5 Simple Tips to Help Green Your Kitchen

Posted by Jaszy McAllister on Oct 16, 2009 in Home | 0 comments

5 Simple Tips to Help Green Your Kitchen

1. Don’t make your freezer work overtime. Fill used milk or orange juice cartons with water and place in freezer. Your freezer uses a lot less energy cooling down an already frozen jug of water than it does cooling down air which warms up every time you open the door.

2. Toss a few lemon or orange peels along with a cup of salt or a few ice cubes to clean and deodorize your garbage disposal. Better yet, instead of using the garbage disposal, compost your scraps!  That new garden you’ve been planning could use the nutrients, and you’ll save a little more on the energy bill.

3. Save a tree, give up the paper towels and opt for naturally anti-bacterial bamboo or organic cotton hand towels that you can throw in the wash.  You only have to buy them once rather than every time you go shopping.

4. Replace your sulfate (chemical foaming agents), phthalate (nasty synthetic fragrances), paraben (synthetic preservatives linked to cancer) ridden dish washing liquid with an eco-friendly biodegradable option.

5. Keep your microwave tidy. A clean microwave maximizes energy output. AND unplug your microwave when you’re not using it. Most assuredly you probably have a wall clock, so don’t keep your microwave plugged in just to tell the time.

In fact, any appliance that you’re not using is still drawing power that you’re paying for and that is creating more carbon. So unplug it all – your coffee maker, toaster, cell phone charger, even your TV. If it’s plugged in, it’s costing you. Ask yourself if it’s really worth it.

photo courtesy: freedigitalphotos.net

Jaszy McAllister  (74 Posts)

Jaszy McAllister is the driving force behind MHMag. Her desire to give voice and document her own personal eco-journey and discovery was the basis of creating Modern Hippie Mag. Outside of being the Editor in Chief, Jaszy is a spokesperson, host, model, actress, and self-professed workaholic, computer junkie. She enjoys good food, good company and dancing her tushy off at local Latin dance clubs. Got a question/suggestion, email jaszy@modernhippiemag.com.