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Eco-rate Your Green Home Products

November 2, 2009 in Green Building, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

There’s a newer green consumer site in town. Ok, not THAT new. Eco-rate launched last May and aims to make green living a little easier with reviews of green home products that weigh “The environmental and economic costs of product ownership, providing a unique platform for meaningful product comparison.” Eco-rate offers this little click-friendly house you see below. Simply click on a room, and get information on technology and products related to that space, plus product buying guides.

According to site owners Brycelaine Self and Colby Self, “The site is an evolving project aimed to inform and inspire. We update the site daily based on our continued research and your feedback.” The owners credentials are as follows…

Brycelaine is a Principal of Eco-innovations, along with expertise in economics, sustainable product innovation and environmental stewardship program management. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and an ENERGY STAR partner and home verifier. Colby is also a Principal of Eco-innovations and has experience in environmental policy and socio-economics. He’s also an ENERGY STAR partner and home verifier, and EPEAT and WaterSense partner liaison.

I checked out the site and they have an extensive area dedicated to how they rate and product criteria, which is nice. It’s shocking how many green sites who review products fail to offer this basic info. There’s a news and forum section (not too busy yet), along with a nice eco-dictionary. The reviews vary in length, but some are very in-depth and there’s enough reviews posted that it’d be easy to visit Eco-rate and choose some products. To give you an idea review areas look like the image below…

I like that they show how far away the product is made – that’s cool and makes you think about how big a footprint you really want. Plus consumers can leave their own reviews too.

If you’re looking to buy some green products for your home, I’d check out Eco-rate and see if you can learn more before buying.

Why buy a PVC free shower curtain?

October 23, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

You know that icky plastic smell that fills the bathroom when you get a new shower curtain liner or basic curtain? That’s PVC. Polyvinyl chloride or PVC is very hard to recycle and most products made with bunches of it end up in the landfills. However, finding a recycling center to take PVC products off your hands should be the least of your concerns.

PVC leeches like mad from products containing it. The soil and water near factories who make this stuff are terribly polluted, but it’s further reaching then this. If your child chews on a toy with PVC phthalates can jump right into in his system. If you have a shower curtain made with PVC, it’s in your home. PVC contains many more harmful chemicals then phthalates though including lead, cadmium, and/or organotins, which can be toxic to your health.

Dioxins are another baddie of PVC; given off when you make or burn PVC products. Dioxins are an environmental pollutant linked to skin lesions, such as chloracne and patchy darkening of the skin, and altered liver function. Long-term exposure is linked to impairment of the immune system, the developing nervous system, the endocrine system and reproductive functions. Fun!

Worse, PVC is very hard to escape. It’s in all sorts of products you use each day. That’s why starting with your shower curtain is a good plan. It’s easy and a good way to NOT support PVC products.

Find a PVC free shower curtain:

The Hidden Hazards in Air Fresheners

October 7, 2009 in Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

We’ve all heard that traditional, conventional air fresheners can be toxic, but keep in mind that air fresheners listed as “natural” or “unscented” can contain hazardous chemicals. In a recent study, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found hormone-disrupting chemicals known as phthalates in 12 air freshener products; some marketed as “all-natural” and “unscented” and none said that they contained phthalates. Additionally conventional air fresheners are a household source of VOCs. Not cool.

See the list of air fresheners (pdf) that NRDC rated.

What is safer?

Well, for one thing making your own scented products with non-toxic ingredients such as flowers, herbs, spices, citrus, essential oils, and so fourth is a safe as you can get because you know what’s in them. Following are some ideas for non-toxic homemade air fresheners.

Autumn Organic Flowers

September 4, 2009 in Green Your Home, Seasonal Green Living by Jennifer | No comments

We’re still about 2 weeks or so away from the official start of Autumn, but it’s not too soon to make your home look autumn ready with some amazing organic fall flowers. If you haven’t been growing your own fall garden, there are still some cool places to snag fall colors.

  1. First try your local Farmers Market and co-ops – they both likely carry organic flowers, but they’ll be grown locally so no emissions. Plus they’ll be fresher. Another perk is that you can arrange your own bouquet which is fun and creative.
  2. A second option is a local natural grocer or local organic flower shop. Some flower shops do carry organic flowers and plants, even if they’re not selling that point. Ask.
  3. If all else fails look online. It’s not as good, because there’s delivery involved, but it’s an awesome time of year to perk up the house with flowers, so if you gotta go online, you gotta. Following are some online Autumn bouquet picks that I adore.

Time for new eco-friendly throw pillows

August 25, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Eco-friendly throw pillows are one easy way to amp up your decor without having to pay a lot or make huge time intensive changes. You can toss fresh throw pillows on beds, the sofa, a big chair, or even pile them on the ground near a bright window. Some eco-friendly throw pillows I like include:

Amenity – Organic Cove Pillows are a 55% Hemp, 45% Organic cotton blend fabric. They’re hand silk-screened and filled with Kapok or recycled polyester eco fill, plus have an organic cotton cover. Comes in rectangle or square and is available in tons of color choices.

K studio makes some extra adorable throw pillows in your choice of hemp, recycled wool, or organic cotton and all sorts of various color choices. Some I like include; all over branch pillow – bird pillow – neighborhood pillow.

Decorative organic cotton Eco-Art Pillows pillows are hand printed with modern designs using environmentally safe water-based inks and can be filled with organic kapok fiber sustainably harvested from the rain forest or soft ecofiber.

Lucky Earth: Wash your car with ZERO water

August 23, 2009 in Green Your Home, Healthy Green Home, On-the-Go by Jennifer | 2 comments

Each year people waste tons of excess water washing their car. As a home owner this not only raises your water costs but also runoff caused by the hose can allow chemicals from your car into your yard, driveway, and if you walk in that water, into your home via your shoes. One option that can keep your car clean without the negatives above is a waterless car wash. There are lots of waterless car wash brands on the market, but they’re not all the same. I recently tried Lucky Earth Waterless Car Wash and here’s the inside scoop…

Lucky Earth “Waterless” Car Wash is Lucky Earth’s signature car care product. It’s made with just water, natural surfactants (the cleaner) derived from coconut, and silicone. According to Lucky Earth, “The surfactants break up and lift the dirt from the vehicle’s surface, while the silicone allows the dirt to be easily whisked away without scratching.  The silicone leaves a smooth feel and glossy shine on automobiles, boats, and all types of motorsports and watercraft.” View the MSDS product sheet (pdf) which notes no toxic ingredients.

I reviewed the 32 oz. spray bottle of “Waterless” Car Wash which provides enough product to wash your car about 7-10 times. The wash doubles as an interior car cleaner, and can be used on the dashboard, leather seats, doors, and any other non-fabric surfaces. This product must be used with microfiber towels and I also got a set of those to review along with the wash.

What I think: Read the rest of this entry »

How To Cut Heat Loss and Conserve Energy with Evergreen Tree Windbreaks

August 3, 2009 in Green Your Home, Organic Gardening, Save Energy, Save Money by Jennifer | No comments

The following is a special report from Fast Growing Trees Nursery about how to effectively lower your energy costs, improve your landscaping, and save money all due to trees!

According to The Department of Environmental Protection, evergreen windbreaks are the most effective component in cutting winter heat loss. Research indicates that heat energy savings of up to 40 percent are possible resulting from diminished wind velocity and reduced air infiltration into your home. Considering the U.S. average, that could mean a savings of as much as $400 per winter!

Location is the most important factor in effectively planting a windbreak. The evergreens should be planted north and northwest of your home. That will place them perpendicular to the strongest and coldest winter winds. Plant the trees in a “U” or “L” shape to block the wind most effectively. The best zone of wind protection occurs from 2 to 7 times the height of the trees you plant. For example, if the mature height of the evergreens you’re planting is 20 feet, then the zone of maximum protection will occur 40 to 140 feet downwind. Keep this zone in mind when figuring out how close to a structure you’ll need to plant your trees for the greatest effect. Finally, decide how far apart to plant your trees. Plant them more closely to have them grow together quickly. Or plant them farther apart to save money but wait a little longer for them to fill in.

Keep a few things in mind as you plant your evergreen trees. Evergreens like full to partial sun and just about any soil conditions. Dig a hole slightly shallower and about twice the diameter of the root system. Use your shovel to scrape the walls of the planting hole so the roots can easily penetrate the soil as they grow. Then, set each tree in the planting hole and spread out the roots. The bottom of the hole should be firm enough to keep the tree from sinking after it’s planted. The top of the root ball should be about an inch above the surrounding soil. Then make sure the tree is straight up and down in the hole. A level is very helpful for accuracy.

Finally, apply water as you backfill the hole with soil to remove any air pockets. Break up dirt clods and remove any grass, stones or other debris. After the transplant is complete, water each tree again well. To keep the soil moist, it is recommended that you mulch around the tree. Use enough mulch to reach a depth of 2 to 3 inches. This will keep the moisture in and slow down the growth of weeds and grass.

For more detailed info on how to plant evergreen trees, visit Fast-Growing-Trees.com and check out their planting information.

Five simple ways to care for the planet

August 1, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

You can do so many things to go green but sometimes the best things are little things that you do over and over without fail. These small changes add up. Here are some great ideas…

Buy recycled and recyclable packaging only: Choose one item; toys, home goods, food, or so on. Food is an easy one. Every time you buy packaged food make sure the packaging is both recycled and/ or recyclable. It’s super easy to locate this sort of packaging. First off, many products will be labeled with the words, “100% recycled packaging” or sometimes a lower content. If there is no label look at the underside of the package. If it’s bright white it’s likely made from new, not recycled materials. If it’s brown or gray, it’s usually made from recycled content.

Boycott a conventional product: Be sure that this is a product you might actually use and or like, but boycott it on account of an eco-unfriendly quality. For example, your favorite shampoo if it’s tested on animals. Boycott and write the company to let them know why you refuse to buy it anymore.

Buy three new reusable items this month: Cloth napkins, a water bottle, a stainless steel food container instead of plastic baggies, a reusable coffee filter, and so on. You’ll get a cool eco-product and cut your consumption of disposables.

Fix something: Broken appliances, gear, clothing, and toys litter the landfills. Can you fix something instead of tossing it out? Why not fix two things? It’ll become a habit.

Turn out the lights once a week: Light candles, play board games, go outside for an evening walk, or read stories on the patio at dusk. You don’t need electricity to have fun.

What simple steps are you taking to go green?

What is low-impact living?

July 23, 2009 in Green Your Home, Save Energy, Save Money by Jennifer | No comments

Low-impact living, in basic terms, is living lightly, or as lightly as you can on the planet. Everything we do, from the day we’re born, affects the planet. Your goal as someone who wants to live green and protect the planet is to lower your impact when you can. You can’t have a zero impact – it’s impossible, but you can take small and major steps to green all aspects of your life.

First of all, if you don’t know you’re impact you’re stumbling around in the dark. Calculate your own eco-impact using the new and improved Low Impact Living Environmental Impact Calculator. Once you enter your zipcode this powerful calculator will show you your personal carbon footprint along with the energy, water, wastewater, trash, and stormwater runoff footprints of your home and lifestyle. Additionally, it recommends projects based on your specific inputs that can save you money, reduce your environmental impact, or in many cases both at the same time.

Once you have your score the next step is decisions and research. It’s hard to lower all your impacts at once so you can choose a couple to work on, and once you get those impacts parred down, choose some more. You can make decisions based on a few factors:

  • Choose an impact that will save you money – i.e work on energy savings for the home.
  • Choose an impact you believe in – i.e. if you’re passionate about ocean life work on buying sustainable seafood and doing some beach clean-ups.
  • Choose an impact that affects many aspects of sustainability – i.e. choosing to work on your transport impact can save you money, help halt the effects of global warming, and make air quality better in your direct area.

Here are five common impacts we make on the planet and some tips for lowering your impact…

Dress up your home with recycled glass tiles

July 17, 2009 in Green Building, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

Tiles are an excellent home application because they can be used for so many things – back splashes in bathrooms or kitchens, counters, you can tile a whole darn wall, surface a swimming pool, use glass tiles in mosaics in the garden or on a fountain, used to highlight an outside walkway, and more. Tiles are also easy to clean and look great. You can get tiles that add a pop of color or tiles that brighten a room.

