Caring for Your Home with Less Waste
While I would love to one day achieve a zero-waste home, it is very difficult with two kids and a crazy golden retriever! Here are some of my tips for creating less waste around the house and attempting to be more environmentally friendly.
Try to nix the paper towels: We have TONS of towels and rags, they are used for mopping up spills, soaking up grease, prepping food, and cleaning. I use Williams- Sonoma towels for all food related stuff (they get stained but I accept it as part of a working kitchen). I use cloth diapers for mopping up spills, washing to floor, and as general heavy-hitters because they are so absorbent.
Conserving spent items by creating cleaning supplies: That little bit of [not high-end] vodka dwinding in the bottle? Those lemons that need to be used? Combine them with some water and you have a great homemade cleaner and disinfectant! I love using adding essential oils for fragrance, too. You can also clean your drains by pouring two tablespoons of baking soda down and letting it sit then adding a tablespoon of peroxide, finish with a few squeezes of lemon and they are deodorized, too.
Save your coffee grinds: I use them to fertilize my raised gardening beds. With two kids and our crazy schedules, we fly through coffee and I feel bad dumping the grinds straight into the trash. My sister told me to save them for gardening and it has made a huge difference with my vegetables!
Fridge Forage: Every few days I scour my fridge for things that can be frozen, repurposed into a sauce or dressing, or combined with pantry items for new life. By attempting to eliminate food waste, I have come up with some really fun new recipes and kept food out of the trash!