Lauren Zwiebel asked:


Most of us don’t think about the environmental angle when we look for carpet cleaners. Whether it’s industrial carpet extractors or a domestic carpet cleaner, the top priority for most of us is effective cleaning. Apart from that, there seems to be a belief that environmentally-friendly products are often less efficient and effective. This simply isn’t true. In fact, the right carpet cleaners will prove to be both powerful and ecologically sound.

When it comes to ecologically-friendly carpet cleaners, one of the most important things to consider is water use. Some carpet cleaners might consume a lot of water when they clean. Apart from being wasteful, this can also lead to longer drying time, which in turn gives bacteria and mold a perfect place and the time to take root and grow. In more humid environments, a damp carpet can take even longer to dry. This is a common complaint with most carpet cleaners - in commercial areas, where there is a lot of traffic; it simply isn’t feasible to wait a day to allow a stretch of carpet to dry. Ideally, the drying time should only be under six hours.

This is why it’s best to go with carpet cleaners that have a low-flow technology. This means that the machines use less water to clean, thus less waste. If the carpet has tough ground-in dirt deposits or grease stains, it’s best to opt for carpet steam cleaners, which use hot water for cleaning. With temperatures of up to 210º F, these carpet cleaners penetrate carpet fibers to remove the most deeply ingrained stains. For best cleaning results, it’s best to go over the carpeted area with a vacuum first, then spray the area with carpet solution and then use the carpet cleaners.

These machines inject water and a cleaning solution into the carpet, and then extract out these liquids and all debris once embedded in the carpet. As such, choosing the right kind of carpet cleaning solution is very important. Whether you’re using commercial carpet extractors or carpet shampooers, it’s best to use a solution that’s effective and environmentally friendly as well.

Ideally, the solution should be completely plant-based, making it biodegradable - this aspect should also be tested by an independent laboratory. These cleaning solutions should also have technologies which penetrate the dirt deposits right at the molecule level - this makes it easier to break down very hard stains. It also makes it easier for carpet cleaners to remove them completely. Apart from this, these carpet cleaning solutions should also be able to encapsulate dirt particles and crystallize around them. This ensures that no residue is left behind and the crystallized solution can easily be removed via extraction.

Carpet cleaners used with environmentally-friendly carpet cleaning products make for a complete cleaning experience. The low flow technology ensures that you not only save water, your carpets will also dry much quicker. This means that bacteria and mold won’t have a chance to grow. Using green carpet cleaning products means that you can root out even the toughest deposits quickly and easily. Best of all, there will be no harmful chemical traces and the products are biodegradable as well.



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Chris Narfundle asked:


There are a number of reasons you might consider professional odor removal at your home. You may have simply noticed that things are a little less fresh than you’d like them to be or you might have had comments from well-meaning friends about how your home smells. In any case, you might be concerned that your home isn’t making the best (or the healthiest) impression, so you decide to get the odors removed by a professional cleaning service. But some of these companies can use chemicals to do the work of killing bacteria, viruses, and molds, so is there any way these services can be environmentally friendly?

What you need to do is to start off by looking for companies that specialize in ‘green’ cleaning techniques. These companies may use environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, which will not harm anyone in the home, even if they are inhaled after the cleaning process is over. They might leave a light scent in the air, but the ingredients are nature-based, so there is no chance of these items being toxic to you, your children, or your pets. Of course, these cleansers will still leave a residue that can be irritating if swallowed or placed into one’s eye. Finding services like this is extremely important as well when you have members of your family who suffer from allergies.

Another form of technology that is now being used to remove odors is nanotechnology. This is actually the process of using the smaller processes of nature in order to help in eradicating the germs and other toxins which might be causing odors in your home. When these particles are put into the areas where the odor is being caused, they will break down the particles that are harmful, causing a residue to form that is easy to remove from the home. Photochemical oxidation is another way to easily remove odors and causes of odors from a home without harming the environment.

Many more companies are offering these sorts of technologies, so it never hurts to ask your local HVAC companies to see if they offer these services. Since many odors will originate in the venting system, they will be the ones who will know how to clean up the odors, as well as how to stick to your green plans.

You can have a home that is healthy and earth-friendly that smells great. You simply don’t have to suffer from a home that looks great, but harbors harmful smells and materials.



environmentally friendly

Kent Basson asked:


A friend of mine held a job at a library in a large, public educational institution and was being harassed by an environmental group on a weekly basis because the library was not purchasing recycled paper. The fact that this cost a good deal more than the paper they were currently using which would affect struggling students did not occur to the environmental crusaders. So, though we might like to think of ourselves as altruistic human beings, the fact is that most people are not willing to inconvenience themselves to make a seemingly small impact on the environment. Carpooling is good for the increasingly toxic air and also has some very tangible benefits for participants.