What kind of tiles to get:

If you want your home to be green, look for recycled glass tiles. Various manufactures use varied percentages of recycled glass in their tiles and also each company will have different eco-policies and ethics in place. One cool place for recycled tiles is Stardust Glass.

Stardust is nice because they offer their tiles at a number of stores but will also work with consumers directly. Stardust Glass creates sustainable, handmade decorative glass tiles made from 87-97% recycled glass; pre-consumer scrap glass, that’s typically headed for the landfill. They also use recyclable materials for product packing and shipping. Plus they use a kiln to fuse their glass tiles, rather than a furnace. A furnace uses more energy and produces more harmful emissions than a kiln.

Additionally their tiles come in a wide range of styles and colors. Click on a gallery picture below to see their work up close…

What is off-grid living?

June 27, 2009 in Green Building, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Off-grid living is a fairly basic premise. Off-grid indicates that your home is self sufficient. vs. dependent, as in you’ve set your home up to be energy producing vs. paying the energy company for power or having your own well vs. paying the water company. Sometimes an off-grid home is referred to as a homestead, although homestead doesn’t exactly mean you’re not dependent on other sources of energy or water.

If you’re living in an off-grid home (or living an off-grid life) you may be doing all or some of the following…

  • Gardening vs. buying produce at the store.
  • Living in a green, or sustainably built home.
  • Composting.
  • Producing energy via alternative methods.
  • Making your own bio-fuel.
  • Cutting out extras (four TVs for example).
  • Making homemade cleaners.
  • Collecting water via a rain barrel.
  • Raising your own food – i.e. chickens.

The list above is super short. To gain more off-grid living ideas and tips visit Off-Grid.

Off-grid living comes in different shades. While most shades of off-grid life are greener than conventional living, not all off-grid homes are 100% self sufficient. Following is great example of an urban off-grid home and their owners. This family is almost entirely self-sufficient, but does rely on public companies for some things (like water). What this video will help you realize is that even more off-grid than not holds both money saving perks and eco-perks.

Bonus link: If you’re interested in off-grid living you’ll love the book Off the Grid.

Summer Sprucing with Eco-hardware

June 24, 2009 in Green Building, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

One of the easiest home spruce-ups is to change your hardware. Benefits?…

  • Fast – it doesn’t take long to change some knobs and handles.
  • Easy – almost everyone is going to be able to successful tackle this project on their own without any extreme tools.
  • Impact – changing the knobs and handles throughout your kitchen or bath, or adding some cool knobs to bedroom furniture can make a huge impact and update your home.
  • Inexpensive – some hardware can be costly, but for the most part, it’s not like the costs involved with say, adding a deck or repainting the entire house.
  • Eco-friendly – nowadays there are a number of sustainable and recycled hardware options for you to choose from.

ECO-FRIENDLY HARDWARE OPTIONS:

Spectra Decor (shown above) carries some of the most lovely recycled glass and aluminum, cork, eco-resin, fused glass, lead-free pewter and stainless steel hardware you’ll find. Read the rest of this entry »

Six green home changes you can make this weekend

June 19, 2009 in Green Your Home, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

If you’ve got the weekend, you’ve got enough time to green your home.

Small changes you can make in just one weekend include:

Eco-window care: Wash all curtains in eco-friendly detergent or wipe down blinds with an earth-friendly all-purpose cleaner. Wash windows with a non-toxic homemade cleaner – either mix 1/2 cup vinegar with one gallon water and spray and wipe or use straight up club soda and wipe down with recycled newspaper. After cleaning open up all the windows wide to let some fresh air in which cuts indoor air pollution more than any other tactic.

Clean your refrigerator coils: Your fridge coils may be costing you in both energy and money. Dirty coils have to work harder to cool your fridge which pumps up your electricity use, and in turn your bill. You can easily clean off the dust and grime with a long brush and your fridge will run better. Note; fridge coils are usually under or behind your fridge (check your fridge manual).

Hang a clothesline: With warm summer air here, you’ve got no excuse not to hang a clothesline. This will save energy and money plus is a super cheap fix to start with. It’ll only cost you about $10 for a decent clothesline and about 50 clothespins either online or at your local hardware store.

Clear out some plastics: Go through your kitchen cupboards and clear out some toxic plastic dishes and containers. Aim to ditch plastics #3, 6, or 7 first as these are the most toxic. Cleaning out toxic plastics leaves you space to stock up on some eco-friendly food storage options and less toxic dishes.

What are your green weekend plans?

[image via stock.xchng]

New Natural Product Web Store: Natural Home Boutique

May 3, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Natural Home Boutique just launched in March 2009 and carries a decent selection of green home items at good prices. Carrying items like bamboo towels, green kitchen products, eco-cleaning supplies, and natural handmade soaps, this would be a good place to get some basics for your home.

Some cool buys here include:

Glasslock Rectangular Glass Food Storage Containers – good if you’re looking for non-plastic, green-minded food storage.

Natural Bar Soap – 5 Bar pack

100% Bamboo Bath Towel Set

The store also features a connected blog, Natural Home Products. The blog is mainly product features and news rather than specific green tips though. Maybe check it out if you’re watching for a sale; I’m assuming they might post news like that there.

Visit Natural Home Boutique.

Insurance needs for green homes

May 2, 2009 in Green Building, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Building or remodeling green is healthy and eco-friendly, but it can change some of your insurance needs because some green home modifications  may need specific insurance or not all the changes may be covered under your current insurance.

If you’re looking for advice, The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has a page full of great insurance tips for green home owners. Some tips offered include:

  • A standard or what the NAIC calls a non-green homeowners policy usually provides coverage for either, “The actual cash value or replacement value of your property with standard building materials.”
  • If you build a home that meets certain environmental standards, you need to check that your policy specifically provides replacement to that same environmental level. If not, you may end up paying out-of-pocket costs to reach those same eco-standards.
  • Green homeowners policies didn’t used to cover repairs, but that’s far more typical now. Make sure your policy covers varying degrees of green repairs.
  • A Green homeowners policy will generally cover the costs of environmentally friendly materials and low environmental-impact processes, as well as energy-efficient replacement products and materials.
  • Green policies are not available in all states. You can check with your state insurance department.

To see all the tips visit the NAIC.

Happy Earth Day – Set Your Green Home Goals

April 22, 2009 in Green Building, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

My general take on Earth Day never changes. It’s a nice holiday, it’s nice to celebrate the planet, but overall, I think it’s too little. To really celebrate Earth Day you need to commit to whole lifestyle, whole year changes. When it comes to your green home, there are plenty of ways you can make some green goodness happen. Following are some great ideas we’ve covered this year – ways you can commit to creating a greener and healthier home.

EASY GREEN HOME GOALS:

Save on all the resources you can. This means you should consider which resources are non-renewable first (oil for example) and then move on to endangered resources (like water). Turn off the lights, unplug your electronics, and use less water. Anyone can make these small changes – they’ll save you money and help the planet.

Totally easy green home ideas may include:

Read a green home book. Reading is fun and easy. You’ll learn something green and new and get to drool over beautiful eco-home images.

Green your coffee! This is such a tiny green step but one that packs a huge punch. If you’re overwhelmed by remodeling your kitchen green or building a sustainable home from scratch, then this goal is the perfect jumping off point.

Quit using bleach! Bleach is terrible for the planet and totally unnecessary for your home. If you’re feeling even more green goal oriented try tossing out all the icky toxic cleaners in your home and commit to green cleaning.

MID-LEVEL GREEN HOME GOALS: Read the rest of this entry »

Make Going Green at Home Easier

April 21, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

A lot of research points out that more people would go green if it was simpler to do so. Not that going green is so hard once you get started, but in many cases I think green can easily overwhelm folks. If you want your home to stay green try making it a snap for people to live with green goals.

For example…

Shoes in the home are an eco-baddie. To make the transition to a shoeless home easier, make sure you place a show tree, or small basket near doors. Have a supply of house shoes and slippers available. Also, tell your pals before they come over about the shoeless rule – some folks like to wear better (i.e. non-hole-laden) socks if they know a shoeless visit is coming.

Install automatic light sensors that turn off lights when folks leave a room.

Set up a recycling center in an obvious place and make sure bins are correctly labeled. Remember, if you’ve got little ones who don’t read yet, make it easy for them by placing pictures of what goes where on each bin.

Make small changes in your diet at first. Switching to organic coffee is one easy switch that makes a large difference. Trying two vegetarian meals a week is less likely to freak a meat-eating family out than switching to an all veggie diet overnight. Gradual is best with green or organic diet changes.

Make changes where you spend the most time first. For example, people spend a lot of time in bed, so making sure your bedding is eco-friendly is a smarter move health-wise than wasting time greening your porch furniture. Not that you shouldn’t make green changes all over, but adjust the important places of your home first.

Focus on the young folks first. Adults can go green for sure, but kids drink green up like it’s going out of style. Kids are far more likely to catch on to green living skills, and do so faster than adults, so focus a major amount of attention on educating the kids in your home. Keep in mind that kids raised green will have an easier time being green as adults than most adults in the current generation.

Are people in your home overwhelmed by green living issues or no?

Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency Improvements

April 21, 2009 in Green Building, Green Your Home, Save Money by Jennifer | 2 comments

If you made eco-changes to your home in 2008, then you were entitled to some tax credits, but not many. 2008 energy efficient credits included:

  • geothermal heat pumps (30%, up to $2,000)
  • solar water heaters (30%, up to $2,000)
  • solar panels (30%, up to $2,000)
  • small wind energy systems (30%, up to $4,000)
  • fuel cells (30%, up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity)

THE BETTER NEWS:

Now is an excellent time to plan for eco-home changes. Energy efficiency improvements that are eligible for a tax credit IF you make the changes January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010 include: Read the rest of this entry »

Can You Green Your Move?

April 16, 2009 in Community, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

Greening a move to a new home is a tough one. Hands down, one of the greenest moves you can make is not to move at all. Find a location you like (a green community preferably) and stay put.

Moving creates waste, uses oodles of energy (depending on where you move to), and creates a need for disposables. For example, it’s common to see a family eat a ton of take-out, or use paper plates during a move.

That said, we don’t always have a choice. Sometimes a move to a new home is unavoidable. In that case, the second best thing you can do is to try and green your move.

GENERAL GREEN MOVING TIPS:

GREEN BOX TIPS:

Use recycled boxes. You can get freebies at grocery stores, warehouse stores, or my favorite – liquor stores. Liquor boxes rock because many have compartments (good for glasses and vases) and are super strong. If the great box hunt is not for you contact a recycled box retailer or exchange site like:

You can also check with local moving companies, many carry recycled boxes now. By the way, just for fun, after you move, save your boxes and build a killer desk.

GREEN PACKING TIPS:

Don’t use polystyrene packing peanuts – these are a huge eco-baddie because they’re made from non-renewable resources. You should use biodegradable packing peanuts – they dissolve in water and can even be composted. Get some at U-Haul.

Save all sorts of recycled stuff for packing – old bubble wrap, which is not eco-friendly, at least can be used again and again to pack breakables. Newspaper and tissue paper are good to save as well for packing.

Padding Paper is great for breakables. It’s 100% recyclable and has a, “Honeycomb-embossed corrugated texture that gives it impact-absorbing qualities when wrapped or folded around delicate items.”

ABOUT THE MOVING TRUCK:

This is one of those areas where almost nothing will help you stay green. No matter if you move by car or truck, you’re gonna use gas. If you’re moving cross country, you’re going to use tons of it. That said, following are some ideas and tips.

In Move Across the Country the Eco-Friendly Way, Planet Green suggests moving by train, or shipping items by train, rather than by truck because trains are more efficient.

See if any local moving truck companies near you are using eco-friendly trucks. Some are, but it can take some searching and luck to find a company near you. You’ll have more luck if you live in a larger area – like L.A.

