Tips for a Green Vacation

Vacation in today’s modern society means a respite from our everyday concerns and anxieties. However, just because you’re on vacation, doesn’t mean you have to take a vacation from being environmentally conscious. You can still take a much-needed break, while continuing to perform various sustainable practices.

More and more hotels are beginning to provide opportunities for occupants to stay eco-friendly while away from home. Here are a few ways in which you can ensure a relaxing and green stay on your next trip:

Towels and Linens – Most hotels now have reuse programs. They ask that if you don’t want your towels washed, to hang them up and if you don’t want your sheets washed, to lay a small card on your pillowcase that indicates so.

Lighting - Choose natural lighting over artificial lighting. Hotel rooms generally have big windows, which provide a well-lit hotel room during the day.

Air Conditioning – If you are in the right climate, allow the natural breeze to cool off the room. Otherwise, ensure that all windows are closed when using air conditioning.

Recycling - Some hotels now have recycling bins in each room. If they do not, ask the hotel staff about their recycling policy. Sometimes the maids separate out the recyclables after they have removed the trash from the room.

Transportation - Use hotel and public transportation when available. Also take advantage of other offers, such as bike rentals. Not only are they eco-friendly, but they are also a fun and fit way of traveling!

By performing these and other, everyday sustainable practices, having a green vacation should be both rewarding and peaceful. In addition, don’t hesitate to provide feedback to the hotel. If they know their occupants care about the environment, they will too! Now go forth and… relax.

Green Cleaning: Dangers of Chemical Cleaners

How can you tell when something is clean?

Our generation has learned to associate the smell of bleach or other chemical ingredients with being clean. Unfortunately, these chemical cleaners also release toxic compounds that can actually create health risks for you, your children, and your pets. Even after being used, typical chemical cleaners can leave unhealthy residues around your house on the surfaces you’ve cleaned.

Consider this: The average home has 63 different chemical products, which adds up to about 10 gallons of toxic chemicals under your sink and in your garage. Of the approximately 17,000 different chemicals used in these products, less than a third have been tested for their impact on human health and the environment.

That said, many common ingredients have known health effects. For instance, bleach, lye, and ammonia are all known to be severe irritants to eyes, lungs, and skin. Lesser known common ingredients like triethanolamine  (TEA) or Diethanolamine  (DEA) can affect our hormone balances. Many typical household cleaners even contain petroleum-derived ingredients such as formaldehyde.

So how can you tell if your chemical cleaner is safe?

Since cleaning product manufacturers aren’t required to list all of their ingredients, this can be a difficult task. Cleaners may advertise “fragrances” or their “antibacterial” or “disinfectant” properties, but these terms are often just a catch-all to hide risky ingredients. Cleaners may also advertise their product as “non-toxic”, “natural” or “environmentally-friendly”, but these are unregulated terms that don’t require independent verification.

So what can you look for?

Read the label, and look for safety warnings like “Poison,” “Danger,” “Warning,” or “Caution.” These terms let you know that ingredients can pose health or safety concerns. If the label doesn’t list all of the ingredients, or you’re not sure whether a particular ingredient is hazardous, you can request a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Though the MSDS is not always available to the public, it would contain the key information on any of the more toxic ingredients or formulations used. As a further resource, you can also search for safety information on specific products or ingredients with the Household Products Database (http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm). This online library lists the potential health effects of over 2,000 ingredients and 6,000 products.

One of the best choices you can make is simply to eliminate chemical cleaners from your home, and to choose environmentally-friendly cleaning solutions with ingredients that are known to be safe. Making sure that you have the information you need to make informed product choices is a key step in protecting the health of you and your family.

Our next blog post in this Green Cleaning series will discuss eco-friendly cleaning options, including more information on what to look for when selecting a cleaner.

