40 tips for going green - easy to do ideas for everyone...

DID YOU KNOW...

• that toilets account for 27 percent of your indoor water use?
• that if all of us installed water efficient appliances the country would save more than 3 trillion gallons of water per year?
• some toilets can be adjusted to use less water per flush?
• daily indoor water use in a typical single family home is 69.3 gallons
• a person needs 4-5 gallons of water per day to survive?
• In a typical home, more than 9,000 gallons of water are wasted while running the faucet waiting for hot water?
• If a drip from your faucet fills an eight ounce glass in 15 minutes, it will waste 180 gallons per month and 2,160 gallons per year?
• A low flush toilet can save you up to 18,000 gallons of water per year?

TIPS TO CONSERVE WATER...

• Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full and you could save 1000 gallons a month.
• Don't let the water run while you brush your teeth and you could save up to 4 gallons a minute - 200 gallons a week for a family of four.
• A leaky faucet could waste up to 140 gallons a week!
• When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load, and try to only do a full load.
• Installing low-flow showerheads in all showers and aerated faucets on your sinks can save your family up to 900 gallons a week. (Hint: If your shower can fill a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, then you probably need to replace it with a more water efficient showerhead.)
• Verify that your home is leak-free! Many homes have hidden water leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.
• Use a hose nozzle and turn off the water while you wash your car and save more than 100 gallons at a time.
• Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap water run every time you want a cool glass of water. This could save hundreds of gallons a month.
• Use of bowl of water to clean fruits & vegetables rather than running water over them. You can reuse this for your house plants.
• Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.
• If you water your grass and trees more heavily, but less often, this saves water and builds stronger roots.
• Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street.
• When you shop for a new appliance, consider one offering cycle and load size adjustments for water and energy-efficiency.
• Time your shower to keep it under 5 minutes. You'll save up to 1000 gallons a month.
• Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. Longer grass shades root systems and holds soil moisture better than a closely clipped lawn.
• Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. It's easy to fix, and you can save more than 600 gallons a month.
• Plug the bathtub before turning the water on, then adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.
• Soak your pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
• Make sure you know where your master water shut-off valve is located. This could save gallons of water and damage to your home if a pipe were to burst.

OTHER WATER FACTS...

• The Earth has somewhere around 326,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons (326 million trillion gallons) of water on the planet.
• Less than 2% of the Earth’s water supply is fresh water.
• Of all the earth's water, 97% is salt water found in oceans and seas.
• Only 1% of the earth's water is available for drinking water. Two percent is frozen.
• The human body is about 75% water.
• Every day in the United States, we drink about 110 million gallons of water.
• If every household in America had a faucet that dripped once each second, 928 million gallons of water a day would leak away.
• The average 5-minute shower takes 15-25 gallons of water--around 40 gallons are used in 10 minutes.
• An automatic dishwasher uses 9 to 12 gallons of water while hand washing dishes can use up to 20 gallons.
• You can refill an 8-oz glass of water approximately 15,000 times for the same cost as a six-pack of soda pop.
• 300 million gallons of water are needed to produce a single day's supply of U.S. newsprint.
• A dairy cow must drink four gallons of water to produce one gallon of milk.
• It takes 3.3 acre feet of water to grow enough food for an average family for a year.
• If every household in America had a faucet that dripped once each second, 928 million gallons of water a day would leak away.
• The average American uses 140-170 gallons of water per day.
• Every day in the United States, we drink about 110 million gallons of water.

other go green thoughts ...

• Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100 watt light bulb burning for almost four hours.
• Parents and their children can help recycle. It's easy to pack school lunches that don't create excess waste and that are environmentally friendly.
• Skip the bottled water - Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water, not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste - so bring a reusable water bottle with you.
• check out yahoo freecycle - http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=freecycle - where people give away what they're done with instead of throwing it into the landfills

green clean ideas...

• Glass - Mix together equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle to clean surfaces. Wipe away with newspaper for streak-free shine. And make sure to clean your windows on a cloudy day!
• Chrome / Stainless Steel - Forget polishers! A dry cloth and baby oil will keep your faucet handles looking brand new. Lemon oil works fantastic on stainless steel.
• Stinky Carpet- Sprinkle baking soda onto the carpet. Let it sit for a half hour, then vacuum it up. Also, adding a little essential oil to the baking soda combined with equal parts cornstarch (how much cornstarch and soda you need depends on the area you are covering) will help.
• Carpet Stains - Combine equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and wet the stained area. Then dab and scrub with a sponge until the stain lifts. Another tried-and-true method: spray shaving cream onto the stain, let it sit for a half hour, and then remove with a sponge.
• Furniture Cleaner - Mix the juice from a half a lemon with one quarter cup vegetable or olive oil. Dab the mixture onto a cloth and rub directly onto the wood.
• All purpose Cleaner - For a general all-purpose cleaner that you can keep on hand to clean the kitchen or bathroom, combine one half cup vinegar and one quarter cup baking soda in a spray bottle.
• Toilet - Pour one cup of vinegar in the bowl with one quarter cup baking soda and let it sit for a half hour. Then scrub the toilet clean with a brush.
• Mildew - Combine vinegar and lemon juice in a spray bottle with a pinch of salt. Let the mixture sit on the mildewed surface but don't wipe it clean.
• Mold - Mix one cup hydrogen peroxide to three cups of water and apply to surface with a spray bottle.
• Stinky Drain/Garbage Disposal - Drop half a lemon down the drain and run boiling water over it. Remove the lemon after a half hour. Another method: one half cup vinegar down the drain works, too. Flush with hot water. Natural remedies can have the same cleaning power as store-bought cleaners minus the toxicity.