A good friend of mine has a deep fear of being labeled as a hippie. I won’t tell you his age, but it’s older than me, and it probably has to do with his and his dad’s military background. Nonetheless, he recognizes the importance of treading lightly on the environment. Here are some non-hippie ways for Average Joe to do good in honor of Earth Day:
Laundry Room:
Keep your dryer filters clean. Clean the lint screen after every dryer cycle. Twice a year, check and clean the outside vent and vent hose from the dryer.
Avoid chlorine bleach. Bleach is poisonous and irritating. It is terrible for septic systems that rely on good bacteria to break down solids. When bleach is poured into plumbing, it forms toxic and cancer-causing organochlorines.
Bathroom:
Don’t use harsh chemical drain cleaning solutions. These are toxic and corrosive and usually are not effective. If you can’t get it with a plunger, you might have to have a profession drain cleaner come and use a sewer snake (rooter service).
Sorry Ernie, but Rubber Ducky is not welcome here. Vinyl products, such as rubber duckies and other bath toys, as well as vinyl shower curtains, aren’t made in an environmentally safe way, plus they can add toxins to water when they get hot.
Outside:
To kill weeds, use boiling water or vinegar. Boiling water will kill any roots, so don’t put it on weeds that are near plants or flowers you’d like to keep. You can spot treat weeds also with undiluted vinegar. To keep pests away, cotton balls with vinegar can be placed around your garden, or you can spray them with a solution of equal parts water & vinegar.
Ok, Joe, I hope this helps you be a little greener with little effort, and no one would dare label you a hippie 🙂
With All kinds of Hippie Earth-day Love,