Do you have any green moving tips to share?

Living large – and not in a good way

April 15, 2009 in Green Building, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

If you’re living in too large a house, you are contributing to a negative eco-impact. Most large homes create a larger footprint, use far more energy that they should, and waste resources. Not to mention, in my opinion, they create this whole more, more, more agenda. I.e. more furniture to buy, more decor, more junk. It’s a problem.

One major step in green living is to live within your needs, not live above them. Own as much house as you need, not more home then you need. That said, how can you tell if your home is too big?

You can use logic first of all. If you’ve got a family of four and a seven bed, four bath house, that’s living too large. If you’ve got a triple garage for those three cars, and you’re just two people, that’s living too large. If the only reason you have such a big space is to store your gear, your collections, your stuff, that’s living too large.

Take a quiz to find out if you’re living too large.

If you want to reduce your footprint and support a healthy environment, you need to learn to live smaller.

More tips:

Green and natural pest control options

April 13, 2009 in Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

With summer coming I thought it’d be nice to do a pest control series here. So far we’ve looked at Green Pest Prevention and safer pest control ideas. Today I’ve got some greener pest control ideas - options that are natural and safe. Why bother with natural pest control? Because you don’t want a home full of toxic pest control poisons.

GREEN AND NATURAL PEST CONTROL:

Keep it clean – see Green Pest Prevention for tips on prevention before the cure is needed.

Ants: Ants hate red chili powder, dry peppermint, and borax. You can crush and sprinkle peppermint near ant entryways, or sprinkle the chili or borax. Ants won’t cross over this stuff. Full strength mint tea can be used as a spot treatment; spray near ant entries.

Cockroaches: Bay leaves can be crushed and sprinkled wherever you see roaches. Garlic will also repel roaches (and other pests). You can grow a pot or two of it near your doorways or blend some cloves in the blender (mixed with water and liquid soap) and spray it near infested areas.

Flies: Use screens on your windows. Place bowls of crushed citrus skins in your rooms – flies don’t love citrus. If you’ve got fruit fly issues try this killer invention: Fill an empty liter soda bottle with water. Leave about five inches of free space at the top. Squeeze an entire banana peel (not the banana, just the peel) into the bottle. Set the bottle where the fruit flies are. This is the ugliest bug catcher you’ll ever see, but I swear it will catch all the fruit flies in your house. Fruit flies are too dumb to understand how to get out of a soda bottle once they dive in after the banana peel (something to do with the curve of the bottle). Once they go in they can’t get out and eventually drown. Can you tell that I really HATE fruit flies?

Fleas: You can find totally organic and natural flea repellents, such as flea free products. Also see these tips for naturally keeping your pets flea free.

Moths: Before packing up clothing, blankets, etc, wash them. Washing kills moth eggs. After washing pack items up tightly in a tightly sealed, moth-proof box. To repel moths in other areas (like closets), place cedar wood shavings, blocks, or cedar stuffed cloth bags in the area.

Spiders: RAID! Sorry – I am deathly terrified of spiders. This is the one and only reason I use toxic pest control EVER. IF you’re not so lame as me, you can one, allow the spiders to live with you (they’ll control the other bugs) or pick them up and set them outside. That idea gives me the heebie jeebies, but honestly it’s the most eco-friendly choice.

Green Pest Prevention

April 12, 2009 in Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

No one wants icky pests (think bugs, mice, and so fourth) in their home, but do we really want toxic chemical pest control in our house either? Nope, I thought not. Following are some pest prevention tips.

PREVENT PESTS FIRST:

Prevention should be your first line of defense at all times. Bugs and other pests may come into your house on a whim, or show up because the neighbors are icky, but overall, pests come because you’ve got something they want. Prevent pests by…

  • Storing food in sealed containers.
  • Use a garbage can with a tight-fitting lid and frequently remove the garbage from your home. Make sure you toss what you can in the disposal or compost it, rather than tossing it in the trash.
  • Keep up with home maintenance. Leaky plumbing or water pools (under plants, under the fridge, in the basement, etc) can inspire pests to visit. You should also make sure to fix holes. Caulk cracks in baseboards and walls. Use wire mesh to block holes near pipes.
  • Feed your pets then pick up the bowls. The EPA advises not even leaving water out for pets overnight, but I’m not sure about that one – it may control pests, but in the hot summer you may end up with a cranky pet on your hands.
  • Be tidy. Some pests like tidy better than messy (roaches for example) but plenty of pests (like mice) love to hide in clutter. By clutter I mean stacks of papers, messy kitchen cupboards, overstocked bathroom areas, and more. Be generally tidy everywhere to evade pests.

Sneaky ways to prevent pests: Read the rest of this entry »

40 Green Home Changes for Earth Day

April 2, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

When it comes to your house, there’s plenty you can do to green it up. Some choices are large and some are small and while it may seem like the big changes (i.e. placing solar panels on the roof) count for a lot, all those tiny green changes you make add up quickly to create an overall more green lifestyle.

Following is a collection of 40 DIY, not too expensive, easy green home ideas – all of these are perfect small goals for Earth Day and beyond.

10 Healthy Green Home Goals:

  1. Chill out and live simple – good for your mind and rolls over into your lifestyle and home.
  2. Choose only the best natural and organic body care products for your bath and kitchen.
  3. Clean green.
  4. Choose soy candles over wax – they emit somewhat less soot.
  5. When you are sick, use only recycled tissues.
  6. Loose the shoes.
  7. Take a crash course on healthy organics for the home.
  8. Sleep healthy.
  9. Plan some fun in your life with an eco-friendly barbecue.
  10. Grow some fresh air!

10 Green Kitchen Changes To Make: Read the rest of this entry »

Green Apartment Life – Easy Ways To Get Sustainable

March 16, 2009 in Green Audit, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

This week we’ve been looking at green apartment living. So far we’ve discussed:

Now we’ll look at some green tips that apply to anyone, even folks in an apartment, and later we’ll check out some sustainable decor and furnishings for apartment life before wrapping up this series.

When you live in an apartment, some green rules won’t apply. Unless you live in a very flexible apartment complex, you may not be able to do things like install a low-flow toilet, change your heating and cooling source, or build a rain barrel. But there are still plenty of ways to go green when living in an apartment. Such as…

Insulate your apartment. Caulking is iffy in an apartment but weather stripping and door draft stoppers are usually ok.

Ditch your landline phone.

Turn Down the Thermostat. You may be better off than a home dweller in this case, especially if you live on a first or second floor with an apartment above you. The extra layer of housing can help to seal in heat in the winter and keep it cooler in summer.

Live simply for a better, greener life.

Use eco-smart lighting like compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs and LED lighting.

Conserve water!

You can solve indoor air pollution even in an apartment. The same tips that work for a house work for an apartment.

Rethink your disposables. Using items like cloth napkins and cleaning cloths over paper towels is not only eco-friendly, but handy in an apartment. Apartments tend to be short on space and it takes more space to store huge packs of paper towels.

Hold a green audit! Not all green home audit questions will apply to an apartment dweller. However, there’s still a lot you can audit and possibly change to stay green. Check out the following home audits and simply cut out questions that don’t apply – such as roofing or landscaping issues.

Do you live in an apartment? How are you keeping it green?

Green Apartment Life – Tools for Living Green While Renting

March 14, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

This week we’re diving into green apartment life – a big deal since the 2008 Current Population Survey notes that about 32% of U.S. residents rent instead of own their home. That’s a lot of households to green up.

Even if you can’t find a totally green apartment community, there are some tools that can help apartment dwellers live green…

An urban compost bin: Anyone, even apartment dwellers can compost. There are plenty of smaller compost bins available. You can set on on your deck or even on your kitchen counter. Once you’ve got some nutrient-rich soil, you can do the following with it:

  • Grow a killer container garden on the patio.
  • Give it to a pal who owns a house and has a garden.
  • Donate it to a local community garden or school.

Rent and borrow: If you need tools for a project, a bike for a specific marathon (i.e. you’re not a regular rider), or a special crock pot, see if you can rent or borrow the item before purchasing one. Why this is green:

  • With less stuff you can live smaller and reduce your overall footprint. Storage space need for items you rarely use is lame and not very green.
  • Buying stuff you only use once is a waste of resources and supplies.
  • Saves you cash that you could use for higher ticket sustainable items. Would you rather own all your own tools that you only use twice a year, or a killer organic mattress?

Be a green human: Technically actions make a far bigger difference than where you live. I.e Portland, Oregon is known as a green hub but just living there does not make you green. You need to practice green living skills like eco-cleaning, saving water, recycling and so on. You could live in an eco-nightmare of a city, but with proper green living skills, your own little home base can still be eco-friendly.

Recycle: Creating a dedicated home recycling area is possible even in an apartment. There are loads of smaller recycling bins available that can make recycling in an apartment easier.

What green living tools are you using in your rental?

How To Green Your Apartment – Find A Green Apartment Complex

March 14, 2009 in Green Building, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Sorry to be MIA folks – I caught a bad cold, which actually I think may be allergies, so I was out of commission. However, I grabbed some meds, and it’s all good now. Well, better anyhow. In any case, the other day we started looking at How To Green Your Apartment.

Today we’ll look at the basics about how to actually find a greener apartment to rent.

There aren’t too many actual green certified, LEED, or sustainable (etc) apartment complexes around. However, some are popping up. The downside is that you’ll likely pay more rent for a “green building” and most of the ones that have been built are in major cities or places that are known as green hubs. If you don’t live urban you’re almost out of luck. That said, it doesn’t hurt to do a search. Your local chamber or commerce, real estate agent, or apartment finder company may be able to help you find a greener building.

Tips for any apartment building: Read the rest of this entry »

Green Apartment Living – How To Green Your Apartment

March 11, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

Often folks discuss changes you can make to your dwelling that are pretty specific to a home you buy which can leave apartment dwellers feeling left out in the cold.

However, green living is not just for folks with a mortgage. Anyone can live green; no matter if you live in a house, a duplex, an apartment, or RV. Ok, an RV is pushing it because of gas issues, but you get my drift.

This week I think we should look at some green living concerns that affect apartment dwellers. To get started, here are some posts from the past that can apply to anyone, in any sort of home setting.

This week we’ll also look at how to green audit an apartment vs. a house, green changes you can make that won’t flip out the landlord, see if we can find some green apartment choices, and more…

If there’s something specific you’d like to learn more about that relates to green apartment living let me know in the comments.

Be an organic home know-it-all!

March 10, 2009 in Food & Drink, Furniture & Appliances, Green Your Home, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

When it comes to organic food and organic home products, there are a lot of choices. It can be overwhelming. However, there’s no need to freak. You will totally look like you know what you’re doing (even when you’re not so sure) with these simple rules…

Organic is not always best: There are absolutely some items you should purchase organic, and then there are the organic items that matter less. Clothing, textiles, and other fabrics for your home are good organic, but you can also choose used or other sustainable fabrics that are just as eco-friendly as organic cotton. For example – hemp, bamboo, and thrift store finds all lower your footprint without the organic label. As for organic food, some purchases offer better health and eco-benefits than others. Check out which organics you need to buy and 11 Ways to Save Money on Organic Food in order to make smart choices.

Don’t go nuts all at once: Small organic changes are just as good as a complete life overhaul, but WAY easier. Don’t try to go massive organic all at once. Start making small changes; i.e. buy organic peanut butter and organic cotton pillow cases. Eventually all your simple changes will start to add up.

Got pets?: Let them go organic too. Many people forget their pets but currently there are many organic varieties of pet foods, green pet homes, and toys out there.

Go organic for health: If you’re only going organic for the eco-benefits, that’s fine, but the health benefits of organic over conventional offer you much more motivation. For example, you can make over your bathroom soaps and cosmetics in order to cut chemicals out of your world or buy a better organic mattress for a non-toxic dream time. Think about organic in a way that personally relates to you because this makes shopping decisions easier.

Make it easy for your kids: Kids raised on organics are in a better position to grow up understanding the long-term benefits. Don’t just go organic – talk organic with the kiddos so they know what’s up. Once they’re old enough to make shopping decisions, they’ll have a far easier time than our generation of adults.

