Infused Bath Oil

Every one likes a nice hot bath right? Here's a tip for a Hand Made Gift.

Grape Seed Oil (or other suitable oil)
Dried herbs or flowers (lavender works great)
Skin safe essential oils (optional: for added aromatic and healing qualities)

Find a pretty corked bottle at the thrift or craft store. Put dried herbs or dried flowers in the bottle. Fill with oil. Let sit for several day's. Sunlight will speed the process. Add drops of essential oil if desired. Use a small amount of infused oil in your bath water, enjoy....hmmm.

Natural Cleaning

Get a bucket of hot soapy water and start scrubbing.
We don't always need fancy cleaners to do certain jobs. Good old dish soap, lemon, vinegar, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (a great disinfectant) make some great cleaners. You may already have them in your kitchen , and its economical too!

Water Bottle Safety

Check your plastic water bottles recycling number for safety. Not all plastics are safe. Only drink water from bottles which have a 1, 2, 4 or 5 printed on the bottle. This number is usually on the bottom in a small triangle. They can be hard to read, so get out your glasses if necessary. #1 bottles are best used for single usage. Do not use bottles printed with 3, 6, or 7.

Conserve

Use a sprayer on your outside garden hose to water the garden or wash your car, etc. It's amazing how much water it saves.

Clean Your Grout

Clean your grout with a a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, a few drops of water and baking soda, make a paste, use an old toothbrush and scrub away. It will also work on wet counter tops, bathrooms or any place where tough stains exist. You don't have to buy expensive, harmful chemicals to clean your home. This is better for you and your environment.

Awareness

Fill up a gallon of water and check the amount of time it takes it to fill up. Now think about that time frame. How many times a day do you just let water run while you are doing little chores? Start doing the math. How much just runs down the drain? How much water just seeps into the ground? This little bit of awareness could have big results if everyone would just think about it. Now take your gallon of water that you just filled up and give it to your pet or water a plant.

Disinfect

Common household bleach makes a great economical disinfectant. Mix 1-3 tablespoons of bleach into a gallon of water, depending on the the job. Use to wipe down counter tops, tables, bathrooms, changing tables, etc.

Re Use.

It's amazing how much water runs down the drain while doing little chores. Try washing fruits and veggies in a dishpan and then watering your plants with the water left in the pan. It saves water and helps you remember to water the plants too. It's a double whammie!

Flush Your Lines

Water that sits in water lines can become stagnant and stale, especially if it's from a faucet that's not used very often. Before drinking water from a faucet that you suspect is not used very often, let it run for 2-3 minutes to bring new fresh water into the line. This may seem contradictory to my conservation theory, but our health is first and foremost important in this case. Using water for benefit is a lot different than needless waste.

Quality Cleaning

You can use a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for many of your cleaning duties around the house. The peroxide naturally disinfects and removes stains without toxic chemicals. I have used it for cleaning counter tops, floors, laundry stains on whites, etc. I have even heard of people soaking meat in the solution to kill bacteria on the surface prior to cooking. H2O2 also has many health benefits because of it's anti bacterial and anti fungal qualities.

Re-use your water bottles.

Re-use your water bottles. Bottled water is a huge convenience, but......we are accumulating an awful lot of plastic waste, and that's not good. Refill a safe plastic or aluminum portable water bottle as often as you can with tap water or filtered water from your fridge. One thing to keep in mind is that you need to wash the bottle between each use because bacteria will begin to grow quickly inside the bottle. There is some controversy over plastics and the safety of reusing them because of chemicals leaching into the water. So be careful which plastic you re-use.

If ever in doubt "boil it"

If ever in doubt about a water source that you will be consuming from, the answer is simple, "boil it." It seems like a no brainer, but there are a lot of people who don't even think about it. If you have heard rumors, detect a bad taste, smell, or color that make you uncomfortable about the drinking water, just boil it before you consume it. This will get rid of bacteria and microorganisms which could make you sick. (certain contaminants can not be boiled away, like Nitrate which can have long term health effects if levels are high). Monthly water quality sampling is required in most states in this country, but you can never be completely sure of the source unless you actually read the reports yourself. Never drink or cook with stream, creek, river or lake water without boiling it first. Hotels and motels usually have microwaves which can be used to boil water, or you can simply use bottled water if it is available.

