20 Green ‘Mom-Approved’ Summer Tips

Image by Horia Varlan

Remember when mom used to tell you…”Put on your sunblock.” “Don’t ride your bike in the street.” “Don’t eat the sand at the beach”. and more? Well, Summer is officially here, so it would probably be a good idea to get a refresher on some of those mom-approved green rules of Summer.

Now, don’t get me wrong, these aren’t hard-core, iron-clad rules or anything, more like tips or suggestions. But when it comes to greening up and enjoying your summer, mom would probably want you to take note:

1. Use sunblock or cover up. There is no reason to get burned  – whether or not you need Vitamin D, a sunburn will not help you in any way. But be sure to use a safe and effective sunscreen.

2. Drink plenty of water. If you buy a BPA-free water bottle, you can bring water with you wherever you go. When it’s hot out, drink more water to ensure you don’t get dehydrated.

3. Open the windows to cool your home down at night. Even when it gets hot during the day, you can turn off the a/c and cool down your home by opening up some windows at night.

4. Pack snacks for trips. Why spend lots of money on fast food, when you can be prepared and pack healthy snacks ahead of time? You save money and eat better too.

5. Vacation locally. Many people tend to want to “get away” during the summer, but who says you can’t do that relatively close to home? Check out local vacation spots (less than an hour away) first, you may be pleasantly surprised.

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6. Get outside. Don’t keep yourself couped up, get out and enjoy nature. Go for a walk, ride a bike, go hiking, go for a swim, go jogging on the beach, etc.

7. Lower your emissions – drive less. If you have to drive try car-pooling or ride-sharing and if you aren’t driving a hybrid or electric vehicle, then be sure to check out a proven fuel additive to lower your emissions even further.

8. If you do drive, drive smart. Check out these “Top 10 Summer Travel Tips“.

9. Water your plants in the early morning or evening. You don’t want to water during the hottest hours of the day, as the water tends to evaporate faster and you end up needing to water more often.

10. Keep your air conditioning off as much as possible. Here are some simple and cool tips for a cooler summer.

11. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables…ideally from local growers. A nice cold watermelon, sliced strawberries, some fresh squeezed orange juice or some cool, crispy grapes may be just what you need on a hot summer day. Bananas are a great boost too, especially if you need more potassium.

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12. Cut out sodas and other sugary drinks. They tend to make you more dehydrated on hot days, not less. Water is a great choice…maybe add a slice of lime, lemon or other fruit for added taste.

13. BBQ some of those Summer meals rather than heating up your home by using the oven/stove to cook. Whether it’s gas or charcoal, who doesn’t like to barbeque now and again?

14. If you can solar charge, do so. Summer is a great time to start solar charging your phone, computer, car, etc. Plus it will probably get you outdoors more.

15. Try camping rather than staying in a hotel. Camping is a classic summertime activity that you don’t want to miss. For those of you who have kids, check out some tips that can make your family camping trip better.

Image by Fiona MacGinty

16. Hang your clothes out to dry. No need to waste energy if you can hang your clothes on a clothesline and let the sun dry them for you.

17. Avoid spraying poisons and other chemicals to get rid of summer bugs/pests. Use organic methods that won’t adversely affect you, your family, your pet or the environment. For example, coffee grounds and/or cayenne pepper work well to deter ants.

18. Leftovers…make good use of leftovers. Especially during the summer, when we tend to have guests over or make more than we actually need, there are often leftovers. Be sure to put leftovers in the fridge/freezer and use them for simple meals throughout the week.

19. When cleaning up try using re-usable rags or towels. ShamWow towels or PeopleTowels work well when trying to clean up and they are better for the environment than paper towels.

20. Don’t buy more “stuff”. Rather than buying more things to have around the house, find creative activities that you can do using existing supplies.

So, there are your 20 green ‘mom-approved’ tips for this Summer. Do you have any other green tips that can help make Summer better? I’d love to hear them! Have a safe and happy Summer!