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The Most Useless Energy-Related Home Products

November 27, 2009 in Save Energy, Save Money by Jennifer | No comments

There’s an interesting list up over at Green Building Advisor about the most useless energy related products around. The list is pretty cool but I don’t agree with all of it. Of course I’m not an official green building advisor or anything.

Blogger and advisor Martin notes the following as a waste of money and not great energy savers to boot…

  • Tyvek ThermaWrap
  • Fafco plastic solar collectors
  • Passive fresh air inlets
  • Vinyl siding laminated to rigid foam
  • Powered attic ventilators
  • Programmable thermostats
  • Inexpensive LED lamps
  • Foil-faced bubble wrap
  • Power factor correction devices
  • Vent-free gas space heaters

I’m not so sure I agree with the whole programmable thermostats being useless argument. Martin notes that they’re not totally useless — “they’re just unnecessary and insufficient.” He also notes that “Study after study has shown that installing programmable thermostats makes no difference in energy use.” Mainly because homeowner behavior is far more important than the hardware. However on the flip side I’ve known people who have used them and note that they have saved money. I had one in a previous home and while I didn’t feel it saved as much money or resources as the programmable water heating thermostat I also had, it still did save money on my energy bill. It may depend on how you use the device along with your normal habits surrounding electricity use.

I also think that powered attic ventilators can work to reduce costs in a newer home. My pal installed one and his energy costs are lower than before BUT he has a newer and soundly built home. Martin notes that most aren’t as efficient because  most U.S. homes have leaky ceilings so instead of helping the ventilators commonly draw conditioned indoor air into the attic through ceiling cracks which of course will increase not decrease costs. He also notes that canned foam to seal leaks in your ceiling or additional insulation for your attic floor will be more useful.

In any case, if you disagree or not it’s a good read. He makes some excellent points and it’s lame to waste money on what won’t work for your home.

The Four Energy Saving Areas in Your Home

November 24, 2009 in Save Energy, Save Money by Jennifer | No comments

Basically, you’ve got four major energy saving opportunities in your home…

  1. Lighting
  2. Appliances and electronics
  3. Heating & cooling
  4. Water heating

save more energy

You could, of course, break it down even more. Each of us has hundreds of ways we could be saving more energy, but the above four are major and a good place to start.

For lighting you can save more by incorporating day lighting into your home with energy efficient windows, skylights, and light tunnels. You can buy energy efficient bulbs and keep the lighting to a minimum or as needed basis. You can also remind family members to simply turn off the lights.

Appliances and electronic equipment makes up about 20% of your home energy usage and costs so it’s smart to purchase energy efficient versions of things like televisions, microwaves, refrigerators, washers and dryers, audio equipment and anything else you plug in. You may be able to get rebates on many of the items you buy. To further use these items efficiently, use them sparingly – i.e. hang dry many clothes instead of using the dryer each time. Plug all items in one space into one power strip then turn the whole darn strip off when you leave the room. Also, cook wisely – you don’t need the stove for everything.

For heating and cooling think ahead of time. Make sure you build or buy a home that’s got energy saving features such as good orientation, evergreen windbreaks, try passive solar design, and weatherize properly for winter. Also little adjustments such as turning the heat down a few notches adds up over time.

Heating your water can actually account for as much as 25% of your energy use. Try a solar water heater or the next time you upgrade, upgrade to the most efficient model you can. Insulate your hot water pipes and heater, install a water timer, and do the little things like taking shorter showers.

If you do all of the above it will not only save you energy but it will put money directly in your pocket – good timing with the holidays here.

Ten easy ways to green Christmas

November 19, 2009 in Holiday by Jennifer | No comments

Christmas is one of those holidays that’s actually pretty darn easy to green up. Simple choices can lead to a green Christmas and a more meaningful holiday celebration. Following are some ideas…

green your christmas

1. Green your Christmas tree: There are so many choices when it comes to the tree that it can seem hard not simple, but it all comes down to a few bits of info…

  • Reusable plastic tree = not so green.
  • Cut trees from a conventional farm = ok, but still not too green.
  • Cut tree from an organic farm = greener.
  • A living tree = green!
  • Alternatives like a wreath, small tree, plant, or other recyclable option = green.

To get an in-depth look read the most eco-friendly Christmas tree.

2. Green your lights: No matter where you like to place holiday lights, LEDS save you energy and look beautiful as well.

3. Green your wrap: Reuse last year’s Christmas wrap; use the comics; use a reusable container; use wrap made with recycled paper.

4. Green your greetings: Don’t send cards this year, call your loved ones instead or send an e-card. Make cards with recycled craft supplies. IF you really want to send a paper card, send one made of tree-free paper, plantable paper, or choose from the many recycled Christmas card options available.

5. Green your holiday baking: Use organic ingredients and eco-safe bake ware. No time to bake? Find the most Amazing Organic Holiday Cookies.

6. Green your shopping: Don’t shop like mad. Make a small list of meaningful gifts you’d like to get and stick to it. OR make crafty homemade holiday gifts. You can also give many gifts that actually give back.

