Books:

Independence Park Fieldhouse, book shelf by the Springfield Ave. entrance.

Open Books, www.open-books.org. Drop boxes and curb side pick-up. 

Various little book boxes in the neighborhood.

Bread/Product Plastic Tags:

Save the small plastic tags that are used to close up bread and produce bags and bring them to the next Independence Park Farmers Market, GIPNA tent. These tags will be collected and donated to Danielle Cares for Chairs that uses the tags to purchase wheelchairs for people in need. During the off-season, save the tags until the next market season.

Cell phones:

cityofchicago.org. Type HCCRF in the question box. That will take you to the 1150 N. Branch recycling facility. In addition to cell phones, there’s a huge list of items that they accept and hours of operation. Some of items that are accepted are oil-based paints, compact fluorescent light bulbs, computers and related equipment.

Cleaning solutions/chemicals: 

Eyeglasses cleaner: Mix 1 part water, 1 part rubbing alcohol, and 1 drop of dish detergent in a spray bottle. Spritz your glasses with this cleaner and polish with that special cloth that came with your new glasses. Do not wash the special cloth ever with fabric softener. 

Drain cleaner: Pour 1 cup of salt into the drain, followed by 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of white vinegar. Allow the vinegar to react with the salt and baking soda for about 30 seconds, then add 2 quarts of boiling water. 

Hard water spots: Soak a cloth in white vinegar. Spray additional vinegar on a towel to prevent it from drying out. Remove the towel and scrub the area with soft nylon brush. 

Toilet: To get rid of rust stains, pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the bowl, wait 30 minutes, then scrub. Avoid chlorine bleach, which can set rust stains. 

Showerheads: To descale a showerhead, fill a plastic bag with white vinegar; secure it to the showerhead with a rubber band so the head is submerged overnight. Remove and flush with hot water. Tackle stuck-on buildup with a toothbrush or toothpick. 

Clothing degreaser and armpit odor fighter: Use an old spray bottle. Fill it with 1 part liquid laundry detergent, 1 part ammonia and 1 part water. Spray on those underarm areas and greasy collars. 

Washing machine: To sanitize the drum, pour in a quart of white vinegar with a cup of baking soda, and scrub with a stiff nylon brush, then run a heavy-duty cycle at the hottest setting. Use a toothbrush and vinegar to scrub detergent compartments, or toss removable ones in the dishwasher. Use hot, soapy water to deslime the door gasket, then dry. 

Dryer: Clean the lint trap with a crevice vacuum attachment, then wipe down the drum with a 1-to-1 solution of diluted white vinegar. To clean the exhaust of lint buildup, unplug the machine and remove the duct at the back of the dryer. Use a rotary brush to pull out lint and debris, then vacuum up any remaining fibers. Be sure to remove and clean the exterior vent, too. 

Window glass cleaner: Mix 1 pint of rubbing alcohol with ½ cup soapy ammonia. Add enough water to make one gallon of glass cleaner. Use an old spray bottle. 

Plexiglas cleaner: Be sure and use a microfiber cloth for this. Mix 2 cups of water, add 1 T. dish detergent, mix gently so that you don’t create bubbles, and spray on the cloth. It’s best to spray the cloth as if you spray directly onto the framed picture, the fluid might seep behind the Plexi onto the artwork. Gently wipe the surface in a circular motion until dry. Plexi is frequently used instead of glass on framed artwork and pictures. You can easily tell if your artwork is framed under glass or Plexi by lightly tapping it with your ring. Glass makes a hard sound; Plexi makes a softer sound.

There are lots of clever frugal cleaners when you do a google search.

Clothing:

Unique Thrift, 3748 N. Elston Ave., Chicago.

Village Discount Thrift, various locations. The store at 2043 W. Roscoe has a donation trailer in the parking lot.

