Spring Cleaning, Homemade and Detoxified

It's time for spring cleaning. Attempting to spiff up every nook and cranny in your home can be stressful, but did you also know it can expose you and your loved ones to dozens of harmful toxins? Just thinking of the harsh fumes and neon hues must have you wondering if there's a better, safer way.

You may already have ditched the phosphate-heavy cleaning agents for more eco-friendly options, but you can even opt to make your own cleaning products. Make sure you have the following common ingredients on hand (you'll save multiple trips to the store): white vinegar, baking soda, citrus, hydrogen peroxide, washing soda, rubbing alcohol, essential oils, and castile soap. These cleaning recipes will save you money and help you take control over what you put in your home!

For the laundry room. Using just three ingredients, Rebekah of Potholes and Pantyhose fixed up the only laundry soap you'll ever need. Her recipe will last you through 50 to 100 loads of laundry (depending on the efficiency of your washer), and only costs three to five cents each time.

For the kitchen. Now that you have the perfect laundry soap, it's time to detoxify your dish-washing products. Erin, the mom behind the blog The Humbled Homemaker, created this great liquid dish soap.. If you prefer a dishwasher (which may be a more efficient option), check out Wellness Mama's homemade detergent.

For the bathroom. Kresha from Nourishing Joy, a self-described bathtub scrub snob, found the recipe for success with her homemade bathtub scrub. The secret ingredient? Eggshells! The calcium and rough texture from the crushed shells are perfect to get your tub, sink, and counters gleaming.

For the windows. Leslie, the blogger of Crunchy Betty, is a home remedy master, and her homemade glass cleaner may be one of her all-time favorite recipes. The four magical ingredients will work together to leave your windows streak-free. Plus, with a nickname like Alvin Corn, how can you resist this cleaner?

For everywhere else. Want something that works for all over the house? We've got you covered. Live Renewed blogger Emily came up with two fabulous recipes for disinfecting wipes that you can use for quick cleaning in any room. Frugal Granola also has a 3-in-1 household cleaner that will save you time and money. Even though it only says 3-in-1, we're pretty sure this cleaner could take care of just about anything in your house.

--Image courtesy of iStockphoto/perkmeup

Jessica Zischke is an editorial intern at Sierra. She is currently studying environmental studies at Dartmouth College, where she also works as a staff writer for The Dartmouth newspaper.

 

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Swap It Like It's Hot

I had no idea what I was doing, but, scissors in hand, I happily sliced away at what was once a favorite T-shirt during last weekend's Bay Area Swap-O-Rama-Rama. I had never been to a swap before, but organized swapping has been gaining momentum across the country and online.

Swapping is when people trade items, typically giving up things they don’t want for things they do. It can be a thrifty way to makeover a wardrobe, restock a makeup cabinet, or refresh a bookshelf with unread titles, all while keeping unwanted items out of the landfill.

The Swap & Sew I attended took place in a gallery. There were sewing machines, snacks, and tables where swappers could put items that were up for grabs. I had read ahead and brought a bag full of old clothes, intending to combat my hoarder tendencies by culling my closet, but my intentions were thwarted when I found myself wanting to take home as many clothes as I was giving up. Tables quickly became piled with items, and were restocked with each wave of participants.

After perusing the items up for grabs I decided to venture into a DIY Reverse Applique T-Shirt workshop. Some participants (experts?) wielded their own stencils and shirts, while others, me included, were less prepared. The two organizers were more than happy to help.

I quickly got to hacking away at my old t-shirt and struck up conversations with the people around me. Most had never been to a swap, but they had all brought items to give away and found items they wanted to take home. Though some had never done a DIY project like the reverse applique technique, they were encouraged by the organizers. Anytime anyone said, “I think I did this wrong” they were told that there was no “wrong” way, and that doing it wrong was actually perfect.

At the end of the day I left with a bag full of "new" clothes, a shirt I had resigned to never wear again, and a headful of ideas for revamping my closet. I was also pretty excited at the prospect of another sewing circle full of impromptu conversation.

How you can swap

The Swap-O-Rama-Rama is an international organization, so check out one of their meetings in your area, or start your own.

If joining an online swap forum, make sure you read the guidelines. Many of these online communities have rules and regulations. There are often rigorous verification processes in place to ensure the safety and security of members and transactions. On Reddit there are communities for clothes, nail polish, bras, makeup, books and more. Some are more stringent in their screening process than others. Always use caution when sharing personal information online.

If you want to give stuff away but don't want anything in return, check out Freecycle.org. The site has a list of freecycling groups by location. You must ask to join the groups, but after you're approved, you can post and browse freely.

Go to a clothing swap Meetup. 