7. Green the toys: If you’ve got kids, Christmas toys are likely on your list. Make sure you get safe, lead-free, non-toxic toys this year.

8. Green your Christmas stocking: This year use an eco-friendly Christmas stocking AND stuff it with safe fun green treats.

9. Green your holiday supplies: Plan on using goods for the holidays that are made with recycled materials or that can easily be recycled. You’d be surprised at how many options there are for a nice recyclable holiday season.

10. Green your Christmas mindset: The biggest challenge surrounding getting green for Christmas is simply wrapping your mind around a new way to celebrate. Read I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas and/or Celebrate Green for ideas about how you can celebrate in a fun way while keeping it green and meaningful.

How are you greening your Christmas this year?

Save energy with a toaster oven

October 2, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Save Energy by Jennifer | 1 comment

Say the word toaster oven and most people think of those old burning hot machines sitting on top of grandma’s counter when they were a kid (or is that only me?). In any case, a new toaster oven is a great way to save energy in the kitchen.

Black & Decker Toaster Oven

The newer toaster oven models are not the machines of the past either. New toaster ovens have all sorts of settings, come in various sizes (some even fit whole pizzas!), and overall are more eco-friendly than oven cooking because they use less energy, have shorter preheating times, and keeps your home cooler in the summer than a traditional heat ridden oven. Newer toaster ovens even look better than the ones from years past so you won’t feel the need to cover it up when guests come over.

Note if you only want one other appliance – i.e. an energy saving microwave or a toaster oven check out Treehugger’s guide to which is the better and greener choice for your needs.

Clothes Dryer Alternatives

September 28, 2009 in Furniture & Appliances, Save Energy by Jennifer | No comments

Clothes dryers can use a ton of energy in your home, zapping resources and raising your bill. Luckily, there are plenty of options that will allow you to go dryer free most of the time.

The basic clothesline: Obviously people have been using the basic clothes line for hundreds of years. It’s simple to set one up too. You don’t need two properly placed trees either. Mother Earth News has an easy tutorial about how to make your very own sturdy clothesline. There are also retractable clotheslines you can invest in as well that can be inside.

Drying racks: Drying racks are nice because they can be used both indoors and out, and usually fold up nice and tidy and out of the way when not in use. There are many drying rack options like the Expandable Wall Rack (shown above), an Over-Bath Drying Rack, or a basic folding drying rack.

Hangers: You have to hang your clothes anyhow, so why not simply take them from the washer, put them on hangers, and hang them on the shower rack for a day. THEN move directly to your closet. This is pretty much what I do all year round. Living in rainy Oregon makes it difficult to hang clothes outside year round, so this is easier. Inside clothes dry super fast too, so it’s not as if your bathroom will always be clothes covered. There are even eco-friendly hanger options, such as…

  • Save the ones your clothes come on. Seriously folks; according to a Readers Digest story last year, about 3.5 billion hangers end up in the landfill annually. What the!? Use the ones you’ve got.You can also check thrift stores for used hangers.
  • B Green Bamboo Hangers
  • Compost friendly Wheatware Hangers

Save energy with a pressure cooker

September 13, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink, Furniture & Appliances by Jennifer | 2 comments

There are all sorts of ways to save energy in the kitchen – but cooking with a pressure cooker is one of the best. Using a pressure cooker is a green kitchen move that not only saves energy, but allows you to creatively use leftovers and minimize food waste, and bonus – you’ll save money.


5 Qt Pressure Cooker

Using a pressure cookers can cut up 60-70% of your energy costs, which isn’t bad when you consider that overall, cooking typically makes up about 10% of your home’s energy use. You can’t use a pressure cooker for every single dish you make but they’re totally appropriate for tons of food items such as rice and other grains, soup, potatoes, beans, pasta, meat, and more.

Basic pressure cookers range from 4-6 quart sizes and come in various materials – but stainless steel is your best green bet for safety and recyclable qualities. A pressure cooker works by trapping steam inside the sealed cooker which saves energy from escaping and maintains a faster heating temperature, which allows food to cook much faster than say in a traditional pot.

Pressure cookers also allow you to cook with less fat and oil and dishes retain more nutrients. Plus pressure cooking helps to retains and intensifies flavors and can even tenderize tough cuts of meat. When choosing a pressure cooker look for a heavy bottom stainless steel cooker with heat resistant handles and an easy to manage lid.

To find a pressure cooker visit:

Learn more about using a pressure cooker or find great pressure cooker recipes.