Commercial Composting Services for Residential Pickup

blockbins.com

collectiveresource.us 

theurbancanopy.org

wastenotcompost.com

Computers, cords, cables, etc:

Cords and cables are difficult to find places that will accept them for recycling, but they can be 

dropped off at Best Buy. Check bestbuy.com for details under Haul Away and Recycling. Computers can also be dropped off at the City’s drop-off locations. The closest facility to our area is at 1150 N. Branch St., Chicago 60641. Every Tuesday 7 a.m. to noon; every Thursday 2 to 7 p.m.; first Saturday of every month 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 1150 N. Branch does not accept cords, cables, etc.

Corks:

Save your wine corks and bring them to the next Independence Park Farmers Market, GIPNA tent. A GIPNA member takes them to a local facility for recycling.

Electronics:

Recycle computers, computer monitors, TVs, printers, faxes, scanners, keyboards & mice, VCRs, DVD players, DVD recorders, video game consoles, portable digital music players, digital converter boxes, cable & satellite receivers, small-scale servers at one of the City’s drop-off locations.

The closest facility to our area is the 1150 N. Branch St., Chicago 60641. Every Tuesday 7 a.m. to noon; every Thursday 2 to 7 p.m.; first Saturday of every month 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit www.chicago.gov/hccrf for more info. The web site also lists all the other items that are accepted, including oil-based paints, CFL bulbs, etc.

Eyeglasses:

Walmart, Goodwill and the Lions Club, lionsofillinoisfoundation.org

Furniture:

Unique Thrift, 3748 N. Elston Ave. 

Habitat for Humanity ReStore Chicago, 6040 N. Pulaski Rd., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. habitatchicago.org/restore

Glass:

Clean bottles and jar glass can be put into the Blue Bins. No window glass or drinking glasses. You can also take blue and green glass, clear glass (no windows), and drinking glasses to North Park Village Recycling Station, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.

Hearing Aids: 

Lions Club: lionsofillinoisfoundation.org

Magazines: 

John B. Murphy School, 3539 W. Grace St. The magazines can be used for art projects.

Disney II High School, 3900 N. Lawndale Ave.

Musical Instruments:

John B. Murphy School, 3539 W. Grace St.

Disney II High School, 3900 N. Lawndale Ave.

Paint, paint thinner and turpentine:

Latex paint can be put into the regular garbage bin. Open the cans to let the leftover paint dry out first. Oil-based paints, paint thinner and turpentine should be recycled at the City’s 1150 N. Branch facility. Chicago 60641. Every Tuesday 7 a.m. to noon; every Thursday 2 to 7 p.m.; first Saturday of every month 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Paper:

Most clean paper and cardboard can be put into your Blue Bin. Shredded paper is a no-no. A great resource that accepts shredded paper, food packaging, newspapers, white paper, and office paper is North Park Village Recycling Station, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.

Pesticides:

Take pesticides and weed killer in clearly marked containers to the City’s 1150 N. Branch facility. Every Tuesday 7 a.m. to noon; every Thursday 2 to 7 p.m.; first Saturday of every month 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Plastic bags:

Take the bags back to the grocery store and put them in the collection bins. A small reminder: do not put plastic bags in your Blue Bin as the City will not pick up your Blue Bin.

#6 Plastics:

It’s a bit of a haul, but Dart Corporation, 7575 S. Kostner, Chicago 60652 accepts #6 plastics. The drop-off shed is on the S.E. corner of the building on 76 th St.

Unfortunately, the City’s ward yard near Andersonville doesn’t have the #6 dumpster anymore.

Rat poison:

Homemade rat poison: Mix a cup of cornmeal with either a cup of powdered chocolate mix or sugar. Add in one cup of baking soda. Blend well. Fill jars with the bait mixture until they are about half full. Place the jars in the areas that rodents frequent. Rat can’t burp or pass gas and can’t digest cornmeal. With the baking soda in the mix, they basically blow up in a couple of days. That sounds inhumane until you learn that one rat can have as many as 500 babies in one season! This mixture isn’t toxic to other animals or to any birds of prey in case the rat gets picked up off before it croaks. 

School Supplies:

John B. Murphy School, 3539 W. Grace St.

Disney II High School, 3900 N. Lawndale Ave.

Shrink wrap: 

Clean shrink wrap can be included in your plastic bag recycling.

Sneakers:

Lions Club (lionsofillinoisfoundation.org)