Derek Markham put his heart into this article. In it he cites several news sources about plastic pollution in our water. Many of the particles are microscopic or nearly so. But did you realize that using synthetic fabrics in the household contributes to plastic pollution every time you do laundry? Derek doesn’t preach at you to get rid of all your synthetics right now, as he knows that would be impractical and create waste. Visit him at TreeHugger to read the whole post.
 
Remember, we drink this stuff.
 

 
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, won’t it be great for the cooking and entertaining to go smoothly? You can’t control everything that happens on a busy holiday, but you can control whether you remember all your dinner ingredients so you won’t have to get anything last-minute. Heather Solos explains a spreadsheet system that is the perfect way to organize a Thanksgiving shopping list including several recipes.
 
See Home Ec 101
 

Lagos, Nigeria, has a waste management problem. Municipal services are only collecting 40% of the city’s garbage and only manages to separate 13% of the recyclable garbage from that. Imagine piles of garbage lining the streets of your neighborhood. It’s stressful just to walk by. It clogs gutters and sewers, making floods more common, and dirty water with garbage floating in it runs right into people’s front doors. Yet local recycling facilities are only running at half capacity.
 
Wecyclers is a new company that is giving communities a chance to take waste into their own hands. Wecyclers collects recyclable waste and reimburses families and communities. Staff use the green power of tricycles with carts to transport the waste.
 
No wonder they won the 2014 Sustania Award.
 
Thanks to Derek Markham for letting us know on TreeHugger.
 

 
Homemade cleaning spray that kills bacteria is simple enough to make: just take vinegar and dilute it a little. But if you can cover the vinegar smell with something beautiful, it is much better. Grab the new recipe at Wellness Mama for a safe lemon basil cleaning spray recipe with essential oils.
 
Smells clean
 

 
Down comforters are precious and worth the cost but do you really have to dry clean them? According to Ashley Poskin, you don’t. Having your down comforter dry cleaned professionally can help you avoid the hazards of treating it too harshly or drying it insufficiently. However, the steps at Apartment Therapy show you how to wash your own down comforter while taking adequate care. If you have a great place to hang comforters or if your laundromat’s XL dryer is not too expensive for a long job, the method linked could save you money.
 
Get down.
 

 
Have you ever wondered about how your washing machine gets clothes clean? How about a a front loading washer in particular? How do they use less water and soap but often work better? Mary Marlowe Leverette has taken the time to explain how front loaders get clothes clean with better efficiency.
 
About.com Laundry
 

 
In your children’s opinion, the best place for toys is scattered all over the house. In case you disagree, head to the Clean Mama blog where she tours her family room toy storage and outlines the reasons and the ways she makes it work.
 
See also: colorful toys.
 

 
Laundry is one of those constantly renewing chores that you have to keep up with. As you and your family grow, so can your laundry workload. If you’ve ever seen your laundry get out of hand, visit Shifrah Combiths at Apartment Therapy for tips on how to stay on top of the pile.
 
It can be done.
 

Alternative power proudly goes where fume generating power cannot. SolaRoad is a bicycle path made of solar panels in Krommenie, Netherlands. The project is a space saver, using a road for two purposes and building solar infrastructure to serve the local neighborhood. This pilot project is 230 feet long and could later span the city.
 
Learn more at Inhabitat.
 

 
Adapting to a simpler lifestyle means change, which isn’t always easy, especially if you’re not sure where to start. At least you’re here; consider hanging your laundry to dry more often. At Be More with Less, Courtney Carver outlines five big areas where people have trouble adopting simplicity.
 
Clicking is simple.