You want to get in on the fun of repurposing, but you don't really have an idea in mind.  We hope our list will get your juices flowing. 

What exactly is repurposing?  Repurposing is to use something for a purpose other than what it was originally intended.  Think of it as recycling.  An item can be modifying to fit a new use, or by using the item in a new way.  This method is not limited to physical items only, and is a frequent practice for marketing material and content is repurposed all the time.

Below is a list of random items that we thought could be repurposed.  How many of these items have you seen?  Just think of the interesting and creative creations.

• Desks
• Chest-of-Drawers
• Glass Bottles
• Old Rubber Boots
• Wooden Bucket
• Drinking Glass
• Flowers
• Soda Bottle Plastic (Link to post on FB)
• Clothes
• Chair
• Mini Toy Ships
• Cotton Balls
• Toilet Bowl
• Unwrapped Peppermint Candy
• Wood Chips

Our list needs your help.  Can you think of other random items that can be repurposed? Do you have a repurpose project photo?  Share it with us!  We would love to feature you.

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Do you have green or Eco-friendly tips and tricks?  We know you do, send them to us for an opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to build your community by sharing your knowledge?

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Give the gift of a healthier home.

1st Green Clean prides itself as a premier leader in residential home management services. 1st Green Clean is a luxury service provider we accept a limited number of appointments, we have an exclusive and limited clientele. When you invest in a home, you want a service provider that invests time in managing your home service needs, comprehensive consultation, and the security of reliable service. 

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All the bending over while your cleaning, you act like you can just grab a spare back off the shelf.  You wish.

Purchase a no-bend dust pan.  A dustpan with a long handle will help minimize the amount of bending over you will have to do during cleaning.


To learn how to make your own cleaning solution, visit our post "10 Ingredients In Homemade Cleaners".


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Do you have green or Eco-Friendly tips and tricks?  We know you do, send them to us for an opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to build your community by sharing your knowledge?

1st Green Clean - A Leader in Home Management Services
Give the gift of a healthier environment.

Imagine how much better you will feel to have a pristine and healthy working environment and all you did was make a phone call.  1st Green Clean can transform your life.  1st Green Clean is a professional firm here to manage with a superior level of detail to the cleanliness of your business.  You can also brag to your customers about your commitment to their health, office experience, and supporting the environment by going chemical free.  We work with a goal of exceeding your expectations and increasing your value. 


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To camouflage a scratches on wooden furniture; break the meat of a black walnut, pecan, or Brazil nut in half and rub it in the.  Go with the grain of the scratch for a quick fix.




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Do you have green or Eco-friendly tips and tricks?  We know you do, send them to us for an opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to build your community by sharing your knowledge?

1st Green Clean - A Leader in Home Management Service

Give the gift of a healthier home and lifestyle.

1st Green Clean prides itself as a premier leader in residential home management services. 1st Green Clean is a luxury service provider we accept a limited number of appointments, we have an exclusive and limited clientele. When you invest in a home, you want a service provider that invests time in managing your home service needs, comprehensive consultation, and the security of reliable service. 

P.S. Hurry! Our services are exclusive and strictly limited. Don’t miss out! 

Call now! 866-905-9002 ext. 104

How may we service you?: http://www.1greenclean.com/our-services.html

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Make double use of your time by organizing and straighten up the coat closet while waiting for the school bus; clean and sort kitchen counters while talking on the phone.




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Do you have green or Eco-Friendly tips and tricks?  We know you do, send them to us for an opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to build your community by sharing your knowledge?

1st Green Clean - A Leader in Home Management Services
Give the gift of a healthier environment.

Imagine how much better you will feel to have a pristine and healthy working environment and all you did was make a phone call.  1st Green Clean can transform your life.  1st Green Clean is a professional firm here to manage with a superior level of detail to the cleanliness of your business.  You can also brag to your customers about your commitment to their health, office experience, and supporting the environment by going chemical free.  We work with a goal of exceeding your expectations and increasing your value.  


P.S. Hurry! Our services are exclusive and strictly limited. Don’t miss out! 

