Posts tagged eco-friendly

Taking the First Green Step

Apr29
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Alicia

What is the first step you can take to green living? Getting rid of incandescent light bulbs! According to a recent survey completed by a lighting company, 74 percent of the respondents now use compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs, which is a huge step to green living! Changing bulbs to energy-efficient models is one of the simplest green changes you can make to your home, and the CFLs save you loads of money by using less energy and lasting longer. LEDs, which are even more energy-efficient bulbs, are used in 12 percent of the respondents’ homes.

Because Congress might pass a law that would ban incandescent bulbs by 2014, why not get a head start on switching them out now? Of those in the study who do not have CFLs or LEDs in their homes yet, 71 percent plan on purchasing them in the near future. If everyone were to participate in this movement, it would save a significant amount of energy and money being spent in households. According to the National Wildlife Federation, each CFL prevents 350 pounds of coal from being burned at power plants during its lifetime. That’s a lot of pollutants that are not being released into the air we breathe!

If you’re looking for the first step to green living, here it is. Replace your bulbs. The other steps can come later, when you’re ready.

Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas - Tagged , ,

Extra Uses for Appliances

Apr22
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Alicia

These days, when you visit the appliance department at your local store, there is an appliance for almost everything you could ever imagine. You can purchase a blender, a smoothie maker, a juice maker, a milkshake maker and a margarita maker, but why? Can’t the blender alone create smoothies, juice, milkshakes and margaritas? This is just one example of how to use one appliance to multitask.

Although appliances are marketed to make you feel like you need each one, the truth is most of our appliances can be used in more than one way. By doing so, you will save energy, money and space on your counters, in your closets and all over your house!

Here are three examples of extra uses for a common appliance:

  1. Wet-dry vacuums are a popular appliance these days, with their immediate multiuse feature being that they can pick up liquids and solids. However, they can do a lot more than just that. You can use your wet-dry vacuum to unclog drains by plugging the hose into the port that blows out air, sticking the hose down into the drain and turning on the switch. Or, plug the hose into the port that sucks air in, stick the hose down a drain and retrieve items that you may have lost in the drain, such as jewelry. You can also clean out your fireplace, clean up overflowing toilets or basement flooding, or remove snow or rain from your walkways!
  2. Not only can your microwave now cook practically everything your oven can, plus more, but also the microwave has numerous other uses that have nothing to do with cooking food! Disinfect dish rags and sponges by soaking them in vinegar or lemon juice and then heating them in the microwave for one minute. This also works to disinfect cutting boards. For baking, you can soften brown sugar by adding a few drops of water to the plastic bag and then microwaving it for 10 to 20 seconds, and you can bring solidified honey back to its liquid form by microwaving the uncovered container for 30 seconds to a minute.
  3. Drying your hair is one of many uses for your hair dryer. You can also use it to find out if any of your windows or doors are leaking heat by having one person stand outside with the hair dryer, blowing it along the window or door edges, and have another person stand inside with a candle. If the flame flickers or blows out, you might need caulking. You can remove a bandage or piece of tape easier by blowing heat on it first to soften the adhesive, you can remove crayon from wallpaper, and you can remove wrinkles from plastic tablecloths or shower curtains with the warm, blowing air.

These were just three examples of ways to use your appliances in new ways. By thinking creatively, you will save energy, money and space! Little steps like these create greener, more energy-efficient living.

Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas - Tagged , ,

5 Ways to Remove Indoor Air Pollution

Apr19
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Alicia

While you’re trying to sell your home, you know that it’s important for the indoor air to feel fresh and unstuffy. Hence, you might open your windows during an open house held on a warm spring day. However, selling your home with a high quality of indoor air goes further than that.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. There are surprising sources of indoor air pollution all over your house. The sooner you know about these sources, the sooner you can clean up the air quality of your home for your future buyer and, in the mean time, for you and your family.

