Ceiling Fans Are Cooling Things Down

There was a heat wave in my neighborhood yesterday. The record breaking temps felt good to the soul, but the environmental steward in me got a little worried about ways to cool off.

The heat made me think of tropical moments with Casablanca fans overhead. That's it; a ceiling fan. I started doing some research on the topic and ceiling fans use a lot less energy than an air conditioner, are less expensive and supposedly a breeze to install. Plus, they not only cool down the air in the heat of the summer, but they help warm up the air during the cold winters.

The key to buying a ceiling fan is finding the right size and choosing a suitable mounting system. There are so many varieties to choose from as far as the look goes, making it easy to pick one that really works with the design of the room.

Manage My Home experts have carefully laid out how to install a ceiling fan.

Once it is installed there is one important factor: direction.

When it is hot outside and you need to cool down a bit, rotate the fan counter clockwise — so that air is blown downward. The breeze cools you down and enables you to lay off the A/C a bit.

In the winter, rotating the ceiling fan clockwise — so that air is drawn upward — allows the warm air that rises to the ceiling to get mixed in with the cooler air down below, making you feel a bit toastier.

Both directions save energy on heating and cooling costs but don't forget that ceiling fans will make YOU feel cooler or warmer but not the room; so turn them off if no one is in the room enjoying them.

Which ever way the wind blows for you today...just saw on Facebook that my friend in Wyoming got snow yesterday...consider a ceiling fan.

Tread Lighter,
-Phyllis, Green Expert

Staying hydrated with less money and a better conscious

Ninety eight percent of the time I don't buy bottled water, although many folks around me still indulge. Some say it is for taste, while others admit to the pure convenience of it all. I think marketing folks have also led us to believe that purchased bottle water is somehow cleaner, healthier and purer than H20 out of the tap.

When the opportunity arises with friends, colleagues, and of course family, I find myself subtly encouraging folks to bring their own water bottles.

Letting them know the environmental impact of the plastic bottles alone usually makes them reconsider their actions. The plastic bottles fill up the already loaded landfills, plus the product they are made from -- polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – is a petroleum product which means oil (a nonrenewable energy source) is used in their manufacturing process, and thus, increases CO₂ emissions.

We didn't even mention the vast amount of CO₂ emissions wasted from the transportation of all the pre-bottled water.

Whew. Are you sweating over it yet?

What is the solution?

Using a refillable water bottle (come on, every one has one but if you don't, buy a BPA-Free one) and fill it with water from the tap.

Since the EPA keeps tabs on water filtration annually, tap water can actually be the cleaner, healthier choice. Want to know what is in your local water? Check out the EPA's safe water guide which gives details on local drinking water.

If it's the taste that is bothering folks I suggest a water filter. There are a variety of choices. My friend likes the convenience of the Brita water filter that she fills up from the tap and puts in her refrigerator, and my mom has one built into the refrigerator. There are also filters that can be installed directly into your tap.

If you have a Brita water filtration system and need to change the filter, you can easily recycle it.

Now you can tell your colleagues, friends and relatives that there is no need to spend so much money; no need to worry about so many contaminants; and no need to waste so much plastic while staying hydrated.

Cheers to that!

Tread lighter
-Phyllis, Green Expert

Home Composting

The weather is warming up and so is my compost bin.  I get lazy about trudging out to my bin in the winter but am back in the habit now that the snow is gone (as is the minefield my dog builds up over the winter).  We compost a combination of leaves from our maple trees, fruits and vegetables from the kitchen, coffee grounds, egg shells, and occasionally shredded newspaper.  Meat, bones, and fish don’t compost as well and attract vermin.  I water the bin once a week or so (or leave the lid off when it rains), turn it every few days, and leave the rest to the bugs.  There are many good web sites with more technical “how-to” information on buying / building, maintaining, and using the products of your compost bin if you’re interested.

I’ve been composting for ten years but have really tried to be more diligent over the past couple.  We have two 40-year old maple trees and I stopped bagging the leaves two years ago.  I use the leaves to mulch our vegetable garden and compost them throughout the summer.  As the compost is ready, I add it to our vegetables and lawn.  In all, I save money by not purchasing plastic leaf bags, yard waste service from my garbage hauler, or extra fertilizer for the lawn.  I’ve been running out of leaves by the end of the summer.  I may have to ask my neighbor if he can spare some leaves from his trees this fall.

-Chris, Green Expert

Easy roses

In days of yore, roses were tough, wild, gangly plants with viscious thorns and small fragrant flowers that bloomed once a year. Then Victorian horticulture enthusiasts succeeded in hybridizing roses with bigger but fewer blooms. Thus was born the hybrid tea rose, which had lovely velvety flowers but was vulnerable to all sorts of diseases and insects. So roses gained a reputation for being difficult to grow unless you were a spinster named Blanche or Mabel and didn't mind blasting your plants with toxic chemicals that shortened your lifespan considerably.

