The Healthy and Eco-friendly Outdoors can be one of the most challenging areas to address along your journey. We spend a lot of time outdoors, so it makes sense that we share with you some indoor and outdoor housekeeping tips. We want our surroundings to be healthy, environmentally friendly and aesthetic.
The garden
In a perfect world, a carefully planned garden is a welcoming place for its inhabitants, as well as environmentally friendly. Some attributes of a Heathy and Eco-friendly Garden:
- Shrubs around the house will have a cooling effect on your home, as plants don’t absorb and retain heat as much as concrete.
- Trees provide shade and act as a windbreak and noise and air filter.
- Deciduous trees near north-facing windows in the southern hemisphere and south-facing in the northern hemisphere allow the maximum amount of sun in the winter when the branches are bare. In the summer they provide shade.
- Pergolas and trellises covered in trailing deciduous vines add shade in the summer, while allowing light through in the winter.
- Native bushes between the house and road absorb noise and fumes as well as attract native birds to the garden.
- A compost heap and worm farm are used to recycle biodegradable household waste and garden clippings into a natural fertilizer and mulch that can be put back into the garden.
- Mulch is used on garden beds to maximize water retention and to suppress weeds.
- A rainwater tank augments the city water supply.
- Gray water is channeled onto the lawn rather than wasted.
- A fixed watering system delivers water directly to where it is needed without wasteful runoff.
- A small kitchen garden provides an abundant supply of fresh herbs and salad vegetables.
- Companion planting helps to deter pests without the use of chemicals.
A safe, organic garden
Efforts to reduce your home’s impact on the environment are particularly rewarding in the garden and should be a part of your journey.
There are many ways to reduce the amount of water you use, and kitchen scraps and other biodegradable household waste can be composted and returned to your garden. With a little extra care and observation, you can grow a more abundant, healthy garden without relying on pesticides and herbicides.
Health and safety measures are especially important in the garden. Great care should be taken with correct storage of the many dangerous chemicals that lurk in the shed or garage. In many places fences around pools are required by law. There’s little point worrying about indoor pollution if you regularly pour toxic chemicals on your garden paths and flower beds and take no precautions when you use them. Regular cleaning and tidying outside also uncovers maintenance jobs that you can attend to, preferably before they become major undertakings.
Clean and pleasant gardens
Gardens are usually more relaxed places when it comes to cleaning and tidying. But keeping things looking their best often prolongs their life too, saving us the expense of replacements.
Barbecue
The heat of a barbecue burns off old grease and dirt, but you can prevent the buildup of burned remains in the first place by doing a little cleaning up after a cooking session. Brush off what you can with a wire brush, then wipe with scrunched-up old newspaper.
Bricks and stone paving
Usually brushing with an outdoor broom is enough to keep bricks and stone paving looking good, especially as a little weathering improves their appearance. If mold and mildew become a problem, however, scrub the bricks and stones with a mild solution of household bleach, leave for forty-eight hours, and then rinse with a hose or power washer.
Removing weeds between paving stones mechanically— digging, snipping, or pulling out—is kindest on the environment. You can also try killing them with hot water. Borax is a low risk weed killer, but don’t use it where it could leach onto beds or lawn, as it is poisonous to all plants and does not discriminate. Soap herbicides, with the active ingredient of fatty acid, are also safe for the environment.
Canvas awning and umbrellas
Brush off any dirt and debris, then scrub with a hard-bristled brush dipped in warm water and detergent.
Rinse. For stubborn stains, sprinkle with baking soda, leave for five minutes, then rinse with the hose or a bucket of clean water. This will also help remove musty odors.
Remove mildew stains with a weak solution of bleach, but test for colorfastness first. Leave the bleach solution on for forty-eight hours, then rinse. To avoid bleach, try rubbing the mildew with half a cut lemon dipped in salt. Always allow canvas to dry completely before putting it away.
Garden furntiture
Furniture made from sealed wood should be wiped with a damp sponge dipped in a detergent solution. Keep an eye on cracks in the sealer and renew it regularly to maintain effective protection.
