Comments on: Green Spotlight: Eileen’s Advice for Keeping Green Choices Simple and Finding Support http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/09/15/green-spotlight-eileen%e2%80%99s-advice-for-keeping-green-choices-simple-and-finding-support/ Earth Friendly, Budget Friendly Sun, 20 May 2012 15:21:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Joie http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/09/15/green-spotlight-eileen%e2%80%99s-advice-for-keeping-green-choices-simple-and-finding-support/comment-page-1/#comment-981 Joie Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:19:20 +0000 http://greenbabyguide.com/?p=504#comment-981 Hey, Eileen! I am impressed...love your compost accidental problem solving story. Now I feel better about discovering maggots in mine two days ago ; ) Its been years since I've used a paper towel or napkin, but I don't miss them in the least, my 100% cotton well broken in rags are more absorbent and leave no lint. Hey, Eileen! I am impressed…love your compost accidental problem solving story. Now I feel better about discovering maggots in mine two days ago ; ) Its been years since I’ve used a paper towel or napkin, but I don’t miss them in the least, my 100% cotton well broken in rags are more absorbent and leave no lint.

]]> By: Joy http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/09/15/green-spotlight-eileen%e2%80%99s-advice-for-keeping-green-choices-simple-and-finding-support/comment-page-1/#comment-949 Joy Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:48:42 +0000 http://greenbabyguide.com/?p=504#comment-949 Great discussion! I too found myself flummoxed by the bacon grease. The cookie sheets are a good tip. We use an assortment of cut-up t-shirts, old dish towels and worn wash clothes for our rags and they work out well. Still, if you'd like something more aesthetically pleasing, you might want to check out the giveaway that Crunchy Domestic Goddess is doing for Skoy clothes! Check it out here: http://crunchydomesticgoddess.com/2008/09/11/skoy-eco-friendly-cloths-instead-of-paper-towels-giveaway/ Great discussion! I too found myself flummoxed by the bacon grease. The cookie sheets are a good tip. We use an assortment of cut-up t-shirts, old dish towels and worn wash clothes for our rags and they work out well. Still, if you’d like something more aesthetically pleasing, you might want to check out the giveaway that Crunchy Domestic Goddess is doing for Skoy clothes!
Check it out here:

http://crunchydomesticgoddess.com/2008/09/11/skoy-eco-friendly-cloths-instead-of-paper-towels-giveaway/

]]> By: Rebecca http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/09/15/green-spotlight-eileen%e2%80%99s-advice-for-keeping-green-choices-simple-and-finding-support/comment-page-1/#comment-948 Rebecca Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:18:03 +0000 http://greenbabyguide.com/?p=504#comment-948 When I had a house cleaning business, I used the cloth dipes for cleaning! They work great. Once you get used to cleaning with a cloth, you think why in the world was I throwing out all that paper. My cleaning business taught me that really fast. ;) When I had a house cleaning business, I used the cloth dipes for cleaning! They work great. Once you get used to cleaning with a cloth, you think why in the world was I throwing out all that paper. My cleaning business taught me that really fast. ;)

]]> By: Eileen http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/09/15/green-spotlight-eileen%e2%80%99s-advice-for-keeping-green-choices-simple-and-finding-support/comment-page-1/#comment-947 Eileen Tue, 16 Sep 2008 03:26:48 +0000 http://greenbabyguide.com/?p=504#comment-947 If you have any of the old-fashioned kind of cloth diapers lying around (the NON pre-fold kind) those make excellent paper towel substitutes. You can buy a dozen for about 6 bucks at babiesrus. You can also buy a pack of shop towels at any hardware store. Or when bath towels start to get holes, just cut them into squares. Anything - old t-shirts that aren't nice enough to give to goodwill. I have some old cotton sweaters that I love for certain jobs. I keep them in a stuff sack (for a sleeping bag that didn't really need its stuff sack) hanging from a hook in my kitchen and put the used ones in a pail under the sink. At first I had a really tough time with what to do when you needed to kill a spider (lesson, just do it, anything can be washed. EWww) or drain bacon fat (cookie cooling racks!). Eventually I was completely over paper towels. If you have any of the old-fashioned kind of cloth diapers lying around (the NON pre-fold kind) those make excellent paper towel substitutes. You can buy a dozen for about 6 bucks at babiesrus. You can also buy a pack of shop towels at any hardware store. Or when bath towels start to get holes, just cut them into squares. Anything – old t-shirts that aren’t nice enough to give to goodwill. I have some old cotton sweaters that I love for certain jobs. I keep them in a stuff sack (for a sleeping bag that didn’t really need its stuff sack) hanging from a hook in my kitchen and put the used ones in a pail under the sink. At first I had a really tough time with what to do when you needed to kill a spider (lesson, just do it, anything can be washed. EWww) or drain bacon fat (cookie cooling racks!). Eventually I was completely over paper towels.