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Delegation saves you time and covers more ground.  Teach children from a young age if they can pull out toys they can put toys away.  After they take off dirty clothes show them where they go to be washed.  Children can be taught o dust, make their beds, fold laundry, vacuum, sweep and load the dishwasher.  Enlist teens to head up the larger jobs.  Trust them, they can handle it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you have green or Eco-friendly tips and tricks?  We know you do, send them to us for an opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to build your community by sharing your knowledge?

1st Green Clean - A Leader in Home Management Service

Give the gift of a healthier home and lifestyle.

1st Green Clean prides itself as a premier leader in residential home management services. 1st Green Clean is a luxury service provider we accept a limited number of appointments, we have an exclusive and limited clientele. When you invest in a home, you want a service provider that invests time in managing your home service needs, comprehensive consultation, and the security of reliable service. 

P.S. Hurry! Our services are exclusive and strictly limited. Don’t miss out! 

Call now! 866-905-9002 ext. 104

How may we service you?: http://www.1greenclean.com/our-services.html

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Forget a complete home Spring cleaning.  Clean as needed.  Set aside two hours once or twice a week for a family cleaning night.  Plan ahead and make a list of all the tasks you want to complete and where.  Write one task and the location on a slip of paper until all the tasks are in the bowl.  Each person takes a turn picking until the bowl is empty.

This is a great way to make cleaning fun for younger children and it save you time by not carrying all the home maintenance responsibility. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you have green or Eco-Friendly tips and tricks?  We know you do, send them to us for an opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to build your community by sharing your knowledge?

1st Green Clean - A Leader in Home Management Services
Give the gift of a healthier environment.

Imagine how much better you will feel to have a pristine and healthy working environment and all you did was make a phone call.  1st Green Clean can transform your life.  1st Green Clean is a professional firm here to manage with a superior level of detail to the cleanliness of your business.  You can also brag to your customers about your commitment to their health, office experience, and supporting the environment by going chemical free.  We work with a goal of exceeding your expectations and increasing your value.  


P.S. Hurry! Our services are exclusive and strictly limited. Don’t miss out! 

Call now! 866-905-9002 ext. 104

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By Franny Syufy

We all agree that a clean house is not only desirable, but essential to the health of both humans and the cats who share our homes. Ironically though, our homes are full of household cleaning supplies which can be harmful to our cats, things like chemical cleaners, disinfectants, and insect repellents. In an effort to protect our cats from exposure to toxic substances, while keeping our homes free from dirt and germs, the About Cats Forum members brainstormed and came up with a list of helpful “clean green” tips and ideas. We have discovered that there are a number of safe products we already have on hand that can be diverted toward safe cleaning.

Vinegar has a multitude of uses both inside and outside the home. Here are just a few:

• Windows: Mix 1/8 cup vinegar with a pint of water for a great window and glass cleaner. Use in a spray bottle and use newspapers to wipe and polish. For a particularly dirty window, add a tablespoon of dish detergent to the mix.
• Floors:Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar in a gallon of warm water. Use to damp mop vinyl, ceramic tile, or laminate floors.
• Cat Urine Odor in Carpet: If necessary, use a black light to locate the stain. Use a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water. Soak stain well, then blot with (recycled) paper towels or an old towel until all liquid is absorbed. Repeat if necessary.
• Stains on Clothing: Gently rub the stain with full-strength vinegar. Allow to site for a few minutes, then launder as usual. Helpful with fruit, jelly, mustard, coffee or tea stains.
• Clogged Kitchen and Bathroom Drains: Pour 1/2 to 1 cup baking soda into the drain, followed by one cup of hot vinegar. Let sit for several hours, then follow with very hot water. This tip is also useful as a monthly preventive maintenance, using 1/2 cup baking soda.
• Wood Cutting Boards: Spray or wipe with full-strength vinegar. (It also will remove any lingering onion odors.)
• Ant Control: Spray straight vinegar (or a 1:1 vinegar-water solution) around baseboards and other areas where ants enter the house.
• Weed Control: Spray full-strength on resistant weeds. This is particularly helpful if you have indoor-outdoor cats who venture outside occasionally to much on grass. Also use to kill grass and weeds in cracks in your driveway or sidewalk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you have green or Eco-Friendly tips and tricks?  We know you do, send them to us for an opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to build your community by sharing your knowledge?