Sneaky bathroom water saving tips

August 7, 2009 in Water by Jennifer | 1 comment

The saving more water issue really isn’t all that complicated. In fact, you can sum it up in three little words – use less water. Wow. Right? However, for those of you who might like more substantial tips, here ya go…

  • Don’t assume showers save water: Yeah you may have heard this in the past, but know that there are major variables. For example,  according to the Environment Agency, “A 5-minute shower uses about a third of the water of a bath. But remember that power showers can use more water than a bath in less than 5 minutes.“  Now, if my son takes a shower he messes around, takes forever and wastes a lot more water than he might in the bath. But a person who just jumps in and out may save more in the shower. It all depends. If you’re fast a shower is likely your best bet. If you lag, a bath could be more efficient.
  • Shower with a buddy: I couldn’t shower with my son when he was little because he was a hot water hog, but if you’ve got easy going kids or a willing partner, showering together may be more efficient.
  • Lower your time in the shower: You don’t need a daily shower. If you’re not working construction, how dirty are you really getting? Try taking a shower every other day or only washing your hair a couple of times a week.
  • When shaving your legs, scrubbing up, or applying hair treatments turn the water off.
  • Put all your kids in the tub at once.
  • I hate using timers for showers, but I don’t take long ones anyhow. If you do, a timer can really help you to save water.
  • Hot water is bad for your skin; it can dry your skin out. Plus cold water makes your hair shiny. With this in mind, turn the water temp down, which one, saves energy, and two, being that it’s cold you may get out sooner.
  • Place a reusable bin in the tub with you as you shower – be careful not to trip over it!). Collect shower water and use it to water house plants or outside plants or wash the car or mop the floor.

7 Ways To Conserve Water and Energy in the Bathroom

August 4, 2009 in Save Energy, Save Money, Water by Jennifer | 1 comment

Keep it green from the get-go. If you’re building or remodeling, invest in an earth-friendly tub. Diamond Spas and Durat both have eco-friendly options. Durat is especially cool making tubs of solid material with recycled plastics (see Durat tub example above). Check for water leaks: You can do this by checking your water meter say, at 8am. Wait two or three hours but run no water during that time. Re-check your meter and if it’s changed, there’s a leak.

Insulate hot water pipes for hotter water even after changing your heat to a lower setting.

Insulate the water heater tank: It only takes about a year to get back the money you save on this investment and you’ll conserve energy.

Water softeners may cost you: Only use if seriously necessary. According to American Water & Energy Savers, you can “Save water and salt by running the minimum amount of regenerations necessary to maintain water softness. Turn softeners off while on vacation.”

Install water-saving low-flow shower heads.

Take shorter showers – technically you should wash up and get out not linger.

Buy an inexpensive tank bank or float booster for your toilet. This alone could save you ten or more gallons of water per day.

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.

Low-cost help for the poorly weatherized home

August 1, 2009 in Save Energy, Save Money by Jennifer | No comments

I know it’s hot as blazes, (it’s been around 100 in Oregon) but this is actually a good time to think about your home’s energy use during the winter. Right now there are programs available for low-income families that can help to weatherize your home so that once fall and winter come your home will stay warmer and your wallet fuller as you save energy.

Saving home energy and conserving resources can be expensive if you need to make changes to your home. However, The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) offers a Weatherization Assistance Program that, in the last 32 years has provided assistance to more than 6.2 million families. The Weatherization Assistance Program enables low-income families to permanently reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. How the program works is, “Weatherization service providers install energy efficiency measures in the homes of qualifying homeowners free of charge. These are not expensive upgrades—the average expenditure limit is $2,826 per home—but they are effective, and energy savings pay for the upgrades within a few years.”

Savings to you: On average, weatherization of your home reduces your heating bills by 32% and overall energy bills by about $350 per year at current prices.

Are you eligible?

The DOE estimates that around 20 to 30 million U.S. families are eligible for services. Home owners and renters may qualify and if you get Supplemental Security Income or Aid to Families with Dependent Children than you are automatically eligible. Preference is given to those 60 years or older, families who have one or more members with disabilities, and families with children. Mainly they’ll go by your income to see if you qualify. If you are eligible you may get things like a microwave for low energy cooking, a wrapped water heater and more.

Contact your local state weatherization program to see if you are eligible and to learn how to apply.

If you can’t get assistance through the DOE you might qualify for:

  • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
  • Many local energy suppliers offer assistance programs. Programs vary greatly though so contact your local provider and ask about consumer assistance in paying your bill.

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…

NatureMills Plus Composter

June 3, 2009 in Furniture & Appliances, Organic Gardening by Jennifer | 1 comment

Composting is one of the best things you can do for a healthy planet and garden. Not only do you eliminate landfill waste when you compost, but it’s free organic soil, and you save money on your garbage bills.

One comprehensive composter is the NatureMills Plus Composter. (shown above). Benefits of this composter include…

  • Mixes automatically – hands-off mixing ability.
  • No trash odors when kept inside. Continuous air flow and a powerful carbon filter remove odors.
  • Can be used indoors or outdoors or even under the cupboard. Outside use works even in cold weather, rain, or snow.
  • You can add food and other waste any time, any day, up to 120 lbs per month. Waste items are processed continuously, mixing every 4 hours, until they are completely ground down to small particles.
  • NatureMill is made from recycled and recyclable materials.
  • Energy use is just 5 kwh / month, or about $0.50/month – less than a garbage truck would burn in diesel fuel to haul the same waste.
  • New compost is ready every 2 weeks. A red light will tell you when to empty the machine. Just open the door and remove the compost and place it in your garden.
  • All NatureMill models can handle pet waste, kitty litter, and cage beddings.
  • You only have to replace the filter every 5 years.