But thanks to our frantic lifestyles and concerns about poisoning the planet, rose breeders have been dedicating themselves to coming up with roses that aren't fussy about growing conditions, resist diseases and bloom throughout the summer instead of just once. So when you hit the garden center this spring, keep an eye out for these easier roses.

Roses labeled Earth Kind have proven themselves to need little watering and no fertilizing, pesticides, pruning or deadheading. And they tolerate heat, humidity and alkaline soils. Sixteen roses now have the Earth Kind designation.

Easy Elegance® roses are low-maintenance and come with a 2-year guarantee. The website has great photographs and a cool tool called the Zonefinder to help you find roses suited to your winters.

The Canadian Explorer series of climbing and bush roses require minimal care and were bred to tolerate Canadian winters to –35°F. Each cultivar is named after a Canadian explorer (get it?) such as Henry Hudson and George Vancouver. The only downside (for me) is that the genetic material for hardiness isn't in roses with yellow flowers, so the whole series is in sahdes of red and pink.

Flower Carpet® roses are low and spreading, so you can grow them as a low-care groundcover in full sun.

Also look for Parkland roses, Pavement roses and the website-less Oso-Easy roses.

-Erin, The Editor

Make Your Bed, Now Lie In It

Our youngest is really ready for a new bed. The toddler bed served her and her sibling well over the last 4 years but its time to move on up.

In an effort to tread lighter we thought about different ways we could get her a new bed.

Reusing something old is a very green option. She is lucky enough to get ample amounts of hand me down clothing, but there wasn't a free bed available for her to use. Obviously, there is Craig’s List and this time of year, yard sales are abundant so finding her a pre-owned (sounds much better than used doesn't it?) bed could be easy.

Another alternative is renewing. Some creative folks at Manage My Home thought of a few great ideas to make your own headboard. I liked the picket fence one but my daughter of course loved the pipe dreams.

When renewing, look for materials with as little VOC's as possible. Some bed frames have toxic finishes, paints, adhesives and other chemicals that get emitted into the air. Also, be on the look out for high formaldehyde content which is not healthy, especially for children.

Buying a new bed made from sustainable materials and local manufacturers is another option. This article gives a deeper description of sustainable furniture and what to look for when buying it.

The goal in all of this, other than getting her a bed that fits her, is to choose a bed with little effect on the rain forest, landfills, and our health. Plus, finding one that is close by that doesn't use large fuel consumption to reach her bedroom is key.

Once the bed is made or purchased, consider buying an organic mattress. These non-chemical, non-toxic and allergy-free mattresses make a great environmental choice as well.

My daughter was most excited about the sheets and comforter and lucky for us there are many organic and natural bedding choices out there in a variety of styles and colors at reasonable prices.

Before I can rest my head, I will need to find a good home for the toddler bed. I am sure a friend, or neighbor or another child will find it quiet cozy (vs. the local dump).

You may have noticed that I did not take this whole bed decision lying down. Since it is my child, and her future and health are at stake, I have been doing a lot of research and am sharing it with you.

As the saying goes, "You have made your bed, now lie in it."

A green choice will make us all more comfortable.

Sweet Dreams
-Phyllis, Green Expert

Earth Day Thoughts

Today is the 39th Earth Day. The first Earth Day in 1970 marked the beginning of our effort to reduce our impact on the air, water, and other natural resources. At the time of the first Earth Day, water bodies were flammable and we put toxic lead into paint and gasoline. We've made good progress. Today's environmental issues are more complex, the effects often more subtle. We reduced the releases of pollution into the environment from heavy industry. That work continues today but we must also look at our everyday activities.

Our activities at home contribute to many of the environmental problems we are facing. We use water from surface water or groundwater for showers, toilets, and cooking. We generate garbage that goes to landfills or is incinerated. Electricity use continues to increase despite efficiency gains, leading to more air pollution. We use pesticides and other harmful chemicals around our homes.

Fortunately, we have options to reduce the impact of our activities. We can install more efficient appliances and fixtures to save water and electricity. Many areas of the country have great recycling programs. More and more “green” products are showing up in our supermarkets.

Most people I know are very interested in green products and projects as long as the options are easy and inexpensive. It's not that we’re all lazy or cheap. We have jobs, families, hobbies, friends. We all can't necessarily afford appliances that cost twice as much but pay for themselves over decades.

ManageMyHome can help you with the “easy” part. Check out the project center for step-by-step instructions on home improvement. Ask a question when you get stuck. We can also help you with “cheap.” Keep an eye on this blog for green ideas that will save you money, add to the beauty of your home, and reduce your impact. You don't have to save the world by yourself today. Pick a project or two and get started.