Product Review: Eco-Consultant Gwen Brady Tests the Ionator

Green Irene Eco-Consultant Gwen Brady from Framingham, MA recently put the Ionator through its paces in her home. Here are some excerpts from her review:

I am cheap and exceedingly skeptical. Before I could get behind this for my clients I needed to know that it was up to the job of scouring my admittedly less-than-clean home. That it would tackle whatever germs my girls/pets/raw chicken left on the counters and sinks. And that I wasn’t getting hosed financially. In short – Does it work. Amazingly yes – I give the Ionator a HUGE thumbs up. Here’s why.

Test 1: Bathroom mirror covered with normal fingerprints and added bonus of smeared glitter Chapstick. Incumbant: Vinegar/alcohol based glass cleaner by Seaside Naturals. Hubby evaluator did not know which panel was cleaned with which product. Results: The Ionator wiped the mirror down with significantly less liquid, and was streak free. Hubby said the Ionator panel was much cleaner. Winner: Ionator

Test 2: Kid’s sink. Incumbant: Clorox Greenworks multi-purpose cleaner. The Ionator was up to the task and quickly cleaned the countertops. It did take slightly more effort on stuck-on toothpaste than the Greenworks, however when cleaned off left no residue. The Ionator did an outstanding job on the chrome faucets – high marks for immediate streak free shine. Winner: Ionator

Test 3: Kitchen counter. Incumbant: Arm & Hammer multi-purpose cleaner. Once again the Ionator cleaned up vs. the traditional cleaner (pun intended). Our counters are dark and any smudges/streaks are easily visible. Ionator left no streaks or residue.

Test 4: Stainless steel refrigerator, glass top stove. Incumbant: Method Steel for Real, Arm & Hammer cleaner (stove top). The Ionator did a fantastic job on the stainless – super shine! It did take more than one swipe, however so did the Steel for Real. Did not do quite as good a job on food splatters on the stove: A&H better at dried tomato sauce/took less scrubbing. Winner: Ionator – stainless, A&H – stove top.

Test 5: my face. Incumbant – N/A (sorry, not gonna do it, even with the greenest stuff in my aresenal). The best thing – It’s just water. That’s all. I let a 5 year old play housekeeper with it. No harm to her, the dog, the cat, to her sister, to mommy.

Bottom Line: The Ionator outperformed my conventional cleaners in almost every test. The exceptions were spills that are dried on/ require more scrubbing. For these a traditional de-greaser/enzymatic cleaner or scrub worked better.

To read the full article visit Gwen’s blog at: http://greensaversma.wordpress.com/2010/07/27/road-test-activion-ionator-hom/

Seattle Bans Disposable Food Packaging

The City of Seattle is leading the way to a more sustainable future, making history by becoming the first municipality to implement a ban on one time use food packaging.  The ban affects the entire food service industry in Seattle—restaurants, coffee shops, supermarkets, delis, and even private cafeterias. Starting on July 1^st 2010, they must provide customers with packaging that is either compostable or recyclable. That means no more disposable paper napkins, coffee stirrers, clamshells, cups, or lids.  This is a monumental step on the path toward a zero waste future.

In addition, food service facilities must also provide their customers with the proper recycling and compost receptacles, and they are required to manage this waste properly. Seattle has partnered with Cedar Grove Composting to provide food service facilities with guidelines and an outlet for the gigantic outflow of compost. Cedar Grove processes the used organic material within a few months, and then they sell it back to consumers to use as a natural fertilizer. Already about half of the city’s 1700 restaurants have signed up with Cedar Grove to manage their compost collections.

There is still a temporary exemption on utensils, straws, and food wrapping—these items can be made from conventional plastic or foil, for the time being. By next July, they too will be included under the ban, which takes effect in phases. The significance of this is that it gives businesses time to adjust to the new rules, under which they can’t offer single use disposable products.

Businesses and restaurants in other cities might want to take notice, too. The Seattle Ban may be an indication of municipal action soon to come from other progressive cities, such as New York, San Francisco, or Washington D.C. As the country grows, more waste is produced, putting a greater strain on the landfills that large cities export tons of trash to each day. Waste reduction will become an ever more attractive option to solve this impending issue. On top of this, increasingly environmentally conscious consumers will look to businesses to be responsible. This is a trend that won’t ease up until it becomes more economical to dump garbage onto the Moon.