Watch this video about it…

NatureMills makes other composters as well. Visit NatureMills to learn more.

Pros of Building or Buying a New Green Home

May 18, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | 2 comments

Last week we started looking at remodeling green vs. buying a new green home or building a new green home. So far we took a peek at:

This week we’re moving on to pros and cons of building or buying a new green home. Later we’ll round it all up and look at some resources for both.

Building or buying a new green home does have many pros…

Green home will almost always (if you build within size reasons) cost less to operate. Your energy, water, and other maintenance costs will all likely be lower in the long term. You can also save money with green building tax cuts.

Green homes last longer than a typical conventional (non-green) home.

Green housing can meet the needs of the community both in terms of affordable to run housing and in terms of keeping the community healthy.

Green structures are healthy for the people who live there and are healthier than conventional homes for the people who build them – i.e. cut down on indoor air pollution and involve fewer toxic materials during the building process.

If a home meets typical current green building standards, green building offers opportunities during the building process to save energy, cut greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources, improve air and water quality, and reduces construction waste. Green building can also use up resources that might just be tossed – i.e. materials from a home deconstruction.

Green homes can be more relaxing. For example, a super energy efficient home is comfortable for the people living there and causes less stress because there’s not always a concern about how to cool or heat the home.

Green building or buying a new green home involves a learning curve for sure, but it’s not as hard as some think. Read the following for tips and ideas…

What is an ENERGY STAR qualified home

May 11, 2009 in Green Building, Save Energy, Save Money by Jennifer | No comments

An ENERGY STAR qualified home is a simple concept. For a home to earn the ENERGY STAR qualified rating, it must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ENERGY STAR homes need to be at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC). These homes usually include additional energy-saving components as well that can pop their energy efficiency rating up to 20–30% more efficient than your standard home.

The major features of an ENERGY STAR home include:

  1. Effective Insulation
  2. High-Performance Windows
  3. Tight Construction and Ducts
  4. Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment
  5. Efficient Products
  6. Third-Party Verification – this simply means that an outside qualified party (Home Energy Rater), conducts “Onsite testing and inspections to verify the energy efficiency measures, as well as insulation, air tightness, and duct sealing details.“

WHY BUY OR BUILD AN ENERGY STAR HOME:

  • It can simplify the green home buying process. Since it’s ENERGY STAR you have fewer decisions to make, because a home needs to meet eco-specifications to qualify.
  • Compared with standard homes, ENERGY STAR qualified homes have much lower owner costs when it comes to energy and water use.  You can also save money with lower financing options.
  • According to ENERGY STAR< energy efficient homes are a smarter investment, “To date, more than 6,500 home builders have partnered with EPA to construct nearly 940,000 ENERGY STAR qualified homes. The trend is clear. By choosing a home with the ENERGY STAR label, you can be confident that it will have an increasingly valued feature when the time comes to sell.” Of course they’d say that, but really green home are doing well on the market, so it’s not just company fluff.
  • You’re helping to keep the planet green. Houses can generate more greenhouse gas emissions than your car.

If you’re building, not simply buying an ENERGY STAR home you can check out some home plans that are Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR rating or click here to find home builders and developers that build ENERGY STAR qualified new homes, lenders that offer energy efficient mortgages, utilities that offer special incentives to buyers, and home energy raters that can verify the energy efficiency of a home.

You can take a tour of an ENERGY STAR home to learn more about the features offered.

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 »

Easy ways to use solar energy at home

March 22, 2009 in Alternative Energy by Jennifer | No comments

Some people freak at the thought of solar, thinking, “Uh oh… complicated!” In reality, there are some super easy ways to incorporate solar energy use into any home plan.

Go outside: Solar Illuminations offers a huge selection of outdoor ready solar lighting choices. From Solar ‘Teardrop’ Lantern Lights that look great as a welcome light or even in a garden to solar powered house numbers and letters, this place has everything you need to solar up your outdoor living spaces.

Tunnel style: I’ve written about tunnel-minded solar lights before, but seriously I LOVE them. Solar sun tunnel lights work well in all sorts of spaces and for as small as these tunnels are, they provide huge amounts of light – especially to a smaller space like a bathroom or closet. Plus, these tunnels can be installed quickly.

Get wet: Solar powered pool products are great to consider now that summer is on the way. Think about getting a solar swimming pool cover that heats your pool sans non-renewable resources or get a solar powered pool heater.

BONUS: Learn about solar powered attic fans – super easy to install and cost efficient.

Green Spring Cleaning Tips – Clean Green and Healthy

March 9, 2009 in Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 1 comment

Spring cleaning is coming up asap, so it’s time to start considering your options. Of course many of us will partake in a little spring cleaning at least, but that doesn’t mean we need to scour our homes with toxic chemical cleaners.

