Cleaning up after the Super Bowl can have its challenges. Below are some cleaning products that won’t eat up  a sizable chunk of your household budget and work even better.

You will also get the added benefit of more  room under your sink by throwing away all those cleaners except for the below three items.

Vinegar, baking soda, salt, and even beer can replace many of the products you use when cleaning to save you BIG $, while also saving the environment and energy.

Below are are a number of ways to replace expensive store-bought chemicals that can hurt the environment.

Cleaning glass

Mix a 1/4 cup of white vinegar to 3 cups of water in a spray bottle.  a Just spray it on, wipe it down with a piece of newspaper, yes newspaper, and you get squeaky clean glass even better then the store bought cleaners!

Cleaning in the Bathroom and Personal Care

Use the same ratio of vinegar and water above in a spray bottle or in a pal. The vinegar is mild enough that it won’t etch the porcelain, and it makes the chrome fixtures  shine. Also if you run out of toothpaste or no longer want to buy it, Baking soda works just as well. Put a little on your toothbrush with a little water to make a paste and you teeth will be sparkling along with your breathe. Baking soda also works well to exfoliate your skin so use it for you face and body when in the bath.

Scrubbing  Stuck-on food and Stains

Baking soda works as an alternative to any type of abrasive cleaner. Sprinkle dry baking soda on the stuck-on food, or combine it with a little water to make a softer scrub for bathtubs and shower tiles. Added benefit is that it will also absorb any bad odors! Also works on your kitchen counter tops as well.

Deodorizing your Carpet

Sprinkling baking soda on carpet removes odors. Cover the entire area with a light sprinkling and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour, then vacuum it up. The baking soda will absorb the smell. It works great on pet smells and other mild odors.

Cleaning a cast-iron skillet

Sprinkle salt over the stuck-on bits and use a plastic brush to clean the pan. The salt is gritty enough to force the food bits free, but soft enough that it hasn’t damaged my pan. Add a little water for the extra tough bits.

Removing  Stains from a Glass Coffee Pot

Coffee stains everything, especially the inside of the coffee pot. If the bottom of your pot gets gunky, pour in about a quarter-cup of salt, five or six ice cubes, and some water. Then lightly swirl the mixture around. The salt and ice will scrub the pot and lift the stains. Rinse out the coffee pot before you use it again and you are set to go. Using a carafe coffee maker to save even more energy is the way to go to save even more energy and money!

Polishing Metal Pot Bottoms

The acidity of beer actually can polish metal. Rubbing copper-bottom or aluminum pans down with some flat beer removes tarnish and restores shine. Beer can also work on baking sheets and cupcake tins. No need to use a fresh beer an old left over one that is flat works equally as well!

Check back for some more energy and money saving tips this week.

 

Intel to Invest up to $8B in US Manufacturing Push

Chip giant Intel (www.intel.com), headquartered in Santa Clara, California, announced its plans to invest $6 billion to $8 billion on deployment throughout its US fabs of its 22 nm manufacturing process, the next generation after 32 nm technology, which is in production now. The investment will fund construction of its newest development fab in Oregon, as well as upgrades to other fabs in Oregon and Arizona.Intel’s new development fab in Oregon, dubbed D1X, is expected to begin R&D activities in 2013. The $6 billion to $8 billion in funding will also go toward upgrades at Fab 12 and Fab 32 in Chandler, Arizona; and the D1C and D1D fabs in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Intel generates about three-fourths of its revenues overseas, but three-fourths of its microprocessor manufacturing is still done in the US. The new investment commitment allows the company to maintain and expand its existing manufacturing employment base at these sites. Also many US companies stand to gain from this investment as well.

The latest round adds to a US investment announced early last year to support manufacturing upgrades that led to Intel’s 32 nm technology. The chipmaker’s first 22 nm microprocessors, codenamed Ivy Bridge, are expected to be in production in late 2011. The continued technology advancement enables the chip industry’s ongoing mantra of smaller, faster, cheaper.

Kudos to the Intel Management Team for re-investing in America! More US companies need to follow this lead.

Wind to Power Cell Towers in Southern California

 

A global renewable energy company, Helix Wind, announced this week it will begin a technology demonstration and test of two small wind turbines to power cell phone towers in Southern California.

The  turbines will be installed by early 2010 and the test will run for one to three  months.addition to powering the towers, the test will explore the feasibility of selling power back to the  electrical grid under a Power Purchase Agreement.  The test will represent one of the first grid- connected  cell sites powered by renewable energy in Southern California.

This market segment is of great interest to California. There are approximately 3,500 cell phone  towers in  Southern California, and due to the continued expansion of broadband wireless, the  data volume of which  has doubled in the past three years, an additional 1,000 to 1,200 towers  should be brought on line over the next five years.

Grid connected cell phone towers can benefit from renewable energy, and wind power can dramatically reduce the emissions and carbon footprint associated with them. Under the right conditions, the towers may even be able to produce surplus energy, providing an additional revenue stream to tower owners.

About Helix

Helix Wind Corp., a global renewable energy company, is engaged in the design, manufacturing and sale of small wind vertical axis turbine designed to generate 300W, 1kW, 2.0kW, 4.0kW, and 50kW of clean, renewable electricity.

Additional information can be found at http://www.helixwind.com. See a video of it at HELIX.