Carpooling is the sharing of a car by two or more passengers to save resources or help the environment. How beneficial is carpooling to the environment? According to a study performed in 1998, cars contribute 48% of the carbon monoxide emissions into the air. In addition to carbon monoxide, cars also emit greenhouse gases. Any fluid escaping the car inevitably is washed into the storm drains which contribute heavily to water pollution. Cars have also been proven to be the main cause of noise pollution in the cities which can cause sleep trouble and general agitation for residents. Clearly, cars impact the environment severely and in many different ways, and every single one that is taken off the road is beneficial to building a healthful environment.

There are people who do not believe that the earth is in the bad shape that many scientists and politicians have been concerned with recently. It can be hard for some people to believe that their individual actions can make an impact. Carpooling can directly impact the quality of life of you and your neighbors which makes it even more rewarding. On average, a person spends $1000 a year on gas, and if one were to assume that you were just sharing the car with one person and they were making you pay for exactly half their gas, you would be saving at $500. This estimate is a bit on the high side as only a portion of the mileage taken into consideration is used to get to and from work



environmentally friendly

Alan Drakovic asked:


The use of alternative fuel is common nowadays because it is cheaper than gasoline or diesel. Also, alternative fuels contain substances which are environment friendly, as such, it can help save and conserve natural resources that are used in order to produce gasoline and provide efficient and clean fuel combustion.

One basic thing to know about alternative fuel is it may be readily used today. The most common machine that is powered by alternative fuel is a car or vehicle. There are many forms of fuel alternative available that may be used in one’s vehicle; it includes liquefied petroleum gas, ethanol, methanol, compressed natural gas, and electricity. The good thing about alternative fuel is that it cost less but without sacrificing the mileage. In addition, its components are made of substances that reduce the risk air pollution. A classic example is electricity. If your car is powered by electricity, there is no chance that air pollution may be emitted.

As stated a while ago, alternative fuel helps save the environment. It removes the risk of creating carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, unburned hydrocarbons and other particulate materials. The poisonous emissions stated usually come from gasoline and diesel powered vehicles and machineries. Alternative fuel minimizes these kinds of emissions, if not absolutely obliterate it.

Another thing to know about alternative fuel is that its materials can be found anywhere, including your own backyard. Some materials include old frying oil, used vegetable oil, recycled paper, plant wastes, animal manure, and other recyclable materials. However, don’t even think about putting vegetable oil in your vehicle. There is a process in converting these materials into alternative fuel.

Some fuel alternative uses a specific vehicle or engine in order to completely operate. This is commonly called as alternative fuel vehicle. Alternative fuel vehicles use a specific alternative fuel in order to work. Am example is an electricity powered car. When using this kind of vehicle, one must charge its battery in order to use it. It is like charging the battery of a digital camera or a cellular phone. The problem with alternative fuel vehicle is that they have a lower energy output. This means that gasoline or diesel vehicles provide farther mileage as compared to alternative fuel vehicles on a full tank basis. Another thing to take note is that alternative fuel vehicles cost more than the conventional gasoline or diesel automobile.

Fuel alternatives are not only used in vehicles, it may also be used in one’s industry or for the industrial operations. Some industrial machines use gasoline or diesel in order to function. Since diesel or gasoline is used, alternative fuel may be used as a replacement. Other industries are compelled by a law or a local ordinance to switch from gasoline to alternative fuels not only to minimize air population, but also to help the government to reduce the production of gasoline and diesel.

Globally, countries opt to operate every machine using alternative fuels. Air pollution is a big problem that a country needs to remedy. Through the use of alternative fuel, it will not only save our environment, but also, be an effective way to conserve our very limited resources.



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Jesse Akre asked:


In a world where people are becoming more and more conscious about the items that come into their homes and the environmental footprint those items are making, there are some things you can look for to lessen your impact as you purchase furniture.

Teak tables are a renewable resource. While this is not true in all cases, many teak tables are made from wood that is grown on teak farms, leaving the natural landscape untouched, for the most part.

Modern management techniques of teak growth are making it easier to make a smart choice for today’s consumers looking for teak tables. Obviously, not all tables are going to be made by the greenest methods, so you should research the table you are considering purchasing to see where the wood was raised and cut. Many of the manufacturers of teak tables are very proud of the fact that the wood they use comes from a renewable resource and will make that fact known on the information that comes with the tables.

