Green Cleaning—Uses for Vinegar in the Laundry Room

Frugal Friday

So many cleaning products on the market are full of dangerous chemicals that can harm both the environment and your health. They are also expensive. So why not look to the past for both inexpensive and healthier alternatives. Over the next few weeks, we're going to look at ways to use common household products to clean your home. This week, we'll look at using vinegar in the laundry room.

• Run water through your iron to clear out residue build-up. When the iron is still warm, run it across your ironing board to freshen the cover.
• Rub a paste of vinegar and baking soda into cuffs and collars to get rid of stains.
• Add vinegar to loads of dark clothing to keep colors bright, prevent colors from running, and also to deodorize the clothes.
• Soak shirts in vinegar to remove underarm stains and odors.
• Use to remove stains—cola, grease (from suede), tar from jeans, grass, coffee, tea, fruits and berries.
• Use to remove odors, such as bleach or smoke.
• Add vinegar to your rinse cycle to soften the fabric and reduce static cling.

Next week: Using vinegar in the kitchen.

Hazardous Waste and Electronics Collections

Moving On Monday

When you hire a professional mover to relocate you to your new home, they do not allow any hazardous chemicals or items on the truck. And you probably don't want to transport them in your car, especially in the heat of summer. And it's not the best housewarming gift to leave the new homeowner.

So what to do with all these chemicals?

In Illinois, many counties have hazardous waste collection sites and days. Some collections are local for the community, and are held one day during the summer. Other collection sites are open year-round for you to drop off your items.

In Lake county, the SWALCO web site (http://www.swalco.org) lists all the collection dates and times, as well as what they accept for each collection. For example, they will accept old computers, cell phones, printers and radios in the electronics collections. But the flourescent bulbs, batteries, medications and oil-based paints should be taken to the hazardous waste collections.

The same goes for Cook County, and SWANCC. Check their web site (http://www.swancc.org/index.html) for more information.

McHenry County in Illinois publishes a Green Guide (http://www.mchenry.edu/recycling/greenguide.pdf) every year for information on where to dispose of just about any kind of waste you can think of, from bubble wrap to aluminum cans.

You can do a search on the internet for "Hazardous Waste Collection in XXXX County, State" for collection information near you. Many local communities host their own collections. Check your village's web site.

NEVER, NEVER throw any of this in your garbage or down your drain/sewer. Not only can you be fined, but you are doing the environment a gross misjustice.