1.06.2009

the uncool eco tips

These are the uncool and semi-humiliating ways I battle to save the world from my doorstep.*

Wear semi-dirty clothes on a regular basis. This saves water and keeps nasty detergents out of the water system. It's a bonus that clothes last longer (even though they look bad).

Give up entirely on fashion. It's hard on the ego but easier in every other way. See above treatment of clothes.

Rarely "clean" floors, sinks etc. A quick swipe of a cloth to spot clean and maybe a bit of baking soda should do it. If in doubt, dump some vinegar down the drain for good luck. Keeps chemicals out of water system and my home. This may however explain the general lack of visitors here.

Convince the children that using my wasteful very hot and deep bathwater when I'm done is a treat, if I have to run a separate one for them it will be much cooler and certainly more shallow.

Let the grass grow wild. I've heard it eventually chokes out the weeds or something like that. I also happen to like the violets, buttercups, clover and possibly dandelions that appear.

*In case of confusion on the part of the reader, this is a separate issue from my laziness and general lack of interest in housekeeping, I swear.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

A bed left messy in the morning is a good way to air out the bed and keep dust mites away. If you ever want some of my all natural cleaning products made with uplifting oils, let me know. I will bring some over (free) and you can use them whenever you feel the need or desire. I find that using products that I have made and as well the healthy benefits I get from the oils in the air makes my job a lot more enjoyable. PS. I have never noticed your house to be dirty. I think it always looks cozy and lived in. Clean enough to be healthy, messy enough to be happy. Cheers Karen

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a page out of my childhood: homemade soaps, hand me downs, recycled bathwater...
We've been using baking soda as a cleaner a fair amount out here. It works. These are pretty simple steps that anyone can integrate (well, maybe not the recycled bathwater, I really don't want to go back there). love ya, mom

Lindsay said...

Brilliant.

Since becoming a mom (all of eight weeks ago) I cannot believe how often I catch myself wearing a shirt with baby spit-up on it - spit-up that I simply forgot about. It's super gross. But I shall now claim it as an environmental victory.

Tannis said...

Thanks Karen, that's most generous! I'll keep a mental list of what I might actually like to have cleaners for and email you for advice. Is your site up and running? I don't have the link anymore.

Yes mom, those recycled baths are kind of pathetic but I had to come clean (ha ha). The next step would be a smaller house - that's easier to clean, right?

Lindsay, you've totally caught the spirit of this. At some point I'd like to make the distinction between just being out of fashion and actually wearing dirty clothes. When go out I manage to cover it all up with the somewhat stylish coat I bought this fall and LOVE.

Anonymous said...

Not cleaning much = saving the environment. AWESOME. This is right up my alley. (I mean, um, we've all got to do our part for the earth, right?)