You can do your part to ease the burden placed on our landfills as well, especially if you live in a densely populated area. Green Irene offers a line of compostable tableware made from bagasse, a derivative of sugar cane. These plates, cups, and bowls are great for parties or any situation when it’s impractical to use the good china, such as picnics! We also have quality indoor and outdoor composters, so you can turn your organic material and compostable items into high-grade fertilizer right at your own home. These are just a couple of the things you can do to help create a more sustainable community, ask your local eco-consultant what else you can do to take action and be a leader today.

How Efficient is Your AC?

As the summer stays hot and we turn the dial to cool down the house, you might wonder, “How efficient and how effective is my air conditioner?” Fortunately the Department of Energy has developed a system to let you know just how efficient your air conditioner can be (under optimal conditions). The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is clearly marked on every new air conditioner or heat pump.

A higher SEER rating leads to a more energy efficient unit. The typical SEER rating of air conditioners made before 1992 was around 6.0. The federal government established a minimum standard for units in 1992, requiring a SEER of 10. Residential air conditioners sold in the United States as of 2006 must have a SEER of at least 13. ENERGY STAR qualified Central Air Conditioners must have a SEER of at least 14.

If your central air conditioning unit is more than a dozen years old (SEER 10), you should seriously consider replacing it with an ENERGY STAR qualified model (SEER 14, 15 or 16) that would improve your cooling efficiency by 40%-60%.

Green Irene tells our customers that upgrading an older yet well-functioning air conditioner is generally not worthwhile because the energy savings do not justify the upgrade.  But when it’s time to upgrade, get the best air conditioner you can afford.  Air conditioner and heat pumps have an estimated life of 12 years, which can be lengthened through proper maintenance.  Nevertheless, for best pricing, you can buy 1) off-season; and 2) when you are NOT desperate because your existing air conditioner just broke!

Green Irene also recommends the Cool-n-Save for increased energy efficiency with your central AC unit. This simple device reduces the temperature surrounding your unit, allowing it to operate more efficiently and less often. This can result in an immediate savings of up to 30% on your cooling costs!

Summer Tips for Staying Cool and Saving Money

With the summer season in full swing, it’s a perfect time to think about ways to reduce your home’s cooling costs. A typical household spends almost 20% of its utility bill on cooling, and by taking steps this summer to improve energy efficiency, you can save energy, save money and help fight climate change. Here are a few simple tips from the Energy Star program that can help you to start saving today:

Program your thermostat to work around your family’s summer schedule—set it a few degrees higher (such as 78 degrees) when no one is home, so your cooling system isn’t cooling an empty house. With proper use, programmable thermostats can save you about $180 a year in energy costs.

Check your HVAC system’s air filter every month. If the filter looks dirty, clean or change it (though disposable filters should be changed at least every three months). A dirty filter will slow air flow and make the system work harder to keep you cool, wasting energy. Green Irene carries several permanent filter options, including permanent rigid and permanent flexible HVAC air filters, and a pleated MERV 13 filter.

Run your ceiling fan to create a cool breeze. If you raise your thermostat by only two degrees and use your ceiling fan, you can lower cooling costs by up to 14 percent. Remember that ceiling fans cool you, not the room, so when you leave the room make sure to turn off the fan.

For those with central air conditioning, a Cool-n-Save can help to save you up to 30% on your cooling bill. The device keeps the air surrounding your AC unit cooler, allowing it to work less and to work more efficiently.

Swap out incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient lighting choices. Energy Star qualified lighting not only uses less energy, it also produces about 75 percent less heat than incandescent lighting, so cooling bills will be reduced, too. Green Irene carries a full line of energy efficient lighting, including LED lighting options for chandeliers, where the larger number of bulbs can give off a lot of heat.

Your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant can provide you with many more tips for energy conservation in the summer months as part of a Green Home Makeover. They can also introduce you to many of the other products that Green Irene carries to help you and your family save money through energy conservation. With just a few steps, you can make a big difference in your utility bill and for the environment while keeping your home comfortable all summer long.