If it’s yellow stay mellow…

If this debate still rages in your home, the solution for you may be a waterless urinal. Though most often relegated to restaurant, stadium and airport bathrooms, urinals in the home can make tons of sense.  If you have few men/boys in your house you can save thousands of gallons of water and they don’t have to worry about remembering to put the seat down. Add the waterless as in, no flushing requirement element and you’ve got a device that conserves a remarkable amount of water because you don’t have to flush them, it saves an astounding 40,000 gallons of water per year.

The “waterless” part of the design works like this: there’s a “trapway” at the base of the urinal, in which the “sealing liquid” goes; since it’s less dense than liquid waste, once your urine goes through, the liquid stays at the top of the trapway, providing a barrier that blocks odors and keeps maintenance to a minimum. So stay mellow!

The Eco Cup

The folks from Decor Kraft Inc. (DCI) have come up with a new twist for the paper coffee cup that we have all grown fond of. It is a ceramic reusable look alike with a silicon top and cup collar. It holds about 8 ounces, the lid stays on securely and because it is ceramic like your coffee mug at home it will keep your coffee warmer longer. It also seems to be a little easier to use than those other insulated “roady” travel cups most of us pick up from a trade-show or the local coffee venue. Less paper cups used = less energy used to make them. DCI also recommends cleaning them in an environmentally friendly by way using lemons and toothpaste. See iamnotapapercup.com for more information on it.

NEW Dimmable Fluorescent Flood Lamp

Now available, Dimmable Fluorescent Floodlights that are similar in size and light output to standard incandescent floodlights that save up to 75% in energy costs. These new energy efficient Dimmable Fluorescent Flood Lamps are also good for wet location use, and may be used in recessed cans, ceiling fixtures, track lights and outdoor fixtures.

They have and 8,000 hour average rate life and last up to eight times longer than incandescent flood lights. Dimmable from 100% to 20% for lighting preference and added energy savings. Another added benefit of Dimmable Fluorescent Flood Lamps is that they produce significantly less heat than incandescent Flood Lamps significantly reducing cooling costs during the summer months. If you are interested learning more or want to buy some see their site at AMConservation.

Energy Saving Smart Power Strip Reduces Computer Energy Waste

These days, computers don’t just run our lives, they run up our power bills, too. All those devices hooked up to your system can drain energy, even when you’re not using them. The Energy Saving Smart Strip Power Strip can stop this waste of power by letting you shut off all peripherals plugged into it with just one click.

Available at:

Amazon.com

Port of Seattle Leads the Industry in Green Ways

Below is a video on how the Port of Seattle is leading the way to green practices within its organization. The below video is how at its Airports it has its coffee barristers recycle their coffee grinds. It save a tremendous amount of waste from going into the local landfill. Recycling coffee grounds can be done by everyone very easily by just sprinkling them among your garden plants or adding them to you compost bin. Enjoy the video below and begin recycling them today. If you are interested in adding coffee grounds to your compost pile or garden Starbuck’s has a “Grounds for Gardens Campaign” where they will happily let you pick them up from your local one. Read more at Port of Seattle.

Simple No Cost Actions for Winter

Check your hot water heater’s temperature. If you have a dishwasher you can heat it up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius). If you don’t have a dishwasher you can keep it lower. Try lowering it to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). In some homes, those savings have amounted to more than 10-12% of the total energy usage.

Use a hot water heater blanket. If your water heater is in an unheated space like an unfinished basement, wrap it in an insulation blanket to prevent heat loss. They cost about $40 and can be found at your local home improvement store.

Clean or replace your filter every month. A dirty filter makes your furnace work harder, which uses more electricity. Your home improvement store sells permanent filters that you can wash so you don’t have to replace the filter each month. Changing your filters can save you up to $60 a year on heating costs.

Dust and vacuum those radiators and vents. Dust acts as a great insulator and will actually stop the heat from getting to where you need it.

Don’t empty the bath until the water has cooled down. The heat will dissipate into the air. It will also add needed humidity in those winter months.

Open the stove door after cooking. By leaving the oven door open slightly after you have used it to cook you will allow all the heat to move into the room versus it staying put inside your insulated oven.

Use an old towel to block the air at the bottom of the door at night. Putting an old rolled up towel along the base of your door or windowsill will block any drafts from coming through.

See our SAVING $ tab for more ideas.

Eating Less Saves Energy and Money

Americans are alarmingly overweight compared to other cultures. Why we live in the land of plenty… plenty of food that is!

If we all ate 500 less calories per day, each of us would lose about 1 lb per week…. that is 52 lbs of lost weight per person in a years time.

Now many of us can’t afford to lose that much weight, but sadly there are way too many of us that need to. Even if you can not eat 500 less calories per day and could only cut out 200 calories per day,which is about one less latte or soda a day, you could lose 20 lbs in a years time. This is not hard to do at all. You can easily do this by just adding light exercise per day by walking 2-3 miles even without reducing your food consumption. If you do both you will lose even more weight faster.

Reducing your food consumption also has many additional benefits. It will help offset higher food and fuel costs you may be incurring. It saves energy as less food will need to be transported to you. Of course buying local produce and food products also helps conserve energy.

Americans eat way too much food and high calorie beverages and we need to consume less. Less is more… start today!