Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic - Anna Getty [13]
BAKING SODA eliminates odors and softens water; it can also be used as a scouring powder in the bathroom. To clean your oven with baking soda, sprinkle it on the oven floor and spray with water until damp. Let sit overnight and scrub clean in the morning.
CASTILE SOAP cuts grease, disinfects, and makes a great all-purpose cleaner. This type of soap is vegetable based, rather than animal based.
CLUB SODA removes stains and polishes. Put it in a spray bottle and start cleaning—it’s great on windows!
CORNSTARCH cleans windows and removes carpet stains. It works particularly well on acidic liquids, such as juice, coffee, and wine.
LEMON JUICE bleaches, deodorizes, cuts grease, and removes stains.
OLIVE OIL makes a great furniture polish.
WHITE VINEGAR kills bacteria; cuts grease, odors, and wax buildup; and removes mildew. It also dissolves hard water lime buildup on the inside of teakettles. Add ½ cup of vinegar to a kettle full of water, boil, and then rinse well.
green tip
One of my favorite cleaning solutions for coffee cup and teacup stains is a mixture of lemon juice and coarse kosher salt (other coarse grains will work, as well). To clean four stained cups, make a paste from the juice of 2 lemons and 2 tablespoons of salt. Using your hands, rub the paste into the stain and watch it disappear. Rinse with water.
energy-efficient appliances
When it’s time to trade your old appliances for new ones, make sure you buy appliances that have the Energy Star seal of approval. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy came up with a qualification system for appliances that helps you save energy, thereby saving you money as well. Check the Resources section on page 243 for more information.
microwave ovens
When I moved in with my husband, Greg, one of the first things I did was get the microwave out of the house. My mother is German, and in European households, microwaves used to be considered a real no-no for food preparation. The idea of a microwave always seemed so unnatural to me, especially after I saw the science fiction movie The Fly (I date myself here).
There are two camps regarding the safety of microwaves. Microwave oven manufacturers and their supporters claim that they are safe to use, energy efficient, and convenient. Critics believe that microwaves are dangerous and should not be used because they emit electromagnetic waves that alter the molecular structure of food. As a result, the nutrients in the food are altered as well. In my opinion, cooking with a microwave renders the food tasteless, too. So do your health a favor and get rid of the microwave, or, at the very least, minimize its usage.
water filters: good for you and the environment
Stop buying bottled water or using a water delivery service and invest in a water filter for your kitchen instead. Not only will you remove chemicals from your tap water, rendering it completely drinkable, you will also avoid buying countless plastic bottles. (Or you will eliminate countless delivery trips to your home by the local spring water company.) Not to mention the money you will save. When you leave the house, take some of that good filtered water with you in a stainless-steel drinking container.
food storage
Choose glass, stainless-steel, aluminum, and nontoxic recycled plastic containers to store left overs. Use recycled parchment instead of plastic wrap. At our house we reuse zip-top plastic bags from purchased items, such as tortillas. We use the bags to store cheese, and I also take them with me to the grocery store and use them for produce.
grow your own food
Perhaps the best way to connect to the food you eat is by growing it yourself, as organically as possible. You don’t need a farm to have a nice garden that yields a delicious bounty; scale the garden to suit your lifestyle. For many, that might mean one or two mini–kitchen herb gardens.
THE EASY GREEN MINI–KITCHEN HERB GARDEN
1. Find a 6-inch flower pot.
2. Fill the pot with organic soil.
3. Plant 3 different organic