Give unsealed wood a protective coat once a year by rubbing in a mixture of four parts raw linseed oil and one part turpentine.
Wash rattan furniture with warm, salty water and leave it to dry in the sun. Protect rattan pieces by painting them with an outdoor lacquer.
Wash canvas furniture as you would canvas awnings (see opposite).
Lubricate metal hinges with oil or petroleum jelly.
Use a chamois cloth to wipe over metal frames. Liquid wax polish helps prevent rusting.
Gutters
The only gutters worth having are clean ones: leaf- and dirt-filled ones don’t work properly when it rains and are a hazard in dry, hot weather. To prevent a serious buildup of leaves and other debris, fit mesh along the gutter. This will protect the downspouts from blockage.
Clean gutters regularly. Use a trowel, plastic scraper, or stiff brush to remove debris and built-up dirt, then give the gutters a good hose. Check the downspout on a regular basis for blockages; use hot water to loosen any encrusted dirt before ushing the pipe with the hose.
Hot tubs
Regularly empty and clean your hot tub by following the manufacturer’s instructions. If you plan to keep the hot tub constantly full, you’ll need a filter system.
Swimming Pools
You’ll need plenty of equipment to keep your pool hygienic and clear of leaves and other debris. Chlorine or other chemicals keep bacteria and algae counts down.
You can test for the right chlorine and pH levels with special kits. Scrub algae off the steps and pool sides with a nylon brush. Specialized vacuum cleaners and filter systems clean the water, but you’ll also need to regularly skim a leaf net over the surface.
Keeping the area around the pool clean and free of leaves will help keep the pool clean too. Sweep regularly, keep plants trimmed, and make sure paving stones are free of mold by cleaning them regularly with a mild solution of bleach. Leave for forty-eight hours, then rinse and brush with a stiff outdoor brush.
Ventilators
Vents in your soffits and house walls need checking and cleaning so air can breeze through. Make sure you prune nearby trees and shrubs. Clean small holes with a bottle brush.
Cleaning windows
We love cleaning windows. There is something very satisfying about seeing sun stream through a crystal-clear window. Like any job, you need the best tools to do it properly.
At minimum you’ll need the following equipment:
- Steady ladder to reach higher windows. Call a window cleaner if you’re unsteady on your feet or suffer vertigo.
- Bucket of cleaning solution—store-bought or one of the homemade alternatives.
- Squeegee—handle with a thin strip of sponge or cloth on one side and a rubber strip on the other.
- Clean cloth. Newspaper.
Cleaning solutions
Commercial window cleaners contain a combination of water, alcohol, and ammonia. They do not contain any abrasives that might scratch the glass, nor soaps and detergents that could leave a film on it. The ammonia helps lift off greasy dirt while the alcohol removes other types of particles and aids in evaporation of the solution from the window.
Getting started
If you plan to clean or wash the window frames too, do these before you wash the glass. Wipe or dust the frames first and if that’s not enough, follow with a wash and wipe dry. The best sort of day to wash windows is a cloudy one as sun on the windows causes the glass to dry too quickly and unevenly, resulting in streaks.
Following the wash or the rinse, squeegee the surface or dry it with a clean dry, lint-free cloth.
For really dry, sparkly windows, polish with a few sheets of newspaper.
Garden Safety
- Make sure pool fences are maintained and gates closed when young children are around.
- Lock garages and sheds.
- Keep play areas well away from driveways. Keep play equipment in good condition.
- Trim branches at children’s eye level and fill any large holes.
- Keep walking paths clear.
ENCOURAGE WILDLIFE
- To encourage birds, let a few plants go to seed, or install a birdbath, bird table, or feeder in your garden.
- Ponds, and the plants around them, provide food and shelter for frogs, bees, dragon flies, birds, and lizards.
- Rocky outcrops attract lizards.
- A small sunny spot is ideal for a patch of unmown grass that will attract butterflies and other insects.
- Moss-covered walls and old tree stumps provide shelter for numerous small animals.
