Archive for the 'Water' Category

July 8, 2008 | Water, Cleaning products

Is it just an old wives’ tale or is there really something about club soda that cleans well? As it turns out, grandma knew something. Club soda is great on acidic spots - coffee, wine, juice, bodily fluids, things of that nature. From carpet to laundry, countertops to stainless steel. Club soda really does offer a boost of cleaning power. It comes from the minerals in it - sodium bicarbonate (also known as baking soda, and also known for its cleaning power), sodium citrate (a sodium salt of citric acid), and others. The carbonation helps too - it gently agitates, though even flat club soda will usually do the trick for you.

What to do with it? Pour some on your stain (it works best on fresh stains, not dried), and blot away.

March 10, 2008 | Water, Food & drink, Health

A disturbing study by the Associated Press has found prescription and over-the-counter medicines in the drinking water supply in major metropolises around the country. With pharmaceuticals from ibuprofen and acetaminophen  to more hard-core drugs like anti-epileptic, cholesterol, and heart medications, scientists are worried about the long-term effects of mild exposure, as well as drug interaction. (more…)

January 20, 2008 | Water, Being Green, Lifestyle, News

Bottled water. Fast Company clued us in last summer as to why it’s just. so. bad. Care for a run-down?

1. The US is one of the top consumers of bottled water, but it also has one of the cleanest tap water supplies in the world (i.e., we don’t need bottled water here, but other countries do - and they don’t have it). One in six people in the world doesn’t have clean drinking water. But for us in the developed world, it’s an indulgence.
2. It takes 3-5 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water. That’s not because they’re filtering out so much ‘gunk’ - it’s because it takes that much water to produce the plastic and actually bottle the water. (more…)
   Posted by mudlark @ 12:18 pm | Comments  

   

   November 26, 2007 | Water, Being Green, Lifestyle

   Bring Your Own Bottle. Or, more precisely, mug. When you’ll be stopping off at Starbucks or whatever your favorite coffee shop is, have your own to-go travel mug handy. Think about the waste we’d save if stopped using disposable coffee cups and water bottles. The way our population drinks bottled water and lattes in to-go cardboard cups, the numbers are staggering.

   If readers of a single magazine (Organic Style did the study) brought their own cups for one week, enough trees would be saved to fill 2 football fields. If they switched for only a day, they’d save enough energy as 1,000 gallons of gasoline. There’s a website that estimates how much waste we generate with our disposable coffee cups. You’d be surprised. Right now, it’s at approximately 2,684 pounds per hour - including only the people who have registered their coffee cup on the website.

   The moral of the story? Bringing your own mug gives you a cuter, more ergonomic, highly personalized container. It turns your coffee into a wardrobe accessory! (Well, maybe that’s pushing it a bit.) And it’s good for the environment. What’s to lose?

   Posted by mudlark @ 10:00 pm | 3 Comments  

   

   July 23, 2007 | Water, Food & drink, Lifestyle

   

   Over here at Broom Huggers we’re pretty excited this week. We’ve got a lot going on, not the least of which is our Dog Days of Summer Giveaway, hosted by Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

   And we’re giving away - not one, but - two SIGG reusable aluminum water bottles! These were featured on Oprah’s Green Show, they’ve been featured in tons of magazines, like Backpacker, Time (as one of the most amazing inventions of 2005), Women’s Health, the USA Today, the list goes on and on.

   We’ve chosen this specifically as our giveaway because we’re firm believers that bottled water is a waste of money for you, and a terrible thing for the environment. So in an effort to encourage you all to ditch your bottled water, we’re giving away 2 reusable bottles (that are much more functional and hip and pretty than your typical plastic bottle). Did you know that a large percentage of bottled water (we’re talking about the big brands here) are just tap water? It’s true. Check out Fast Company’s recent article - it’s one of the best we’ve seen on the matter. The Green Guide (published by National Geographic) also has a good article on the true cost of bottled water - to your pocket and the environment. (more…)

   Posted by mudlark @ 6:57 am | 275 Comments  

   

   July 18, 2007 | Broom Hugged, Water, Food & drink, Being Green, Lifestyle, News

   
   Next week will be a big week here at Broom Huggers - thanks to all the negative attention bottled water has been given (see here and here), we’ll be giving away TWO SIGG reusable bottles. As featured on Oprah, Time, Elle, and over a dozen other magazines, these bottles are cool and highly durable.Broom Huggers will be giving away one adult bottle and one child’s sippy-cup SIGG. So don’t forget to come back next week and enter the drawing!

