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On the last Friday of every month, the Ontario Science Centre is holding “Sci Fri”, a free gathering for the high school and university aged crowd.  “Sci Fri” events feature free music, free food, lounges, and activities, but perhaps more importantly, are themed on globally important scientific topics.  You can meet like-minded people, network, take in some guest speakers, participate in some fun and unique activities, and of course, enjoy the free amenities. 

• Baking Soda: it's about a buck a box and it's used for deodorizing everything from your fridge to your gym socks. It can also be used to clean porcelain fixtures, and a mix of baking soda, white vinegar, and boiling water will clear your sink drains in no time.
• We mentioned white vinegar up there, and there's a good reason for it: it's non-toxic, cheap, and it cleans almost everything! One RFD Staffer uses it in his dishwasher instead of Jet Dry -- the same result, for a fraction of the price! Mixed with water, it cleans everything from mirrors and windows to linoleum and wood floors.
• Next on the Green Cleaning Superstar List? Tea Tree Oil. It's not as common as baking soda and vinegar, but it's an all-natural plant-derived oil that kills mold and mildew and disinfects.
• Last but certainly not least is Salt. Now, we have always loved salt. On our French Fries. But actually, salt comes in handy around the house! It's a natural abrasive that works wonderfully well in conjunction with vinegar or lemon juice to polish copper, pewter and brass. It will also remove red wine and grease stains.
• One last green cleaning product? Rags! Old clothes and old sheets and towels make really great rags. And since you're reusing them rather them throwing them away, they're free!

• To start, the Anti-Wrinkle Honey Mask. Now, we're used to seeing anti-wrinkle creams and masks go for $50 per tiny container, but this homemade mask consists of honey, a little carrot juice, and baking soda. It's natural... and very cheap! The same website says that one apple, mashed, will make an excellent tightening mask. Maybe an apple a day keeps the wrinkles away?
• For sunburned or otherwise inflamed skin, yogourt is said to make an excellent soother. Simply spread it on, let it sink in for roughly 15 minutes, and then rinse it away.
• Care2.com and other beauty websites also provide simple directions for a homemade Sugar Scrub. We've seen jars of factory-produced Sugar Scrub sell for $45 or more, so the thought of making our own with $1 worth of sugar and a little oil is very appealing.
• Last but not least is the Honey Facial. If you've already washed your body with sugar, why not treat your face with honey? There are directions on creating an effective facial mask from honey, oatmeal and buttermilk here, and we've also seen recommendations to use straight honey as a nightly face wash.

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• Milk bags - Cut open 1 side, give them a quick wash and rinse while you're doing the dishes, and let them dry. You'll have a steady supply of tough and sturdy plastic bags that are useful for storing, well, anything that fits!
• Scrap paper - Everyone has it, use it for anything from doodles to making notes to printing out draft copies instead of wasting clean paper.
• Reuse envelopes and boxes for shipping - Open packages and envelopes gently and when it comes time to send rather than receive, cover the existing address with a label or stamp.
• Gift Bags - these things certainly pile up over time, and especially at this time of the year. Skip the wrapping paper this year and reuse a perfectly serviceable gift bag.
• Plastic Food Containers - Why buy tupperware when any number of regular grocery items come in perfectly reusable containers already? Margarine containers, tofu containers, pre-made salad containers, the list goes on and on.
• Paper Towels - a paper towel that has just been used to dry clean hands or the like can easily be dried and reused later for a dirty job like wiping plates before washing. Better yet, check out this thread in our green forum and learn about using shop towels instead of paper towels. They're inexpensive, super durable, and highly reusable.
• Sponges - Don't clean things with a dirty sponge, but don't toss it out either! 2 minutes in a microwave can effectively destroy 99% of bacteria and other harmful buildup in a sponge and prolong its usefulness (make sure the sponge is damp before you microwave it).
• Newspaper - wad it up and use it as a packing material instead of relying on foam peanuts or styrofoam.
• Coffee Tins and clean Egg Cartons - Think of the children! Schools, day cares, day camps, and kids anywhere can always use such items for arts and crafts. Keep some around the house for a rainy day children's activity or check if a if local school or daycare wants to take them off your hands.

• Are slugs destroying your flowers and other plants? Use beer in shallow bowls or sprinkle crushed egg shells or oat bran on the ground to get of the slugs before resorting to more costly and harmful chemicals.
• If you've got aphids, ladybugs are considered one of the best -- and most green solutions out there. You can even buy them in bulk to release in your garden! And of course, ladybugs are very earth-friendly. If you don't want to buy ladybugs for your garden, try attracting them by planting "fennel, dill, cilantro, caraway, tansy, wild carrot & yarrow... and scented geraniums."
• Watering your lawn or plants at night or in the early morning means less water evaporates, which is good for your plants -- and your water bill.
• Try to pull your weeds, rather than spraying with weed-killer. Hey, as an added bonus, all that bending will be a great work-out!
• Last but not least, compost, compost, compost. It's free, it's waste-reducing, and it's great for the earth. In next week's Green Tip Tuesday, we'll be talking more in-depth about the particulars of composting, so be sure to tune in.

• Honeywell programmable thermostat: $10 rebate (PDF)
• Honeywell programmable electric heat thermostat: $5 rebate (PDF)
• Aube Technologies indoor/outdoor timer: $5 rebate (PDF)
• Aube Technologies programmable switch: $5 rebate (PDF)