  • Some of the most common types of indoor air pollution include cigarette smoke, carbon monoxide and radon. To prevent these producers of pollution, always step outside to smoke, and try even stepping away from the doors to your house. Design a backyard patio or shed away from the house for you to smoke in. Make sure your house also has one or two carbon dioxide detectors, which are as important as smoke detectors.
  • Some air purifiers, unfortunately, create more pollution than they destroy. Air purifiers kill mold and bacteria in your home by releasing ozone into the air, which is what the EPA has been working to decrease in outdoor air. Ozone causes lung tissue scarring, asthma attacks and more. TheDailyGreen.com provides a list of potentially dangerous air purifiers here.
  • Paint has been a leading cause of indoor air pollution for decades, with lead paint being banned about 30 years ago. Still, many older houses still contain lead paint, so make sure to maintain paint in old houses well so that cracking or peeling pieces of lead paint aren’t touched and lead isn’t spread. New paints also contain high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC) that can be damaging when breathed even in low doses, so use low or no-VOC paint, and ventilate well when painting.
  • Carpets are often made with chemicals that could cause asthma attacks or lung damage, such as formaldehyde. Your best bet is to purchase carpeting that is made with nontoxic materials, or better yet, to replace carpeting with hardwood, ceramic, bamboo or other types of flooring that don’t collect dirt, dust mites, fungus and other unhealthy pollutants. If you have carpets, vacuum often, preferably with a high efficiency particle air (HEPA) vacuum.
  • Cleaning supplies trigger air pollutants that, if mixed incorrectly, could even be deadly. Mixing cleansers with chlorine and acid-based cleaners, such as vinegar, create chlorine gas that is deadly. Many other cleansers contain toxic pesticides and chemicals that are dangerous to our health. Mixing a spray bottle of vinegar and water, or wiping a surface with baking soda and water, works just as well.

To learn more about indoor air quality, read this article from TheDailyGreen.com. By removing these five sources of indoor air pollution, you can make your home’s air quality more safe and desirable for you and your future buyers. During open houses and tours, explain the changes you made to your potential buyers so that they know how clean the air is at the home that might soon be theirs.

Posted in Selling Tips, Tips and Ideas - Tagged , , ,

Go Green With Your Hot Tub

Mar25
2010 1 Comment Written by Carrie

Remember this article about eco-friendly plumbing?

According to Mindfully.org, “the average [American’s] individual daily consumption of water is 159 gallons,” while people in other countries live off of a small 25 gallons. Americans use a lot of water by performing everyday activities like bathing, going to the bathroom, washing dishes, cleaning the house and doing laundry.

The article goes on to list several plumbing fixtures that will help you conserve water and energy inside your home. But did you know that you can conserve water and be more environmentally conscious when using your outdoor hot tub, as well? Here’s how:

Try a portable hot tub. Portable hot tubs are slightly smaller than heavy, mounted spas, so they hold less water. You won’t need to worry about draining excess amounts, and they require less energy to reach and maintain your desired temperature.

Use solar covers. Not using your hot tub? Keep it clean using a solar cover! It does double duty by holding in heat and keeping debris out of the water, which does the filter a favor, and you won’t need to put as many chemicals in the water to cleanse and purify it.

Opt for a 100% no-bypass filtration system. Looking for another way to keep the water clean longer? Find a hot tub that features a 100 % no-bypass filtration system in which all water passes through before it enters the spa. Some hot tubs also boast a special technology that uses a three-dimensional surface area in order to maximize filtration power to extend time between cleanings. Instead of draining the water every three months, as you would with most of your typical hot tub models, you may only have to do it twice a year!

Look for a hot tub that has an ozone system or ion purifier. Reduce the need to use harsh chemicals in order to clean your hot tub. A Fresh Water ozone system produces highly concentrated ozone bubbles in that neutralize contaminants on contact. A silvre ion purifier provides silver ions as a natural alternative to water care to limit the use of chemical sanitizers like chlorine.

Change the display temperature. Once the hot tub water reaches your desired temperature to the touch, try lowering the display temperature a degree or two. You won’t feel too much of a difference, but you will save energy. The less work your hot tub has to do, the less energy it produces.

Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas - Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Eco-Friendly Backsplashes

Mar11
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Carrie

When it comes to kitchen backsplashes, you have a lot of choices at your disposal. There’s brick, ceramic, glass and steel… However, did you know that you also have eco-friendly alternatives, as well? In one of our Green Living articles, we told you that “materials with low VOC [like] ceramic tile, recycled content glass or sustainable wood” were good options. Today, we’re here to expand on that idea and provide you with more environmentally friendly options for kitchen backsplashes.

Recycled Glass Tile

You may be wondering how glass can be recycled and made into a backsplash in the first place. Producers start off with wasted glass that has been saved from a landfill and glass that has been properly recycled by consumers just like you. They begin by melting down the glass in a heated furnace with temperatures hitting well over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. This liquid glass is then put in a mold and trimmed to the right size and form.