   

   Posted by mudlark @ 5:44 am | Comments  

   

   July 10, 2007 | Water, Shopping, News

   Inhabitat clued us in that the US Congress plans to go carbon neutral by the end of the current term!

   �Gristmill filled us in on the demographics at the Live Earth house parties in Austin this weekend. Looks like us broomhuggers are 30-something-plus. I find that odd when it looked like the concerts were geared toward a younger audience… but maybe I’m just not hip enough to get it…

   One of Fast Company’s feature articles this month talks about the ins and outs of bottled water. $15 billion? Craziness. It’s definitely worth your time to read.

   And to end with, a good buy over at Trade As One. They feature fair trade items, and our favorite are the recycled bags made by coops in Cambodia.

   Posted by mudlark @ 10:54 am | Comments  

   

   June 12, 2007 | Water, Reviews, Broom Hugged, Food & drink, Being Green, Shopping

   Did you know that in most cities the municipal water supply goes through much greater scrutiny than bottled waters? That means your tap water may be healthier than bottled water. And frankly, the plastic used in bottled waters is atrocious for the environment. Really, if you’re drinking bottled water - especially from those little throw-away single use bottles - consider switching to something a little more earth friendly. Either get yourself a water cooler if you’re too cool for tap water, or if you just don’t like the taste, get a decent filter for your tap. And spend the money you would have used on bottled water to get yourself a nice reusable bottle to keep with you on the go. It wouldn’t hurt if it was pretty too, right?

   Klean Kanteen has sippy adapters now for use with toddlers and preschoolers. Turn your stainless steel Klean Kanteen into your child’s spill-proof sippy, and you won’t have to worry about the carcinogenic hazards of poor quality plastics leeching into little Johnny’s juice. They’re on sale now at Reusable Bags. And while you’re there, pick up a tote bag for your groceries. Save us from plastic-bag-dependency!

   Posted by mudlark @ 12:23 pm | Comments  

   

   May 9, 2007 | Water, Reviews, Broom Hugged, Food & drink, Being Green, Shopping

   Here it is. Featured on Oprah. Called the toughest water bottle by Backpacker Magazine.

   Sigg water bottles are a great looking, fully-functional way to tote your water and be kind to the earth. They keep your water tasting like water and don’t allow particles to seep into it.

   They’re dishwasher safe. And the rest of the good news? After 10-15 uses, it pays for itself! Yes, your tap water is most likely perfectly safe and clean, and if you filter it well you can be sure it is. In fact, it’s probably cleaner than most bottled waters. And… no more putting plastic water bottles in the landfills. Check it out here!

   Posted by mudlark @ 6:02 pm | 2 Comments  

   

   April 23, 2007 | Being Green, Water, Health, Cleaning products, Shopping, News

   Oprah had a great show on Friday about making environmentally-friendly choices. The goal of the show was to show viewers small things they can be doing in their every day lives to help the environment. A few highlights -

   • Paper or plastic? Neither! Bring your own reusable bags when you shop. The plastic bags take eons to biodegrade, and paper bags use a staggering amount of trees every year. So, BYOB! Bring your own Bag!
   • Water - one liter of bottled water takes 5 liters of water to produce. Use tap water - filter it if you feel the need, and buy a reusable aluminum bottle.
   • “Fake” Clean: Clean doesn’t smell like pine or lemon. Clean doesn’t smell! The chemicals in regular cleaners aren’t healthy for people, animals, or the earth. Use natural cleaners and a natural cleaning company (need we say, like Broom Huggers!)
   • Did you know that appliances and electronics still use 40% of their power when they’re not in use? Your toaster, lamps, tv - they all use 40% of their power as long as they’re plugged in, on “standby.” The solution? Use a Smart Power Strip. Turn of the power strip and it’ll keep those appliances from sucking energy. Also, it groups your electronics in ‘clusters,’ so that when you turn off your TV, it also turns off your DVD player and surround sound too. Clever!

   There are some awesome resources at Oprah’s website, along with some video feed. Check it out!

   Posted by mudlark @ 2:53 pm | 2 Comments