-Chris, Green Expert

Worms Worms Everywhere

It's been raining steadily here in Chicagoland for more than 24 hours. It's It's what they call a soaking rain — I understood that term more fully after running outside yesterday morning. This morning, it looked like someone had smashed an earthworm piñata on the sidewalk from the parking lot. The water had forced the little wrigglers from their subterranean passageways. Tiptoe, tiptoe. The air had that wormy fragrance, too.

Coincidentally, just last week I explained to a coworker the importance of earthworms in the lawn and garden — how their airways aerate the soil and their excretions enrich it, and how they drag organic matter below the soil surface. They're also a good indicator of soil health; you won't find many of them in a yard that's been treated with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

You can encourage a healthy population of earthworms by using natural fertilizers and spreading organic matter such as shredded leaves or compost over the ground — use a whisper-thin layer over the lawn, and about 3 inches in the garden.

If you're a huge fan of worms, you can use a different type in your very own home to digest kitchen scraps. It's called vermicomposting, and you can read about it here.

-Erin, The Editor

Toss Out the Gas Can

We bought our cordless electric lawn mower six years ago.  In addition to the green benefits (e.g., no direct air pollution emissions), we also found it quiet enough to use when the baby was sleeping and close to maintenance free.  No gasoline, no oil.  Just sharpen the blade annually and we were ready to go.  I’m tempted to buy another one for my elderly neighbor every time she fumigates the neighborhood with her ancient two-stroke mower.

My battery life was pretty short by the end of the last mowing season, so I brought my mower in for some maintenance and a new battery (first time since I bought it).  One of the experts at the authorized service center offered me some tips on maximizing my battery life.  He said users who run their battery down and leave it all winter typically get two or three years out of their batteries.  Owners who keep they mowers hooked up to the charger all winter get five to seven years (That’s me).  The best battery performance came from those people who charged the batteries up, unplugged them from the charger, and periodically “topped them off” over the winter.  Those users coaxed up to 13 years out of their batteries.  Summer charging habits matter less since mowers are used regularly and recharged.  New batteries cost $100+, so it’s worth stretching their useful life.

I’m going to try out his advice with my new battery.  Anyone else have any tips or tricks for current or prospective electric lawn mower owners?

If you’re interested in buying an electric mower, check with your state or local units of government or regulatory agencies.  Areas with air pollution problems frequently offer rebates on purchases of electric mowers.  I found some programs in Southern California and South Carolina.  If you’re not sure whom to call, try the google.

-Chris, Green Expert

On the Eve of Earth Day

On the eve of Earth Day 2009 it seems like an opportune moment to stop and think about how far we have come, and how far we still need to go.

If you are reading this blog for the first time, or following Manage My Home on Twitter take a moment to congratulate yourself. You are taking steps in the green direction.

I speak to folks all over the country who share their stories about going green. Some have just started the journey and others have been doing eco-friendly practices for years. Some have taken smaller steps such as turning off lights when not in a room, turning down the heat, buying organic products (from food to bedding and clothing) walking and ride sharing; while others have taken longer strides such as installing new windows, buying energy star appliances, wrapping their heaters, growing their own fruits and veggies without pesticides in their gardens, installing insulation and some are proud owners of solar panels.

There are so many things around our homes that we can do everyday to lower our CO2 emissions.

To narrow it down a bit, consider where you live. Whether you battle the icy cold winters in the North or work to keep your home cool in the South, managing your home and going green — especially in these economic times — can be challenging. There are ways to make your home more energy efficient no matter where you live. For tips depending on your geography try this link.

Look for ways to renew, reuse and recycle. Stop and think of cleaner/greener ways you can do the things you normally do. From spring cleaning to celebrating Earth Day green style, look around this Earth Day and act differently. You, your home, family and Mother Nature will benefit greatly.

And please don't forget to share a tip or two with us here or with friends and family. Together we can lower our CO2 emissions and protect the earth.

Happy Earth Day to all!

-Phyllis, Green Expert

Why Green?

It’s a good time to ask, “What's so great about green?” You can't look at a newsstand, physical or virtual, without seeing lists of green actions you can and should take. But what are the real benefits?

In January, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study linking reductions in air pollution exposure to higher life expectancy in the United States. It's intuitive that air pollution may affect our lungs, but I was surprised to learn that poor air quality can also lead to increases in heart attacks. Americans have collectively spent a lot of time, money, and effort over the past 30+ years to reduce air pollution levels in the United States. The good news is that our efforts are paying off with real improvements in people's lives. So, as you're considering switching to green power or thinking about other home energy projects on Earth Day, you can feel good about contributing to improved human health. You will also be doing your small part to reduce mercury emissions and the impacts of climate change.

-Chris, Green Expert