One of the benefits of using recycled glass tiles is that it is usually left in its original form. Some are mixed with industrial colors, but fully eco-friendly glass tiles are left alone. This means that no two backsplashes will look alike, and you are guaranteed your own unique look in the kitchen!

Aluminum Tile

Aluminum tiles are made from 100 percent recycled metal. They are excellent choices for a modern kitchen, especially if you’re opting for an entirely eco-friendly kitchen complete with concrete countertops and recycled wood cabinetry. Prices start around $35 per square foot, and you can even install the backsplash yourself. On top of that, it is easy to clean by simply using a soft rag, liquid dish soap and warm water.

Reclaimed Hardwood & Bamboo

Wood-based wall coverings are generally not sustainable. However, some companies offer reclaimed wood and bamboo to create backsplashes. It is often a good idea to match this type of backsplash up with butcher’s block countertops. This recycled wood has been reclaimed from old wooden structures like barns and farmhouses or even from barley/hay/wine barrels.

Recycled Ceramic Tile

They ways in which recycled ceramic tiles are constructed vary with each manufacturer. Generally, recycled ceramic tile backsplashes are composed of both and pre- and post-consumer waste products: unwanted dirt, dust, glass, plastic and stone. These materials are mixed together and broken down into a fine powder that is then used to create ceramic tile.

For more eco-friendly tips, take a look at the Green Living category on the Buy Owner Blog!

Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas - Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Green Is In?

Mar03
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Shanna

At the annual International Builders’ Conference in January, Wall Street Journal reporter June Fletcher writes about green innovations that continue to pop up in showcases.

As she evaluates different green products and systems, she writes, “Why, I wonder, do I consistently see these products in show houses, but not so much in regular houses?”

The article goes on to describe four specific products featured at the January convection, from spray foam insulation (which is lightweight, highly effective, better at filling small gaps than fiberglass fill or batts) to solar shingles (a lighter, better-looking alternative to solar panels, originally introduced in 2005), insulated concrete forms (around for 20 years!) and structural insulated panels (around since the 1930s yet still rarely adopted, mostly because of retraining that would be required).

To read more of this article, click here.

Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas - Tagged , , ,

Green Living from Buy Owner!

Feb25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Shanna

Green living is simple: it’s making choices that are good for the environment. But how that is accomplished can be many different things and the options can feel complicated sometimes. That’s why we at the Buy Owner Blog post regular green tips here, usually once a week, featuring some product or tip or idea.

In case you’ve missed any of those posts over the last two years, here’s a roundup!

GREEN LIVING AT THE BUY OWNER BLOG
General
# Green-ovations
# Offset your home’s carbon balance
# Energy-efficient insulation
# 12 quick ways to go green
# Top 10 green purchases
# Top 10 green cleaning products
# Green moving
# Green tips for home selling
# Going green makes a difference
# What is a sustainable community?

$Savings
# Does going green = more money?
# Reduce to save money
# Recycle to save money
# Tax credits from green living
# Energy-efficient Mortgages
# Going green might help you sell your home

Inside
# Interior Plants
# Living in smaller spaces
# Eco-friendly EPA-approved fireplaces
# Living green with pets
# Natural pest control

Heating & cooling
# Cutting cooling costs
# Energy-Saving Tips
# 3 Water-Saving Improvements
# Tankless water heaters
# Eco-friendly plumbing
# Control your A/C usage
# Go green with heating systems

Flooring
# Going green with flooring
# Recycling carpeting

Furnishings
# Green idea: uses for old furnishings

Cleaning
# Getting clean while going green

Bedrooms/bathrooms
# Going green: bedrooms
# Going green: bathrooms

Kitchen
# Going green: kitchens
# How to host a green dinner party
# Going green with sinks
# Green your kitchen

Outside
# Going green with roofing
# Creating a garden: part 1
# Creating a garden: part 2
# Green idea: Xeriscaping
# Energy-saving tips for the garden
# Going green with landscaping
# Should you try composting?
# Plants to avoid
# Chicago Park District offers tree recycling
# Bokashi composting

Seasonal/Holiday
# Go green in 2009
# Go green this February
# A green Saint Patrick’s Day
# 10 steps to go green this summer
# Energy efficient for summer: solar roofing
# Energy efficient for summer: ceiling fans
# Celebrating a green fourth of July
# Before the weather changes
# A Green Halloween
# A green Thanksgiving
# A Green Christmas

Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas - Tagged

Going Green In The Laundry Room

Feb25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Carrie

laundry room

We here at the Buy Owner Blog have presented you with many ideas for Green Living in your kitchen, your bedroom and your bathroom. How about the laundry room? When it comes to eco-friendly living, it is possible to add green features to literally any room in your home!

