It's ain't easy bein' green, but it's worth it.
When I think of Water Pollution, vivid pictures come to my mind of factory waste pouring into rivers, oil spills leaking in Alaska ( those Dawn commercials with the birds covered with oil…you’re with me right?), garbage along the beaches, and most vividly that Penguin from Happy Feet with the six pack holder around his neck…yuck!
But, want to know the really bad part….most water pollution comes from us…homeowners, apartment residents, regular type people, not industries.
Commonly used items like paint, motor oil, (admit it, you’ve been known to put that stuff down the storm drain when it was “just a little bit”…me too 
), pesticides and many cleansers contain toxic chemicals, which when poured down the aforementioned drains pass right on through waste treatment plants (which are designed for biological wastes, not metals, solvents and chemicals). Where do they go? The pollution ends up in local creeks, lakes and ultimately the ocean harming fish and wildlife along its way. And you thought Sharks were the only threat
!
So, being your favorite realtor, we have scoured the web and come up with some tips for you to minimize the assault on our environment….and, not surprisingly, these cost less too!
- Baking soda mixed with water is an inexpensive, effective all purpose cleaner instead of harsh commercial products. Side note- it removes odors too!
- Lemon juice or vinegar mixed with water will cut grease, clean glass, and clean vinyl and linoleum floors
- Use vinegar around faucets to remove hard water mineral deposits. Cover the deposits with vinegar-soaked strips of paper towels for an hour or so, then voila…wipe it clean!
- Club soda will clean carpets and upholstery stains (I always see this in movies…who knew?)
- Use olive oil or linseed oil to revitalize old furniture (and no, it won’t smell like spaghetti unless you add tomato sauce and/or garlic
) - Use a plunger, hot water, and a little elbow grease instead of chemicals to unclog drains
- This is a no duh moment- use latex paint instead of oil based paint. (just a personal preference here….I Hate oil based paint, clean up is messy, takes forever to dry, and if you are like me and sometimes paint your kitchen orange on a whim, well….you can’t do that and then change it back.)
- Use digital fever thermometers instead of those that contain mercury (I am too impatient to wait 3 minutes to get temps anyway, and so were my kids!)
- Use boric acid to control cockroaches and ants instead of toxic pesticides (I hate it when cockroaches look you in the eye when you are spraying and say “ Bring it on B” anyway, this will stop em in their tracks!)
- Use traps instead of poisons to control mice. Ok, the trap is yucky I agree, but my bigger problem with poisons is the constant vigil with poisons so that puppies, kittens and kids don’t eat it!
Always dispose of paint, pesticides solvents and hazardous household products at your local Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility- don’t let me catch you pouring it down the drain any more, k?
Let us hear what tips you have for “Keepin’ It Green Wednesday”, oh and if you need help on anything real estate related…give us a Shout! We are always here to help!
Til later, ciao