Vacationing Doesn't Have to Mean Abandoning Your Eco-Conscience

I am on vacation for the next few days, and will be blogging about my experiences trying to have an eco-counscous trip.

The following is a list of…things I've noticed:

Location: Many people dream of vacationing in a far off land where they can be physically, and thus completely mentally, separated from the stress of everyday life. However, it's surprising what you can find in your own backyard, that doesn't require [as much] carbon emitting transportation.


Renting a Car: When renting a car it's usually pretty easy to ask for a hybrid or fuel efficient car.

Water: Bring a light-weight, spill proof, reusable water bottle to refill. Unfortunately, my trusty Camelbak leaked all over my bag this after noon, and I was forced to accept a plastic bottle of water :( I will refill this bottle until I am able to get another truly reusable one (however reusing plastic water bottles can actually leach chemicals into your water, so I don't want to do this for long!).

Hotel Choice: Most big hotels are now using eco-responsbility as a CSR campaign, but don't actually market it all that much. Try asking a hotel manager about their initiatives. A friend once told me that every time she went to Starbucks she asked if they had a recycling bin. After a few months, one showed up! If they know there's a demand, they're far more likely to implement sustainability initiatives.

Shopping: Make sure you're not going to throw out that "absolutely adorable"just got-to-have-it-that-very-moment souvenir the moment you get home. And bringing a reusable bag or tote around with you on days you know you might do some shopping can save plastic bags.

Food: Why travel all that way to buy food that was actually made in a completely foreign land. Try eating local food to get a real taste of the culture.

Dining: All right, this is a just an observation, but what is the point of those little paper strips that hold your napkin around your fork an knife?? Seems like a waste to me!


You can also check out one of Annie Leonard's latest blog post on styrofoam in a hotel she recently stayed at.

Going Green on St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We're already green - we don't need a special holiday to know that. But why not use St. Patrick's Day as another reminder of some of the small things we can do every day? I'm going to pay special attention to the details today like eating sustainable food, using low emitting transportation, reducing consumption, etc.

Wearing green today to support the irish and "The Green"!

Fix-a-Leak Week

Fix-a-Leak Week is from March 14-20 2011.

According to Earth911, common households leaks waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water per year!
The EPA encourages Americans to fix leaks during Fix-a-Leak Week.

Arizona is "hosting" this year's Fix-a-Leak Week, and you can visit their website here.


Some tips:

1. Check for leaks
2. Use WaterSense products: WaterSense is EPA-sponsored and encourages water efficiency (much like EnergyStar appliances and energy). According to Earth911, WaterSense appliances have helped Americans save 46 billion gallons of water since 2006 - about $343 million in water and sewer bills!  
3. Use products like EcoFlow shower heads and duel or low flush toilets.
4. Event small, simple steps can make a huge difference in water reduction - like turning off the water while you brush your teeth and taking shorter showers. 
5. A bigger, long term project: set up a grey water reuse system

Happy Fix-a-Leak Week!

Spring Cleaning Tips

I received an email yesterday from Maid Brigade asking me to post some green spring cleaning tips to the blog. While I do not endorse specific companies and have not personally used the Maid Brigade services, the tips really are good and don't require purchase, so here they are (well, the ones that have to do with going green).

1. Get rid of baggage. Try on clothes that are not worn frequently. Get rid of anything that does not look good, fit or hasn't been worn in a while. Donate these clothes, give them to a friend, turn them into rags, or sell them for some extra cash.
2. Chill out. Clear the top of the refrigerator.  Piled up cereal boxes and kitchenware prevents heat from venting properly and causes the fridge to use extra energy. Cleaning the coils on the back of the fridge and the grill underneath will also reduce the energy the fridge needs to work properly.
3. What's cooking? To clean oven surfaces, coat them in a paste of water and baking or washing soda and let stand overnight. Then, scrub off the paste while wearing gloves.
4. Let the sun shine in. When reorganizing a home office, library, or other rooms where studying or reading takes place, set up desks, chairs and tables by a window that receives ample natural sunlight. This will reduce the need to turn on overhead lights.
5. Smell the roses.  Avoid air fresheners. An open box of baking soda removes odors. Cedar blocks or sachets of dried flowers and herbs provide gentle scents, but avoid any potpourri that lists unspecified "fragrance" on the label.
6. Spin cycle. To remove stains from clothing (especially salt-stained winter wear), soak fabrics in water mixed with borax, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, washing soda, or white vinegar for a natural approach.

About Maid Brigade

Maid Brigade cares about the health of today's families. With more than 25 years of experience, the professional home cleaning company is the national leader in green cleaning practices and has a longstanding legacy of offering the latest in maid services and technologies. Maid Brigade is the first and only Green Clean Certified® cleaning services franchise that implements a certification program for green house cleaning so customers know that they're getting a green cleaning that is safe and truly green. For information on Maid Brigade or for more cleaning and healthy living tips visit www.maidbrigade.com, www.greencleancertified.com/greentv or http://blog.maidbrigade.com.