How are you going organic at home?

Easy Ways to Save Some Green – Green Living Skills

February 26, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

There are plenty of simple ways to go green at home. Many of these options can save you two kinds of green; eco-green and a little cash. Some ideas…

Love on some ladybugs: Ladybugs rock; and not just because they’re so darn adorable. Just one little ladybug in your garden will eat loads of pesky aphids; (about 5,000 per year). This greatly reduces the amount of pest-fighting chemicals you need in your garden.

Turn off the shower water while you shampoo: This one small step can save you up to 50 gallons of water per year.

Eat at least five organic meals a week: According to various sources, if all the people in North America ate organic all the time we could reduce our annual pesticide use by about 10 million+ pounds. Holy right!? Even if you’re not going totally organic, you can reduce quite a lot of pesticide use in the U.S. by eating organic most of the time. Learn to read labels so you can make smarter organic choices.

Sign up for daily green tips: Ideal bite offers easy daily tips that can help you keep it green.

Recycle and reuse: Learn to make your own paper, switch to cloth napkins, organize your recycling, or simply learn how to recycle in your own community. You don’t have to do it all, but you should be doing at least some recycling in your home and using some non-disposable items.

Two Quick Green Laundry Tips – Eco-laundry

February 19, 2009 in Green Cleaning, Green Your Home, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

Two icky chemical laundry issues are bleach and fabric softener. You don’t truly need either.

To soften clothing, add 1/4 cup baking soda to the final rinse cycle. If you can stand the scent, some people swear by adding a cup or so of basic vinegar to the final rinse. Being that I hate the smell of vinegar, I stick to baking soda. If you really like fabric softener, try a natural fabric softener.

For non-bleach whitening solutions read the following:

Five easy no-fuss ways to go green at home

February 19, 2009 in Green Your Home, Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

You don’t need dramatics to go green. You can, in fact, take some small steps to green your home. All the small steps you try can add up to big eco-changes.

Install light sensors: Installing light sensors in all your rooms means that when people leave, the lights go out  and you save energy and cash.

Give up juice boxes: Juice boxes, a perpetual kitchen favorite of kids are not so earth-friendly. Even if you can recycle them, there’s manufacturing and shipping to consider. Try a reusable juice container instead like the leak-proof kid-sized Sigg bottles.

Wash your hands right: Switch out your toss away plastic hand soap containers and purchase some refillable hand soap pumps. Most co-ops and natural grocery stores carry bulk hand soap. Or you can make some.

Clean your coils: Cleaning your fridge coils just once yearly can allow your fridge to run 10%+ more efficiently.

Buy big bathroom items: If you don’t buy bulk bathroom items (i.e. shampoo, conditioner, etc) then buy the largest size possible. This technique is especially important with items like toothpaste – which can’t really be bought in bulk. If you have to buy a tube of plastic, it’s better to buy the larger size which eliminates two+ smaller sizes.

Which small steps is your household taking to stay green?

8 Ways to Green Your Home Closets

February 14, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Closets are sometimes overlooked, but you can actually score major eco-points using smart green closet ethics.

Some ideas for a greener closet…

  1. Ditch toxic moth balls (who likes these anyhow?) instead use airtight plastic bins to store clothing and keep it safe. The plastic is not so eco-friendly, but so long as you use it to death, it’s a better deal than moth balls. You can also try a cedar chest; although the lids aren’t quite so good.
  2. Buy organic, hemp, and other natural, non-toxic clothing items.
  3. Go vegan with your shoes.
  4. For a nice closet scent try cedar blocks or lavender bags.
  5. Buy thrift store or other used clothing or hold a clothing swap with pals.
  6. Read Big Green Purse to learn handy tips about making your clothing last longer (and lots more green goodies).
  7. Buy decent closet organizers. You can purchase cheap plastic and cloth organizers and racks, but, in the long run, investing in a quality, long-lasting closet organizer is the greener choice.
  8. Use eco-hangers.

Can you think of any other ways to green your closets?

Homemade Organic Fragrant Room Spray

February 13, 2009 in Air Quality, Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

Homemade organic fragrant room spray is a great alternative to chemical laden (and sometimes costly) conventional air fresheners. If you don’t normally keep essential oils around, the start up costs of making homemade air freshener can seem more expensive than buying a ready made bottle, BUT keep in mind that one little bottle of essential oil will last forever and goes a really long way.

Here are two easy recipes you can make at home:

Organic grapefruit lavender room spray Read the rest of this entry »

Why Choose A Green Bed Mattress and Pillow

February 10, 2009 in Air Quality, Green Your Home, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

Green bedding is a huge deal because we spend about a third of our lives in bed. Some of us probably spend even more time in bed :)

This is a major reason why you should go green with all your bedding, including the main components – your mattress and pillows.

Perks of choosing an eco-friendly mattress and pillow:

Conventional cotton can be jam packed with pesticides and even insecticides. You don’t want to sleep on that.

Many of the synthetic fabrics and materials used in conventional mattresses and pillows are made with non-renewable petroleum products. These products are often further treated with chemicals that can, over time, emit icky junk into the air (and into your peaceful dreams).

Conventional bed items are made with some major flame retardant baddies. Yes, no one wants to burn alive, but flame retardant materials like the ones used in conventional mattresses and pillows are overly bad for your health. The combustible-happy petroleum materials used to make conventional bed items is why the mattress and pillows need treated anyhow.The most common flame retardants are PBDEs and has been shown to pollute both the planet and our bodies. PBDEs have been noted as a possible prerequisite to birth defects, decreased sperm counts, motor skill problems, and more.

All of the above not only can cause problems in your home (added toxicity, chemicals in the air, and health issues) but also are dangerous for the people who manufacture these products.

All in all, conventional mattresses and pillow spell big trouble for your health and your green home. Coming up, how to choose a greener mattress and pillow, and some more facts about healthy green bedrooms.

Do you know what’s in your mattress?

Cell Phones vs. Landlines for Energy Saving

February 6, 2009 in Green Your Home, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle, Save Energy by Jennifer | 1 comment

Today, most of the people I know have cells. Many don’t even have landline phones anymore. However, some people I know have both.

Is this a wise use of energy and resources? Or should you ditch the landline phone?

Eco cons of landlines:

  • Landlines use more energy. Most need to stay plugged in 24/7; even cordless, because of the charger. Leaving anything plugged in drains energy resources.
  • Landline phones are tough to recycle. Some parts can be, but in many cases, you’ll be hard pressed to find a decent recycling center for basic phones.

Eco cons of cell phones

  • Cell phone batteries, for the most part are not eco-friendly. Some companies are working on more eco-friendly phones though.
  • Cell phones are outdated quickly and don’t last as long as most landlines.
  • Cell phones are lost often – another way cell phones cause waste.

The upsides:

Landlines don’t have those toxic batteries, and last a long time. Cell phone recycling programs are becoming very common, and they’re easy to find. Cell phones also use fewer materials to make, and can be unplugged plus charge quickly, using less energy.

What to do:

Some estimate that landlines will soon be obsolete anyhow, which is something to consider. Another fact is that you really don’t need both. If you already have both, it’s probably a smarter eco-choice to ditch the landline. The flip side is if you’re concerned about cell phones causing cancer. This is up for debate, but something to consider. If you’re worried, and having a landline will ease your concerns, it may be healthier stress-wise to have both and only use your cell on the go.

Do you have both landlines and cells in your family? Have you considered ditching one?

Are Shoes an Eco No No?

February 3, 2009 in Air Quality, Green Cleaning, Green Your Home, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

Your shoes may be vegan, they may be made with recycled soles, they may even be made by a totally ethical company, but when you get right down to it, your shoes may be waging war on your green home.

Quick step: Take your shoes off at home.

Why?: Research shows that shoes drag in way more eco-baddies than we think. From pesticides to chemicals whatever is on your shoes comes inside with you and gets tracked all over your house.

Other tips:

  • During the summer taking off your shoes is more important. Summertime shoes have been shown to be worse offenders. During the summer pesticides used outdoors are at their peak, and more of these chemicals make it onto your shoes.
  • Having hardwood, clay, or tile floors reducers your exposure. Carpets, not so eco-friendly on their own, become worse when shoes walk all over them. Studies show it’s almost impossible to clean out dust, pesticides and chemicals from carpets – no matter how often you clean.
  • Keeping the above in mind, a rug or mat outside your door will help to limit the junk you carry inside, because the door mat collects some of the pesticides.
  • It’s also important to improve your overall indoor air quality which can help to combat the stuff you bring in on your shoes.
  • If you hate going shoeless, keep slippers or house shoes by your front door. You can change once you arrive.
  • Don’t forget the kids – they walk where you walk. Their shoes may be small, but they cause the same risk.

Do you go shoeless at home?

“I’m Not a Paper Towel” Dish Towel

January 27, 2009 in Food & Drink, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

This is too funny. BUT actually clever and makes a good point. I haven’t bought paper towels in years. There’s just no point when you can use dish towels instead, over and over. Cloth towels save paper production energy, trees, and landfill space. Plus you save scads of cash by choosing cloth. The bad news is the design could be WAY more stylish, but I think they may have been aiming for an old school country look.

I think this would make a great gift set when paired with my old favorite, the I am Not a Paper Cup Reusable Mug.

I love this darn cup.

What do you think? Are you still using paper towels when cloth will do the job?

+ I’m Not A Paper Towel Dish Towel via BlueQ

The Green Way to Hang Toilet Paper

January 20, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Yup there’s a greener way to hang toilet paper, and I’m not talking about buying recycled content toilet paper, although, that’s good too.

There was an actual study posted at TreeHugger last summer that noted that over hang is better than under hang. Weird but true. Their source (who frankly, may have had way to to much time on their hands) looked at tear mechanics and found that people tear less paper off when they hang their toilet paper with the hang side over rather than under.

I guess this is good to know. It’s a small step sure, but they all add up. Plus, it just goes to show that you can write a darn study about seriously anything.

Read all the facts about the right and wrong way to hang your toilet paper HERE.

Green Your Home Office – Home Office Eco Ideas

January 15, 2009 in Green Your Home, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

This week we’re looking at how to create a healthy and green home office. The other day we saw some office supplies and products that can help you reduce waste and chemicals.Today some tips that can help you easily green your home office space.

Shredding rules: If you splurge on one amazing piece of equipment, make sure it’s a shredder. You need a heavy duty paper shredder. This will help you keep things tidy and supply you plenty of free and recycled packing material. If you have too much shredding, you can compost the extra, or simply toss it in the recycle bin. It doesn’t pay to buy a wussy shredder though. Get a really nice one, like the OfficeMax Shredder, Cross-Cut. This shredder has a 20 sheet capacity (even with staples) and shreds crazy stuff like credit cards and DVDs.

Try green flooring: Some nice eco-friendly rugs, that still allow your chair on wheels to roll around include:

NOTE: for real rolling ease, you should use a rug mat under the rug you choose.

Bring in some real green: Plants are both healthy and green. Placing two or three around your desk is an easy way to improve the air quality in your office. Opening that window from time to time (even in winter) will help to improve your air quality and green your space as well.

Stay warm, save energy: If you can, set up a home office thermostat that’s programmable. If you’re in and out of your home office quite a bit, you might want to consider a sweater vs. the heat cranking.

If something breaks… You should take more steps than just tossing the item. One, see if your item can be fixed. Two, if it can’t be fixed, see if you can recycle it. Three, if it’s not broke, I’d say hang onto it. However, we all know there are folks who like the latest office gadgets. If this is you, don’t toss your old one, donate it to a cause. Plenty of non-profits can use an extra computer or printer.

Stay tuned for tips on green home office accessories.

How are you greening your home office?

Create A Healthy and Green Home Office

January 13, 2009 in Green Your Home, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

I’m thinking that with the start of the new year, redesigning a room in your house to be greener is a great plan. One easy place to start with a green home make-over is your home office.Over the next few days we’ll look at how you can get your home office, be it a space, or an entire room, into tip-top green shape.These tips can also be applied to your out of the house office if you like.

