How to "Green" Your Kitchen
In our videos, eco-lifestyle expert Danny Seo shares tips for making your favorite room more environmentally friendly
One of the many great things about "going green" is that your efforts benefit both you and the environment. One example: Choosing organic produce not only keeps chemical pesticides out of our bodies, it helps prevent them from entering our waterways. A green kitchen works the same way-and the importance of this becomes clear when you think about how much time you and your family spend in the kitchen, preparing and enjoying your meals.
To help transform your kitchen into an ecologically friendly space, we turned to eco-lifestyle guru Danny Seo. In addition to his Simply Green book series, Seo is a contributing editor at Better Homes and Gardens, and an environmental lifestyle contributor for CBS's The Early Show.
In our five-part video series, Seo explains how to disinfect household sponges, what kind of paint to buy, and how to keep your refrigerator and freezer working efficiently. For more green kitchen ideas, check out our videos and read Seo's tips below.
Green kitchen tips:
Clean Out the Coffeemaker
Using your coffeemaker every day can lead to a buildup of minerals (especially if you live in an area with hard water) and residual coffee, both of which can affect your daily brew and may even clog the machinery. For an easy and green way to clean the inside of your machine, whip up a solution of four parts water to two parts white vinegar. Pour it into the water well, turn on the machine, and initiate a coffee-less brew. To remove any traces of vinegar, repeat with a batch of plain tap water. Do this every three months to keep your coffeemaker in tip-top shape.
Nuke Your Sponges
Washing dishes and wiping down countertops makes for dirty, smelly sponges. While many folks like to "clean" theirs in the dishwasher, that's not an effective way to kill germs or bacteria and can actually spread the harmful organisms to your dishes. Instead, place wet sponges in the microwave on high for 90 seconds-they'll come out clean and odor-free. Use the microwave trick at least once a day or after any major clean up.
Care for Your Garbage Disposal
Many people never think to clean their garbage disposals, but daily use can lead to noxious odors. To maintain and clean your disposal, fill it with ice and lemon wedges, turn on the cold water, and flip the switch. The ice sharpens the blades while the lemons disinfect. Repeat anytime your disposal starts to smell. For a less wasteful (and less expensive) approach, hold on to any lemons you've squeezed to make lemonade or salad dressing (store them in an airtight container or re-sealable plastic bag in the refrigerator) and use those instead of fresh ones.
Use the Dishwasher
Appliances might seem energy-intensive, but running the dishwasher when it's completely full is actually more energy- and water-efficient than hand washing. For an extra green measure, skip the heated dry cycle and let your dishes air-dry.
Detergent Matters
Once your dishwasher is full, using the right detergent is essential to ensuring a healthy, green kitchen. Many traditional cleansers contain phosphates, which clean well and soften hard water, but also cause dangerous algae blooms in our waterways. Chlorine bleach, another common detergent ingredient, irritates the lungs, skin, and eyes and is best avoided too. Fortunately, several cleaners on the market don't contain either phosphates or chlorine bleach. Seo likes Method's Smarty Dish. Mrs. Meyers' Automatic Dish Packs and Seventh Generation's Dishwasher Gel are other eco-conscious options.
Paint Pointers
In lieu of oil-based paints, which often contain high levels of VOCs (VOCs are volatile organic compounds, which the EPA states "may have short- and long-term adverse health effects") seek out zero- or low-VOC latex paint. Seo also recommends using paint that comes to a full cure because he thinks it's more durable and can stand up to cleaning without losing its pigment, and that means you won't need to repaint anytime soon.
Leftover Paint Solutions
Once you've finished painting, keep a small amount of leftover paint in an airtight container to use for touch-ups, then dispose of the rest. Try this paint disposal trick from Seo: Pour kitty litter into the paint can to quickly dry out the contents, then scrape it out, and recycle the empty steel can.
Counter Intelligence
Choosing kitchen countertops is tricky business because many of the options can be harmful for you as well as the environment. For instance, granite is mined deep from the earth's surface (scarring the land and leading to erosion) and may emit high levels of radon gas into your home. Fortunately, there is an eco-friendly option: countertops made of recycled glass mixed into concrete. This durable composite doesn't require mining, uses mostly recycled materials, emits zero VOCs, and when tested for radon emissions, gets the lowest possible score. In addition, using this type of countertop can contribute to LEED certification-Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a green building rating system. Recycled-glass-and-concrete countertops are available in a variety of styles and colors. Two of Seo's favorite sources are IceStone and Vetrazzo.
Safer Countertop Cleanup
Looking for a green alternative to chemical cleaners? Microfiber towels are knit from millions of microscopic fibers and have incredible gripping powers. Plus, unlike paper towels, they're machine-washable so they can be used over and over again. Spray countertops with plain tap water then wipe with a microfiber towel to eliminate 97 percent of germs and bacteria. To achieve an even deeper clean, use cotton balls and wipe countertops with rubbing alcohol. This will kill 99.9 percent of germs.
Seal the Fridge Door
The rubber seal on your refrigerator door keeps cold air in and warm air out. To make sure the seal on your fridge is in good shape, close a dollar bill into the door: It should slide out, but with a little effort. If the bill slips out easily, it's time to call a repair technician to fix or replace the seal.
Smart Storage
Placing hot leftovers in the refrigerator will raise the appliance's internal temperature, causing the fridge to work much harder to keep foods cool. Instead, let food come to room temperature before refrigerating.
Green Replacement
If your refrigerator is more than ten years old, it's likely using one and half times the amount of energy it used the day it was first plugged in. If you decide to invest in a new model, make it one with an Energy Star rating-this government-backed program guarantees that appliances meet energy-efficiency guidelines. As a bonus, choosing Energy Star will likely save you money on your utility bill. When shopping, look for stores that will recycle or reclaim materials from your old refrigerator. Both Sears and Home Depot will take away your old fridge, recycle the metal, and reclaim the refrigerant.
Freeze Efficiently
A full freezer is an efficient freezer, so try to keep yours as packed as possible. Running low on frozen food? Pop several reusable ice packs in the freezer and it will stay cooler and use less energy.
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