Tag Archives: green living

While twittering I had a follower ask me in a tweet if I wanted to try some soapnuts. They mentioned it was an eco friendly substitute for laundry detergent. We always use environmentally friendly laundry soap but I was intrigued and agreed to try a sample.

The soapnuts arrived promptly by mail.

For those of you that have never heard about soapnuts they are berries that grow on trees in India and Indonesia. Their shells contain a natural detergent called saponin. Soapnuts are gentle on clothes and skin so they are great for people with skin allergies and babies. They are also biodegradable so they are great for the Earth.

The nuts come with a little cloth bag with drawstring. all we had to do was place 3-5soapnut shells in the bag and throw it in the washer instead of detergent. We tried it on a load of personal clothing with great results. The clothes came out clean and fresh smelling (the soapnuts have no smell).

For more information on soapnuts and how to order some for yourself visit Laundry Tree.

Happy Earth Day everyone.

I wish that Earth Day was not just a day but something that lasts all year. Imagine if everyone was mindful about recycling, saving electricity and conserving water and gasoline. The world would be a better place for our children and grandchildren in the future.

One thing that everyone could do that requires very little effort and expense is to start using reusable grocery bags when they shop. Every store now sells them but I seldom see anyone using them. America seems to be addicted to those little plastic bags that choke the landfills, pollute the roadways and require fossil fuels/oil in the manufacturing process.

If you do not currently use reusable bags I challenge you to start. Just purchase a few and place them in your car. When you arrive at the grocery store take them inside with you. When you are finished shopping and head to the check out have them ready for the bagger. When asked “paper or plastic” say “neither, I brought my own”.

When I go grocery shopping with my wife it seems that she is the only one using reusable bags. It’s really sad in my opinion. One day those little plastic disposal bags may be illegal. I certainly hope so.

Do you part to help the Earth. Start using reusable bags today.

With the droughts of last year a distant memory and the frequent recent rains we have had many are not probably thinking about water conservation. Last year rain barrels were popular and many found they were hard to find due to market demand by people wanting to save rainwater for garden irrigation.

We added a metal roof onto the inn to catch our rainwater but have not added the required gutters and rainwater chains. Rain barrels are also part of the project.

In the United Kingdom rainwater barrels are called water butts. They come in various shapes and sizes like the rain barrels you can purchase in the USA.

One company has made a rain barrel or water butt in the shape of a persons bottom complete with butt crack and a tattoo above the thong line. They even come in several skin tone colors.

Unfortunately they cannot be purchased in the US. Can you imagine some neighborhoods trying to deny the use of these water butts in the deed restrictions?

What’s wrong with looking at a good butt? And a butt that saves precious water?

For more information visit water butt.