1st Green Clean - A Leader in Home Management Services
Give the gift of a healthier environment.

Imagine how much better you will feel to have a pristine and healthy working environment and all you did was make a phone call.  1st Green Clean can transform your life.  1st Green Clean is a professional firm here to manage with a superior level of detail to the cleanliness of your business.  You can also brag to your customers about your commitment to their health, office experience, and supporting the environment by going chemical free.  We work with a goal of exceeding your expectations and increasing your value.  


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Salt’s granular texture makes it perfectly suited for scouring. Table salt, sea salt, and kosher salt can all be used, but table salt is the cheapest choice.
Price: About 69 cents a pound.

Use It to Clean Your…Artificial flowers: Place the fake blooms inside a paper bag and pour in salt. Close the bag and shake vigorously. The salt will dislodge accumulated dust and dirt.

Glassware: Salt won’t scratch the way a scouring pad can. To get out stubborn stains, add some salt for extra abrasion and scrub.

Greasy pots and pans: Sprinkle salt on cookware to absorb excess grease. Dump out the salt before washing as usual. (Not recommended for nonstick cookware.)

Spills in the oven: If that casserole bubbles over as you take it out of the oven, pour salt on the spill to soak it up. When the oven is cool, wipe with a damp sponge.

Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Sprinkle salt on the outside of a lemon peel; rub the affected area till clean.

Wooden counters and tables: Cover grease splatters with salt to absorb as much as possible. Wait an hour, then brush away the salt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you have green or Eco-friendly tips and tricks?  We know you do, send them to us for an opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to build your community by sharing your knowledge?

1st Green Clean - A Leader in Home Management Services
Give the gift of a healthier home.

1st Green Clean prides itself as a premier leader in residential home management services. 1st Green Clean is a luxury service provider we accept a limited number of appointments, we have an exclusive and limited clientele. When you invest in a home, you want a service provider that invests time in managing your home service needs, comprehensive consultation, and the security of reliable service. 

P.S. Hurry! Our services are exclusive and strictly limited. Don’t miss out! 

Call now! 866-905-9002 ext. 104

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By Sarah Aguirre, About.com Guide

Baking Soda: Baking soda works as a mild abrasive, helping to gently scrub things that need to be scrubbed, but not scratched. Baking soda also works well to remove smelly odors, making it a prime candidate for a bathroom and kitchen cleaner. Baking soda also works to removes stains, and can be used to help soften laundry.

Borax: Borax is a laundry booster that can be used in a few different ways around the house. Borax is actually a natural mineral, but can be an irritant on skin, and shouldn't be ingested. Borax can be used as a stain remover and a substitute for bleach. Borax can also be used to repel insects, although care should be used around pets and small children.

Castile Soap: Castile soap is an oil based soap, that can be used to clean almost anything in your home. Diluted liquid castile soap can be used as an all-purpose cleaner. Liquid castile soap is an excellent degreaser.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch can be used as a starching solution for clothing. Cornstarch also absorbs oils and greases, making it a great help in the laundry room or for stains on counter tops.
Essential Oils:Essential oils help add a pleasing scent to homemade cleaning solutions. Be careful when using essential oils. A little goes a long way. There are people with high sensitivities to essential oil fragrances.

Lemons and Lemon Juice: Lemons can be great for scrubbing copper bottom pots. The juice works to clean and shine the pans. Lemon juice is a natural bleach, especially when combined with the sun. Lemon juice is a natural degreaser, which comes in handy with dishes.

Salt: Salt is an abrasive solution for scrubbing. Use salt to get rid of rust and mildew. Salt also works to help polish copper and silver.

