Green Home Redux

March 5th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under

Home ComfortsWow - I used to be shy about posting things I didn’t know a ton about in my blog for fear I’d be pegged as just spouting crap I didn’t understand, but yesterday you guys proved to be better than Google in leading to me to simple, green, CHEAP home cleaning techniques. Then last night my friend Joe brought me a gargantuan encyclopedia, Home Comforts, to borrow.

So. To learn what I have learned, you can go to the comments in this blog, or in the LJ cross posting where people got into an argument about whether recycling is a good idea or not because of X,Y, or Z. It’s an interesting argument that comes up with the whole hybrid car battery dilemma.

But to bring up the key points I really want to remember or respond to:

  • I spent more time at Green Home yesterday and found that they have an online magazine, where I found this gem of an article. All the household cleaners you can make yourself. Note- I used the drain opener recipe to great effect in my shower yesterday, so green cleaner FTW already.
  • Someone mentioned Flylady.net - I tried her out and got overwhelmed. The concept is nice - clean different parts of your house for 15 min a day. But it sends constant emails. There’s the reminder to do your morning routine, reminder to check your laundry, reminder that you should have your shoes on (not kidding), at least three testimonials from other people using the system, at least two ads for their products, reminder to shine your sink, nagging email to go to bed early… I couldn’t take it. Good system, but dreadful execution. Then, when I unsubscribed from the mailing list, I got an email that, in a very nice passive aggressive tone, implied that the problem was with me - there was nothing wrong with their system of deluging email. They imply that if they’re smiling and saying, “I’m not nagging you,” while poking me CONSTANT (in a sweet way), it makes it true. I will say her idea of dealing with zones every week is a good one, and her pushing me to clean my car reminded me that I needed to make sure my insurance and registration were up to date (they weren’t). But I can take her suggestions and plug them into iCal for the same results in a non-nagging way.
  • I feel that bulleted lists should have at least three points but I’m  out. Just got back from the dentist and I’m numb. The dentist called me “juicy” but I think he was talking about my salivary glands.

There Are 8 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by Ivy on 5 March 2008:

    I could not deal with Fly Ladies. I do not need to wear high heel shoes and make up if all I’m doing is cleaning the litter and jumping on the treadmill. The cat doesn’t mind if I forgo the mascara.

  2. Comment by Andrea on 5 March 2008:

    Sorry FLY lady didn’t work out for ya. I know several people who’ve tried it and it didn’t mesh. She does have a book, which, I believe, lists out the missions, zones, ect so you could schedule it the way you prefer.

  3. Comment by Dani in NC on 5 March 2008:

    I’ve tried FlyLady three different times before coming to the conclusion that it just wasn’t for me. I already have a problem with sitting at the computer longer than I should; once I sit down to check my email, I never get up! So email reminders don’t help me much.

    I originally tried FlyLady because it was based on the S.H.E. system from the late 70s, which I was already using. I thought that a digital upgrade would work for me. It turns out that I prefer the old-fashioned S.H.E. box with the 3×5 index cards.

    I tried reading “Home Comforts” but the type was too small. These days it doesn’t take much to make my mind wander, and that did it.

  4. Comment by admin on 5 March 2008:

    Dree- it was a great idea, and like I said I like the concept, but the emails and the “we’re not nagging you” nags are a little much.

  5. Comment by Andrea on 5 March 2008:

    hmmm, I just don’t get the nagging emails. About 1/2-3/4 of the FLYlady emails go into my spam folder. All I get in my inbox are the missions.

  6. Comment by Divadiane on 6 March 2008:

    I agree about the emails. Within the past year they separated the reminder emails out from the essays by the FlyLady and her entourage, the Testamonials plus a couple of the key reminders. It’s still a lot, but it’s better than before. I send the emails to a folder and look at them if I have time otherwise, delete, delete, delete. The reminders are less than useless for me since I live in Europe, but the system itself is really good. And no one says you should wear high heels and make-up! wear shoes and care for your appearance - yes. Good for me, since I’m liable to stay in my PJs all day if I don’t watch out. :-o

    I will have a look at Home Comforts! Thanks for the tip.

  7. Comment by Thomas on 10 March 2008:

    Vinegar is great. I buy it at Costco in huge jugs. Mainly use it in laundry as a prewash for stale or mildewy-smelling towels. Its also good for pee-soaked clothes & sheets that way. Just dump a good slug of it in to a cold water prewash cycle. The other uses suggested were dead-on.

    It’ll kill weeds, too.

  8. Comment by Thomas on 10 March 2008:

    But I forgot to write my first thought, which is that /Home Comforts/ is a great book Encyclopedic in its wisdom. But don’t get too caught up with the model of perfection it represents. It is a tool, not a religion.

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