Home, green home By Jura Konciuss The Washington Post
A
s concerns about global warming, pollution, habitat loss and plastic islands in the Pacific grow, more and more households are making small, daily changes to live a more eco-friendly life. Greener-living ideas are being chronicled on blogs, Pinterest, podcasts and Instagram, and a new generation of research, ideas and products is sparking an increase in Earth-friendly action. Considering a reboot? Here are five ideas for greening your household. 1. Laundry It’s easy to make some simple changes while doing laundry that will be healthier for you and the planet, and that might save you money, said Melissa Ozawa, Martha Stewart Living’s features and garden editor. Use cold water as much as possible. Don’t overdo the detergent. (Consult your washer care manual and the detergent package to determine how much you need.) Over the years, Ozawa has changed her drying routine. She uses a dryer less often, hanging clothes on a rack indoors, or outside in warm weather. When she does use a dryer, she has dumped dryer sheets in favor of wool dryer balls. (Put a drop of essential oil on them for a natural fresh scent, she says.) She hand-washes things like cashmere sweaters instead of dry-cleaning them. She also wears some clothes more than once to save on washing machine use. She often consults the Environmental Working Group’s website when choosing laundry or cleaning products. Not too long ago, Ozawa learned about Guppyfriend Washing Bag for fleece and acrylic items. The bag collects microfiber particles released during the washing process so they don’t go into the water. “These are not scary things; they are very easy things to do that don’t require a lot of effort,” Ozawa said. “You’ll have the benefit of knowing you are doing something good that is not damaging the Earth.”
Blueland’s Clean Essentials kit includes three cleaning bottles, one foaming hand soap bottle and four tablets (multisurface, glass and mirror, bathroom and foaming handsoap). Photo by Blueland
2. Cleaning Take a good look under your sink and in your utility closet. Are there piles of one-use plastic bottles holding cleaning products? How much do you know about their formulas? Some consumers are eschewing harsh chemicals and creating cleaning potions using baking soda, vinegar and lemons. Some seek out brands with plant-based, natural or nontoxic ingredients, such as Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyer’s or Method. Ikea just introduced Borstad, a spring-cleaning collection made of natural, sustainable materials, including a steel dustpan/beech brush set ($12.99) and a rattan carpet beater ($5.99). One cleaning product start-up is combining ingredients on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Chemical Ingredients List with BPA-free, refillable acrylic bottles. Blueland sells four types of cleaning products; the bottles are shipped empty, and you just add water and a dissolvable cleaning tablet. The cleaning system, which launched last year, made an appearance on “Shark Tank” and is attracting social media attention from celebrity influencers such as Kim Kardashian and Drew Barrymore. Sarah Paiji Yoo, co-founder and chief executive of Blueland, imagined the line when she became a new mom, cut back on her own plastic consumption and started questioning ingredients. Starter kits ($39) have four bottles and four corresponding tablets: bathroom, glass and mirror, multi-surface and hand soap. (Additional tablets are $2 each.) “People think cleaning in an eco-friendly fashion will be less effective, more expensive and more work,” Paiji Yoo said. “We wanted to put all those notions on their heads.”
Organizer Margaret Richey likes to use leftover wrapping paper to line drawers. Photo by Margaret Richey
FACETS | APRIL 2020 | 21
