Eco Friendly Shower Curtain

If you are on the market to purchase a new shower curtain, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get one that’s PVC free. I am amazed at how many people still use vinyl shower curtains in their bathrooms. Not only do they look cheap and tacky, but they smell funny too. Just imagine the toxins you’re inhaling each time you take a shower. Keep your bathroom as ventilated as possible. Turn your vent fan on or open a bathroom window to help prevent mold from growing on your walls and ceiling.

Healthier, ecofriendly curtain alternatives are available in organic cotton, hemp and linen. Try to find a curtain that has a tight weave so that it resists water better. Linen is more mildew resistant than cotton. You can wash and air dry the curtain if it gets moldy.

Sure, the eco friendly curtain alternatives cost more than a PVC curtain, but having to replace a nasty PVC curtain every year or two won’t save you money in the long run.

Laundry Pure by Ecoquest

 LaundryPure is a better way to keep your clothes clean. Brighter colors and whiter whites without detergent or hot water. LaundryPure helps eliminate the itching and redness caused by allergies due to detergents embedded in clothing. Silver kills germs and oxidation cleans clothes. The system hooks up to a washing machine to treat incoming water with silver ions for killing odor causing bacteria and fungi.

The retail price they give in the video has gone down significantly. Call or email Ken Harouff, Going Green Technologies, LLC at (502)618-0964 or goinggreentech@aol.com for additional information.

Energy Audits for your Home

The Building Performance Group conducts Home Performance Inspections using infrared cameras and blower-door testing equipment to determine air-leakage. If you have rooms in your home that are warmer or colder than other areas, then you may want to call or email Eric George to have an energy audit done on your home.  BuildingPerformanceGroup@gmail.com or (502)216-2731

 

 

Here are pictures of my bathroom with the blower-door running and using the IR camera, Eric was able to locate many areas of air leakage throughout the house. The pictures clearly show these areas and are annotated to provide a clearer understanding of what they reveal. These cold areas are caused because the framed walls have cavities that are open into the attic above. Even though there is fiberglass insulation installed, this material does not stop air movement, and the effectiveness of the insulation is completely diminished.

Environmentally friendly Metal Roofing

Tile and slate are natural materials that are recyclable and reusable, but they are heavy to ship and need structural support for their weight.

Builders and homeowners use asphalt shingles because they are inexpensive, relatively simple to install, and offer a variety of colors. But, asphalt shingles are a petroleum-based product, generally not heat-reflective and most end up in landfills. Wood roofs are a natural material and last between 30 - 50 years, but the are susceptible to fire.

Metal roofs with an aluminum finish can reflect and send back nearly 100% of heat, preventing it from being absorbed into your home.

Most people think of metal roofing being limited to some variation of a vertical panel. If you want variety in a metal roof, you can surely find it! Metal roofs are available in an entire palette of colors, shapes, textures and metals. You can get steel roofs, tin, aluminum, copper and if you have the money - I believe - stainless steel!

There’s always the possibility of making all or part of your roof a “Living Roof“. By planting vegetation on your roof, it will help lower your energy costs, insulate your home and you are able to grow a garden. Popular in Europe but not yet in the United States. 

 

Environmentally Friendly Paint

 

 

 

 

Measure Your Eco Footprint

How big is your Carbon Footprint? Calculate your impact on Conservation International. We all contribute to global warming everyday. You may not realize it, but every time you drive your car, leave the television and/or lights on in your home and cook dinner for your family. We emit carbon dioxide, trapping heat in the atmosphere. Take the quiz and find out how you can reduce or even eliminate your emissions of carbon dioxide.

Are Fake Lawns really Eco-friendly?

When I think of fake grass I think of the astroturf I see at miniature golf putting ranges. But, it looks like they have come along way with how it looks now. There are some pros and cons when it comes to Fake Lawns. It sounds like a great idea to have a fake lawn, but the fake grass is not eco-friendly.

Here are some pros to installing a fake lawn:
1. No more wasting time mowing the yard and polluting the air
2. No bugs
3. No weeds
4. No pesticides and fertilizers
5. No watering required
6. Green grass year round
7. Non-flammable (for you smokers out there or people that use torch lamps)

Now the cons:
1. It doesn’t last forever usually 5-8 years
2. Very expensive

For more information check out Foreverlawn and Newgrass.

Bring Green Home, Money Saving Tips

Since winter is almost here you may want to check out eco friendly ideas for home.

Plant trees - not only does it improve air and water quality it increases the value of your home. According to the US Department of Energy, as few as three strategically planted trees in your yard can lower your heating and cooling costs. Trees can provide shade in the summer and block cold winds in the winter.

Programmable Thermostat - save up to $75 each year on your energy bill by using one of these in your home. Adjust your thermostat -down two degrees in the winter, up two degrees in the summer can save you up to $45 a year.

HVAC System - each year, your HVAC system could be wasting as much as $50 in energy. Have your system tuned up in the spring and fall each year. Change or clean the filters in your air conditioners and heaters.

Refrigerator coils - by cleaning the dust off on the coils located in the back of a refrigerator makes it more efficient.

Energy-efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs - by changing your five most used light bulbs in your house, you can save up to $27 a year. 

Caulk and weather strip doors and windows - to keep the cold from coming into your home this winter. If your attic insulation is looking a little sparse, you may want to add more before it gets too cold.

ENERGY STAR - buy ENERGY STAR products and appliances.

Dishwasher - open the dishwasher to air dry the dishes, instead of using the hot air dry cycle. Only run the machine with full loads.

Clothes Dryer - most of us live in neighborhoods where the Deed of Restrictions does not allow us to use closeline in our back yard, but if you have a unfinished area in your basement you can hang a close line to dry clothes.

Computers - use the sleep mode on your computers at home and at the office. Turn them off at night.

 

We Can All Live Green

If you are looking for a book that has hundreds of money-saving tips and strategies for “greening up” your life, then you may want to check out this book. We Can Live Green is launching a new book entitled, We Can (All) Live Green: Simple Steps to Save Money, Stay Healthy and Support the Planet. I checked with Barnes & Noble Booksellers and they do not have it yet. The author Jennifer Noonan is the founder of We Can Live Green, an online resource for connecting consumers to quality green products and services.

Louisville Green Fertilizer

Fall is right around the corner… soon the trees will be changing colors and lots of people will be asking off from work to attend the St. James Art Fair. Fall is also the time to fertilize your lawn. If you are in need of fertilizer, you may want to check out Louisville Green. Louisville Green is a organic based 5-3-0 fertilizer with slow release nitrogren. Local retailers sell 40 lb bags of fertilizer and for bulk purchases, contact Clarke Fenimore at (502) 896-4716 or (502) 551-1818.

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