothes using cold water. Are you one of those people who strongly believe that hot or warm water cleans better and kills more germs? In fact if you want your clothes to be perfectly clean, simply mix detergent with cold water. Cold water not only helps you clean your clothes, but it also conserves energy and prevents colors from bleeding and fabric to deteriorate.

b. Use a clothesline to dry your clothes. You might think it’s old-fashioned but it really works. What’s good about it is that we use natural resources to dry our clothes. The sun and wind is free and saves more money and energy.
Do you need to dry heavy items like jeans, towels, or blankets in clothes dryer? Use a clean tennis ball to speed up the drying. It will also help fluff the items and dry faster.

c. Always fix clothing that has rips or torn buttons. These clothing can still be fixed and be used so don’t throw them away. It’s easy to fix them; you just need a needle and a thread. This will help you increase the life of your clothing and cut cost on a new wardrobe.

So remember, repair what you have, buy what you need, and wash your clothing carefully. These simple means will lengthen the life of your clothes, save money, and even help the environment all at the same time.

Top Green Cleaning provides commercial and residential natural “green” cleaning services in Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Queen Creek, Arizona.

Have you ever thought of making a few changes around the house but haven’t found the time, or just didn’t know what to do? I suggest you must first consider making a few improvements to make your home more energy efficient and get you the green stamp-of-approval from the government.

You might be wondering why we need the government’s approval on our green living campaign. Mainly because the government is offering incentives and tax breaks for people who have decided to turn their home into an energy efficient habitat. The government is rewarding you for taking the effort to trim down your carbon footprint. However, you will have to be patient because going green takes time. It’s an investment in the future of the earth, as well as your future.
Let’s take a look at some tips on home improvements that you can make that will not only improve your home, but also save you money.

1. Install solar panels. This may be installed on a south facing roof or on the south side of your home. Some creative people constructed their own and it cost them around $200 and loads of elbow grease. You can also buy them in kits and set up a bit easier. Of course, this will depend on how much you have spent for the installation. It might take a few months to see saving and a few years to earn the money you paid.

2. Install ceiling fans. You may think that these fans are just mere decors to add life in your room, but it actually does work. Whatever the season is, it makes you feel good and feel the cool air. In the summer, it circulates air within the room which helps lower the temperature. While in the winter, it can move warm air around the room to avoid cold corners and floors.

3. Invest in energy efficient appliances. When buying appliances, look for the ones with the Energy Star label. The label tells you how much you can save on a yearly basis by using that product. Products with this label save you more energy and money. For instance, investing in a washing machine or dishwasher use less energy and water. If the appliances you have been using are 15 years old or older, consider buying new appliances and the ROI will surprise you.
Do you want to increase energy efficiency in your home? Well do some research, see where you are lacking, and start from there. Do not be afraid to make some changes. These changes will help you earn your green living award.

Top Green Cleaning provides commercial and residential natural “green” cleaning services in Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Queen Creek, Arizona.

1. Make a list. Do you always go back to the store a few times because you tend to forget some ingredients for your meal? If you have done this a couple of times then I suggest you start getting organized and make a list. Make a list of all the things that you need so when you go to the store, you will be able to buy them all at the same time. No need to come back because you forgot something. In this way, it will save you more time, money, and gas running back and forth.

2. Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk saves you money. Oftentimes when it comes to food, the bigger package we buy, the less we pay per pound. Store them to your freezer or fridge with dates on the package so you can use them before it spoils. You can also buy canned goods in bulk or by the case at a warehouse. But make sure you will use them before it spoils.

3. Buy meat at the butcher shop. Have you ever bought meat but wasn’t able to use them all because you only needed a part or the size was cut wrong? Then go and visit a butcher shop. Buying meat from them will give you more savings. They help you reduce waste because they can cut the meat for you in the size that you want. It would be easier to recycle the paper they use to wrap the meat with instead of Styrofoam or plastic that we get from the grocery store. Also, going to them gives you more special privileges that you won’t get in a grocery meat shop.

4. Use reusable shopping bags. These cloth bags are cheap and can carry a lot. You can just stuff them in your car and bring them when you need to purchase some items. The good thing about these bags is that you can reuse them and would live longer than a normal plastic bag. As we all know, plastic bags cannot be recycled at all. So why get them if it only gets stuck at the landfill?

5. Leftovers. Most people just throw leftovers away and waste food and money. But do you know you can actually make a new dish from leftovers? Some leftovers might still be good the next day, while some may not be good. Just try mixing them with other ingredients then you might come up with a new dish. Be creative and explore. For instance, a beef pot roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots will be good today. But what about tomorrow? Who would want to eat them again? Maybe some would, but most wouldn’t want another serving. So why don’t you try and take the beef out? Shred the beef and turn it into beef enchiladas with some spicy tomato sauce and cheese. Use the same beef and make it a completely different meal so your family will eat them and you won’t waste any food and money at the same time.

6. Reusable water bottles. We waste a lot of money and resources on bottled water each year by using and producing them. But where do they go after using them? They end up being stuck in the landfills, or on some bodies of water, which is not good for the environment. So why not use reusable ones? These bottles will trim down resource wasting and environmentally damaging nightmare.

Follow these simple ways to go green with your grocery shopping and save the environment at the same time. It’s time to change your habits and make a more green and friendly household, and of course, the world.