 

--Cover image courtesy of iStock/gemenacon

 

Bianca Hernandez is an editorial intern at Sierra. She recently received her MA in Visual Anthropology from the University of Southern California and has written for various publications.

 

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Easy (and Delicious) Coconut Planting Pots

Want to make your own natural planting pots? All you need to make a gift for someone (or yourself) is a nice young tropical coconut -- plus you can enjoy a healthy drink at the same time.

What's the difference between a young coconut and an old one, you ask? Young coconuts are covered in a soft husk, their milk is amazingly sweet, and their meat is creamy, almost like a light cheese.

The great part is that their soft shell can easily be turned into an extremely cute mini-pot for a plant.

To start this project, get your hands on some young coconuts. You can find them at an Asian market, a health food store, or maybe tucked away in the corner of the produce section of your supermarket.

Next, you need to open the coconut. There are tons of videos online showing multitudes of ways to do this, but here is a tried and true method: 

 

Once it's open, you can decide what to do with the milk and the inner meat. How about making a nice tropical drink by adding eco-friendly rum and a splash of lime juice? Or just have a refreshing glass of coco-water and eat the inner meat with a spoon, or use the meat and the water for some healthy smoothies. I typically go for a drink right out of the coconut and carve it like this for a flat-bottomed goblet:

Regardless of how you decide to consume your coconut, for your planting pot you'll want to remove all the inner flesh and the husk. A serrated blade works best for getting rid of the husk, while a spoon is a good tool for scraping out the coconut meat.

At the bottom of the coconut are three little eyelets. At least one of them should be loose. Use a knife to poke it out. Then wash the coconut with water and let it dry.

Once the coconut shell is completely dry, plug the eyelet hole with some cork and fill the coconut with potting soil or soil from your garden.

Now you have an awesome little pot for flowers, herbs, or even cacti.
























--Photos courtesy of Emily Fromm and iStockphoto/Design56 

James Rogers is a former editorial intern at Sierra. He graduated from Western Washington University's Huxley College of the Environment, where he studied a combination of environmental studies and journalism. While at Western, he was the editor in chief of The Planet magazine, and he has written for Conservation Northwest Quarterly, Public Eye Northwest, and The Western Front.

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Why is this Professor Living in a Dumpster?

They call him Professor Dumpster, and no, this is not a put down. Dr. Jeff Wilson of Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas literally (or litter-ally as he likes to spell it) lives in a dumpster. 

It's all part of The Dumpster Project, an experiment in sustainability that sees Professor Dumpster and students at Huston-Tillotson retrofitting a dumpster to meet sustainable and livable standards. "Science needs to be juiced up a bit," said Wilson. "I have been an environmental science teacher for the past six years, and I'm tired of kids falling asleep in class."

The Dumpster Project has certainly gotten people's attention. Dr. Wilson and his students recently hosted a "dumpster warming" party to mark the start of what will hopefully be a long a fruitful endeavor for all involved. Around 250 people came to the event, which was accompanied by student presentations related to the project.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the Dumpster Project is its symbolic nature, as Wilson will be conserving resources where they are normally discarded. Nevertheless, Wilson believes that facilitating dialogue is more important than metaphorical meaning. "The end game is that the dumpster becomes a conversation," said Wilson. "For some people it'll be about sustainability, for some people it will be about less is more, for some people it will be a business proposition. We just want a conversation."

Hop Into Spring With These 10 DIY Crafts

We always like a good excuse to get creative with DIY and upcycled crafts, and March is National Craft Month — the perfect opportunity to get inspired for a full month. Of course, March also symbolizes the coming of spring, so whether your window shows a blanket of snow or the first signs of blossoms, get ready for one of the most beautiful times of year with these bright and colorful crafts from across the web.

Garden hose wreath

There’s a good chance you have an unused garden hose lying around, and this is just the project to turn it into something beautiful. Jill, the blogger behind Create. Craft. Love. and self-proclaimed wreath enthusiast, crafted the wonderful spring-inspired garden hose wreath pictured. Get creative with the embellishments — try out wildflowers or plants from your garden, colorful gloves, or anything else that symbolizes spring to you.

Butterfly wall decor

To spruce up the inside of your home, look no further than this great wall decoration from Susan of the blog Living with Punks. Use any kind of paper lying around your house, and don’t worry if it has something printed on it. This can create a cool look too, and you get a pretty way to use paper that may not have been reused otherwise.

Extreme Weather Gardening

Winter has not been kind to a majority of the United States. Virtually the entire country was mired in a polar vortex, and now storm after storm seemingly batters the country. On the flip-side, California is stranded in a record drought, which may seem to be less pressing than the rest of the country's problems, but in reality is extremely threatening. One thing that both of these weather systems encourage is extreme weather gardening, which is sadly not an event at this year's Winter X Games. Whether you're stuck in a blizzard or a heat wave, here are some plants and tips that can help make your garden impervious to the elements.

