Mom Goes Green

(This giveaway is now closed for entries.  See winner in comments.)

Huh?  Sounds crazy, but it’s true… one Skoy cloth can take the place of 15 rolls of paper towels! These powerful little cloths have so many amazing qualities; I think I’m in love!

We all know we use far too many paper towels. Wipe down this, clean up that!  Even if you use a recycled brand, it can get a little excessive (and expensive) and they get thrown away after only one use.  Sponges are another household supply that is essentially useless.  Everyone knows that, after even a short period of time, they get disgusting and flat-out “schtanky” (yes, that IS a word… when the stink goes BEYOND stinky!) And that smell just let’s you know that bacteria is growing in abundance!

So let me give you lowdown on Skoy Cloths (if you haven’t already heard of them!).  These fabulous little cloths are 100% biodegradable because they are made from a natural cotton and wood-based cellulose pulp.  They are chlorine-free, use water-based colors and dry quickly so they don’t breed bacteria and they can be used again and again and again.  They’re essentially packageless because they come bound only by biodegradable raffia.  (And they’re super cute too!)

When you need to give them a little refresher, just pop them in your dishwasher or microwave them while they’re wet for a minute or two.  And when you feel like they’ve reached the end of their life, they can be composted (they break down completely in five weeks!) or disposed of.  That’s a LOT more environmental than 15 rolls of paper towels, wouldn’t you say?

Do you want to give them a try? Well, here’s your chance, because the fine folks at Skoy have a four-pack they’re willing to share… leave a comment here saying you’d like to win and tell me how you want to use your Skoy cloths, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. The winner will be selected one week from today’s post. (US entries only… sorry!)

Good luck! (…and by the way… you can tell me if you prefer the Skoy or the 60 rolls of paper towels, but if you think we’d actually send you 60 rolls of paper towels instead, you’ve lost your marbles! Come on! Give Skoy a chance!)

Spring has sprung!  And along with the first peek at daffodils and tulips comes the time honored (read: dreaded!) tradition of Spring Cleaning.  There are a lot of aspects to this task… this really (REALLY!) dreaded task!  (Can you tell I simply prefer the daffodils and tulips?)

First comes the actual cleaning – the elbow-grease, sweaty-job of getting rid of winter’s grim, gick and dirt.  For just about anything, I recommend vinegar, baking soda and water.  It can take care of it all.  You can find every use and combination I know by checking out Vinegartips.com.  Remember to forgo the paper towels and use those old t-shirts and towels that are too tattered for donating and would otherwise meet the trash can.  They can always be washed and reused for an even longer life.

Next comes the purge – getting rid of those “things” that no longer have a place or a purpose in your life.  Whether it’s clothing, household items, toys, furniture, books… find them a new home (granted they still have some life in them).  Donate them to a charity, list them on Freecycle or Craig’s List, or sell them, but don’t let them “find the curb” in a plastic garbage bag!

Then comes the discard of magazines, catalogs and unneeded “paper” (of every sort) – and make sure they get recycled.  Even cardboard boxes have a new life if you list them with Boxcycle or Usedcardboardboxes or again, Craig’s List. In fact, with every bit of cleaning-out you do, consider if it’s recyclable.  Example:  food cupboards.  Those boxes and cans are recyclable. You’ll be amazed!

I’ve always considered Spring the true “new beginning” of the year, so your new beginning doesn’t need to stop with only the cleaning part.  Consider making changes too, like switching to CFLs, buying those reusable shopping bags you’ve been avoiding, checking for leaks in your plumbing and even giving your car a good tune-up!

A fellow green mom has put together a kit to help us with all of these little “extras” too – check out Kathy’s Climate Kit.  She has condensed it down into one fine package and is offering all of my friends here a 10% discount to boot (just enter code: FESTIVAL at check out!).  Plus, a tree will be planted with American Forests Global Releaf Program for each kit sold.

So “start your cleaning engines” and let the Green Clean Games begin!