According to Project Laundry List, about 35 billion loads of laundry are washed each year in the U.S. The average household washes about 50 pounds of laundry in 7.4 weekly loads, cleaning some 6,000 items annually. About half of all loads are done in warm water, 35% in cold, and 15% in hot. Some 90% of those loads are dried in a gas or electric dryer. TEACHERS: Click here to get a lesson plan for Earth Day That much laundry makes a big environmental impact. So what can we do to keep both our clothes and the environment clean? Try these ideas on for size:

When it comes to fending off insects, most of America reaches for DEET, a chemical invented by the U.S. Army in 1946 to keep bugs away from soldiers. Now it's DEET that's causing concern. The chemical can migrate into the body and create problems. Some highly sensitive individuals have suffered seizures linked to DEET exposure, and a 2001 study at the Duke University Medical Center found that the chemical can cause brain cell death and behavioral changes in rats after frequent and prolonged use. DEET has also been known to trigger asthma attacks.

With a thickness of 1,500 miles and a weight of 5.1 million billion tons spread over more than five trillion billion cubic yards, the atmosphere is arguably the largest place on earth. And in light of the climate crisis, it's also the most endangered. Fortunately, there are many actions each of us can take to prevent climate change. With energy-related pollution responsible for the lion's share of our carbon dioxide emissions, stopping global warming is largely a matter of using energy wisely and limiting our carbon footprints. These tips will help: In the Car

Creating a healthy home is a journey. There are a lot of possibilities to consider, and you won’t get there overnight. We recommend taking it slow, and choosing the options that best fit your family, your lifestyle and your budget. Every action you take will have a positive impact! To help you get started, we’ve created three lists of ideas: Light Green are easiest to do. Dark Green require more of a commitment. And Deep Green mean you are in for the full ride. Keep in mind that Light Green ideas can have as much impact as those on the Deep Green list. Light Green Steps to a Healthy Home

Modern household cleaners are significantly more effective than their predecessors. Synthetic cleaning agents, anti-redeposition agents, bleaches, builders, enzymes and optical brighteners have produced a generation of products that work against more forms of dirt and with less effort than ever before. But in our attempts to get our clothes whiter and homes cleaner, we’ve accepted a plethora of chemicals that pose serious health and environmental concerns. What happens when I use traditional cleaning products?

The weather forecast may still say "summer," but in millions of homes around the country, the calendar has a different message: another school year is almost here, and with it the season for new clothes, fresh supplies, and all the other gear that kids will need to continue their adventures in learning.