Another way teak tables are making you more environmentally conscious is because they are not tables that you will have to replace anytime soon. If you buy a cheaply made table and it starts to ***** or weaken to the point where it is no longer usable, every few years, you are going to have quite an impact on the landfill situation by tossing table after table into it. But teak tables are strong, and aren’t going to weaken anytime soon. As matter of fact, whether you leave teak tables inside or outside, they will hold up as the perfect all-weather wood choice. Teak tables are known to stay strong years longer than other tables, which means you are saving other resources by not having to replace your table.

On another front, teak tables will make a stunning addition to your current home décor. Indigenous to south and Southeast Asia, this beautiful wood, that was often found in monsoon forests, was considered a luxury, only fit for a few. In centuries past, teak would have been used to make window frames and doors in holy homes and holy sites. It also was used to make the strong beams that many temples were built around. Some of those teak beams from centuries ago are still standing while the rest of the buildings are long gone. Talk about withstanding the test of time.

Putting teak tables in your home will bring an exotic flair to your living space. Since it is a naturally oily wood, it will always have a beautiful luster, even without you pulling out any furniture polish. Teak tables will push oil that is inside the wood to the surface and that oil will self-polish the wood.

Additionally, since teak is so accustomed to its natural wet home conditions, it is not phased by liquid spills as many other tables often are. It’s grown in the region of monsoons, if it can take that kind of lashing, your dinner is no challenge.



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Andrew Stratton asked:


Everyone is going green, and many companies are making it easier than ever. If you want to do your part for the environment, a great way to start is right in your own home. With the advent of new technologies, there are now products available that will help keep the environment healthier without having to compromise your own comfort.

Spray foam insulation is one product for your home that has recently gone green. Spray foam insulation begins as liquid polyurethane that is then sprayed onto surfaces, creating a protective, insulating barrier. Since the foam is initially liquid, it easily covers all cracks and holes in the wall, covering a more thorough area than fiberglass or cellulose.

This means that your house will be more climate efficient. The heat will stay trapped inside during the cold months and the cool air will stay in during the summer. Not only will the temperature of your house be more comfortable, but you’ll save energy on your heating and cooling.

The most common and inexpensive insulation used today is fiberglass. While easily applied and somewhat successful in climate control, it can pose numerous health risks. When touched with bare skin, fiberglass often causes redness and itchiness. The biggest risk comes with inhaling the small fibers that often break off and float into the air.

Sometimes practically invisible to the eye, these loose fibers are sharp and barbed. If inhaled, fiberglass can create scarring in the throat, which is thought to be one of the potential causes of cancer. And because it is often pink in color with an unusual texture, loose fiberglass chunks can be enticing to small children if unsupervised.

Although spray foam insulation is initially more costly than traditional fiberglass, the energy you save will eventually pay for itself, as well as the additional tax benefits that are available for homeowners who are able to document their green efforts. There is also the added bonus that homes with spray foam insulation sale for better rates on the market. So while it will be an investment, in the future your environmental concern will pay off.

Although energy saving is one of the primary environmental benefits of spray foam insulation, many companies derive their foam from renewable resources. By using renewable and recyclable resources, spray foam manufacturers contribute back to both the economy and the environment.

The foam is pest and moisture resistant, insects cannot penetrate the thick surface and neither can water, preventing both roaches and mold from sneaking into your home. So not only does it pose no health risks for you and your family, but it can help you to maintain a cleaner, more hygienic house. It is also versatile, able to insulate not only walls but ceilings and floors as well.

If you’re looking for a way to contribute to the environment while simultaneously lowering your energy bills and boosting the value of your house, spray foam insulation will help you achieve your goals. Find an insulation professional that can help you turn your house green.



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A. Nutt asked:


The environment is very important for the fact that it is our home. It is also responsible for the food that we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. That is why it is very important that we take care of it to the best of our ability. One way to do that is by having an environmentally friendly septic tank.

Having an environmentally friendly septic tank keeps a lot of harmful elements from being released into the ground. This prevents groundwater from being contaminated, protects plants, and protects animals. In other words, having a sound septic tank can protect the ecosystem in your area. There is also the fact that wastewater treatment requires much less energy than the traditional method.

Pumping septic tanks

One of the most irritating aspects of having septic tanks is the need to pump it regularly. It is recommended by experts that a 1,000 gallon tank be pumped every three to five years. That may not seem like something that is too difficult to do, but it actually is. And some individuals do not even get around to pumping their septic tank. They completely forget that they are supposed to do this. This can later lead to the septic tank leaking, which can cause a wide range of environment issues, in addition to an incredible mess.

