green tips

Bona Fide's basic green tips take the 3 R's (reduce, reuse, recycle) into careful consideration. Below is a list of specific green tips that we have collected over time; some are common, others are unusual, and many have been suggested by our customers. Please email us if you would like to share a green tip. The list will continue to grow, so check back soon.

  • Always store your reusable shopping bags right inside your car and keep a scrunched up string bag or Chico Bag handy in your purse - they hold up to 40 pounds!
  • Place a glass "Pot Watcher" disk on the bottom of your water-filled pot and start heating. When the water starts to boil, the disk begins to clatter, alerting you that the water is ready. This saves energy and is great for those who tend to forget that the water is boiling away!
  • Power-down (off) your connected electrical devices with a remote-controlled energy saver and save up to 15% on your electric bill.
  • Maintaining proper tire pressure will improve your gas mileage. Under-inflated tires can cut fuel economy by 2% per pound. If your tires should be at 32 psi and they're actually at 27 psi, you've reduced your mileage (and wasted money and energy) by 10%. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer, too.
  • Slowing down from 70 to 60 mph improves fuel efficiency by an average of 17.2 percent. Dropping from 75 to 55 improves fuel efficiency by 30.6 percent! On a 300-mile trip, driving 65 instead of 70 mph would only take an extra 20 minutes, but you would save money and emit less carbon.
  • When attending graveside memorials, please avoid the use of plastic and consider bringing a real plant or compostable materials.
  • Beat the heat by sucking in the cool night air with an exhaust fan in the attic or top floor window. In the morning, shut off the fan and close the window curtains on the sunny side of the house. Dress lightly and take a cool shower in the evening. This really works!
  • To save energy and stay cool at night, try taking a tepid shower before bed. You can't believe the difference!
  • Save water by keeping a bucket in the shower and let it fill with the cold water while you wait for the hot! Use this water in the washing machine, flushing the toilet, or in the garden.
  • Keep your wooden drying rack free from mold by letting the rungs dry out in between loads. When necessary, sand the rungs using fine grit paper or steel wool. Apply vinegar or lemon juice (never bleach) to kill mold. Ultra-violet rays from the sun also kills mold, so set your rack outside occasionally when needed.
  • When it comes to gift wrapping, remember the 3 R's: reduce the amount of packaging or wrapping used, reuse anything you can get your hands on, and recycle everything!
  • For winter driving, be sure to clear the iceberg from the roof of your car! Every 100 pounds decreases fuel efficiency by about 1% and ruins your vehicle's aerodynamics, further reducing fuel efficiency (not to mention the danger in the ice chunk flying off the car into another vehicle.)
  • Fill empty milk or juice containers with water to replace the empty spaces in your refrigerator and freezer. The cooled air gets stored and your fridge won't have to work as hard to stay cool. Save $ and CO2.
  • Open your windows to freshen indoor air. The United States EPA found that the air inside our homes is on average two to five times more polluted than outside air.
  • Use "Ecofont" with your printer. It reduces ink usage due to its tiny pin-prick size holes in each letter. Up to 20% less ink is used when printing with Ecofont, thus reducing waste by increasing the life of your ink cartridges.
  • Use vinegar to deter ants by spraying in the area where they are entering your house (and on your counter tops when necessary). Cayenne pepper works well too; all you need is a little sprinkle.
  • Need an earth friendly non-plastic salad spinner? Put clean, wet lettuce in a netted cotton produce bag and go outside to swing it around!
  • Fans are much cheaper, easier to install, and use 90% less energy than central air-conditioning.
  • Those stickers on fruits and vegetables actually mean something: 4 digits means it was grown conventionally, 5 digits beginning with "8" means genetically modified, and 5 digits beginning with "9" means certified organic.
  • The pilot light on your gas stove should be burning blue. If the flame is yellow, it's not burning efficiently and may be emitting excess carbon monoxide and other combustion pollutants. Make an appointment to have it serviced by the gas company.
  • Make your own paint - just google it; there are some great links.
  • Save inner cereal box bags. Store and then use them for shaking and dusting meats for cooking - or for anything else.
  • After boiling eggs, reuse the calcium-rich water for your plants.
  • Launder your clothes and towels only when needed (when they are actually dirty).
  • Avoid giving cut flowers as a gift unless they are organic or from your own garden. It would be better to give a live plant, especially one that improves indoor air quality.
  • Use cut up old cloth (from anything) to clean with or pick up yucky messes.
  • Compost everything you can to prevent it from going into the landfill - forever.
  • When shopping for food, consider the packaging and avoid plastic as much as possible - try bulk buying and bringing your own containers.
  • Turn down the heat and put on more layers.
  • Use a soap bag to put all those little bitty pieces of soap into, then scrub away.
  • Hang your laundry to dry instead of using the dryer.
  • Bring your own containers for leftovers when eating out.
  • Eat less meat.
  • Cook multiple veggies in the same pan - no need to use one pan for each vegetable. Try cooking pasta and veggies together.
  • Spray vinegar on weeds if you want to get rid of them. This works on ants and mosquitoes, too!
  • Ride a bike or walk. For longer distances take Public Transportation.
  • Completely turn off or unplug unused electrical equipment at night, or use a timer.
  • If you have hand-crank or solar powered flashlights or radios, remember that you can use them on a daily basis to save energy, not just for emergencies.
  • Hanging laundry in sub-freezing weather kills dust mites (so does 130 degree water temperature or exposure to sunlight's ultra-violet rays.)
  • Old wool sweaters make great diaper covers.
  • For lingering underarm body odor, try a splash of vinegar on the corner of your wash cloth and rub the entire under arm area (it's bigger than you think). Let sit for a minute then rinse. No more smell - it's magic!
  • Line your compost pail with a layer of newspaper to help compost come out more easily and reduce cleaning.
  • Use all-purpose soap - you do not need a special soap for specific items (we've been duped long enough).
  • Use the library instead of buying books.
  • Use vinegar for cleaning windows, much better and cheaper than ammonia.
  • Switch your light bulbs to the newest LEDs for huge savings.
  • Replace anything that leaks water.
  • Use cloth diapers instead of disposables to save thousands of dollars during those diaper years.
  • Turn your lights off when leaving a room - it's a myth that turning them back on uses more electricity.
  • Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
  • Reuse those mesh bags that onions come in - put sponges in them for cleaning for added scrubbing power and longevity.
  • Use cloth napkins and tea towels - no more paper towels.
  • Avoid using plastic or wooden stirrers. Instead, first place your sugar and cream in the bottom of the cup, then pour your coffee in. The splashing will mix it for you. Voila!