Lithium Cell Batteries: Safety Risks for Children

As all of our electronic gadgets have gotten smaller, so have the batteries that power them. These little “button” batteries are everywhere, and it’s good to be aware of the risks they can pose to kids, pets, and even adults. Take a look through this eye-opening report from Consumer Reports about safety hazards from Lithium cell batteries:

Lithium cell batteries, some no larger than a nickel, are a growing hazard. As the tiny batteries become more popular and more powerful, doctors are seeing an increase in serious injuries and fatalities from swallowing incidents. The batteries, most measuring about 20 millimeters, can be found in everything from remotes to toys to singing greeting cards and other home electronics. Children have mistaken them for candy and adults for pills with disturbing results. Battery ingestion has been the cause of 13 deaths.

The risk posed by a cell battery when it’s swallowed is not choking but that the moist lining of the gastrointestinal tract acts as a conductor and allows current to flow through the battery causing internal burns. The longer the battery remains in the body, the more severe the burns can become—lasting damage can occur within just two hours.

“It’s really a tight timeline, because a lot of these cases aren’t witnessed,” Dr. Toby Litovitz, lead author of two Pediatrics articles on the topic told The New York Times. “Children present with symptoms that are nonspecific, the parent doesn’t know the battery was ingested—that makes it difficult for the doctor to diagnose.”

This can definitely be an important issue for parents and pet owners. Make sure that button batteries are inaccessible to kids and pets by checking that any battery-powered toys and games are closed with screws, and that any batteries that are not child-proof are kept out of reach. Safety and sustainability go hand-in-hand, and this can be a fundamental part of keeping our homes healthy for our families!

5 Tips for Improving Fuel Economy

With the summer holidays just around the corner, another driving season is rapidly approaching. Day-trips, beach outings, and family barbecues—not to mention family vacations—all increase the national demand for gasoline, pushing pump prices up even higher. Already the national average of regular gasoline is $2.73/gallon, up nearly 25 cents from last year. In the long term, the best answer will be to buy the most fuel efficient vehicles from your local car dealer. Fortunately, there are some simpler changes you can make right now to help you save big at the pump, without significantly impacting your lifestyle.

1. Choose the Most Fuel Efficient Vehicle for the Job

The average American household has between 2 and 3 cars, so choosing the right vehicle for the task at hand can make a big difference in your household’s fuel expenses. Odds are one vehicle has a higher MPG than the other, which may have more seating and trunk space. If you’re running an errand by yourself or going a long distance, choose the more fuel-efficient car if it’s available. That SUV may be better suited to dropping off four kids at camp or loading up for a long weekend. For the latest information on vehicle fuel economy, go to FuelEconomy.gov.

2. Plan Your Trips Wisely

Knocking out all your errands in one swing or on your way home can save you both free time and miles. This is simply common sense, but it’s an important thing to remember. Even if you’re just running out because you forgot to get ice for the cooler, maybe you can stop at the ATM on your way home.

3. Know Where You Are Going

Getting lost can eat up your gasoline for no good reason. If your car is already equipped with a GPS, make it a goal to become an expert at using this valuable tool. If your car doesn’t have one, consider investing in a portable navigation system—not only are they convenient, but they can eventually pay for themselves by cutting fuel costs. Another option is to take advantage of online maps, which are now better than ever at finding businesses and stores.

4. Drive at Efficient Speeds

The actions you take behind the wheel can also positively contribute to your fuel economy. Every 5 mph you drive above 60 mph costs about 24 cents more per gallon, so drive at a moderate pace on the highway. If you’re traveling long distances, cruise control can be your best friend. And of course, try to limit the amount of breaking and accelerating you do by driving at the speed limit on country roads as well.