Don't end up high and "dry"

While bottled water may not be the best thing for the environment due to the plastic bottles it comes in, it sure can be a life saver in an emergency. It does have a time and a place. You should always keep a stock of bottled water (bottled in one of the safe plastics) in your home. Individual bottles are convenient as you can use only what you need, although large jugs are also available. A few bottles kept in your car can also be a big help in an emergency. Don't leave your self high and "dry". Be prepared.

Hot Water Troubles?

Three morning showers, and only enough hot water for one and a half. Does this sound familiar? Many times people do not realize that inside their hot water tank is something called a dip tube. This tube is made of plastic and will break down over time. If your hot water begins to diminish to quickly, or if you are finding small pieces of plastic getting caught in the screens of your faucets, you may have dip tube trouble. We recently had this problem, Bill replaced the dip tube, and now we have plenty of hot water, and it's twice as hot. The dip tube forces cold water to the bottom of the tank allowing the hot water to exit the top of the tank. Without a dip tube the cold water will mix with the hot water at the top of the tank greatly reducing the water temperature. An added bonus.....better pressure from your faucets after you remove the broken plastic pieces from the screens.

Puddles?

Todays Water Tip:
Do you have any puddles in your yard that keep coming back, or never go away? It's hard to tell when there is snow on the ground, but beware, you could have a leak in a water line. Not only can a water leak cost you extra money, but it could be a cause of contamination to the water supply, especially in low pressure circumstances. Another problem is the waste of precious water. Water conservation is a must for our future welfare, believe it or not, we could run out!

Do you have a hot tub?

Do you have a hot tub? Many times people will leave a hose submerged in the tub when adding water. You should always have an air gap (a space between the end of your hose and the surface of the water) when adding water to hot tubs, decorative ponds, swimming pools, etc. If left submerged, and the water line pressure changes (due to a water line break or a fire hydrant being opened for example) there is a chance of the hose siphoning water from the outside source back into the water lines, which could contaminate the drinking water.

Mineral deposits in your shower?

Do you get mineral deposits in your shower which are hard to remove? Of course many people purchase water softeners and filters to help avoid this problem. If you do not have this equipment here is an easy tip to help avoid this nuisance. A coat of common car wax applied to the walls and door of your shower will help keep it free from that ugly haze that is so common in areas with hard water. The water will bead up on the surface and the wax will prevent the minerals from adhering to the shower surfaces. Reapply periodically to keep your shower shiny and bright.

Check for leaky toilets and faucets

Check your home or business for leaky toilets and dripping faucets which can equal numerous gallons of lost water! Not only is this a huge waste of a natural resource, it can also cost you money. You can tell if your toilet is leaking by putting some die tablets in the tank. If the water in the bowl becomes colored your tank is leaking. New government standards will require all water systems to account for lost water in the near future. The overwhelming waste of water has made this a necessity. Large water systems such as cities will only be allowed to have a 10% water loss. Small systems will be limited to 20%. Water loss will be detected by meters within the system. Many times leaks are outdoors, underground and can go undetected for long periods.
Remember water is a precious natural resource. One we can't risk living without.

Turn off the water

Turn the water off when you don't really need it. We don't always realize how much water we waste. Small habits like, turning off the water while your brushing your teeth, shaving a couple of minutes off that morning shower, or filling a pan with water to scrub veggies instead of holding them under running water, can save a lot! We let hundreds of gallons of unnecessary water just run down the drain, down the street, or in many cases, into the ground. Irrigation with hoses can be a huge waste when left unmonitored. I have seen sprinklers left unattended for hours or even days. The grass only needs so much water!