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Compact Fluorescents are a hot topic these days. Australia has mandated their use and there has been some talk of similar laws in the US (I’m looking at you, California). What’s the big deal with them? They last longer and use less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs. The negative? They cost significantly more. While your typical incandescent bulb is typically less than a dollar for a common wattage, a compact fluorescent can cost as much as $2 or $3.

So while they’re a pretty big investment, they offer power savings and therefore save money on your electric bill. The question is how long will it take for this pay off in power savings to account for the extra expense of the bulbs? Well it might not be as long as you think, compact fluorescents also last quite a bit longer than incandescent bulbs. Another benefit is they put off less heat than incandescents. Less heat is always better when it comes to cooling a house in Georgia.

The amount of time it would take for the compact fluorescent investment to pay off can vary a lot home to home. Low Impact Living estimates about 1.5yrs on average for a small home. In the world of green living and green lifestyles where an extra cost with little to no economic reward is usually assumed this is quite good. The typical compact fluorescent bulb promises to save anywhere from 40 to 80 kw/hours per year.

It all depends on how big of an initial investment you are willing to make and how long you are willing to wait to see some net savings. Compact fluorescents are an incredibly easy “green” solution though. If you can change a light bulb you can do the upgrade. I have heard some complaints of CF’s not fitting in certain lamps or fixtures but I have yet to come across this. CF’s are getting smaller with each new generation and I have even seen some shaped like the classic light bulb.

Another tip for those that rent like myself. If you want to use CF’s but are worried about not feeling the impact due to a short lease, consider your new bulbs an investment. Take them with you when you move and reinstall the old incandescents. Yes CF’s cost more but because of this they should not be considered disposable like incandescents.

I park my car out on the street and to save myself from the Augusta heat I park it under a tree. While this keeps my car cool it makes keeping it clean a losing effort. I especially hate dirty windows and for the past two weeks I’ve been accumulating a sticky tree sap-like substance on my car.

So rather than buy some expensive bottle of windex or some automotive window cleaner I decided to use a homemade alternative. I mixed equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and went to work. The vinegar easily dissolved the sticky gunk on my windows and then buffed out nicely with crumpled up newspaper (an old detailer’s trick, no streaks and no lint). The only downside is that my windows and hands smelt like vinegar afterwards. That’s not a smell that comes out easily.

Vinegar has a hand in almost every homemade cleaning solution. Get a bottle of vinegar and a box of baking soda and there should be very little that remains dirty in your home. So far I’ve only tried the vinegar/water solution on my car windows and bathroom mirrors but I’ll be trying some new solutions in the future. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you my faithful readers updated on all the different things I try.

So while Seventh Generation products have been proving wonderful to use the price left me doubtful about their chance for widespread appeal. Recycled paper products are a different story though. Publix’s Greenwise toilet paper and paper towels are the same price and sometimes a few pennies cheaper than the regular Publix brand.

The Greenwise products are 100% recycled paper with no added dyes, fragrances, or inks. They look like normal paper products and perform quite the same. The toilet paper is soft and easily as good as the comparable store brand or cheaper bathroom tissues. If you’re already buying the high end, aloe-filled, super quilted types you won’t be impressed. However, if you’re buying whatever is cheapest this might just be an upgrade. Like the toilet paper, the paper towels are just as good as the typical store brand. I’m something of a paper towel snob usually but I’m very happy with the recycled ones.

While using recycled paper products certainly makes a difference (especially for someone like myself that uses them a lot), the best way to save paper is to just reduce use altogether. I use a dish towel when possible to clean up in the kitchen and I’ve cut up old cotton t-shirts to use as small towels. Toilet paper will not be replaced anytime soon at my home (hygiene and sanitation take priority over the environment) but I’m trying hard to reduce my paper towel consumption.

I highly recommend the Publix Greenwise toilet paper and paper towels. They’ve replaced normal paper products in my home as long as the price stays the same or lower. Reducing paper use would be the simplest solution though. It would also be an easy transition for someone who buys the higher end paper towels or toilet paper since they could focus on simply cutting consumption.