Kitchen Tip - Loading the Dishwasher!

Photo credit: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/blog/how-load-dishwasher

 
Thought this article shared some good rules of thumb for loading the dishwasher! I feel that I do a pretty good job, and have a BIG job of making sure my family follows these rules of thumb :) LOL My husband is famous for running the dishwasher when it isn't completely full! My mom loves to load it too full! Regardless we try to do our best! Do you have any tips?


Click the link before to read some great tips!
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/blog/how-load-dishwasher

Kitchen Tip - used baggies

Sometimes I save my baggies and rewash/reuse them and sometimes I don't!  Really the money you can save from doing this is quite alot!  However, when I see a BIG pile of baggies to be washed I am instantly turned away.  My tip is to wash it as soon as you empty it and place on a towel to dry!  I guess its kind of the theory...you better do it know because you won't do it later :)  What other kitchen tips do you have?

Good til' the last drop! - Money Saving Tip

Think your detergent bottle is empty?  Not so fast....stop ...take that bottle out of the recycle bin and put it back on the shelf.  But...upside down :)  By storage your "almost empty" bottle upside down you will get another 1-2 loads of detergent!  Let gravity do the work and pull that detergent down into the cap!

Save those napkins!

I admit, we here at Vegetarian Mamma do get take out every once in a while! We are human, afterall! ha! But my tip today is to SAVE those extra napkins that the restaurant provides you! We always have extra! It saves in the land fil and your pocket book!

Enjoy earth week! We will be back to the recipes next week!

Turn off the lights!

Happy EARTH DAY!! Vegetarian Mamma will be providing EARTH loving tips all week long to help celebrate EARTH DAY! We'll be back to recipes next week!

Save on the environment AND your pocket book. When you leave a room shut the light off!

During the day, open the curtains and blinds! Enjoy the sunlight, its good for you!

Shower power!

Happy EARTH Day "week". Vegetarian Mamma will be providing earth loving tips all week long! We'll be back to recipes next week!

Here's a great tip from the EPA!

A full bathtub requires about 70 gallons of water, but taking a five-minute shower saves water by using 10 to 25 gallons. Put a little timer or clock near your shower so you can see how fast you are. Save even more water, and money on your water bill, by installing a water-efficient shower head, or ask your landlord to install one if you rent.

Happy EARTH week! Tires...

This week Vegetarian Mamma will be providing EARTH loving tips all week to help celebrate EARTH day! We will be back to recipes next week!

Maintain your car. Underinflated tires decrease fuel economy by up to three percent and lead to increased pollution and higher greenhouse gas emissions [Source: EPA]. Underinflation also increases tire wear, so it will save you money in the long run if you're good about checking your tire pressure.

Conserve Water

When you wash your hands do you turn on your facet full blast? Is it really necessary to clean your hands? Probably not :) To help get into the habit of conserving water, just turn the water on so that he stream is as thick or wide as a pencil! This is a great tip for kids as well! You'll be helping the EARTH and saving a few pennies while you are at it!

Sponges

I bought new cellulose sponges today and as I was reading the packaging I learned something...to increase the life of your sponges to do not wringe them dry, just squeeze dry. You can freshen your sponge by running it through the dishwasher once and you can sanitize it by putting it in boiling water. I also cut my sponges in half to make them last longer. The package of four claims it will outlast "rolls" of paper towels.

Another use for stained clothes

With an active toddler at home, I end up with some stained clothes! There comes a point when you can't really wear the stained or holy clothes. Instead of throwing them away, cut them up for cleaning rags! It saves room in the landfill!

Reuse your baggies

Reusing your baggies, not only saves money but saves the earth and space in the land fill. I nest baggies inside each other as I use them. I do store them on my kitchen counter, to the dismay of my husband! But it keeps them in sight and reminds me I need to wash and clean them. If the baggies are wet I turn them inside out to help dry them out before nesting. At the end of the week I fill the sink with warm soapy water, I wash each baggy and let them all soak. Then I rinse the bunch and dry them "standing upside down" on the counter. I put down kitchen towels on the counter and let the bags air dry. You can get several uses out of one bag, you'll be amazed!

Old Socks

Here is an earth loving AND money saving tip and it has to do with OLD socks :) At our household we often get holes in our socks. Instead of throwing your socks away toss them into your cleaning drawer. We use our old socks instead of paper towels when we are cleaning. They are the perfect size and absorbency, and they don't take up space in the land fill.

Dry Beans

Have you ever wondered what exactly is in those cans of beans you buy? Canned beans are full of salt. Think about buying your beans in bulk in the dry form. This does take some prep and plan ahead but can be easily done. Simply soak your beans for at least an hour to overnight; then cook. The best method for cooking I have found is boil in water for about a 1/2 hour then leave on burner with heat off and put lid on the pot. It keeps the beans hot and they continue to cook. You will have to play with the times depending what bean you are cooking. I recommend that if you are cooking more than one type of bean you cook them separately as times vary. You'll be amazed at the fresh taste and the money you save!

Water Bottle...use your own

Use your own water bottle when you are on the go. Resist the urge to use a disposable water bottle. Save room in the land fill and help the earth one sip at a time by using your own water bottle! I have switched all our family water bottles to BPA free bottles.

If you must use a disposable water bottle....be sure to recycle!