For spring cleaning this year try the following…

Learn how to find non-toxic and natural cleaners over chemical laden toxic junk. If you’re going to buy cleaners from the store make sure you figure out first if the product is an actual earth-friendly cleaning choice.

Reconsider your cleaning tools. You can make better choices than typical non-eco-friendly sponges. You can purchase spray bottles to reuse over and over again (fill with homemade cleaners) vs. buying plastic toss away bottles, and you can even purchase an eco-friendly broom.

Experiment with some of your own homemade air fresheners or simply push those windows open. Fresh air is actually the best natural way to scent your air (ah, crispy).

During spring cleaning start new healthy home habits such as in-kitchen composting to use your scraps, not wearing shoes in the house or if god forbid you smoke inside, stop it!

Plan some easy and earth-friendly DIY home projects designed to save you money and green your home.

Don’t stop inside. Get out and green audit that yard and garden. For tips read…

Learn more:

Are you doing any spring cleaning this year, or better yet, planning any cool green home projects? Let me know in the comments…

In Faucet Water Filter for Green Homes

March 4, 2009 in Uncategorized by Jennifer | 3 comments

We look at water issues here often. Mainly, I think because water consumption is one extra easy place to make an eco-difference. A lot of water conservation consists of tiny steps to implement OR small actions on your part (i.e. turning off the sink while brushing or taking shorter showers). We’ve looked at drinking water before, and how to keep it green. Such as drinking from the tap or looking for filters with less packaging. Recently I saw these in-faucet filters that last way longer than typical faucet mounted filters, which could reduce the amount of waste filters can create.

Some ideas:

Moen Chateau Kitchen Faucet with ChoiceFlo Filtration in Chrome: This is an under the counter filtration system that looks like a normal faucet. There are two separate water channels which means you can get filtered and unfiltered water from the same faucet. PLUS the average filter lasts 6 months or for about 750 gallons of water. That’s better than most other filters which seem to last about 3 months or so.
Read the rest of this entry »

Quick Energy Saving Tips for Empty Rooms

February 27, 2009 in Save Energy, Save Money by Jennifer | No comments

We all know that we should turn off the lights when we leave a room. However, there’s more you could be doing in order to save energy on empty rooms.

Close off the vents in unused or less used rooms of your house.

Make sure the doors aren’t leaking cool air into your home via a large bottom opening. If you can feel cold air coming into your home from an empty room, place a towel or a made to order door draft stopper like the one below.

In unused rooms with fireplaces make sure you close the damper.

In empty or less used rooms close the drapes or blinds so that less cool air comes inside, which can result in air leaking under the door and into your used rooms.

Unplug items in underused rooms – i.e. lamps and TVs.

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?

Home Stove and Oven Energy Savings

January 8, 2009 in Eco Kitchen by Jennifer | 1 comment

These pots above could use some lids to save energy!

If you’re looking to save energy at home, taking steps in the kitchen is smart, especially when it comes to your stove and oven use.

Some handy energy saving tips:

Keep it clean. Dirt and grime can interfere with proper cooking time and energy use. Clean inside your oven, the stove top reflector pans (or glass), and the fan regularly.

Quit peeking. Looking inside the oven won’t make that cake rise any faster. It will waste energy though each time you open the door. Use the light instead and look in the oven window.

Use pots and pans that fit the burner size. The worst energy waste here is a tiny pot on a big burner.

Consider an alternative. Both toaster ovens and microwaves use less energy than your oven. Can you use one of these options instead?

Turn it off early. You can easily turn your oven off about ten minutes early, and still have your food cook through. Just leave your dish inside the oven with the door closed for the last ten minutes. You can also do this with some stove top foods, like pasta. Allow the water to boil, but turn off the burner before your noodles are all the way cooked. Place a lid on the pot to keep heat inside.

Thaw before cooking. Thaw foods in the fridge before you cook them. Frozen foods take longer than thawed to cook.

Check your oven door seal. A broken or loose seal allows heat to escape. Dirt can also affect how your oven door seal works, so keep it clean as well.

Preheating is a waste. Most food items don’t really need to be put in a preheated oven. Some baked goods do, sure, but not stuff like frozen tator tots for the kiddos.

Is There an Energy Tree in Your Future?

January 7, 2009 in Save Energy by Jennifer | No comments

I recently saw this kooky little creation – The Energy Tree. While it’s odd for sure, it’s a pretty cool idea.

The Energy Tree was a project developed for Microsoft’s StartSomthing PC Competition by Ben Arent, a UK Product & Interaction Designer. His portfolio is pretty neat, with many cool designs to see but this project might be the most useful dream product for green home dwellers.

Basically Arent designed the Energy tree as an “All in one device to view energy use in the home, and improve the overall energy life-cycle.” The Energy Tree, in theory, monitors power consumption and recycling use. A product like this would serve to help humans become more aware of their energy use at home, or I suppose in an office setting.

The Energy Tree has a user interface for displaying information about energy consumption. According to Arent, “The Energy Tree will grow a real tree… if you are energy efficient, but if you waste energy it will start to get a disease and or die.”