Your basic home office supplies checklist:

There are basically three sorts of products to watch out for in home offices – products that drain excess energy, products that use too many resources, and products that are chemical heavy. Of course, you want to be on the flip side of this…

Products that save energy in your home office: Read the rest of this entry »

Great Green Home and Green Living Links

January 8, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Looking for some good green home reading? I’ve got some great links for you today. Check one or more of them out.

4 Easy Ways to Recycle CFLs

Got building issues? Learn How to Find a Certified Green Professional

I really hope you’re still not drowning in Christmas stuff, but if you are, read, Where and how to recycle Xmas waste.

How to reuse or recycle tea light candle containers?

Modern-Twist Eco Placemats

What should you put in the sink? Find out in, To Drain, or Not To Drain.

Sharp Introduces New TV Recycling Program!

I’d be surprised if you haven’t seen this, but The Seven Most Un-TreeHugger Products of 2008 is awesome, so if you are one of those 2% of green heads who doesn’t read Treehugger, here ya go.

Green cooking with kids – six tips for teaching eco-skills in the kitchen

What have you read that’s good and green this week?

Used Home Furnishings and Decor – Choose Useful and Green Used Home Goods

January 7, 2009 in Decor, Furniture & Appliances, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

In a previous post, How To Choose Green Used Home Goods, we looked at what to avoid when shopping for household goods at a thrift store, antique shop, or other used goods place.

Here are some ideas about making used products work for your home:

Basic rules…

  1. Think useful over decoration, or you’ll end up collecting a bunch of junk you don’t need.
  2. Think about how the object might look with minor adjustments – i.e new fabric on a stool, new paint on a frame, or an old tweed blazer made into pillow cases.
  3. Think outside the box. Re-purpose an item. Almost everything has more than one use.

Old jewelry can be used to spiffy up a picture frame.

Cool recycled wooden crates can be made into shelving or even a small table.

Reclaimed house items, like doorknobs, non-rusty fixtures, and drawer pulls can be used as coat or towel hangers on your wall.

Clear and colored glass vases or bottles can be used as a window cover – i.e. line them up (like in the picture above). You get privacy, but without a curtain. Plus the light shining through is cool.

Old buckets, bathtubs, sinks, boots, carts, and more can be used for interesting container gardens.

You can make wind chimes from old silverware, jewels, and small tin toys.

Old dishes can be broken up and used for a new mosaic table top.

Books that can help you make the most of used goods:

Abode a la Mode: 44 Projects for Hip Home Decor

Decorating with Great Finds(82 ways to use finds from antique stores, garage sales, & attics)

Garage Sale Decorator’s Bible: How to Find Treasures, Fix Them & Furnish Your Home

Junk Beautiful: Room by Room Makeovers with Junkmarket Style

What have you re-purposed for your home?

Used Home Furnishings and Decor – How To Choose Green Used Home Goods

January 5, 2009 in Decor, Furniture & Appliances, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Buying used, from a thrift store, antique shop, or flea market is one great way to keep it green. You’re giving old products a new life, avoiding production of new products, and getting some cool unique finds to boot. That said, you do need to be smart about which used products you choose for your home. Buying the wrong used item isn’t green, it’s a waste of time and money.

Used products to avoid:

Avoid impulse buys: Like any purchase, you need to ask some fundamental green purchasing questions before you buy. Make sure you’re getting something you’ll actually use.

Avoid broken stuff: Some broken items are ok. If you’re sure you can fix it (really sure)  go ahead and buy. If something is going to take massive repairs to get it halfway presentable or working, don’t bother.

Avoid multiple projects: A project is not so broken you can’t fix it, say a shelf that needs refinished, but having too many projects on hand pretty much ensures that none of them will get done. One project at a time is smart.

Avoid non-green kitchen supplies and dishes: If it’s not energy efficient or a smart green tableware choice avoid it.

Avoid safety hazards: Old furnishings may have lead based paints – fine if you’ll refinish it, but not ok as is. Same for thrift toys and especially baby furniture. Make sure everything works and won’t harm anyone.

Avoid large textiles: In most cases used textiles aren’t a great green deal. Most won’t be made of eco-friendly materials, most are super hard to properly clean, and with something like an old pillow, it’s almost impossible to sanitize.

Later we’ll look at some good used home product decisions.

12 Green Living Tips for the Whole House

January 2, 2009 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Some green living tips are fairly room specific. Other green living tips, once enacted benefit your entire household. Some all-over green home tips include…

  1. Use plant-based, natural, organic, and biodegradable soaps, detergents, and cleaners. You can make your own products, or look for these aspects on green cleaner labels.
  2. Green clean the air in your home.
  3. Make it a goal to use cloth everything – cleaning cloths, napkins, and if you’re up for it, cloth diapers.
  4. Go one step further with the above tip and purchase only organic textiles.
  5. If all cloth is too big a step, purchase recycled, unbleached paper products.
  6. Use LED lighting where you can and install energy saving bulbs in other light fixtures.
  7. Reuse items in your home instead of tossing them.
  8. Buy sustainable furniture when you can.
  9. Scale down and buy and own less stuff; which might even free you up to live in a smaller house.
  10. When remodeling, remodel green.
  11. Paint your rooms with earth-friendly paints.
  12. Turn all the thermostats in the house down a few degrees.

What other green tips can you think of that benefit your entire house?

Is This Product Really A Smart Green Choice?

January 2, 2009 in Green Cleaning, Green Your Home, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

In the last post, Green Product Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Buy I said I’d gather some resources that can help you answer some of the questions offered. Here you go…

Now keep in mind that some of the questions only you can answer, but in some cases, you find info about a company or product that can help you to make a green purchasing decision.

Does the product have a long shelf life?: To learn more about product reliability and life expectancy, try looking at the following…

Is the company who made it / sells it a good green and ethical company?:

Can I recycle the item and or packaging?:

Could I get it from a local company: Check your local yellow pages or do an online search but use your area as a search perimeter.

How toxic is this product?:

Is it tested on animals?: Visit Caring Consumer to see companies that do and do not test on animals.

If you do a little research before you buy a product, you can make sure that you’re getting the least toxic, and most eco-friendly product for your dollar.

    Green Product Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Buy

    December 30, 2008 in Green Your Home, Save Money by Jennifer | 1 comment

    With New Year’s right here upon us, it’s time to make some green goals. If you haven’t gotten your own goals squared away yet, then you may want to consider a nice big green purchasing goal.

    Having a green shopping goal is smart, and covers a lot of ground. By flexing your green buying power you can accomplish energy saving, conserve resources, cut down on pollution, support local economy, support green businesses, and lower your footprint.

    When shopping for home products, groceries, or anything, you can ask yourself the following questions. If you answer truthfully, you’ll be able to make greener shopping choices the whole year… Read the rest of this entry »

    Got Gift Cards? Organics You Can Score at Macy’s

    December 26, 2008 in Green Your Home, Holiday by Jennifer | No comments

    Here’s the problem. Often for the holidays, you get gift cards, and if you’re trying to live green, it can be hard to find eco-friendly products at the shop your gift card is for. Macy’s is one example. I know some folks who got Macy’s gift cards this Christmas. Because Macy’s is not a dedicated “green” shop you might think your chances of scoring a green product are slim to none. Not true.

    I rounded up some cool green-minded products from Macy’s to share, and after the jump, I’ve got some tips for grabbing green products at just about any store.
    Read the rest of this entry »

    Organic Cotton for the Bedroom

    December 22, 2008 in Decor, Green Your Home, Organics by Jennifer | 5 comments

    In How To Choose Earth-Friendly Bedding we looked at some easy tips about how and why to choose organic cotton for your bedroom. Now I’ve gathered up some excellent options for earth-friendly bedroom living and decor…

    Above is the lovely Amenity Bloom Organic Cotton Duvet Cover in Cream & Lavender – beautiful organics for a peaceful night.
    Read the rest of this entry »

    All-Natural Ice Melt for Green Snowy Winters

    December 17, 2008 in Green Your Home, Seasonal Tips by Jennifer | No comments

    We’ve been snowed in for days here in Oregon. It’s wet, icy, and slick. If you’re having these same issues, you might want to consider an earth-friendly method of melting the ice on your front walk, steps, or patio.

    Earth Friendly Products, has one such product available; Ice Melt – an all-natural, non-corrosive product that melts ice quickly.

    Ice is one major danger of winter. Earth Friendly Products sent me some stats and According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Injuries such as broken bones or severe bruising are not uncommon in falls, and up to 13,000 older Americans die from falls each year.” Applying an ice melt to a slippery walk or patio surface before stepping on it is the best way to prevent this.

    Rock salt may not always be the best ice melting option. Ice Melt, contains small amounts of salt plus and additional salt, magnesium chloride, which can help to speed up the melting process without corroding surfaces.

    Earth Friendly Products are all biodegradable. I haven’t used their ice melt, but I have used their laundry products and liked them. Ice Melt is nice because it’s mild and safe for pets and vegetation. It works up to -13 degrees Fahrenheit. You can read the full Ice Melt safety sheet here (will open in pdf).

    Learn more about Ice Melt or purchase.

    Best Green Flooring Options

    December 13, 2008 in Green Building, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

    [reclaimed flooring from Pioneer Millworks]

    You’ve got a lot of choices when it comes to sustainable flooring options; some better than others.

    Problems with old-school flooring:

    Conventional and traditional synthetic carpets are often manufactured with petroleum derived materials, which not only pollutes your home, but is a pollution issue both during the making of said flooring product and when disposing of it. Other flooring options that are less than green include new wooden floors, floor backings made with toxic affixing products, and the toxic to produce vinyl tiles or floor covers.

    Better green flooring options:
    Read the rest of this entry »

    20 Ways To Quickly Get Sustainable at Home

    December 12, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    Some sustainable acts take a big leap. Others you can easily manage in less than 30 minutes and still make a difference. Here are 20 easy sustainable steps you can take to green your home.

    1. Install low-flow shower heads.
    2. Stop all the incoming junk mail.
    3. Reuse your foil and plastic baggies or better yet, lose these items and use reusable containers and plain old foil free baking sheets.
    4. Use both side of your paper.
    5. Turn the oven off 7 minutes early.
    6. Unplug five items you’re not using right now!
    7. Cancel your newspaper.
    8. Cook three vegetarian meals a week.
    9. Load the dishwasher, instead of washing by hand.
    10. Clear out the toxic household cleaners and whip up some quick and easy homemade green cleaners.
    11. Test your toilet for leaks.
    12. Throw that can in the recycling bin instead of the trash.
    13. Fix a button, zipper, or hemline, and make curtains, blankets, and clothing last longer instead of buying new.
    14. Wash your laundry on cold.
    15. Use green recycled toilet paper.
    16. Defrost your freezer.
    17. Open your windows for at least 30 minutes each day.
    18. Cut five minutes off your daily shower.
    19. Use rechargeable batteries.
    20. Make sure your morning coffee is green.

    Environmentally Friendly Fireplaces

    December 3, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

    If you’re looking for earth-friendly fireplace options, pay a visit to EcoSmart Fire. Fires aren’t normally the best eco-friendly heat solution, but an EcoSmart Fire helps you to have a toasty fire and still stay pretty green.

    EcoSmart was founded in Australia, but their fireplaces are available all over the world. An EcoSmart Fire is an open fireplace, most with a modern look, that works for businesses, homes, resorts, apartment, and most other places you can think of. There’s no flu and it requires no installation or utility connection. The best part — it runs on Denatured Ethanol (a renewable energy resource), burns clean, and requires almost no maintenance. Each fireplace includes a burner kit at its core (as seen below):

    There are lots of nice designs to choose from to. As noted above these are mainly modern designs though. There are a few rustic choices, or at least ways you can incorporate a rustic look, as the backdrop. Following are two design styles, but there are plenty more to browse.