Toothpaste: Toothpaste works as a very mild abrasive, similar to soft scrubbing gel solutions. Toothpaste can be used to clean silver. It can also be used to remove stains on white clothing, tennis shoes, and in many other places where a light scrubbing is needed.

Vinegar: Vinegar can be used as a fabric softener in the rinse cycle of your washing machine. Vinegar makes a great all-purpose cleaner. Mopping with vinegar is an inexpensive way to keep your floors clean. Vinegar is a great stain remover. Vinegar carefully combined with baking soda, makes a great foaming toilet cleaner.

Hydrogen Peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a disinfectant. It also is one of the most effective blood stain removers.With all of these ingredients, be careful about mixing cleaners together. Use new clean bottles. Follow storage guidelines for cleaners. Rinse thoroughly, and always follow instructions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you have green or Eco-friendly tips and tricks?  We know you do, send them to us for an opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to build your community by sharing your knowledge?

1st Green Clean - A Leader in Home Management Services
 Give the gift of a healthier home.

1st Green Clean prides itself as a premier leader in residential home management services. 1st Green Clean is a luxury service provider we accept a limited number of appointments, we have an exclusive and limited clientele. When you invest in a home, you want a service provider that invests time in managing your home service needs, comprehensive consultation, and the security of reliable service. 

P.S. Hurry! Our services are exclusive and strictly limited. Don’t miss out! 

Call now! 866-905-9002 ext. 104

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Author: SJ WILSON

“I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.” How I wish I could utter those words! But like many people, falling asleep each night has always been difficult for me. I've usually got too much on my mind, and just can’t relax. But there are ways to increase your chances for a good night’s sleep. 


1.  Maintain a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Going to bed at the same time each night sends a signal to your brain that it’s time to “power down” and helps promote better sleep at night. There's a catch, though. If you don't fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing.
 
2.  Exercise regularly, but not before bedtime. Regular physical activity can promote better sleep, helping you to fall asleep faster and to enjoy deeper sleep. But timing is important --too much vigorous activity close to bedtime will just keep you charged up.
 
3. Avoid naps, but if you really need one, limit it to half an hour, before 3 PM.
 
4. Limit your caffeine consumption to 8 hours before bedtime.  You’d like to be asleep by 10, but that cup of coffee you had around 4 PM might keep you up until midnight. Also limit how much you drink before bed, to prevent disruptive middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet.
 
5. Lavender has long been thought to have calming properties, and you can apply it
in many ways, from rubbing lavender lotion on your body, to having lavender
scented oil in the bedroom, or—at the risk of sounding like your great, great
aunt—to keeping a lavender-filled sachet folded in your pillowcase.
 
6. Start lowering the lights an hour before bedtime, letting your body know that
sleep is on its way. Read a book, or listen to soothing music. Relaxing activities can promote better sleep by easing the transition between wakefulness and drowsiness.
 
7.  If you’re in bed, and still not asleep after 30 minutes, tossing and turning will only increase anxiety. Get up and read a book, but don’t pick up “In Cold Blood,” or “The Exorcist.”  Try to choose something a little dull. Have a cup of caffeine-free tea, and listen to soothing music. If all else fails, drink warm milk and watch cable news
 
Sweet dreams!
 
Do you have any bed-time rituals that help you get a better night’s sleep?
 
Photo: Allan Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you have green or Eco-Friendly tips and tricks?  We know you do, send them to us for an opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to build your community by sharing your knowledge?

1st Green Clean - A Leader in Home Management Services
Give the gift of a healthier environment.

Imagine how much better you will feel to have a pristine and healthy working environment and all you did was make a phone call.  1st Green Clean can transform your life.  1st Green Clean is a professional firm here to manage with a superior level of detail to the cleanliness of your business.  You can also brag to your customers about your commitment to their health, office experience, and supporting the environment by going chemical free.  We work with a goal of exceeding your expectations and increasing your value.  


P.S. Hurry! Our services are exclusive and strictly limited. Don’t miss out! 

Call now! 866-905-9002 ext. 104

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