This is Day 30 of the Green in 365 series! We're almost finished with going green in our living rooms, there's just one thing left to do. Clean them. And of course, we want to use safe and non-toxic cleaners that are also effective. We've talked a lot about green cleaning in the past, and you can read those posts for even more information, but here are some simple ideas for green cleaning in the living room . Dust - Dust is one of the main issues in a living area, on our … [Read more...]
Green in 365: The Living Room – Eco-Friendly Flooring
This is Day 29 of the Green in 365 series! One of the biggest contributors to indoor air pollution may be what's on the floor in your home. Almost all conventional carpet is petroleum based, and the carpet padding and adhesives contain harmful chemicals, like benzene and toluene, which off gas into your home as VOCs (volatile organic compounds). In addition, carpet can harbor dust mites, dander and even mold, contributing to allergies and asthma in your family. Now, like with … [Read more...]
Green in 365: The Living Room – Houseplants
This is Day 28 of the Green in 365 series! Did you know that the air inside your home can be more polluted than the outside air? Especially in the winter time when our homes are shut up and don't get much, if any, outside air circulation. Household cleaners (although you should be using homemade and green cleaners), paint, furniture and more all release toxins and chemicals into the air in our homes where they get trapped and we breathe them in every day. But, there is a … [Read more...]
Green in 365: The Living Room – Lead Paint on Windowsills
This is Day 25 of the Green in 365 series! If you live in an older home like we do, there could be a toxic chemical lurking in a place that is easily accessible to your children; your window sills, frames and tracks. If your house was built before 1978 it is highly likely that lead paint was used somewhere in your home. Lead paint that is in good condition and not peeling, chipping or cracking is usually not hazardous. Windows, though, are especially prone to cracking and … [Read more...]
Green in 365: The Living Room – Buying Electronics
This is Day 24 of the Green in 365 series! If you are like the average American family, a lot of your time spent in your living room centers around using electronics; watching TV or videos, listening to music, playing video games. And you know that your electronic equipment is almost obsolete by the time you bring it home from the store and get it out of the box, the technology is changing so fast these days. So, sometime within the next year you may be in the market for some … [Read more...]
Green in 365: The Living Room Furniture
This is Day 23 of the Green in 365 series! One of the main things that we have and use in our living rooms is our furniture, and while it may seem harmless, the reality is that it's not. Most furniture today is made with materials that release VOCs, Volatile Organic Compounds, which off-gas and fill our indoor air with toxic chemicals. The other issue with wooden furniture is that it's made from unsustainably harvested wood. The solution here is not to run out and by all new, … [Read more...]
Green in 365: The Living Room – Using Your Ceiling Fan
This is Day 22 of the Green in 365 series! Do you have a ceiling fan in your main living area? They may not be the most trendy of interior decor, but did you know that they can improve air-circulation in a way that actually helps to lower your heating and cooling bills? There should be a little switch on your ceiling fan that changes the rotation of the blades from clockwise, to counter-clockwise, and back. In the summer, be sure you fan is set to rotate counter-clockwise, or … [Read more...]
Green in 365: The Living Room – Window Treatments
This is Day 21 of the Green in 365 series! We talked last week about weatherproofing your windows, and hanging window treatments is another easy way that you can green your living room, and other rooms in your house. Hanging heavy, lined curtains can help keep your home insulated from the outside weather, both in the winter, and in the summer. Photo by Pottery Barn In the winter, close your curtains at night to keep the warm air in, and the cold air out. Be sure to open … [Read more...]
Green in 365: Living Room – Plug in a Power Strip
This is Day 11 of the Green in 365 series! Our living rooms are mostly likely home to many of our electronic devices. Our big-screen TVs, cable boxes, DVD players, stereos and CD players, gaming systems, maybe computers, iPads, or iPods and all of the chargers that go along with them. There's a lot of electricity coursing through this room, and the reality is that it is ticking up our electric meter, even if none of our electronics are on, or running. Electronic devices pull … [Read more...]
Green in 365: Living Room – Switch Your Lightbulbs
This is Day 10 of the Green in 365 series! Now that we're inside our homes, one of the rooms that gets a fair amount of use is the living room, or family room in some homes. I'm talking about the space where we hang out with our families, watch TV, listen to music, relax, play games, and more. Most of the tips we'll talk about over the next few days and weeks will cover the main living area in our homes. Our family lives in a smaller home, so our living room is the first room … [Read more...]