]]> By: Rebecca http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/09/15/green-spotlight-eileen%e2%80%99s-advice-for-keeping-green-choices-simple-and-finding-support/comment-page-1/#comment-946 Rebecca Tue, 16 Sep 2008 03:17:15 +0000 http://greenbabyguide.com/?p=504#comment-946 I have been use a couple of skoy cloths instead of paper towels for about a month now. They are still in good shape and I think they might make it another month. I use one for the kitchen and one for dusting and cleaning our glass table tops. I really like it so far and don't miss the paper towels at all. I bought some for my sister and sister in law and they are finding that they are using less paper towels as well. You can find them for about $2 including shipping and they are biodegradable in about 5 weeks. Anyone else given them a try? I have been use a couple of skoy cloths instead of paper towels for about a month now. They are still in good shape and I think they might make it another month. I use one for the kitchen and one for dusting and cleaning our glass table tops. I really like it so far and don’t miss the paper towels at all. I bought some for my sister and sister in law and they are finding that they are using less paper towels as well. You can find them for about $2 including shipping and they are biodegradable in about 5 weeks. Anyone else given them a try?

]]> By: Memarie Lane http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/09/15/green-spotlight-eileen%e2%80%99s-advice-for-keeping-green-choices-simple-and-finding-support/comment-page-1/#comment-945 Memarie Lane Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:32:12 +0000 http://greenbabyguide.com/?p=504#comment-945 I just began a paper towel diet. I don't really use them very much so I don't think it will be too difficult. I mainly just use them because that's what people do, you know? If this works out I'm thinking about handkerchiefs, but I'm not sure what type of material would be soft enough and non-irritating. I just began a paper towel diet. I don’t really use them very much so I don’t think it will be too difficult. I mainly just use them because that’s what people do, you know? If this works out I’m thinking about handkerchiefs, but I’m not sure what type of material would be soft enough and non-irritating.

]]> By: Eileen http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/09/15/green-spotlight-eileen%e2%80%99s-advice-for-keeping-green-choices-simple-and-finding-support/comment-page-1/#comment-944 Eileen Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:11:24 +0000 http://greenbabyguide.com/?p=504#comment-944 Okay, you are going to find this totally disgusting, but I was going to get worms and never found any in local nurseries, never got around to mail-ordering them. One day I looked in the compost bin and lo-and-behold, it was full of maggots. I didn't know what to do! Well, after some internet research, it turns out that my Maggots were baby Soldier Flies which are an excellent thing to have in your compost. I never did get any worms and it's worked beautifully. The flies/maggots stay in the bin which I leave on my porch. I put some plants on it and it doesn't smell at all. It's my little secret. Okay, well, not anymore. My bin is just a large rubbermaid container with a second lid as a tray. I drilled small holes all along the bottom for drainage and used planter feet to raise it. The bottom lid collects compost tea which I can suction up and use as fertilizer on my plants. It sounds complicated but it's so simple. like many things I do, it sort of evolved out of an idea and an experiment and happened to work. Like I always tell my math students, if you expect to know the answer when you start solving a problem, you'll never get started. If you have an idea, try it. Maybe it will work, maybe not. Okay, you are going to find this totally disgusting, but I was going to get worms and never found any in local nurseries, never got around to mail-ordering them. One day I looked in the compost bin and lo-and-behold, it was full of maggots. I didn’t know what to do! Well, after some internet research, it turns out that my Maggots were baby Soldier Flies which are an excellent thing to have in your compost. I never did get any worms and it’s worked beautifully. The flies/maggots stay in the bin which I leave on my porch. I put some plants on it and it doesn’t smell at all. It’s my little secret. Okay, well, not anymore. My bin is just a large rubbermaid container with a second lid as a tray. I drilled small holes all along the bottom for drainage and used planter feet to raise it. The bottom lid collects compost tea which I can suction up and use as fertilizer on my plants. It sounds complicated but it’s so simple. like many things I do, it sort of evolved out of an idea and an experiment and happened to work. Like I always tell my math students, if you expect to know the answer when you start solving a problem, you’ll never get started. If you have an idea, try it. Maybe it will work, maybe not.

]]> By: rebecca http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/09/15/green-spotlight-eileen%e2%80%99s-advice-for-keeping-green-choices-simple-and-finding-support/comment-page-1/#comment-943 rebecca Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:40:15 +0000 http://greenbabyguide.com/?p=504#comment-943 Wow, composting in an apartment! Do you use a vermi-composter (or whatever it's called), Eileen? I have heard of apartment-dwellers using a worm bin indoors. I think they're planning on collecting food scraps along with yard debris soon here at Portland (as they do in Seattle). I compost at home, but I think this is an excellent idea! It's terrible to throw food in the landfills where it can never biodegrade. Wow, composting in an apartment! Do you use a vermi-composter (or whatever it’s called), Eileen? I have heard of apartment-dwellers using a worm bin indoors.

I think they’re planning on collecting food scraps along with yard debris soon here at Portland (as they do in Seattle). I compost at home, but I think this is an excellent idea! It’s terrible to throw food in the landfills where it can never biodegrade.

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