More Ways to Go Green!

One of our top priorities here at Good News Pest Solutions is protecting the environment as part of our mission to steward the planet and the resources God has given us. We’ve got a long history of finding and using risk-reduced, organic, green pest solutions whenever we can.

As part of our mission to help everyone “Go Green” across the globe, last year, we researched and shared with you lots of ways to go and stay green in your home, your workplace, and even during your beauty routine!

Thankfully, it seems like every day there is new evidence that we’re succeeding in greening the planet. And almost every day there is a new discovery or technique to help us all live better lives while saving the planet.

So here are some fun new ways to help out. Little changes you can make in your life that will make you, your family, and the planet healthier!

Consider Your Hand Soap

Believe it or not, researchers have now confirmed that hand soaps with standard antimicrobial ingredients like triclosan don’t actually do a better job of keeping our hands clean. What’s worse, they may actually cause more allergies, weakened muscles, and may affect your ability to get pregnant.

Just use a standard soap – or go old school and make your own lye soap. Doctors and nurses also say using a good hand sanitizer can keep your hands fresh and bacteria free.

Replace Your Shower Curtain

In the old days, you only had a couple of options to keep the water in the shower and off the floor. Now, you can find cotton cloth shower curtains (popular in many high end hotels), PVC-free plastic, or bamboo!

The weird plasticy odor will disappear – as will more than 100 chemicals your vinyl shower curtain releases into the air!

For more tips on Going Green in Your Bathroom, click here.

Get a Ficus Plant

Want to keep the air cleaner in your home? Researchers say the ficus plant is hard to beat. They reduce bacteria and absorb harmful chemical gasses from their surroundings. Believe it or not, studies show that even in urban areas, air pollution can be two to five times higher than outside.

Ficus plants help regulate the emissions from paint, carpet, flooring and furniture – even formaldehyde. Not only will your home look a little greener, you’ll probably notice fewer headaches, allergies, respiratory problems and nausea. Not bad for a little potted plant!

Cast Aside Your Pans

Remember the good old days of Teflon no-stick pans? Well, we know now that they weren’t always so good. Sure, your eggs didn’t stick to the pan, but what we didn’t know was what was sticking to the food. Scientists have discovered carcinogens form when the non-stick pans are heated that can transfer to your food and may lead to heart disease.

Plus, certain chemicals are released into the air when you cook with non-stick pans.

Instead, invest in pre-seasoned cast iron pans. They are naturally non-stick – as long as you always preheat them! Just remember to not soak them, add too much dish soap when washing, and never, ever put them in the dishwasher.

Speaking of…

Use the Dishwasher

And not just for sanitizing! This is one we honestly didn’t expect. But the numbers don’t lie. As long as you run the dishwasher when it’s full, it uses half the energy and less soap. Not to mention -- one-sixth! of the water used to hand wash dishes. Meanwhile, an energy efficient dishwasher can save 100 pounds of CO2 and $40 per year.

For more tips on Going Green in the Kitchen, click here.

Dump the Hair Dryer!

High heat can damage the cells in your hair’s cuticle, leading to breaks, split ends, and lost luster. Letting your locks air-dry leaves hair smoother and more manageable. Plus, for every 5 minutes you don’t use the hair dryer, you’re saving 45 pounds of carbon emissions. Or rather, not “spending” them by letting the sun handle the moisture.

For more tips on Greening Your Beauty Routine, click here.

Let the Lawn Grow!

As long as it’s not completely out of control (or against your Homeowner’s Association rules), letting your grass grow 2 to 3 inches high will help with natural weed control and will have an easier time withstanding the heat.

Water Your Plants in the Morning or Evening

This one seems obvious. Watering during the wee hours means less will evaporate from the hot sun. The water will also penetrate deeper, meaning you’ll need less. Also consider adding a layer of mulch such as bark, grass clippings, or hay around the base of plants and trees.

For more tips on Keeping Your Yard Green, click here.

Grocery shop from bed?

The University of Washington recently discovered that using a delivery service for your groceries can slash your C02 emissions by 50%. Think of it as carpooling for your groceries. Online grocery shopping also forces you to plan ahead, so you make fewer trips and don’t waste money on impulse buys.

Telecommute, if you can

While working from home has become more popular in recent years, there’s always room for growth. A recent study showed that for every million people who telecommute, 3-million tons of carbon dioxide  would be reduced every year.

Plus, not enduring the stress of daily traffic could let you live a longer, healthier life. Even if you have to split your workload and only commute half the time, you’ll see the benefits.

Seal and Insulate Your Home

Properly sealing and insulating your ceilings, windows and doors can save 15-20% on your cooling (and those rare heating) costs every year. It’ll also allow your AC to run more efficiently, which will help it last longer and cost less.

Here at Good News Pest Solutions, we recommend and install Thermal Acoustical Pest Control or TAP insulation. It’s safer and healthier than the pink fiberglass. It’s made of recycled paper, so it’s greener than green. And it’s highly effective at keeping out bugs, sound and the Florida heat! In fact, it can almost double the savings in cooling costs of traditional insulation (compared to none at all).

For our whole series on Going Green, you can click here.

And if you’d like to learn more about TAP or any of our many environmentally-friendly pest solutions, popular from Sarasota to North Fort Myers, just give us a call!