For folks saying – “This concept is crazy, it will never work!” Arent answers some questions here.

So, if something like this was on the market, would you be interested? I think it’s pretty cool. I like the whole tree metaphor. It’s a nice visual for energy use.

Cuddling & Other Tips for Saving Energy in Winter

December 14, 2008 in Save Energy, Seasonal Tips by Jennifer | 2 comments

Today we got snow here in Oregon, and trust me it’s freezing. This led me to think a little about winter and energy saving. Cuddling is of course an effective way to stay warm in winter but in case you’re not feeling all that cuddly, here are some other energy saving options.

  • Seal gaps or cracked seams in exposed ducts.
  • Clean or replace your furnace filters monthly.
  • Place window shrink wrap on non-energy efficient windows. You can also hang heavy blankets up with strong nails and this will block quite a lot of the chill.
  • Keep everyone gathered in a few rooms. Heat those rooms and shut the doors on rooms that no one is in.
  • If you leave turn off the heat! Once you return, your heater will quickly heat back up. There’s no need to heat an empty house – NOTE unless you have pets – don’t leave them freezing.
  • Lower your water heater. If you lower it to 120 F you can save money. Typically, a 10 F reduction on your water heater can save up to 5% on your heating, and no one needs their water set above 120.
  • Insulate any hot water pipes that lead from your water heater.
  • Install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators – which is not a direct heat energy saving, but the less hot water used, the more you save.
  • Don’t underestimate clothing – a nice cozy sweater means you can keep the heat down. It’s not tank top weather!

Need more winter energy tips?

Quick Energy Saving Tip – DIY Energy Audit

Green Your Home On the Cheap

Quick Green Home Tip: Turn Down the Thermostat

Green Action for Autumn – Sealing Your Home for Winter

Is it snowing and chilly where you are?

Quick Green Tip: Wash Less Laundry

December 13, 2008 in Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

Some of the laundry you may be washing, might be out of habit, rather than need.

  • For example, most clothing items can be worn twice before it’s grimy. (I’d think twice about undies and socks though!)
  • Bath and kitchen towels can be used for a week before washing.
  • Curtains, bedding, pillows, and other decorative items can be washed infrequently; not every week.
  • Cloth napkins that are barely used can be used at the next meal.

Consider what you toss into the wash, before you do the next laundry load. If it’s not dirty, why wash?

Quick Energy Saving Tip – DIY Energy Audit

November 30, 2008 in Save Energy, Save Money by Jennifer | 1 comment

You can hire someone to run a home energy audit for you, or with the help of Home Energy Saver, you can actually do an energy audit easily by yourself.

At Home Energy Saver, you enter your zip code, and what shoots out is a typical round up of energy costs in your area. For example, after I enter my zip code, it shows that the average home’s energy costs are $1395 a year, while an energy efficient home in the same area costs about $737 a year.

There’s also a graph that shows which appliances typically drain the most energy in your area.

Next there are some questions to answer – all were pretty easy, so you don’t need technical know-how for this audit. Questions like…

  • Does your house have foundation or floor insulation?
  • Do you have a clothes washer?
  • How many freezers do you have?
  • What kind of heating equipment do you have?
  • And so on.

After filling out all the answers, the site will show you where you can make changes, cut costs, and save more energy. It’s a really nice site, and even if you aren’t planning on making any immediate changes, it’s cool to know your options.

Visit Home Energy Saver

Three Eco Roof Additions

November 4, 2008 in Green Building by Jennifer | No comments

If you’ve got a house, then I’m guessing you also have a roof. Here are three roofing options that are sustainable and can help you to save on energy costs:

Solar-Powered Attic Fan: A solar attic fan will save you money by achieving better energy savings; also since they’re run by the sun there’s no charge to actually run them. A decent solar attic fan can reduce the strain on your normal cooling system – be it an air conditioner or plug-in fan. There’s no hard wiring required either, which means a semi-handy DIY individual will be able to handle the entire install. See an install.

Solar-powered attic fan options…

Metal roofing: Metal is not exactly the perfect sustainable material. That said, metal roofing lasts forever, which really reduces the amount of materials ending up in our landfills. If you’re a good green citizen, you can look into recycling – 100% of metal roofing material is recyclable. Also, metal roofing comes in various colors; don’t assume you’ll be stuck with something looking like a tin can (although, that can look cool).

Locate metal roofing:

And something I’ve already discussed at RiverWired, Roof Whitening for Energy Saving.

*Bonus fun – green roofs!

Basics of Green Roofs for Residential – Green Roof Home Companies

The Basics of Green Roofs for Residential – Green Roof Homes

Largest Green Roof in NYC

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.

What Uses Up the Most Water in Your House?

October 19, 2008 in Furniture & Appliances, Water by Jennifer | No comments

In most older houses the answer to this question is… The toilet.

Regular old toilets used to use a ton of water – up to seven gallons per flush. If you’ve remodeled your old house bathroom, or bought a brand new house it’s likely you have a new toilet, and that’s good news because newer toilets use far less water per flush (usually less than 2 gallons).