Allergies in the Garden
Allergies strike outside, as well as in. Pollen from garden plants and trees may be a problem for those suffering from hay fever. Some people are allergic to stings from insects that are attracted to gardens. Gardens may also be home to numerous molds.
Contact dermatitis—an allergic reaction caused by touching a trigger substance—can be activated by plants or chemicals.
There are many ways you can reduce your exposure to allergens in the garden.
Clothing: Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. A mask made from a scarf will protect your nose and mouth, while a scarf or hat keeps pollen out of your hair. Long-sleeved clothing and pants protect limbs from coming into contact with irritants, allergens, and insects. Change your clothing aer gardening or spending time outside and do laundry regularly to minimize pollen levels on clothes.
Lawn lore: Mowing the lawn frequently keeps pollen down. Ideally, choose a low-pollen grass that does not need frequent mowing. Replacing lawn with a rock garden or patio reduces the pollen level even more, while also cutting down the need for pesticides.
Remove grass cuttings from the surface of the lawn.
Pollinated pets: Pets bring pollen into the house on their fur. If you suffer from allergies and have pets, you might consider either keeping them out of the house or—more appropriately perhaps for dogs than cats—rinsing them before letting them inside.
Hair Washing or rinsing your hair after being outside for a while removes pollen and reduces longer-term exposure.
Floors: In any room with access to the garden, use easy-to-clean, hard flooring, such as vinyl, linoleum, wooden floorboards, or ceramic tiles. By doing so, you can remove dirt, pollen, mold spores, and animal hairs that blow in or are walked in from the garden.
Shoes off: A “shoes off in the house” policy helps allergy sufferers, as well as housekeepers, by reducing the amount of dirt and other materials that leave your shoe soles and enter your living spaces. Make it easy for everyone by placing shoe racks by the front and back doors to hold shoes, boots, and slippers.
Common-sense compost: If someone in the house is allergic to mold, you need to take extra care with a compost heap. Using a closed system—for instance, some of the special boxes or bins that garden centers sell—will help prevent spores from flying off into the
Turning the compost regularly prevents fungus from growing by bringing new material into contact with the air. Anyone who is prone to allergies should be let off compost-turning duties (or should wear a mask recommended by his or her doctor) and avoid areas of the garden where compost has recently been spread.
Playtime: For children with grass allergies, play areas can be covered with rubber tiles instead of grass, or arti cial turf, both of which can be cleaned with a garden hose to remove dirt, pollen, and spores. A sandbox is another alternative but install a cover to keep out cats when it’s not in use.
Stinging strategies: Insect bites and stings are always irritating and sometimes painful. But for those who are allergic to them, stings can be extremely painful and occasionally fatal. To help prevent stings, bear these factors in mind.
- Many scents attract wasps—for example, perfumes, hairsprays, strongly perfumed sunscreens and shampoos, and even
- Neutral, green, or brown clothes are less likely to attract insects than brightly colored
Pests and diseases
If you are making the effort to minimize your exposure to chemicals inside your home, it makes sense to extend the same care to your outdoor areas too. Reducing the use of harsh chemicals to control insects, weeds, and other pests is better for you and better for your home. You will also be doing the wider environment a favor. You may need to experiment with alternative methods and some of them may need more frequent application than strong chemical pesticides, but the rewards are a safer place for you and your family and a more welcoming environment for all the local wildlife.
Choose your plants wisely
With some forethought, you can create a garden that automatically needs less chemical help. For instance, some plants are bred for resistance to attack by particular insects or to a disease. Ask the staff at your local nursery when buying plants and seeds.
Lawns are big users of water, as well as chemicals such as herbicides and fertilizers. These chemicals tend to leach off the lawn during rain, potentially polluting water systems. You could decide to reduce your lawn area or get rid of it entirely.
Some plants help keep bugs away. If you are interested in learning more check here: Plants that repel unwanted Insects. Having bare soli not only reduces moisture loss, but it also leaves less room for weeds to grow, reducing the temptation to use herbicides in the garden. Strive for a healthy lawn using natural fertilizers that are also pet friendly.
