Summer is on the horizon and it is the perfect time to start thinking about ways that you be more environmentally responsible. The average person spends a lot of time in the kitchen. This is one part of the house that can receive an influx of visits throughout any given day.
The kitchen is probably one of the best places to “green” since much of our time is spent cooking, cleaning and eating there.
There are hundreds of methods that you can adopt to begin making your kitchen an environmentally safe room. Here are a few!
1.) Get rid of Your Usual Detergents and Cleaning Products
Most cleaning and dishwashing products utilize harmful chemicals and ingredients. Dichloromethane (DCM), alkyl phenoxy ethanol (APEs), 1,4 Dioxane, chlorine are common chemicals than can be found in your favorite brand of dishwashing liquid or all-purpose cleaning product.
These chemicals can be harmful and are speculated to be cancerous. Not only are cleaning products that possess these chemicals toxic, they are also poisonous if ingested.
It’s especially important to green the kitchen because of younger people that may live in the household. Children may scurry into the kitchen unattended and can accidentally consume these hazardous products.
A safer alternative would be to purchase cleaning products that are biodegradable and plant-based. You don’t want to pour hazardous chemicals down the drain. Castille soap is a great natural dishwashing alternative.
2.) Eat Organic and Locally Produced Food
Much of the food supply has been contaminated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It has been said that as much as 80 percent of the American food supply is contaminated by GMOs.
A genetically modified organism is a food that has had its original genes altered and put into other species that it would not normally mix, blend or grow with. Numerous studies have linked the consumption of GMOs with cancer and other diseases.
Organic produce is also free from the pesticides and insecticides that are sprayed on crops. The average consumer can reduce their exposure to pesticides by as much as 75 percent if they switch to organic food.
Loads of papers are wasted every year when products like paper towels are used by individuals.
Instead of using paper towels, keep two or three microfiber kitchen rags on hand to clean up messes and spills.
Use cotton or microfiber towels to dry dishes. Reusable rags and towels have a very long lifespan unlike paper towels.
4.) Decrease Refrigerator Temperature
Refrigerators are energy hungry machines. They require quite a bit of energy to run smoothly and efficiently.
A safe range for preventing food from spoiling is between 37 and 41 degrees Farenheit.
You can save money on your energy bill by lowering your refrigerator’s temperature.
5.) Find Creative Ways to Use Plastic Bags
A consumer can make their kitchen a greener place by finding creative ways to use plastic bags. Many supermarkets continue to resort to bagging customers’ food in plastic shopping bags.
The consumer can use these plastic shopping bags as a garbage bag for kitchen garbages and even room garbages.
This can help to lessen the amount of plastic that is wasted every day. Plastic grocery shopping bags can be used to store items such as books and clothing.
Don’t be so quick to throw those plastic shopping bags out! Just reuse them!
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