Options for older toilets… And by old, I do mean old. Models since the mid 90s have used less water. If you have a toilet older than say 1995 or so, that’s when you need to be concerned.

Replace it: Your best option, hands down is to replace your older toilet for a nice new model. You can upwards of 2000 gallons of water per year by changing out your toilet. Preferably you want to get a dual-flush model (available in the U.S. from Kohler and Caroma U.S.A), a water sense approved model, or an ultra low-flush. There are also some nice composting and waterless toilets available, which will save you even more money and water.

Besides water, there’s that additionally bonus that a water efficient toilet will save you lots of cash over the years. Costs to buy and install a new toilet (or 2 or 3) can seem high, but you’ll get back that money quickly. Visit Conserve Water Utah, to see a list of water efficient toilets.
Read the rest of this entry »

Compact Fluorescent (CFL) Bulb Safety

October 13, 2008 in Save Energy by Jennifer | 1 comment

Compact Fluorescent (CFL) Bulbs are much better for the earth than standard bulbs, so hopefully your home is full of them. However, there’s a slight danger to having CFL bulbs.

You may have heard that mercury is dangerous, and that’s not false. However, when it comes to CFL bulbs, you’re not dealing with a huge risk. CFLs do contain mercury, but not in large enough amounts to affect your entire household, say, if one breaks. Mercury will escape from your bulb if it breaks, but it’s such a tiny amount, that it’s not going to flow over all the rooms in your home, and it won’t pose a danger to you, your pets, or your kids, so long as you carefully clean up the broken bulb.

  • Kids should never clean up broken bulbs.
  • You should avoid touching the bulb pieces while cleaning them up.
  • Gently sweep pieces into a dustpan, and toss into an outside trash can.

There have been some strange, rumor-like stories about CFLs online, but when you get right down to it, they’re mostly safe, and save energy, so go ahead and use them.

[image via GE - visit the GE Lighting ENERGY STAR Program page to learn all about CFL bulbs.]

Quick green tip: plasma TV is not so green

October 10, 2008 in Furniture & Appliances by Jennifer | 1 comment

See how I can rhyme my green tips! But that’s besides the point. If you like your TV big then consider a LED-screen, rear projector screen, or even just a biggie old fashioned TV – all three use less energy than plasma screens.

In fact, some figures show that with continued plasma use, TVs will end up consuming about 8% of the energy used nationally per year. 8% sounds small – but think of al the stuff we own that uses energy, and that makes 8% to TV alone seem pretty icky.

To learn more read: Televisions Will Consume More Energy Than a Fridge – yup even the title is scary.

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.

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.

Book Review: The Carbon Free Home

September 22, 2008 in Uncategorized by Jennifer | No comments

At another blog of mine, Offbeat Homes, I recently reviewed a new green home book; Book Review: The Carbon-Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil -Fuel Habit.

This is an excellent book, one that readers here will enjoy, so I thought I’d mention it. It’s completely green home focused and very user friendly. Read the review.

Tips for Greening Your Home Computer Use

September 17, 2008 in Home Office by Jennifer | 1 comment

Green computing at home is a smart move. Not only can computers drain tons of energy, but their parts, and all the fancy gear that comes with them are not always earth-friendly.

Use these tips to keep your home computer use green:

Use a laptop because it drains less energy than a desktop. You can also make sure to buy one of the newer Energy Star computers.

Unplug when you leave the room – or at the very least turn your computer off. If you suck at remembering to turn your computer off pre-set your computer to turn off or sleep automatically after a set amount of time with no use.

Use an energy strip.

Buy only recycled and reused extra computer gear and equipment. Recycled computer paper, reused-refilled ink cartridges, and refurbished computer desks are all good ways to save resources.

Make sure to recycle your computer when it’s good and done. If there’s still life in the old computer then consider donating to an organization that could use one.

Also recycle other computer items like computer disks.

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.

Unplugging Your Home & Other Ways To Save Energy

September 7, 2008 in Save Energy by Jennifer | 1 comment

save energy

save energy

The Environmental Defense Organization notes that Americans waste in excess of $1 billion a year due to power waste. It’s not only our wallets that suffer either. Every time we use more energy than needed in our homes, we waste resources and contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Luckily you can take some simple energy saving steps that can both save you money and help protect the earth:

Unplug your house: There’s no reason to leave items plugged in when they’re not in use. Lamps, chargers, the toaster, blender, TV and more all continue to drain energy while plugged in. Unplug when you’re done, to save resources.

Use the right bulb: Energy saving light bulbs can save untold of amounts of energy over time.

Choose the right home appliances: Choose Energy Star products for money and planet saving benefits.

Live small: Live in a home that meets (not overly exceeds) your space requirements. The smaller your home, the less energy it takes to run the house.

Go alternative: Using alternative means of energy, like solar power, can ease the amount of footprint your home personally makes on the earth.