Choose plants that are best suited to your soil and local conditions rather than struggling with unsuitable plants, which are more likely to surrender to fungal or bacterial disease or pest infestation.
Biological battles
Your next line of defense against pests in the garden is to call in a natural army of parasites and predators. Many pests have natural enemies that, if encouraged, can keep them in check. Useful garden insects include ladybugs, wasps, assassin bugs, and lacewings.
Other wildlife to encourage are spiders, birds, lizards, and frogs. One of the disadvantages of using insecticides, particularly broad-spectrum ones, in your garden is that you may kill off these helpers too.
Conversely, controlling ants will assist in aphid and mealy bug control, as ants protect both of these pests in return for the honeydew they excrete.
Local organic gardening clubs or even your local nursery may be able to advise on methods that work for your area.
Mechanical prevention
Next in the plan of attack should come nonpoisonous pest-control practices.
Barriers: Fences and electrical fences keep off larger animals. Well-placed nets keep possums from getting at fruit trees. On a smaller scale, protect seedlings from caterpillars by cutting the bottom out of a yogurt container and placing the container over the seedling.
Water: A strong jet of water dislodges aphids.
Removal: Prune and either burn or compost diseased plant clippings. Remove and destroy fruit fly–infested fruit to reduce fruit flies in the garden. Remove weeds that support pests and diseases—this is particularly effective in reducing caterpillar pests, which use weed species for breeding. Pick off bugs where you can or spot spray. Remove caterpillars or rub off butterfly eggs before they hatch. Cut citrus gall wasp swellings off trees as soon as they appear and burn them.
Rotation: By changing your planting seasonally, like farmers who practice crop rotation, you can disrupt the breeding cycles of many pests.
Sumptuous soil: Soils rich in organic matter deter many soil diseases and pests such as nematodes. Heavily mulching your beds prevents other pests—for instance, the potato moth—from laying eggs near plants. Good soil with the right balance of nutrients also means healthier plants that are better equipped to keep diseases away.
Low-risk pesticides
With a few basic ingredients, you can make a range of nontoxic, economic, effective pest-control solutions to use in the garden (see page 326). Less toxic methods may need more frequent application—for instance, controlling aphids with soap or garlic sprays may necessitate spraying every three days. You may also need to exercise a little more care during the application process—for example, when spraying the underside of azalea leaves if they are being attacked by azalea lace bugs.
Garden shed
All too often the garden shed, or garage becomes a dumping ground where all the outside stuff you don’t want to keep in the house gets stored: solvents, paints, weed killers, insecticides, and sharp, heavy tools. The chemicals are potentially hazardous when inhaled or ingested, or when they come into contact with the skin; they are also a major cause of accidental poisoning, particularly among young children. A well-organized shed is not only more efficient, but also much safer.
Common-sense storage
- If you have children, the best protection is a good lock on the shed door.
- Never store flammable substances near heating devices or open ames.
- Take care that pressurized containers are not punctured or subjected to undue pressure (e.g., don’t put a heavy toolbox on top of them).
- Never store gasoline in plastic containers.
- Never store dangerous chemicals in empty so drink bottles or food containers. Keep poisonous substances in their original containers.
- Contact your local hazardous waste–disposal program for information about the safe disposal of chemicals you no longer need. Under no circumstances should you put them down the drain.
Tools
- Keeping your tools clean and sharp makes them safer to use and extends their life.
- Clean tools by wiping them with a damp cloth or, if necessary, washing them in a detergent solution. Dry them with a clean dry rag and hang them up if possible.
- Disinfect pruning saws and shears aer use to prevent the spread of fungal diseases.
- Keep a can of rough grease or oil with a rag in it and rub it over the metal parts of tools to prevent rusting.
- Wipe over the wooden handles of tools with linseed oil every few months.
- Sharpen the backs of cutting edges by rubbing them on a sandstone or an oilstone every year.
This post could have included a number of other topics however it would have doubled the size. Topics like pesticides, fertilizers, plant types are scheduled for future posts.
We encourage you to share information and tips for creating a Healthy and Eco-friendly and keep your eyes open for future posts.
Enjoy the Outdoors!