Accolade Chem-Dry wants to help you find ways to go "green" without turning your life upside-down.

• Instead of throwing out your old furniture, consider having your upholstery cleaned, re-finishing or re-painting it. You can refresh the older piece of furniture without having to add to the landfills.

• Checkout your local farmer's market and find the freshest food available. In addition to supporting your local economics, you reduce the packaging that you would be disposing of from a supermarket.

• Clean your grill after a cookout with half an onion, face down, instead of chemical cleaners. Make sure the grill is still really hot, and the black crusty grate will be shining like new in no time.

• Replace those old-fashioned, standard light bulbs. The Energy Star fluorescent light bulbs use two-thirds less energy and generates 75% less heat than traditional light bulbs.

• Use ceiling fans instead of air-conditioning, and check to be sure your fan is spinning clockwise to push the air down. Turn fans off when you leave the room. Fans cool people, not rooms.

If you would like to find out more ways to help the planet and conserve, visit some of these sites:

www.thinkgreen.com

www.worldwatch.org

planetgreen.discovery.com

www.epa.gov

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/diy-air-fresheners-7-ways-to-make-your-living-space-smell-nice.html

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/50-great-uses-for-mason-jars.html

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/where-does-dust-come-from.html

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html

Rather than spraying chemical-laden air fresheners, choose one of these seven natural ways to make your living space smell a little nicer.

1. Invest in houseplants. Have your favorite plants and herbs growing in your kitchen, living room and bathroom in small pots. The presence of green plants will help reduce indoor air pollution and keep clean air circulating in your space.

2. Save your citrus fruit skins. Save the peels of oranges, lemons, limes and other citrus- fruits. You can place them in boiling water to have a fresh scent in the kitchen, or run them in your garbage disposal with boiling water. Lastly, put some citrus skins in your vacuum bag the next time you vacuum your carpet.

3. Dilute essential oil with water in a spray bottle. You can spray your furniture and carpet to make the whole room smell a specific scent. To diversify, you can have different scents for different areas of your home. For example: lavender for the living room, sandalwood for your bedroom and peppermint for the bathroom.

4. Place bowls of white vinegar in corners of the room. The vinegar will neutralize and absorb any offending odors.

5. Place fabric softener in your shoes and closet. It will take away any stale clothing smells. For another closet air freshener, place a cedar block at the bottom of your closet. Use sandpaper for a new layer once a year.

Offering premium carpet cleaning services to North Tampa, South Tampa, Brandon, Lakeland, Temple Terrace, and all surrounding areas.