Green Clean Tips

10 Small Steps to Green your Life
Grocery Shopping
Nearly 95 percent of your water footprint is actually hidden in the food you eat, energy you use, products you buy, and services you rely on. Try to shop for locally grown food products, farmers markets are a great way to start.
Green gardening
Lawns are actually more work than most gardens. Reduce the amount of lawn in your backyard by planting natives and you will also reduce the amount of pesticides and fertilizer going into our waterways. Your local wildlife will thank you with more regular visits.
Green office
If you adjust the thermostat on your air-conditioner to just a few degrees higher you can save around $55 off your power bill and save creating 250kg of carbon emissions.
Buy a water bottle
Make it a reusable water bottle you keep and carry around: each year Australians spend more than half a billion dollars on bottled water, requiring large amounts of energy to produce and transport millions of water bottles. What s more we only recycle about a third of PET plastic bottles produced in Australia each year.
Green cleaning
Recent studies indicate that repeated use of conventional cleaning products is related to an increase in the risk of asthma and allergies, so reduce or remove the use of chemical cleaners and sprays in your home. There are green eco-friendly alternatives on your supermarket shelves, or you can make your own using natural ingredients like vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. If you like to clean in a hurry but still want sparkling results, quality microfibre cleaning products have been shown in tests to be as effective as any chemical based cleaning, they really are faster, greener, cleaner.
Is your child allergic to school?
Schools have a responsibility to keep your children safe and often use a cocktail of chemicals to try and prevent the spread of germs. Ask your school which cleaning products they use as studies have shown that classroom air quality can be poor due to a high rate of hazardous contaminants.
Reduce your power consumption
A tip for Queenslanders: the State Government is still offering its Climate Smart Home Service. Have your home assessed for a $50 fee and save on your next power bill. You will receive:

1. Four stand-by eliminators with remote control, supplied and installed
2. A household power assessment by a licensed electrician
3. An installed wireless power monitor, for you to keep
4. 5 power saving light globes (CFL's) supplied
5. A hot water system temperature adjustment
6. A water and power saving showerhead, supplied and installed
7. A customised Power and Water Saving Plan sent to you
8. My ClimateSmart Home, a customised online resource to help you save even more

If your state does not offer this service, perhaps suggest they look into it?
Composting
If you are like me, you don t enjoy dragging a smelly bucket full of scraps to the compost bin when it s raining. With a bokashi bucket you can start the composting process inside, so you can compost when it suits you. The bokashi bucket will also supply you with free liquid fertiliser. Search for  composting indoor on the internet to bring up information.
Recycling does not have to be hard
Courtesy of Planet Ark, there is now a handy website to help you locate the closest recycling facility offered by your council as well as local drop-off options for items including computers, batteries, printer cartridges, mobile phones and many more.
Want to learn more?
Check out your local library: many hold free workshops on installing water tanks, solar power, worm farming and green gardening. As well as books your local library has audiobooks and ebooks available, free resources at your green fingertips.
Disclaimer:
The material is provided for general information only, and on the understanding that Ha-Ra® Australia Pty Ltd is not providing professional advice on a particular matter. The material includes the views or recommendations of third parties, and does not necessarily reflect the views of Ha-Ra® Australia Pty Ltd, or indicate a commitment to a particular course of action.Before relying on the material, users should independently verify its accuracy, completeness, relevance for their purposes and that it is up-to-date. Before any action or decision is taken on the basis of any material herein the user should obtain appropriate independent professional advice. Links to other websites are provided for the user s convenience and do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service.