Natural Air Fresheners

02. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Home Improvement · Tags: , ,


We have always been accustomed though of using air fresheners that we purchase from the department stores. However, there are natural products that you can use that can give the same fresh smelling effect. To make your home naturally smelling fresh, you can use an equally naturally made substance.

Follow the simple recipes below to see how effective natural products can be. They can give your home a sweet smell while keeping your budget on the sweet side too.

You can add water to a potpourri burner and place two drops of fragrance oil (such as chamomile) on the water. After that, you can light your warming candle. With the water evaporating, your home will smell sweet as the scent is sent to the air. You can also add fragrance to your home without a special set-up. You’ve always had that silk floral arrangement of those plastic flowers in vases, so why not use them? You can hide the scent there by putting a few drops of oil. Now your flowers will be as if it really smells nice.

This can give your room a wonderful smell for quite a long time. You can also do it straw wreaths and other dried arrangements. You can always refresh them when you feel you need to. In other places where you have decorative arrangements, aside from making your room look beautiful, maximize it and make your home smelling fresh too.

Another trick is by using a cotton ball; you can put a few drops of fragrance or essential oil and place it at the back of your radiator. When the radiator (or also your heater) operates, it will emit the vapor with the scent. However, if you will be using this, you must be prepared to replenish the scent every so often.

A popular alternative, and a very cost efficient way to replace your chemical based air freshener in your home is by using a few slices of select citrus fruits like orange or grapefruit, or lemon and putting them on a pot of water over a stove. Upon simmering, this will gently release a citrusy scent around your home.

You can also have a home-made air freshener, just exactly like the one you purchase expensively and regularly. You can mix together baking soda and lemon juice 9at one tablespoon each) and two cups of hot water, shaken well together in a spray bottle. You can spray it liberally around your home as an alternative.

For sweet smelling laundry, you can put three drops of essential or fragrance oil to a clean damp washcloth and when you are drying your laundry in your automatic dryer, you can include the washcloth there and your clothes will absorb the scent. A common and preferred scent is lavender. This scent also has a disinfecting effect on clothes. There are a lot of alternatives that you can use to make your home smell clean. Nature has a lot of products that you can use, inexpensively, and safely.

How to Dispose Your Old Computer Properly

02. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Environment · Tags: , ,


Computers are handy during their lifetime but once they’ve chewed their last byte, disposing of them properly can be a burden. Computers contain toxic chemicals and carcinogens that are hazardous to everyone’s health. Computer recycling can be of great benefit to both the environment and the economy. Estimates show that nearly 75% of outdated electronics are being stored, and if all that can be recycled, the savings in resources and to the environment will be enormous.

Reuse or Donate

There’s a saying that goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Donate your old but still usable computer to public schools, charities, or low-income families that may need them. If your computer is less than five years old, there’s a good chance that someone else will find it useful still. It feels good to know that you are able to help your less-fortunate neighbor acquire a computer that they can’t afford. What’s more, you’ll be in for a tax break!

Recycle

If donation for reuse or repair is not a viable option, you can send your computer for recycling to recycling companies. You should pick the recycling company that would reuse the parts they can and manage waste responsibly. They should be able to show you that parts don’t go to countries with poor ecological track records, like China, and that items like circuit boards and leaded glass get exported to green-friendly sites in developed nations.

Before sending your computer for recycling or for donating, you want to make sure that the data on your hard drive won’t go elsewhere. If you plan to clean it yourself, use a reliable disk cleaning software to avoid getting your personal data in the wrong hands. Other recycling companies wipe out your hard drive’s data for you and provide a certification for the process. You have to verify first before sending your computer if they offer this option.

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