    Some benefits from the EcoSmart Fire website:

    • “No flue, no hard connection
    • Efficient and effective heating solution
    • Independently tested
    • Unprecedented design flexibility
    • Fuelled by a renewable green energy
    • You can regulate the flame and turn it on/off at any time”

    Visit EcoSmart Fire to see many more design choices and accessories like screens and extinguishers.

    Set Your Perfect Eco Holiday Table: Linen Choices

    November 26, 2008 in Green Your Home, Holiday by Jennifer | No comments

    Hey folks. I took the day off for my birthday, got a little R&R, and now I’m back and raring to go. The other day we started looking at ways to Set Your Perfect Eco Holiday Table. We started with bare basics, a decent earth-friendly table. Today we’ll be looking at what goes right on top of said table.

    Linen table items are best because they’re reusable, and of course last longer than paper products. Plus, they just look nicer. Some good linen fabric choices include hemp, organic cotton, and bamboo. Although, I’m more of the mindset that if you use linen over paper, paying extra for organic is cool, because you limit chemicals, but honestly, any linens are better than paper. Here are some good choices for the holidays:

    Amenity Cove Organic Placemats via Velocity – I like the cocoa and silver above, but these come in a great gray and espresso color as well.
    Read the rest of this entry »

    Going Green? How to Cover the Basics….

    November 17, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    Get motivated. Look to eco blogs like this, green living books, or even your TV for green shows to get inspired. When you surround yourself with green, it makes going green a snap.

    Own your actions. Yeah, some folks don’t believe in global warming. Whatever, that’s your choice. However, some use theories like this to avoid green, as in why bother, we’re not the ones making the problem. Even if you don’t believe in global warming, your actions are important for other reasons. Clean beaches and forests, green spaces for kids to play, and your health. Believe what you like, but green actions are for us all.

    Invest in green companies and products.

    Naturally clean your space – cleaning products are one area that anyone can green up in no time flat. Why buy toxic chemicals when you don’t have to?

    Green all of your special events, vacations, and holidays, along with your everyday world.

    Get a child involved. Kids are going to be around longer than we adult are. Think about the green ethics and values you’re passing on to them. Have you even talked to a child lately about going green? You should.

    Reduce your consumption of consumer goods. Think before you buy, each and every time.

    Eat organic, vegetarian, or natural. Grow your own food if you can. Do something with your food that helps to lower your footprint.

    Eco up your energy use. It’s hard to know how much energy you use without running some easy energy audits. Anyone can do this, and it’ll green your home plus save you money.

    Never assume that one action won’t make a difference. That cloth napking you use at each meal, that one can you recycle, the one organic product you purchase – these steps all matter.

    Green Your Holiday Baking with Silicone Baking Sheets & Cups

    November 6, 2008 in Food & Drink, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

    One way to make the holidays a little greener is to use silicone baking gear. Paper muffin cups waste resources, while going sans any baking cup leaves kind of a mess, and your baked goods will stick to the pan.

    Silicone has been prooven safe, and it’s reusable. Plus I personally use them, and nothing sticks to them. You will want to wait a little to remove muffins from silicone baking cups though – if you try when the muffins are freshly hot out of the oven, they’ll sometimes stick. Silicone won’t rust, warp, or retain odor from your baking ingredients. It’s also dishwasher, freezer, and microwave safe

    Here are some good silicone products to try:

    Wilton has a HUGE selection of fun, colorful silicone baking cups. Best for kids are the Silly Feet! Silicone Baking Cups (as seen at top pf post).

    Cookware.com has plenty of silicone available. Three good options include:

    And just for the kiddos, these fun HEAD CHEFS Kid’s Posable Silicone Kitchen Utensils will get them cooking…

    Three Eco-Friendly Welcome Mats

    November 4, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    Flip Flop Door Mat

    + VivaTerra

    Personalized Coir Mat

    + Plow & Hearth

    Recycled Tire Link Door Mat, 24 In. x 36 In

    + Gaiam

    Home Air Fresheners Are Not So Sweet

    November 3, 2008 in Air Quality, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    Conventional air fresheners are really bad for your health and home – not green at all; not one bit.

    If you like a nice smelling home, but don’t want your family exposed to aerosols, ammonia, and bad synthetic fragrances, try these much greener tactics…

    Clean your house. Prevention goes a long, long way. A clean, non-dusty home always smells nicer than a dirty one.

    Make some homemade potpourri

    Learn how to clean the air in your house.

    Look for natural incense. i.e. derived from natural resins, gums, essential oils, flowers, woods, powders and other botanicals. Try Mountain Rose Herbs or my favorite, New Mexico Cedar-Pinon Incense.

    Sprinkle baking soda on carpets. Allow it to sit for a bit, then vacuum it up.

    Place cedar blocks or sprigs of lavender in your drawers and closets.

    Burn organic essential oils – just place a few drops into a bowl of boiling water, and let it sit.

    Burn organic or natural soy or beeswax candles.

    Make Homemade Spicy Apple Air Freshener – perfect for the holidays or homemade Pennyroyal, Cinnamon, & Lavender Air Freshener.

    Check out some more natural store-bought options. Orange Mate makes a biodegradable and nontoxic line of supplies for cleaning and freshening. I’ve never used any of their cleaning items but I have used their 100% Pure Citrus Air Fresheners. They’re available online or at other natural shops like your local co-op.

    Green Cutting Board Know-How

    October 30, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    Ah the cutting board. Not something we think about all day long right? Still, in most homes the cutting board is a kitchen item that could be made greener.

    Stay clear of plastics! Rule number one folks. Plastic anything is not so green, but a plastic cutting board, one exposed to the foods you eat, well, that’s worse. Aim for a sustainable cutting board such as one of these three available from Sur La Table…

    Bamboo Cutting Board:

    Teak Cutting Board:

    Epicurean Recycled Cardboard Cutting Surfaces:

    100% post consumer paper cutting board from Recycline:

    You should actually choose at least two cutting boards – one for meats and one for other items.

    How to green clean your cutting board:

    Most studies note that super hot water and soap will do the job just fine. No need for chemical cleaners. For boards you used for meat, I’d run it through your dishwasher too if you have one. If you’re not on board with plain hot water and soap, try a homemade disinfectant. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda, 4 – 5 drops of tea tree or oregano pure essential oil, and 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar. Mix everything but the baking soda. Sprinkle your board with baking soda and then scrub down with the remaining ingredients.

    I hate the smell of vinegar so I just use water and eco soap, but it’s up to you.

    Tree Planting Where You Live

    October 30, 2008 in Green Your Home, Organic Gardening by Jennifer | 1 comment

    We talk a lot about tree planting here. In case you missed it, the following two posts are good places to start reading:

    Planting Trees for Your Home and the Planet

    Using Environmental Landscaping at Your House

    Now, we all know trees are good. Trees can help guard against weather elements, improve air quality, create nice aesthetics, and lots more. However, the wrong tree or a tree planted incorrectly won’t help you or your home all that much – worse, you’ve just wasted a tree seedling or seed. To get the most out of tree planting follow these tips:

    Look around your neighborhood and city – which trees thrive best? Which trees are plentiful? Trees that are local to the area almost always work better than imported trees. In fact, if you plant trees from other areas they can even create pollen issues and introduce problems into the local environment.

    If possible aim for low maintenance trees. Trees that don’t need much care or water to thrive will usually do well, even if say, you go on an extended vacation.

    Plant in the right place. If your goal is energy conservation, plant trees according to American Forests’ recommendations – they have a handy image you can follow (plus more tips).

    Consider the canopy. A little seedling may not look like much, but eventually this tree will not only grow up, but out. Do you really need a massive canopy knocking into your home?

    Consider the roots. Like the canopy, roots will spread and can even uproot sidewalks and gardens. Check with the right tree in the right place before planting to learn about roots and planting depths.

    Learn more:

    How to plant a tree

    Care for a Tree

    Types of trees

    Green Toilet Paper Tips

    October 29, 2008 in Green Your Home, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle, Save Money by Jennifer | No comments

    Green toilet paper has many pros, and one major con. The con – cost. Recycled toilet paper is a lot more than basic toilet paper; especially if you have a large family and go through many rolls a week. We’ll look at how you can save money further down. First the pros…

    Green toilet paper pros:

    Green toilet paper is actually recycled toilet paper. Seventh Generation, one manufacturer of 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue, notes that if every home in America replaced one 12 pack of 400 sheet virgin fiber toilet paper with 100% recycled we could save 1.7 billion gallons of water annually and more than 1,000,000 trees. Also purchasing recycled toilet paper can reduce overall pollution and drastically reduces the chemicals in the environment and on our skin, (there’s chlorine in normal toilet paper).

    What to look for in green toilet paper:

    • Chlorine free.
    • Made from 80-100% recycled content.
    • No added dyes or fragrances.
    • Safe for low-flow toilets.

    How to save money on recycled toilet paper:

    Seventh Generation offers coupons for their recycled toilet paper and other products. They change periodically though, so you have to stay tuned to their site.

    Buy in bulk – places like Amazon.com and warehouse stores sell bigger packs of recycled toilet paper for less.

    Look at size. Many recycled rolls have more squares than typical toilet paper, so the initial sticker shock may be uncalled for. Although this depends on brands.

    Order online direct from a company vs. buying in a store. Check with various companies to see if you can get a deal for buying a lot at one time. Go in on the purchase with another family.

    Places to buy recycled toilet paper

    Read some green toilet paper reviews

    Green Your Fridge & Freezer

    October 29, 2008 in Green Your Home, Save Energy by Jennifer | No comments

    Greening your fridge and freezer is easy and helps to contribute to an overall eco-friendly kitchen.Try these tips:

    Buy Energy Star the next time you upgrade your refrigerator.

    Own the smallest fridge you can live with that meets your needs. Not everyone needs a giant fridge.

    Consider if you really need an extra fridge or freezer; say, in the garage. Even energy efficient appliances suck down on energy resources.

    Maintain a tight seal on both your fridge and freezer doors. You should be able to stick a piece of paper in the door and it should stay put.

    Most newer freezers self-defrost, but if yours doesn’t, be sure to defrost regularly because a freezer can’t function with thick walls of ice build up.

    Vacuum the coils on the back of your fridge at least every six months which will improve performance and energy use.

    [Wicked cool retro blue fridge available at Big Chill]

    Visual Green Inspiration – My New Favorite Eco Kitchen

    October 23, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    Need some beauty today?

    Well, this should do it. This green kitchen is part of an amazing portfolio of green home projects and remodels at Green Fusion Design Center – the largest green retail showroom in the Bay Area. Visit their website to get design ideas, and to learn more about healthy and green spaces.

    10 Fast Ways to Green Your Kitchen

    October 22, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

    1. Green your brew: Use a reusable coffee filter instead of paper filters (I’ve had mine for four years now, and it’s in great shape). If tea is your drink, use loose leaf tea, instead of paper bound tea bags.

    2. Green your trash: Recycle and compost more than you are now. Most of us can afford to complete a trash audit. You’d be surprised at what ends up in the garbage can.

    3. Green your cleaning: You don’t need harsh cleaners in any room of the house. But there’s food in the kitchen, so being more careful in this room counts even more.

    4. Green your herbs: Grow your own organic herbs. They taste better, cost less, and make your windowsill a little more beautiful.
    Read the rest of this entry »

    Six Steps to A Greener Laundry Room

    October 20, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

    There are several things you can do to green up the laundry room. If you’re new to green living, the laundry room is actually an easy place to start, because changes aren’t that tough to implement.

    1. Have an Energy Star washer and dryer.
    2. Wash all clothing on cold – seriously, no washer produces hot enough water to sterilize clothing. Cold cleans just as well, so why not save the energy.
    3. Use your dryer sparingly. You can hang clothing up outside in the summer, and in your bathroom during the winter.
    4. Use the right laundry products. Avoid harsh laundry soap, dryer sheets, and fabric softener. Things to avoid include chemical surfactants, chlorine, and chemical fragrances. One good green laundry soaps is Biokleen All Temperature Laundry Liquid.
    5. Skip the bleach.
    6. Wash the largest loads possible. Washing two shirts is a huge waste of water and energy.

