Quick Green Tips!

Just some random things I've learned recently and thought I should share!

- Organic produce codes - you know how all produce has a 4-digit price look-up (PLU) code that you can use to ring up the price at the register? Well, if you've noticed, some produce has a 5-digit code. What does that extra digit in front mean? Well, if it is a 9, it means that it is organic! So a regular banana has the code 4011...and 94011 is an organic banana! A great way to sort through bins of produce what your store has confusing signs. But watch out - an 8 in front means that the produce is genetically modified...

- Free scrubbies - A great way to re-use AND save money! We all have those nasty messes that require a little extra elbow grease, right? And we probably all have bought our share of scrubby disposable sponges at the store to tackle them. But, if you look around your kitchen produce you can probably find something that you bought in a nylon mesh bag (onions, lemons, potatoes, you get the idea). Instead of throwing out the mesh, wash it with a little soap and water, cut it into an appropriate sized length, and then tuck your dish cloth or microfiber cleaning cloth inside so that the mesh is a pocket around it. Now go to town! You have a gentle, FREE scrubby cloth that creates great lather and will cut through tons of ick. And when you're done, just remove the cloth, rinse the mesh with some soapy water, and hang out to dry. So easy!

- Frugal hand soap - Thanks to a great green friend Misty for this idea! There are many foaming hand soap products that you can buy at the store. Unfortunately, they are expensive to refill and often loaded with toxic checmicals. Misty told me about how she bought the Method foaming hand soap bottles on sale, and then when they were empty, she just refilled them with a mixture of Dr. Bronner's lavender castile soap and water! A great way to save money, use an all-natural product, and help keep germs at bay!