Top Green Cleaning provides commercial and residential natural “green” cleaning services in Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Queen Creek, Arizona.

Did you know that you can truly save more money and energy in your home? Yes, that’s true. With a few repairs you can go green right in your home.

Do you want your monthly utility bills to lessen? Then why not try some minor repairs that will add up to major savings in the future. Start with a little elbow grease and watch the savings begin. Let’s see some fix-it items that will trim down your energy consumption and your carbon footprint:

1. Repair the leaky faucet. Have you been hearing the dripping sound lately? You might have left the faucet open so try closing it. If it still drips then it’s time to repair it by getting a new washer or investing in a new fixture. This will save you more money but it will be worth the investment.

2. Get low flow toilets. The new models are designed to use less water so we conserve more. Replace what you can to reduce the flow to a minimum. These models are affordable and investing in these toilets will pay off very soon.

3. Install energy-efficient shower heads. Invest in a new streamlined shower heads. The modern ones use less water so we conserve more. Installing this is affordable and easy that someone who can hold a wrench can do it!

4. Seal up drafty windows and doors. Try using double or triple-paned windows. But also there are other ways to keep the draft from penetrating. One way is to install drapes as they are economical as well as they help you keep the cold air out in the winter and the warm air out in the summer. Make sure your windows are properly caulked and place some draft guards at the bottom of the window panes and at the bottom of the doors. This will help lessen the amount of heat or cool air that break out underneath.

5. Use a programmable thermostat. This can save you money. You can choose when the house should be at what temperature. You can plan the thermostat at times you are not at home or going to bed to adjust for the most energy efficient level. Some of these programmable thermostats come with locks, covers, or codes so other people won’t be able to change the temperature up and down.

6. Always clean your refrigerator coils. Did you know that if you don’t clean this up, your refrigerator might overheat? Yes, if you don’t clean up the dust and dirt on the coil, this might happen and your refrigerator. So always clean it as it will help extend the life of your refrigerator and even saves money on your power bill. Cleaning it is just easy. You just have to pull the refrigerator out from the wall and vacuum the dust and dirt off the coils and the floor. Also, remove the front grate at the bottom and using a long soft brush, remove the dust that’s settled underneath the refrigerator.

To save money on your energy bill, try these simple maintenance repairs you can do around the house. It’s great to save money, but feels even better when we help our environment conserve our precious resources at the same time!

Top Green Cleaning provides commercial and residential natural “green” cleaning services in Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Queen Creek, Arizona.

As we all know, prices of everything has been going up, especially the gas that we use. It might be okay if we have a small car, but for most families who have more members in the family or opted for an SUV, you might need a lot more money to get some gas.

To help you increase your fuel efficiency and trim down your carbon footprint, here are some tips for you:

1. New hybrid cars. Compare your current vehicle with a hybrid car. You might be thinking it wouldn’t be good to buy a new car because of the money you will have to pay up for it. Maybe your thinking it might be more expensive and will just opt to use whatever you have right now. Well, it all depends on what car you would be buying. Hybrid cars are designed to use less gas. Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, Honda Civic hybrid, Ford Fusion hybrid, Mercury Milan hybrid, and Volkswagen Golf TDI are just some examples of the most fuel efficient models that we have on the market right now. So why not try this hybrid car? Who knows, it might even surprise you with your ROI.
2. Drive smarter. It all depends on our driving habits when it comes to saving money and gas. It depends on what we do with it or how we drive it. Let’s look at how your driving affects your fuel efficiency.
a. Keep your car tuned up. Make sure that your air filters are clean because this helps us use less gas. Always have it checked up when you think that something is wrong with the car. You might just be wasting gas when your car is struggling and chugging.
b. Drive slowly and steady. You might be thinking right now how you can do that in the highway when everyone might be speeding up to avoid traffic or rush hours. But I suggest you take the time and keep your speed steady. Avoid doing quick moves. Changing your driving habit will save you on gas mileage. Leave early to avoid traffic jams during rush hours. It will help you relax when you are driving and help you save gas. This will make a big difference on your gas mileage.
c. Use your air conditioning. Did you know that you use more gas when you leave the windows open? True, because you use more gas to push your car. So use the air conditioning system and it will cool the inside of your vehicle without using extra gas.
d. Lighten the load. Don’t put so much stuff on your car. The weight affects the drag of your car as it goes down the road so you end up using more gas. Always keep it clean.
e. Inflate your tires properly. Always check your tires and make sure you sill them up with the proper tire pressure. If you are unsure, you can always visit your local mechanic and ask for help or check your manual. Not having the correct tire pressure may cause a drag as you are moving down the road. This would require more gas as you push along.
f. Use cruise control. Do you enjoy long drives but hate driving long hours? Well why not try using the cruise control. It will help you maintain a steady speed for long hours. You can set the cruise and just relax. Plus you don’t have to use more gas.
g. Try to carpool. This will save more gas, money, and even the environment. Ask your friends or co-workers to join you. You can meet up at a certain place where it can be accessible to everyone. You can also schedule who will be driving per day, per week, or whatever would work out for all of you.

We spend a lot of money on gas and maintenance of our cars. Give this some thought and try researching for more ways to help you save money and reduce that carbon footprint.

Top Green Cleaning provides commercial and residential natural “green” cleaning services in Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Queen Creek, Arizona.