    Green Your Home On the Cheap

    October 17, 2008 in Green Your Home, Save Energy, Save Money by Jennifer | 1 comment

    Hey folks; sorry that I’ve been missing in action. My laptop motherboard died – we’ll skip that story because it’s highly depressing. That said, stay tuned for some extra green home and living posts over the next few days to make up for my absence.

    Since I’ve been having to spend massive amounts of cash on computer issues, saving cash has been on my mind. The good news is that there are plenty of ways you can go green without spending a lot of green. For example…

    Free – $5 energy-efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs – Every once in a while places like Home Depot or your local energy company give out free CFLs (check your local resources). Even if you have to buy a bulb, the cost is low compared to the green savings and money saving over time.

    $10 weather stripping – weather stripping at most will only cost you about $10 per roll, and it’s a great way to conserve energy resources and costs.
    Read the rest of this entry »

    Hemp Shower Curtain

    October 12, 2008 in Decor, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    Each little green step you take adds up to a whole bunch of green living perks. Even something as small as your choice of a shower curtain can make a difference. With all the dangers of PVC, you’ll want to look for a PVC-free Shower Curtain Liner. If you can’t find a decent PVC-free liner, a second choice is to choose a shower curtain that needs no liner at all.

    For example, a Hemp Shower Curtain can be used sans liner. Hemp is not only naturally resistant to bacteria and mold, but hemp is a sustainable, easily renewed crop. If you have a well-ventilated bathroom a hemp shower curtain will work fine for your shower – just remember to wash it every few weeks.

    The Hemp Shower Curtain from are naturals, is made from 100% natural hemp canvas, is a tight weave for leak protection, and is machine washable; a much better choice than having a vinyl liner.

    10 Easy Reuse Ideas for Organizing Your Home

    October 12, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

    A green home is good. A green organized home is fantastic. Here are 10 simple ways to reuse stuff you already have in order to get organized. Trust me, with the holidays coming, it’s best to organize now.

    1. Take old wastebaskets; you know the ones too grungy for the house, and use them for storing long rolls of wrapping paper. No one will see it, because a mid-size garbage can fits neatly into the back of most closets.
    2. If you’ve given up clothes pins for an energy efficient dryer, you can spray paint the pins pretty colors and use them to hang pictures and your little one’s artwork. Simply hang a string across one wall. This makes changing your art decor fast and easy.
    3. Make your own reusable lunch bags out of old tablecloths. Very cute, and the perfect way to organize lunch outings.
    4. Old laundry baskets can be used for storing toys or out of season clothing. If you do use them to store clothes be sure to place clothing in a garbage bag first.
    5. Quit buying overpriced Tupperware. You can reuse sauce jars, butter tubs, and more for snack and left-over storage. Small yogurt cups are perfect for kid sized snacks.
    6. Reuse bubble wrap (start saving during the holidays) for protecting produce. Line your produce bins in the fridge with bubble wrap and you won’t have to deal with bruised fruit anymore.

      7. Read the rest of this entry »

    Make Your House A Reusable House

    October 8, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Green Your Home, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | No comments

    You can apply green building features to your house. You can invest in eco-friendly furniture. You can even landscape with the environment in mind. However, one of the best ways to go green at home, is to make your house as reusable as possible.

    First of all make sure that you’re only bringing goods into your house that you really need. Purchased goods take energy to manufacture, and most come with too much packaging. When you do purchase goods, make sure that they’re both recyclable, and if possible reusable. Look for items that can perform more than one duty. For example, no one needs a food processor, a blender, and a food grinder. One of the above will do the work of all three.

    Items that can make your home reusable:
    Read the rest of this entry »

    Grow Some Fresh Air at Home

    October 6, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

    Anyone can buy an air purifier for their home. However, air purifiers are loud, can be expensive, and let’s face it, aren’t all that attractive. Add that to the fact that it takes plenty of energy to manufacture and ship these air purifiers, and it makes it seem like a less green, and more obnoxious choice.

    A better choice: Grow your own fresh air with a lovely collection of indoor plants. Plants naturally clean your air of toxins and chemicals, reduce stress, and improve your overall well-being; not to mention they look great and can add cheer to any room.

    Some natural air cleaning plant options include:

    Gerbera Daisy

    Bamboo – read Bringing Up Bamboo at Savvy Gardening

    Christmas Cactus – these are not just for Christmas time. A Christmas Cactus can last 30 years or longer.

    This amazing chart from Good Magazine will tell you about common household pollution problems and the plants that help solve them. At your local library look for How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office the best book I’ve read on toxin reducing plants; covering plants that work well in small and large spaces, and plants that do well with low light, meaning, you can have air cleaning plants in your bathroom or office space (even with no windows).

    Now, head to your local nursery, pick up some organic plants, and grow some fresh air.

    Quick Tip: Arrange Your Furniture to Save Energy

    October 6, 2008 in Decor, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

    You might not think that how you arrange your furniture matters, but furniture arranging is actually a smart green action step.

    If you arrange your furniture around the TV, most likely, the TV will be turned on. Instead arrange your furniture in such a way that motivates family gathering and conversation. Place furniture around a table with board games underneath. If you’ve got a reading or work space, arrange a couple of chairs around one nice light source, instead of having two lamps per room. Create a play space or art station for your kids in the brightest room of the house, and use dimmer, less energy draining lights in their actual bedrooms.

    Each small step you take at home can help to save energy, create family time, and foster happiness – all you have to do is take the time to think it out, before you arrange your house.

    Where To Find New Green Homes for Sale

    October 3, 2008 in Green Your Home, Sustainable Building by Jennifer | 3 comments

    If you’re looking to buy a new or existing green home, rather than build or remodel green, it can seem frustrating. As mainstream as green living has become, there’s still not a ton of publicity about green homes and where to find them. Still, with the right help, you can find what you’re looking for.

    A really fun way to find green homes is to take part in one of the many green home shows or tours popping up all over the country. Not all states have green home shows or tours, but many do. At a green home show, you can meet builders and merchants of green homes and green home goods. If you attend a green home tour it’s even more fun, because you get to see some beautiful homes and learn about green home options. Check with your local chamber to learn about green home events in your area.

    For an eclectic collection of killer green homes for sale visit Green Homes for Sale. This is one of my favorite drool worthy sites on the web. You can search by location (U.S. (all the states), Canada, Nicaragua  and Puerto Rico), ID number, or watch fun slide shows. These are lovely homes and stats about their green attributes are listed.

    Look for green communities in your area. Usually these are all new developments in a walkable area and green spaces. One downside of green communities is that the homes tend to be clustered closely together, but there are still perks, like energy savings and non-toxic materials.

    Other ways to find a green home to purchase include:

    Quick Green Home Tip: Turn Down the Thermostat

    September 28, 2008 in Green Your Home, Save Energy, Seasonal Tips by Jennifer | No comments

    It’s getting cold, and you’ll probably be reaching for the thermostat. However, before you crank that sucker up, try the following…

    • More clothing – a sweater inside is ok.
    • Extra blankets at night.
    • Exercising indoors – although I’d draw the line at jump rope and jumping jacks if you live above someone.
    • Open the window shades during the day to let some sunshine in.
    • Co-sleep with another family member.

    Once you do decide that it’s cold enough for your heater to be on, try setting it 3-5 degrees lower than you think it should be set at. For example, if you always blindly turn your thermostat to 68, see if you can set it at 64 and still stay warm enough. Experiment with how low is just fine vs. too low.

    This tip can save you money as you save resources. The Department of Energy notes that you can save $40+ a year just by turning your thermostat down by 1 degree. Wow – you do the math.

    Green Action for Autumn – Sealing Your Home for Winter

    September 27, 2008 in Green Your Home, Save Energy, Seasonal Tips by Jennifer | 1 comment

    Once the weather starts to cool down, it’s time to take some green actions at home to make sure your house can handle the upcoming chilly weather without a huge drain on resources or your wallet.

    One action step you can take is to make sure your home is properly sealed up. If you built an energy efficient home to start with (or moved into one), then sealing is a chore you can probably avoid. Newer, and well-built energy efficient homes already take heating and cooling needs into account. However, if you live in an older home, apartment, or other dwelling that has yet to be properly remodeled for efficiency, then sealing is a must.

    Sealing can save you hundreds of dollars a year on your energy bill, and sealing helps to reduce the amount of CO2 that emits into our environment each year as well.

    Sealing basics:

    Sealing is cool, because it’s fast and easy for most people – even if you’re non-handy. Basically you’ll be checking the spaces around windows, doors, crawl spaces, the attic, basement, and even lighting fixtures for incoming air or cracks. Sealing is also a super inexpensive fix. Every general hardware store carries materials like caulk, weather stripping, window plastic, and more for a song. Sealing will pay for itself very quickly, and your family will be more comfortable in your home.

    If you need a quick primer about sealing your home for winter, take a look at Weekend Project: Air seal your home from the ever helpful Lifehacker. Another good guide is Getting Energy Ready for Winter from the California Energy Commission.

    Scaling Down Your House and Life

    September 22, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

    Scaling down is a huge concept in green living. It’s hard to be earth-friendly when your home is overstuffed to the max with extra goods that consume time, energy, and other resources. Plus the more stuff you have, the more space you need, and a smaller living space, with a smaller footprint is always greener than a large home built just to hold stuff.

    All that said, this week, one of the topics we’ll be looking at is scaling down.

    The first step in scaling down is to recognize the items you actually use and need in your home, the items that hold real sentimental value, and the items in your home by default (i.e. the stuff you don’t need). Stuff you don’t need in your home may include…

    Broken equipment or equipment you’ve replaced. For example, you buy a new DVD player, but keep the old one around anyhow, even though you don’t use it.

    Duplicate items or items that do something that another item can do just as well. Examples of this might include the eight soup pans you have (are you ever going to use eight pots at once?) or having a blender, food processor, and a food grinder when in reality one machine will work for most tasks.

    Collections of stuff. It’s not bad to collect something. Even two or three collections aren’t going to weight your home down too much, but no one needs to collect ten plus different ceramic animals.

    Clothes that no longer fit, and that you know never will (think jeans you had as a teen). Ripped and stained clothing that cannot be fixed is also an issue.

    Piles and piles of magazines, newspapers, or books that you’ll never get around to reading – or that you’ve already read and won’t read again.

    Items you never ever use – ski equipment, that sewing machine, oddball craft materials, and bizarre kitchen appliances all create unnecessary clutter.

    Items you got for free so you’re compelled to keep them.

    What to do:

    Start slow. Begin going through one room of your house each week. Fill a box or two with items that are simply cluttering up your space. Once you make it through your entire house, go through again with a new empty box to fill – trust me, you miss stuff the first go around.

    The second part of your plan should be to NOT bring new junk into your house. If you’re consistently scaling down, it doesn’t make much sense to bring new junk in.

    The end result will be a less cluttered house, extra space, and the possibility of a downsize. It’s a very green choice to downsize to a smaller living space, but you’ll never be able to do this if too much stuff is in your way.

    Coming up: more downsizing issues (among other things).

    Green Benefits of Garbage Disposals

    September 17, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    If you don’t have a garbage disposal at your house, you should. There are plenty of green benefits to installing and running a garbage disposal.

    Garbage disposals keep trash out of landfills. You may think, well, it’s just old food, but stuck at the bottom of a landfill, old food can still take a while to decompose and it also is one of the major factors contributing to the smell at the dump.

    Garbage disposals are fast, meaning people are more likely to use them, which in turns means less trash tossed.

    Garbage disposals help you to recycle. If you toss cardboard or an old can in the trash, then later realize this, are you more likely to dig it out if the trash isn’t full of icky wet tossed food? Yeah, you are.

    A side benefit of the garbage disposal is that it makes your whole kitchen smell better – no gross old food rotting away in the can.

    Your other option when it comes to food scraps is a compost pile outside, or a kitchen compost bin inside. Both are great options, especially if you’re an avid gardener, but overall, for non-gardening folks, a garbage disposal is a great green tool. Make sure your next kitchen comes equipped with one, or if your current kitchen is missing one consider installing a new disposal.