5. Keep Your Car in Shape

Not only is it good for the lifespan of your car and cutting on future repair costs, but regular maintenance can improve your vehicle’s MPG, too. Little things like regular oil changes, inflating your tires, and bringing your car in for a tune-up can add up to big savings. Removing extra weight from the trunk (such as a bag of golf clubs not being used till the weekend) will save you gas as well.

A New Green Cleaning Solution: the Activeion ionator HOM

Three words…Simple. Smart. Sustainable. The ionator HOM is a powerful appliance that cleans without chemicals by converting ordinary tap water into ionized water, a dirt-removing, bacteria-killing agent.

Skeptical? We were too, but we at Green Irene have seen this work with our own eyes, and we have studied the independent test results. This product is amazing: it’s as effective as popular chemical cleaners, and it works on almost any surface!

It’s also virtually the only cleaning and sanitizing product in the world without a chemical-related health warning label. When used as directed the ionator kills or removes more than 99.9% of harmful germs without the use of chemicals, including H1N1 virus, E-Coli, and Staph. Sanitizing occurs in 6 seconds (versus 10 minutes for the leading concentrated commercial cleaners).

Here’s how it works:

Water can take many forms depending on how you treat it. Freeze it and it becomes ice. Heat it and it becomes steam. Now, the ionator HOM uses ingenious technology to give water a tiny electrical charge. The water then becomes ionized, which makes it a powerful cleaner and sanitizer. The technology driving the ionator products has been used for decades in food processing plants, four-star restaurants, and large hotels.

It’s the ultimate non-toxic cleaning solution. Since it’s just water, you can spray it where your kids and pets eat, play, and sleep. You can even spray a pacifier or fruit, and you can spray your kids too! You heard it from me first…Just like every home now has a vacuum cleaner, every home will have an ionator HOM.

It won’t replace every cleaner in your house; you’ll still need some toxic-free cleaners for the toughest cleaning jobs, but it’s great for everyday cleaning and sanitizing. It will eliminate the repeated expense of buying general purpose cleaning chemicals, saving you hundreds of dollars each year.

Plus, it’s such a cool-looking handheld appliance that the whole family will want to help with cleaning!

Rosamaria Caballero
The Original Green Irene Eco-Consultant

P.S. – I love that it’s endorsed by Bill Nye, The Science Guy.

Activeion Ionator HOM Designed for quick and easy cleaning around your home, in your car, or at your office. Use it to clean glass, stainless steel, natural stone (such as granite or marble), tubs, showers, sinks, finished wood floors and surfaces, carpet spots, fabrics, and more!

Simple Steps for Improving Indoor Air Quality

We spend as much as 90% of our time indoors. That means nine out of every 10 breaths is of indoor air – much of it inside our homes.

At the same time, the EPA estimates that indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than the worst outside air! Between toxic cleaning chemicals, dust, pollen, pet dander, and household product off-gassing (which can put up to 6,000 different chemicals into the air), a lot of elements act together to reduce indoor air quality.

With our increasing tendency to keep windows closed (thanks to central air conditioning and increasing outdoor noise pollution), and as our homes become more energy efficient (and thus more airtight), we have also lost our traditional sources for natural ventilation.

All of these factors make it important for us to take steps that ensure the healthiest possible air for our families. Here are a few of the many simple steps you can take to improve your indoor air quality:

• Keep pollutants out. Don’t allow smoking indoors, and use all-natural cleaning and personal care products that won’t add chemicals to the air in your home.
• Ventilate your space. You can open windows regularly (though keep in mind that this can also let in allergens and other outdoor pollutants), or with mechanical ventilation, make sure that your HVAC system has a filter with a high MERV rating.
• Try an air purifier. A central air system will be able to filter out many of the particulates and remove some gases and odors, but it will never be as efficient as a free standing air cleaner in a specific room exchanging the air several times an hour.

Your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant can provide you with much more information on indoor air quality, including additional steps to take, as part of a Green Home Makeover. Your Eco-Consultant can also introduce you to Green Irene’s full line of indoor air quality and toxic-free living products, including many of the solutions mentioned above. Make an appointment today, and begin working towards improved home air quality for your family.

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