Weatherize: Don’t forget to weatherize properly for summer as well, not just the cold months.

Late night sweeps: Do a late night sweep each evening before bed. Walk through your home, turn off extra lights, and unplug items. Make sure nothing is left on overnight.

Quick Green Yard Tip – Push Mowers

August 30, 2008 in Organic Gardening by Jennifer | No comments

Push lawn mowers are better for the planet and your waistline than gas guzzling mowers. Some people think push mowers are more work, and they are somewhat, but not THAT much more anymore.

Most modern push lawn mowers have stronger blades, and work better, so it’s not like you see in those old movies, where some poor kid can barely move the mower. You’ll also need to rake, but that’s another good workout, plus you can gather up the clippings and compost them.

Is Hand Washing Your Dishes A Good Green Choice?

August 29, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Save Energy, Water by Jennifer | 1 comment

There’s usually a pretty large debate about hand washing vs. dish washing between green living folks. Each side has pros and cons that they feel strongly about.

save water at home

I’m on the side of dish washing being the best green choice. Dishwashers approved as energy efficient by the EPA can use a lot less water then conventional hand washing – in some cases, depending on how you wash, hand washing can waste up to 20 gallons more water than a dishwasher.

There are some other points to consider though.

Are you scrapping or rinsing your dishes? If you scrap then place your dishes in the dishwasher, it clears some food. A new dishwasher is powerful enough to get the rest of the food off. An older model dishwasher may require that you rinse dishes first, which of course wastes water.

If you use a soap that sucks (different dish washing soaps do work differently in different dishwashers) you may need to run your dishes twice – another water waste.

If you have hard water, you’ll need to use a rinse agent (vinegar can be substituted), or you’ll have to possibly run an extra rinse cycle to clear off soap residue.

If you live alone, and use maybe three dishes a day, hand washing responsibly is a better choice, because your dishwasher really should be full to be an efficient use of water.

For people on the side of hand washing is better, it can be, if you wash smart. Many people run water the entire time they wash, and that’s what wastes those 20 gallons. If you hand wash, use an easy rinse soap, run one sink full (or bin-full) of hot soapy water, and one sink (or bin-full) of warm or cool rinse water. Don’t just run the water like crazy.

What do you think – is hand washing or machine washing a better use of energy?

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.

Quick Green Home Office Tip

August 18, 2008 in Home Office, Quick Green Home & Garden Tips, Save Energy by Jennifer | No comments

If you’re looking to green your home office experience, you can start with the energy factor. Even when your computer, printer, and lamp are plugged in, they’re draining energy. That costs you money and resources.

Unplugging is a possibility, but also a pain if you’ve got a ton of office equipment. Charges, lamps, electronics, and a radio; it’s a lot to remember.

What to do: Invest in one simple power strip, like the ecostrip. Once you’re ready to leave your office, you can simply turn off the powerstrip, rather than unplug each and every cord. This is a simple green tip that can save you money, time, and resources.

Quick Tip for Water Savings

August 16, 2008 in Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle, Save Energy, Water by Jennifer | No comments

Showers and baths use an insane amount of water. To conserve more water, cut five minutes off your daily shower. To double your efforts, try placing a small plastic bin in the tub as you shower. Use that water to water plants, wash the car, or mop the floors. The two easy steps above can save upwards of 375 gallons of water a month!

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 Nursery

August 6, 2008 in Children & Babies, Decor, Furniture & Appliances, Green Cleaning, Organics, Save Energy by Jennifer | No comments

This week we’re going room by room, looking at how we can green up all the spaces of your home. It’s really important to keep your little one’s sleeping space free from chemicals, toxins, and other icky things. Babies, with their smaller bodies and immune systems are more sensitive to everything. Following are ten tips that can help you green your nursery.

organic baby nursery

  1. Get rid of smelly baby odors (think diaper pail) with natural methods.
  2. Install energy saving lights and light bulbs. You can also set up lighting on a timer or sensor – for example, a night light on a sensor can save a ton of energy.
  3. Use non toxic paints and finishes on the walls and furniture.
  4. look for refurbished or recycled furniture. If you refinish it yourself, remember to use healthy non lead, non-toxic laminate or paint. Avoid materials like plywood and particleboard, because it usually contains formaldehyde.
  5. Be sure to buy a  safer, greener, baby mattresses. These used to be spendy, but you can find great deals on green mattresses and it’s worth it. While you’re at it, make sure to invest in organic baby bedding as well.
  6. Look for flame-retardant and sustainable floor coverings and rugs.
  7. Invest in toys made from sustainable wood, non-toxic materials, and made with Fair Trade practices. These type of toys cost more, but it’s better to buy fewer toys that are safe than a bunch of plastic toys chock full of chemicals. You can even consider what you have around the house as toys. Babies still love to bang on pots, play with cups, and dance with you – try to have fun with fewer toys overall.
  8. Invest in greener diaper choices.
  9. Keep your baby clean with natural soap and care options.
  10. Stock up your baby’s closets with natural and organic clothing finds. For some ideas visit the following stores: