Give your dated, energy suck of a kitchen a thoroughly efficient makeover.

Talk about ravenous. According to the National Association of Home Builders, residential electricity use accounts for approximately 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, the lion’s share fuming from our kitchen appliances. The fridge is a particularly hungry beast, chomping up 17% of the electricity used in a typical American home.

Replacing outmoded appliances with newer eco-considerate ones can save you money in the long haul, and make you feel a little less guilty about wasting (your) energy during late-night food recon missions in front of an open refrigerator door. So what are you waiting for? Shop for efficient ice makers and appliances today!

The Ice Cool is undoubtedly cool. It relies on a hybrid cooling technology, which is up to five times more efficient than major consumer brands on the market. Mason anticipates, “the reduced energy demand of 5,000 of my fridges would save one whole power station, and it would be like shutting down another one when they run passively.”

The washing machine is another kitchen-realm appliance that could use an energy makeover given that 70-90% of the electricity required is used to heat the water alone. This washer from Hoover, with a 22 lb drum size, can reduce the number of loads you do by half. Plus it weighs laundry and adjusts cycle times, water and electricity usage accordingly.

Feast your eyes on the picture below:

Perhaps you have no idea what you are looking at? It’s called FlexInduction, a stovetop innovation that allows you to heat pans of any size positioned anywhere within the zone. What that means is this: it’s like watching water boil, but more efficiently because pans are heated from the outside in.

The FlexInduction system from Neff also features an LED display and timer, automatic pan recognition and power management function.

If you like to whistle while you sauté, the SolarDAB portable radio is for you. Situate it on a sunny windowsill and the batteries will recharge themselves for up to 27 hours.

The Nahamer T450 calls itself “the first environmentally sustainable toaster.” It’s a lovely little bread conductor that’s 20% faster than its cohorts and uses half the energy. Anyone who’s ever had a toaster will appreciate that the Nahamer is designed to be disassembled and repaired instead off tossed out and replaced. What’s truly sleek is the Toast Drop system, which slides your toast straight onto your plate. Better than butter.

The food processor is often touted as one of the most used appliances in the kitchen. I’m addicted to my Bosch, but this multi-use, foot-pedal-powered blender/coffee grinder/chopper and cutting board has me drooling.

Christoph Thetard’s eco-friendly concept features built in storage for all of its various and sundry attachments. The flywheel, meanwhile, mounted inside a finished wooden case, can generate 350 watts of power per minute.

Finally, coffee: the guts and brawn of your morning. The solar energy coffee maker by Gun ho Lee appears to be in development, prompting an internal reminder that patience – like fair trade beans – is a virtue.

As is this design:

If you’ve come across any sleek, eco-friendly appliances EcoSalon should know about, tell me about them at emily@ecosalon.com or tweet to @ecosalon.

Image: Marco Calderisi

The post An Eco Makeover for the Kitchen (With Seriously Sexy Appliances) appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you’ve wandered through the aisles of an appliance store lately, it’s hard to miss the labels proclaiming the newest line of behemoth refrigerators or three-tier convection ovens are “eco-friendly.” But are they, really? Let’s take a quick tour of appliance labels and separate what’s useful from what’s just marketing-speak.

You know those bright yellow Energy Star stickers on the front of new home appliances? That’s the brainchild of the Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They’re designed to clue you in on how much your new dishwasher or washing machine will cost to operate over the course of the year as well as help you estimate how much electricity it sucks up. The Energy Star logo means the appliance is deemed better for the environment – and uses less energy – than standard models.

Sounds awesome, right? Just go to the store, find the product with the lowest operating and electricity consumption costs and take it home. Not so fast. The problem is that it’s up to appliance manufacturers to determine whether their products are “better” than other standard models. Now, we’re not suggesting that manufacturers intentionally mislead consumers with the Energy Star labels they slap on the products they sell, but independent verification is always a good thing.

The next time you’re out shopping for a home appliance, look for additional labels or published information from third-party verification organizations like Intertek. When this independent product testing company confirms a clothes dryer or icebox meets multiple environmental regulations, it certifies the product with a Green Leaf Mark so consumers know the manufacturers energy-efficiency claims line up with reality.

Consumer Reports suggests manufacturers take eco-label transparency a step further:

All certification standards should be developed with input from multiple stakeholders including consumers, industry, environmentalists and social representatives in a way that doesn’t compromise the independence of the certifier. For example, industry representatives can play an important advisory role without having direct financial, decision making or management ties to the certifier.

Bottom line? The next time you’re in the market for a new washer/dryer combo, make sure you look for more than just the Energy Star certification so you don’t get taken to the cleaners.

Image: Tom Raftery

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Every time you leave the water running while brushing your teeth, you vow you will break the habit soon because you care deeply about the planet’s resources. Eating meat makes you feel sad, knowing we are no longer hunters who cannot survive without animal protein, yet those subliminal burger ads are bringing out the Edward in you. And every time you leave the TV on all night, you wake up without the proper REM sleep and a higher power bill.

Be compassionate with yourself. Baby steps, dude. Baby steps.

At EcoSalon, we are proud to hold your hand and walk you through those first steps to becoming the conscious citizen of the world you envision. Here are 10 resolutions to get you from A (affluenza) to Z (zooplankton).

1. Phantom Energy

The no-brainer action you can take right now in your home to eliminate daily waste is to pull the plugs on appliances, machines and lights not in use. You will discover the savings and rewards by checking out this post.

2. Downer Meat

If you are what you eat, do you really aspire to be a sickly cow, pig or chicken? That’s exactly what you are pumping into your bloodstream and your family’s diet every time you buy and serve meat that has been treated with growth hormones and antibiotics and raised in inhumane, filthy conditions. Review how to avoid this putrid protein which is not only harming your body but the natural resources we treasure. Eat this up.

3. Over Dependence on Electric Appliances

Hanging your laundry out to dry will not bring down the hood! Give it a go and see how much it cuts down your power bill. Also, switch to Energy Star appliances to reduce the waste. Other steps include buying rechargable solar batteries, watching commercial-free television (meaning less TV) and yes, finding a mate more satisfying than your computer and other electric gadgets. Turn on here.

4. Refusal to Compost and Recycle at Home and at Work

Seriously, this is the new way of keeping up with the Joneses. It’s not about the new car in the garage but the bins on the curb. Our landfills are rapidly filling up, and said to be the most telling time capsules of our history as a modern people. Reuse and composting is everything because when you are throwing something out, remember, there is no “out.” Get on board, January 1! Back peddle to find out more.

5. All Driving and No Biking

We’ve told you how to improve your gas mileage, but you should also do what you will be forced to do in the future: Drive less because gas is pricey and bad for the air. Bike when you can, walk or take public transportation and get more fit a the the same time. You’ll also save on dreaded parking tickets! Looks good!

6. Wasting Water

Turn off that tap, shorten that shower, switch to a low water flush toilet, use towels more than once, switch out your green lawn for succulents. It’s that easy to make a difference for a thirsty world – growing more thirsty every day. Extra reading here.

7. Using Plastic and Other Disposables

Buy reusable water bottles and challenge yourself at the market to avoid single use plastic bags and packaging of all sorts. Take reusable bags with you, and when you forget, keep reusing the paper ones the market issued until they are ready to be recycled. Carry a reusable lunch box to work. Use cloth napkins, biodegradable utensils and plates. Say NO to plastics no matter what you hear in The Graduate. Save paper, and save trees! More info here, here and here.

8. Being Too Rushed to Buy Fresh, Local and Organic

You love your body, right? Not loving it means not taking the time to shop and eat sustainably, whether frequenting the local farmer’s market to choosing organic from the shelves of your neighborhood market. It’s not just about shedding pounds in the new year, but taking stock in the crock, and slowing down on the cooking and consuming. You will find healthiest people love their bodies this way.

9. Not Shopping Eco Wear

Wear your green on your sleeves in the coming year by investing in eco wear. It’s a matter of putting quality above quantity and supporting emerging vendors of garments woven of healthy fibers sans the harsh chemicals and dyes. Shop the top online eco boutiques.

10. Consistently Exposing Yourself to Chemicals You Can Avoid

Our moms got their hair and nails done weekly, and used make-up laced with poison that seeped into the skin. We don’t have to expose ourselves to chemicals in our everyday beauty and household products, but it takes discipline. Beauty background here.

Image: Sally M

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Okay, take the green glove test in your house. Are you still using a laundry list of surface cleaners with harsh chemicals? Are you lifting carpet stains with products that give off ugly fumes? We told you about the good stuff that’s out there, but maybe you forgot when you scrubbed those dishes with conventional soap from the factory. But it is time to say no to convention and get your green on, even if you hate housework as much as we do.

As long as you are stuck with the dreaded chore, here is a refresher on green cleaning products that will make you feel so darn good about responsible mopping and dusting, you will whistle while you work!

Spot-On Eco Carpet

Did you blunder with your color choice and select a neutral beige instead of graphite grey or chocolate? We can dig it. It’s just a drag to be a slave to that carpet, insisting visitors remove their shoes, yelling at loved ones for trekking muddy boots along the stairs up to their rooms. If you are able to go the DIY carpet cleaning route and avoid professionals who charge a lot and use chemicals to lift the stains, review our post on the natural way to rinse a rug.

9 Great Eco Cleaners

You’re walking down the aisle, perusing the products, taking in the odors, confused about what to buy. Why not make a list with these great cleaning solutions, from Planet Ultra Dishwashing Liquid for squeaky green plates to Sun & Earth Concentrated Laundry Detergent for non-irritating socks? Brighten your abode with ingredients like coconut and vegetable oils.

Adding Greener Laundry Products to the Fold

The wash and fold has always been fairly routine, but staging a laundry space that is up to green standards will make this job healthier for you and the planet. Among the best apparatus in this room – natural drying racks that allow you to cut down on the electric appliances by hang drying your garments when possible. Reusable bags also help the schlepping of clothes from hamper to machine and back to the drawers. Other scoops for the natural laundry maven can be found by perusing this post on eco laundry supplies and tips.

Easy Eco-Friendly Bathroom Cleaning

Scrubbing toilets makes us feel flushed but using chlorine-free, biodegradable cleaners is number one when performing this dreaded task. Shower surfaces, too, need a gentle touch to remove grime and even old soap residue. Where to find plant-based ingredients on the grocery shelves? Look no further.

10 Myths About Dry Cleaning

The labels say “dry clean only,” but we have found there are some garments that can be delicately handled at home. How do you know how to separate the fragile sweater and tough trousers? Learn about the myths of dry cleaning from the green soldiers who have braved hand washing and found it can clean even better than many of those pricey dry cleaning companies.

Here are some additional posts to make the most out of winter cleaning, from polishing metals for upcoming parties to keeping a ship-shape kitchen for everyday cooking and dining.

Non-toxic Tips for Cleaning Household Metal

Top 10 chemical-Free Cleaning Tips; How to Reinvent Spring Cleaning

Orange Knockout

Flying Saucers Did My Laundry

Main Image: Kimberly Robyn

The post The Green Glove Test: EcoSalon’s Round Up of Healthy House Cleaning appeared first on EcoSalon.

Phantom energy sucks. Even when turned off, plugged-in electric devices are draining the juice in your house, a phenomenon that can add up to more than 65 billion kilowatt-hours of power each year. Save energy, and you save major cash.

The Union of Concerned Scientists calls the culprits of this waste vampires which silently suck away more than $5.8 billion annually of extra energy, which sends more than 87 billion pounds of heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. Although few of us are in the dark about this waste, we do little or nothing to limit the stand-by mode of our glowing devices, mostly because we are too tired, or too busy, too lazy. Also, some cable boxes lose all their data when unplugged and microwave ovens are installed in 50s fashion – inserted in a wall shelf with no access to the cord.

Unplugging when possible is the easiest weapon to combat these vampires and the little things make a big difference. A huge time saver also is to plug your electronics into a power strip or surge suppressor that can be shut off with a single switch.

First, you should identify the nocturnal monsters. They’re not as hot as the Cullins family but are powerful nonetheless. Here are the top 10:

1. Adapters with rechargeable battery-powered cordless phones

We have these in several rooms and I’m sure you do, too. You don’t want the phones to go dead, but you also need to curb that extra $100 to $200 you are spending each year on those phantoms.

2. Cell phones and chargers

How many times do you leave the charger plugged into the outlet and hanging on the counter or your desk? Just start to notice this and pull the plug.

3. Televisions

If you’re able to get behind your TV unplug it after viewing. If not, connect it to a power strip. You’ll deserve an Emmy for effort.

4. Power Tools

Cordless drills and circular saws? Home Renovations suggests you go this route, and if you don’t, we suggest you keep your tools unplugged.

5. Microwaves

You should see the dinosaur in the teacher’s lounge at my kids’ school! Scary, and it never gets unplugged, unless I go in there and do the job. It’s so easy to unplug when these appliances are freestanding and not inserted into cabinets. Experts say the clocks use more power than the ovens themselves.

6. DVD players

These should be on the same power strip as the TV to avoid draining the grid.

7. Digital Clocks

It can be alarming to think these essential time tellers suck energy when standing by all day while you are away. CBS News tells us a good guide is to unplug anything with a digital clock. If you don’t mind the flashing clocks, put them on a surge protector and shut them off, and only turn them on when you’re using the appliance. The memory chips are on, even when we’re not using the appliance.

8. Computers

Is that lap top hooked up when you go to sleep? Is the docking station still active when you are getting your Zzz’s? Try powering down at night to have sweeter dreams.

9. Computer Monitors

We forget to unplug these, as well, wanting them fired up and ready to go when we are ready to work.

10. Digital camera chargers

Just like our cell phones, we get in the habit of recharging and forgetting. Learning new habits is challenging the results make for a much brighter energy picture.

Image: j/f/photos, alanclarkdesign, pasukaru76, UweHermann, mattbuck4950, William Hook, kanonn, samantha celera, Let Ideas Compete, g_kat26 and Andrew*.

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They say it’s a buyer’s market and agents love listing those dwellings with solar panels, efficient water heaters and appliances, good insulation and nontoxic flooring and finishes.

Here are a few easy green fixes for your property to reduce your own footprint in coming winter months while hoping to land an offer you can’t refuse.

1. Upgrade to Energy Star Appliances

The Energy Star Symbol on products such as the GE Profile Frontload Washer with Steam, is an important statement reflecting high environmental standards. Even if  you have to put out some cash on new appliances, you are letting prospective buyers know your fridge, washer and dryer are not energy hogs. If you own an Energy Star refrigerator, Smart Homeowner recommends you clean the coils to increase efficiency.

2. Repaint with Nontoxic Paint

There is nothing cheaper and more effective than repainting your walls as a design selling point and you’ll get kudos for disclosing you applied low- or non-VOC paint to your rooms, since we now know that lead-based enamel products emit harmful fumes.

3. Consider New Windows

While new energy-efficient windows can run several thousand dollars, the heat that escapes through poorly designed single-paned old ones accounts for as much as 25 percent of your heating bills. It can be worth replacing single paned models in the long run as they do increase property value and are good selling point for noise reduction, as well. Adding screens also is a good way to reduce air conditioning use in the summer and window covers help insulate in the winter.

4. Insulate Pipes and Water Heater

According to the Home Know it All, the process of insulating is easy by just buying a good insulation ($2 to $4 per strip), duct tape and a utility knife. Cut to fit the length and diameter of your pipes and secure every foot or so with the tape. Wrapping the exposed hot water pipes will reduce waste by increasing the temperature of hot water out of your faucets by as much as 4 degrees. Older models might require adding an insulation blanket (check the manual to see if advisable). Gas water heaters should be professionally insulated by a heating contractor.

5. Change the Lights

Talk about a quick and easy fix, something you should have already done by now but might have neglected. The Department of Energy figures green bulbs (CFLs) can reduce lighting energy costs by as much as 75 percent. Lighting adds up to 11 percent of your house’s energy budget, so the wearing of the green bulbs is a major statement about the efficiency of your property.

Sure, there are many other fixes such as adding those solar panels, replacing chemical treated carpets with sustainable bamboo hardwood and installing programmable thermostats and eco ceiling fans. Just remember, all these investments pay off in the end, even after you have moved on to a new place of your own.

Images: Cursed Thing, General Electric, New York Times

The post Want an Offer You Can’t Refuse? Show ‘Em How You Reduce & Reuse! appeared first on EcoSalon.

The Department of Energy was asleep at the wheel, but  tough new national appliance standards for 26 common household and business products during President Obama’s term could slash total U.S. electricity use by over 1,900 terawatt hours (1.9 trillion kilowatt hours) by 2030.

The savings to the consumers and businesses: Over $123 billion.

This was the findings of a report released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP). It  figures the standards will make a huge contribution to our efforts to cut global warming pollution by eliminating 158 million tons per year by 2030, roughly the amount emitted by 63 large conventional coal-fired power plants.

It’s a win-win situation when the feds  commit to working with makers of water heaters, home furnaces and refrigerators to cut emissions and return money to the American taxpayer.

In the report, called Ka-BOOM, U.S. electricity use in 2,000 saw a 2.5% reduction due to existing standards, before all the power players were on board.

By 2010, the savings will grow to a projected 7% reduction and a 12% reduction by 2030. The authors say even greater gains could have been met had the DOE met the legal deadlines for updated standards that passed without any action between 1994 and 2004.

Here are some of the numbers highlighted by Grist:

• Over 1,900 terawatt-hours saved by 2030, or roughly enough power to meet the total electricity needs of every American household for 18 months.
• About 65,000 megawatts of peak demand savings in 2030, or around 6 percent of total U.S. generating capacity projected for 2030.
• About $123 billion in net present value benefits from products purchased through 2030.
• 158 million metric tons of carbon dioxide avoided in 2030, or 2.6 percent of total U.S. projected emissions in that year-equivalent to taking 30 million cars off the road.
• Existing standards have saved every household $2,800 dollars and standards set in the next few years will save an additional $1,100.

The Obama administration has put energy standards as the top priority of its energy plan. The President’s memorandum, combined with court orders and Congressional deadlines, require that the DOE complete new standards for 26 products by 2013.

Among the products targeted are pool heaters, incandescent reflector lamps, refrigerated vending machines, residential water heaters, furnace fans, battery chargers, commercial clothes washers and walk-in coolers and freezers.

Why are standards so crucial? The benefits are huge for the nation in terms of lowering bills, reducing greenhouse emissions and other pollutants, lowering peak electric demand levels and reducing the strain on the electric grid. Plus, it minimizes the need to build new costly power plants and alleviates the pressure on overall energy prices.

Image: pasukaru76

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Did you know that greening up your home can earn you green? Whether through government subsidies or company rebates, you can get cash back for your environmental efforts in a number of ways.

If you haven’t already switched from incandescent lighting to compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, now is the time. At many stores, you’ll receive an instant rebate for your purchase. Translation: the rebate is already factored into the cost, which means you don’t have to fill out any forms and wait for reimbursement. And because CFLs last longer and use less energy than incandescent bulbs, you’ll save on your power bill, too.

Install a solar water heating system that meets the requirements of the Solar Rating Certification Corporation to receive a 30% federal tax credit. This credit goes towards labor of installation as well as the cost of the system.

Replace old appliances with those that are energy efficient and receive significant rebates on qualified products like washers and refrigerators. If you purchase these products from Sears, their Blue Appliance Crew will help you file your rebates online right in the store. Just make sure to recycle your old appliances when the new ones arrive.

Add insulation to your home and receive a federal tax credit for 30% of material costs.

Did you know that you waste approximately five gallons of water every time you flush the toilet? If you aren’t up for living by the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” rule, just install a low-flow toilet. A lot of local utility services offer a rebate to replace your toilet with a high-efficiency alternative.

To find out where you can receive rebates on green appliances and products in your area, visit Green Made Simple. Check out Energy Star’s comprehensive list of federal tax credits for energy efficient home improvements.

Image: stopnlook

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They’re called Eco Started Kits, but they’re more like emergency kits designed to heal what’s hurting our injured planet: greenhouse emissions, energy out the window, water down the drain.

For $97.50, you get a lot more than a Band-Aid. You get essential tools for an extreme green makeover, as well as a method for measuring and monitoring your carbon footprint as your transformation takes place.

What’s the emergency?

“Because of climate change, we need to get people moving as fast as possible,” says Andrea Nyland, the co-founder of Eco Hatchery, which makes and sells the kits. “We have about a 10-year window to make a difference, and all of the tools included are easy to use and will have a big impact.”

Nyland, an environmental consultant, partnered with Adam Borut to package three types of kits (including two new ones being launched next week) that can cut through the green “noise” that creates obstacles for well-intentioned consumers to start conserving and reducing.

The company surfed green websites to research the best products to go place in their kits. “We’re actually putting the tools in your hands, including booklets that list recycling directories,” says Nyland. “If you need to dispose of your old bulbs, we tell you how to do it safely.”

Among the must-have objects in the starter kit: an eco soy candle; reusable filtered water bottle; water quality test kit; two faucet aerators; three leak detectors; an energy monitor (find out which appliances are sucking the most energy); a compact fluorescent light bulb (premium Phillips Marathon 13-watt CFL that replaces a 60-watt incandescent); removable weather stripping; outlet and light switch sealers; water pipe insulation fitting tools; and an Eco Roadmap to help you identify additional savings.

“As you use the products in the kit, you can imprint information online and measure your success as you shrink your carbon footprint,” says Nyland. This is especially true in the home where she says energy use accounts for over 20% of all the carbon dioxide generated nationwide.

Nyland estimates users can reduce greenhouse emissions by two and a half tons per household the first year, saving about $260. In terms of water use, you’re looking at a savings of one gallon per minute.

Still, the kits aren’t geared just for households. Universities, cities and counties are encouraged to work as teams to reduce their impact.

“Energy efficiency is a hot item, especially with the current administration and the recession,” figures Nyland. “Whether you are motivated by the environment or the economy, you are headed to the same place.”

Eco Hatchery has set up the site so you can send the kits as gifts with a message. Among its best customers so far are real estate agents presenting house warming presents to clients.

In a couple of weeks, those thoughtful agents will be able to send a new Green and Healthy Home Kit ($50), which includes some of the items in the starter kit. Another kit being launched is the Energy Efficiency Kit ($60) with more gadgets for people focused on lowering those utility bills.

One of the best selling points is the packaging, which the company has tried to make as visually pleasing as possible, grouping products into sections and categorizing by activity. “Energy efficiency isn’t always pretty,” observes Nyland. “People rarely think of aerators as attractive gifts.”

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