  • Start with the obvious: your washer and dryer. Most department stores and appliance stores carry energy-saving washers and dryers. Try to look for appliances that are Energy Star rated and contain the baby blue label on the packaging or on the price tag. For another visual comparison, peak inside one of the washing machines. You’ll see that energy-efficient washing machines don’t contain the “alligator” column (which spins and twists your clothes) found in the center of most conventional washers.
  • In many cases, green flooring is both recycled and recyclable. From carpeting to tile to wood flooring, you have plenty of options from which to choose. Many homeowners prefer tile in the laundry room in case of spills. If your laundry room boasts a lot of windows, solar tile flooring is a good option that will reduce the cost of heating. Sustainable wood flooring (Bamboo is highly popular) is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, so you may track your floor from forest to factory to home.
  • Thinking about adding counter space? Consider a concrete countertop made from a combination of eco-friendly materials. Some of these green mixtures contain byproducts of industrial waste (like fly ash and slag cement) that are sustainable and reusable. Concrete countertops may even dip down into a sink, which would be great for delicate, hand-only washables.
  • How about using less electricity altogether? If you install a built-in hanging rack or purchase a moveable one, you’ll be able to hang your clothes to dry. You will not need to use the dryer, and you will not have to iron your clothing.

Subtle changes in the laundry room could save you thousands of dollars. They’re good for the environment, too.

Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas - Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Recycle to Save Money

Dec17
2009 Leave a Comment Written by Alicia

Go Green This Summer

Recycling gives an object a second life. Instead of something being forever buried in a landfill, it can be transformed and repurposed into something usable! Fortunately, most neighborhoods now provide a recycling service that supplies each house with a recycling bin and a weekly pickup day. And even if your neighborhood doesn’t offer this service, there are usually multiple locations in a town or a surrounding city that allow you to drop off recycled items. Use this Recycling Center Search, provided by earth911.com, to find a recycle location near you.

Not sure what can be recycled? The rules are often different for different companies. Your best bet it to question the company or location where you recycle.

Here are the basic recyclable materials:

• Plastic
• Paper
• Glass
• Steel
• Aluminum cans
• Foil
• Appliances
• Heat pumps and air conditioners
• Batteries
• Motor oil
• Tires
• Car batteries
• Computer printers

For specifics on what types of plastic, paper and other materials can and cannot be recycled, read The Consumer Recycling Guide.

All you have to do is start a separate pile of recyclable goods in your house, apart from the non-recyclable items. Fill the recyclable container with empty milk cartons and water bottles, trash mail and old post-its, soda pop cans, and dead batteries, and then either put the container on the curb for a truck to pick up, or take it to a recyclable drop-off location.

Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas - Tagged ,

Going Green Makes a Difference

Nov19
2009 Leave a Comment Written by Alicia

thinkgreenside

Okay, let’s talk reality. We at Buy Owner are always talking to you about how to live a greener, more eco-friendly life in your house. This interests home sellers who are looking for an advantage over other sellers, and it interests home buyers who are looking for energy-saving, money-saving elements in a new house. But when it comes down to it, do you know how much our environment benefits from green living?

Most don’t. To put green living into perspective, here is a list of actual numbers from HomeGuide123. These numbers were derived in 2007.

• If every household replaced five of their home’s current light bulbs with five compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), each household would save 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Together, we would stop 55.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released.

• If every household turned their water heater down to 130 degrees, each household would save another 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Together, we would stop another 55.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released.

• If every household replaced their current refrigerator with an Energy Star refrigerator, each household would save 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Together, we would stop 122 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released.

• If every household adjusted their thermostats just two degrees from what they are set at regularly, each household would save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Together, we would stop 222 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released.

• If every household recycled paper, plastic and aluminum, each household would save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions! Together, we would save 266 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

• If every household sealed cracks and added insulation to their attics, each household would save 2,650 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Together, we would stop a whopping 294 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released!

• If every household fixed or replaced drippy faucets and toilets, each household would save 1.1 million gallons of water! Wow! Together, we would save a massive 122 trillion gallons of water.

These are huge numbers. That’s 1.1 trillion pounds of saved carbon dioxide emissions. For an even more personal perspective, one million gallons of carbon dioxide equals 52,000 gallons of gasoline! For more statistics, or to view the article in its entirety, click here.

Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas - Tagged ,
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