    Get Great Green Deals for the Home

    September 9, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    If you’re in a shopping sort of mood and need some goods for the home, be sure to check out ShopGreen at PriceGrabber.com. You can find all sorts of goodies at PriceGrabber, but it’s very cool that they now have a green section. There’s a devoted area just for home goods such as Eco-Friendly Flooring, Energy Star Cordless Phones, and more.

    It’s silly to pay more then you have to, and you don’t have to if you use PriceGrabber. To insure you’re getting real green goods; products that are low-impact and environmentally-friendly, items featured must fall into one of the following categories…

    • “Energy Star-compliant products
    • Products made from organic or recycled materials
    • Products made from environmentally-friendly materials including hemp, bamboo, soy, and seagrass
    • Biodegradable products and compost bins
    • Products with low usage of natural resources including LED light bulbs, low flow showerheads/toilets, solar power, and cloth diapers
    • Products made by noted environmentally-conscious companies like Patagonia”

    So when shopping, visit ShopGreen at PriceGrabber.com, and see what sorts of green deals you can pick up on the cheap.

    Stop Air Pollution in Your Home

    September 8, 2008 in Air Quality, Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 3 comments

    There are plenty of things that can contribute to air pollution in your home. Your goal should be to have pure, clean air inside your home, both for the sake of planet health and the health of your family. Allergies, asthma, and even cold-like illnesses can all be affected by the quality of air inside your home.

    Following are some ways to make sure your home air quality stays clean and healthy:

    No smoking allowed: If you smoke, go outside, away from other people. Smoking in your home, especially if you have kids is dangerous for both health and fire safety reasons. In fact some studies show that banning indoor smoking is the number one best way to improve your home’s air quality.

    Use your fireplace or wood stove smartly: Wood fires can release tiny particles and smoke that invades the air and your lungs. If you don’t have to use a wood burning fireplace, it’s better not to. If wood heat is your only source of heat; yes for some people it still is – in Humboldt we had only wood heat so we’d open windows and burn cleaner wood. To learn more read the EPA guide Wood Burning Efficiency and Safety.

    Open the windows: Fresh incoming air is a great way to push out old stale air, and any icky household fumes.

    Buy some naturally air cleaning houseplants.

    Quit stirring up the dust: Use a damp rag to dust, not a feather duster or dry cloth. You may be tempted to buy those static cloths for dusting, and they do work, but they’re not long-lasting. You’ll end up tossing them. A wet cloth works just the same.

    Clean regularly: Keeping a clean house is one good way to keep your air clean. This means making sure that items like appliances and humidifiers are cleaned as well.

    Don’t EVER use toxic cleaners: Chemical, toxic, yucky home cleaners contribute to much of the indoor air pollution you encounter – and worse, none of these cleaners are necessary for a clean home. Choose green homemade cleaners instead. To learn more read the following:

    Cut out pre-packaged food items

    September 7, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    Pre-packaged foods create so much extra waste that it’s overwhelming. One of the best ways to green your kitchen is to start concentrating on packaging.

    bulk food

    Sure you can recycle many parts, often even all of the packaging that packaged foods come in, but consider that it also takes energy to produce this packaging, and also consider that studies show, that not everyone recycles all the time. It’s best to avoid overly pre-packaged goods when you can.

    For example:

    Instead of juice boxes – use a cup. If you’re on the go, use a refillable, reusable container.

    Instead of buying bottled water – use tap water or install a water filter.

    Instead of individual tiny boxes of cereal – buy bulk, or the biggest box of cereal available.

    Instead of sliced cheese in individual wrappers – choose block cheese and slice it yourself, or have the cheese counter folks do it for you.

    I bet you can think of plenty of items you buy that come in too much wrapping. Start small. Next time you’re at the store, take the time to compare. Do you need rice that comes in a box, or can you buy bulk? Do you need raisins in tiny boxes and plastic, or will bulk do here as well? If bulk food choices aren’t available in the food item of choice, choose the least packaged item first.

    Read Green Audit Your Pantry to learn more.

    How To Choose Earth-Friendly Bedding

    August 28, 2008 in Green Your Home, Organics by Jennifer | No comments

    Choosing earth-friendly bedding can be a pain. Currently, there are many green and natural options available when it comes to bedding – and while choice is good, it can also be confusing.

    organic bedding

    Here are some tips:

    Choose organic: Many products say “Organic” but not all organic labels can be trusted. If you want to be 100% positive that you’re choosing real organic bedding, look for the USDA Organic label. This is not to say that all other organic labels are worthless, it’s just that the USDA label is regulated. If you see sheets in organic, and no USDA label, you can also go online and research the background of the company selling them. Their principles and practices can help you figure out how organic the company is.

    Choose natural dyes: Many bedding companies use harsh treatments and colored dyes on their fabrics. You don’t need to sleep with that junk. Look for bedding that’s been dyed with natural means, such as veggie or mineral dyes or go with a plain and sophisticated unbleached colored bedding set. Also note that there are plenty of brightly naturally dyed options available. Natural dyes don’t mean you have to go with bland bedding.

    Choose easy: Some natural bedding options are easier to care for than others. Yes you want non-toxic, but you also want long-lasting and easy to wash. Bedding that requires extra special care can waste your time, and it can cost more in the long run. Easy care natural bedding materials include choices like basic organic cotton, bamboo (when in an organic cotton blend), hemp (only special care is air drying), some wool (wool is not vegan and not all can be machine washed, but others can – check the label).

    Always research your options before purchasing.

    A few places to find natural bedding:

    [Bedding image via Loop Bedding collection]

    Green Carpet for Your Home

    August 27, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

    Technically green carpet is almost an unfair play on words. Carpet, by nature, is not so green. Having worked with people who install it, tear it out, and live with it, I know that carpet tends to be a pretty icky floor choice. There are things that you drag into your home, things that live in your carpet, that no one and no high powered vacuum can get rid of.

    Wooden, earthen, stone, and other harder floor coverings are better green choices when it comes to health and how green you can clean it. Still, some people really want carpet. Carpet is a comfort issue for some people, and others just like how it looks. I figured I’d discuss one better carpet choice; because if you want it, you may as well keep it as green as possible.

    Nature’s Carpet takes the hard out of choosing a level of green carpet for your home. Because “Green” is so variable, Nature’s Carpet divides their carpet products into three categories:

    • Dark Green
    • Medium Green
    • Light Green

    This allows consumers to easily see what’s offered in the different levels of green carpeting, plus see how prices compare.

    There are some beautiful options offered in the Dark Green category (that would be the greenest carpet they offer)…

    Elymus – Flint: 100% New Zealand Wool, cut pile, Jute backing, and Natural Rubber

    natural carpet

    Limestone: 100% Wool, cut & loop, meets cri green label requirements

    natural carpet

    Urban Ridge: 100% Wool, multi level loop

    natural carpet

    Visit Nature’s Carpet to see all their green carpet choices.

    Fix A Slow Drain Naturally

    August 26, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

    Drain cleaner is noted as being one of the most toxic items found in the home. Traditional drain cleaners are full of chemicals that can burn your skin and eyes, not to mention the fumes your lungs are being exposed to.

    Try a better solution:

    Pour 1/2 cup baking soda into your drain. Pour 1/2 cup white vinegar over the baking soda. Allow it to sit for a half hour. Rinse with a couple of quarts of boiling water.

    NOTE: I’ve used this solution, and it seems to work better as a preventative solution, not a fast cure. Once your drain is clogged badly, you may need something stronger, or you might have to pay for a plumber. Also, it helps if you first unscrew the plug, and remove any visible hair. The baking soda and vinegar will bubble up and dislodge some items, but not all. Try using this idea as a weekly cleaning routine for best results.

    As with most home care items, prevention is better than fighting a full blown problem, like a completely stopped up drain.

    Beat Summer Heat Forever

    August 18, 2008 in Green Your Home, Save Energy by Jennifer | No comments

    Maybe not forever, but long-term solutions sure beat here and now solutions. You can make some changes to your actual home that will save you energy, cut heat inside the house, and keep costs lower in the long run.

    beat summer heat

    Buy window awnings: Awnings block more sun than you might think, without compromising too much incoming window light. If you go with awnings, choose opaque or light colored material, that’s tightly woven.

    Make your landscaping work for you: Just like you can block cold winter wind with trees and bushes, you can also block the summer heat. Tall trees, big shrubs, and even well-placed vines can block quite a bit of sun and heat. To learn about green landscaping visit the EPA.

    Curtain the outside of your home: Drapes inside cut heat, but there are also woven mesh screens that you can hang outside to block sun. Visit North Solar Screen to learn more.

    Paint your home right: There are no clear studies but it stands to reason that lighter colors reflect the sun, and thus heat, so painting your home a dark color is not the best choice for hot climates.

    Try some film: Window films are a little weird to use, but do block heat well.

    Past Green Building Resources & Green Living Tips

    August 15, 2008 in Alternative Energy, Green Building, Green Cleaning, Green Your Home, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | No comments

    In the post, Green Building Resources & Green Living Tips I noted that Best Green Home Tips used to be located in a different spot, at the RiverWired network. Over there, we looked at many a green building and remodeling tip. I thought that if you missed these posts, it would be cool to catch you up to speed. We looked at about half of these posts in the first recap, and here’s the rest…

    green building

    Green building:

    Green home interiors:

    Save energy & resources:

    Fun:

    10 Tips for Greening Your Bedroom

    August 14, 2008 in Decor, Furniture & Appliances, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    This week we’re looking at easy and effective ways to green your living spaces. So far we’ve looked at how to green up both your living room and the baby nursery. Today, we’ll look at the bedroom.

    1. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs rather than typical incandescent bulbs in lamps and overhead. You can even use LED lighting if you only need to light a small space. It’s the bedroom – you could just go with some soothing organic candles.
    2. If you charge items in your bedroom, unplug them when they’re not charging. In fact, it’ll save even more energy if you unplug lamps and stereos as well.
    3. Use a non-toxic, chemical and pesticide free organic mattress.
    4. Be sure to invest in soft organic pillows, blankets, curtains and other natural bedding accessories.
    5. Choose sustainable bedroom furniture that’s non-toxic.
    6. Use natural flooring options or choose natural safe carpet.
    7. Instead of mothballs in your closets and drawers use natural cedar blocks, dried lavender, or make a mix of dried orange peels, cinnamon, cloves, and essential oils.
    8. To remove stains from bedding try a natural method: sprinkle the stain with table salt and lemon juice; leave your linens sitting in the sun for a few hours; brush off salt and wash on gentle.
    9. To keep your bedroom clean aim for all natural green cleaning methods. Green cleaning is important, but you really want to avoid chemicals in the bedroom.
    10. Choose environmentally friendly paints for your bedroom walls.

    10 Tips for Greening Your Living Room

    August 5, 2008 in Alternative Energy, Furniture & Appliances, Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

    green living roomThis week I thought it might be cool to go room by room and offer some tips that are both easy and will make your rooms greener and healthier.

    Let’s kick it off with a high traffic area – the living room:

    1. If you have a fireplace or woodstove, make sure that you close the damper when you don’t have a fire going. You can save a lot on your energy use and electric bill by containing the air or heat you keep inside your house.
    2. Buy furniture made from sustainable woods or recycled materials.
    3. Try to buy soft furniture and fixtures, like sofas, carpet, chairs, and blankets in organics or natural, renewable fabrics and materials.
    4. You can also go for alternative non-carpet flooring choices.
    5. Turn off the television at least two nights a week (more if you can). It’s summer so you can head out for an evening game of Frisbee with the family, or simply have a family game or quiet-time night.
    6. Unplug equipment when not in use. Your stereo does not need to be plugged in 24/7 and it drains electricity.
    7. Choose the best air conditioner for your space.
    8. Buy plants that actually help to improve air quality – your whole family will feel better.
    9. Use LED lighting to light small reading areas, and use long lasting eco-friendly light bulbs in other lighting accessories. Once in a while try lighting organic soy candles instead of turning on the lights.
    10. Clean and dust your living room without the use of toxic chemicals.