Winter Warriors

Amazing Ways the NBA is Going Green

The National Basketball Association is quickly becoming just as famous for getting bottles in bins as it is for balls in hoops. That's because the NBA has partnered with the National Resource Defense Council to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the world's preeminent basketball league. From green building to grassroots activism, the NBA is showing initiative in making professional sports a more sustainable venture.

On February 12, as part of the lead up to this month's All-Star game in New Orleans, the NBA hosted a star-studded event promoting cell phone and electronic recycling. Former NBA players PJ Brown and Dikembe Mutombo met fans and signed autographs at the Sprint Store in Harvey, Louisiana. The two former players helped fans recycle their old cell phones and left with positive reviews about the NBA's green initiative. The Times-Picayune quoted Dikembe Mutombo saying, "This is a great initiative to help America go green." Also during this month's All-Star week, the NBA will host a Discover Green event which will feature bicycle-powered cell phone charging stations and simple tips to help reduce your daily environmental impact.

9 Sweet DIY Valentine's Day Gifts

Image by Lauren Kaczmarski

Store aisles have been decked out in pink and red hearts since just after New Year’s, but the Valentine’s Day spirit is only just now beginning to permeate the air. Whether you’re giving treats to a significant other, friends, or family, we know that figuring out the right gifts can be hard. On any holiday, it’s the gifts from the heart that are really special, so we’ve scoured the web to find the best DIY and upcycled crafts to show everyone in your life what they mean to you. So break out your creative mind, some chocolates (hey, it fuels the creativity), and get crafting!

1. Photo banner

This banner can be as simple as a few photos cut into heart shapes or any combination of paper and doilies you have lying around. Using photos allows you to personalize this gift for anyone. Lauren Kaczmarski, the woman behind the lifestyle blog Letters from Lala, crafted the adorable Valentine's Day banner pictured above featuring photos, heart doilies, and a favorite quote.

2. String wall art

String art projects have gone viral on Pinterest and the only tool you need to know how to use is a hammer. Janny of crafting blog Que Linda picked up this idea after seeing it all over the blogosphere and created an easy-to-follow guide to make "love" string wall art. This is the perfect idea if you have any spare or broken wood lying around waiting to be used.

A Beginner's Guide to Graywater Reuse

 

So you've decided to install a graywater reuse system at your house, but don't know exactly where to start? Don't worry — these systems can seem intimidating, but we're here to show you just how easy water reuse can be. We consulted with Laura Allen, co-founder of Greywater Action — For a Sustainable Water Culture, to make sure we're bringing you the best information. For those of you reading this and thinking "What's this graywater stuff?" it's the water from sinks, showers, tubs, and washing machines, but not from toilets. It can be a great source of nutrients for irrigating plants, but often this water is simply wasted. Whether you've already dedicated yourself to the cause or only just heard of the idea, read on for some expert tips on how to make the installation and use of graywater systems easier.

Keep it simple. Graywater systems don't have to be complicated. Allen recommends using the washing machine, or laundry-to-landscape, system for your first time. "It doesn't involve a permit and it's pretty technically simple to install; it just takes basic handyperson skills," Allen said. Look at these handy step-by-step instructions and photographs from Greywater Action to help you along the way.

3 Futuristic, and Realistic, Green Gadgets

Sometimes it feels like thousands of fantastic new devices are created every single day. From revolutionary solar and electric vehicles to aquafarms where the fish grow your food, we've been trying to keep up with all the the latest inventions. Now we've discovered three cool gizmos that would impress even the Jetsons. You may notice these innovative objects are rather independent, making your life greener and easier at the same time. While they're not all available for purchase currently, we're confident this will change in the not-so-distant future. Check out our list to see what's on the horizon.

Self-cleaning dish

This dish was created by Hanna Billqvist and Anna Glansén of the Swedish design studio Tomorrow Machine in collaboration with the Swedish Forest Industries Federation and the research firm Innventia. The dish is made out of nanocellulose, which is primarily made of cellulose, the same organic compound that is the primary component in plant cell walls. Glansén described the super-hydrophobic coating as all-natural and engineered to mimic the lotus leaf's ability to wick away moisture. According to their website, the dish saves resources during the manufacturing process and during use since it doesn't need water or chemicals to be cleaned. Currently, the dishes are not available for purchase because the water-repellent coating hasn't been approved for food consumption, but we like the idea of less water-intensive dishes (and less having to wash them).

Self-programming thermostat