However, there is a way to stretch the time in between septic tank pumpings and that is by having an environmentally system called a FAST system. Wastewater treatment is also taken to a completely different level.

What the FAST system does is increases how much solid waste is destroyed. Bacteria are responsible for this destruction. As for what FAST stands for, it stands for Fixed Activated Sludge Treatment. What this system does is create the perfect environment in which bacteria can naturally decompose the waste in the system. As a matter of fact, it eats away at most of the waste that makes its way into the system, making wastewater treatment much easier.

How do FAST systems work?

The bacteria in a FAST system are stored in a reactor chamber that is under the ground. This reactor chamber is self-cleaning and it is aerated. That way, optimal bacteria growth is achieved. Because of this bacteria growth, anywhere between 90% and 95% of the solid waste that enters the septic system is completely destroyed and wastewater treatment is minimal.

Because more waste is destroyed, you do not have to worry about the mess of pumping your septic system often at all. This also saves you a lot of money because many individuals pay professionals to take care of the pumping of their septic tanks. This can become expensive, especially if any complications come about.

Preventing nitrogen contamination

FAST septic tanks can help avoid nitrogen contamination. This is because the byproduct that is produced by the natural processes that occur within septic tanks is nitrogen. When the nitrogen level becomes too high, it can seep into groundwater and make its way into human drinking water. The FAST system keeps this from happening. These septic tanks keep this from happening because the bacteria housed within the septic tank neutralize much of that nitrogen.

It is important that you ensure the functionality of the bacteria in FAST septic tanks, though. One way to do this is to avoid sending too many household cleaners down the drain. When you do this, you can kill the bacteria and compromise the effectiveness of the bacteria. When the bacteria’s effectiveness is compromised, nitrogen levels can climb and the breakdown of solid waste may be reduced.

So if you are all about saving money and saving the environment, environmentally friendly septic tanks can make an incredible difference in your life and in the world.



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Derek Rogers asked:


We’re all a lot more concerned about the state of the environment and our effect on it than we used to be. Construction is one of the areas that has a huge impact on the world around us. By choosing more environmentally friendly, sustainable products and installation methods, we can decrease the damage we do to the environment.

Here are a few environmentally friendly flooring options you might choose over more conventional products:

Bamboo

This rapidly growing woody grass can be harvested every three to five years and requires minimal fertilizers and pesticides. That means that correctly grown, bamboo flooring is extremely good for the environment. However, it’s worth noting that some producers are not using the best methods - know where your bamboo is coming from and how it’s grown before you buy.

Installing bamboo floors gives you a flooring material that’s extremely durable and very easy to maintain. Bamboo’s unique look and feel complement many different decorating schemes are are extremely attractive. Heat treated bamboo is available in darker colours, but be aware that the darker the bamboo is, the less strength remains.

Marmoleum

This product is made from wood flour (usually from waste wood), linseed oil, jute, limestone and pine rosin. It’s easy to produce, anti-static, very clean and Once this material has lived out its life, it biodegrades easily. This floor is an excellent type for those with allergies, as it offers no place for dust mites to hide. There are many colours and designs available and this material wears well.

Sustainably Produced Carpet Tiles

Carpet is usually thought of as a very environmentally unfriendly flooring material, since the vast majority of it is produced from petroleum and is not biodegradable or recyclable. Carpet tiles produced with an eye towards the health of the environment are an exception. The tile format allows only damaged areas to need replacing, rather than the whole carpet and manufacturers like Heuga which attempt to reduce waste, eliminate toxins and use renewable energy can produce more environmentally friendly carpet products.

Sustainable Wood Flooring

Hardwood and laminate floorings are another area where you might not think environmentally friendly practices are possible. However, hardwood floors are long lasting and products produced using responsible practices, including replanting and careful harvesting, can be quite environmentally friendly. Look for floors that use non-toxic finishes and adhesives if they’re a Loc-type floor and sustainably produced and harvested wood.

Another less common ecologically friendly type of wood flooring is reclaimed wood. This comes from buildings and other areas that would have been torn down and the materials wasted. Some reclaimed wood even comes from the bottom of lakes, much of this wood is of very high quality, but it often requires significant processing before use, making reclaimed wood flooring expensive in many cases.

Natural Plant Fiber Flooring

Mats and carpeting made from fibers like sisal, coir (coconut fiber) and jute are also much more environmentally friendly than ordinary carpeting or petroleum derived fiber mats. They provide a rustic look to your home, are easy to care for and their durable surface means a long life too.



JULIET

Brian Mcquirk asked:


Growing Popularity

That wood flooring is gaining popularity is well known. When home owners see just how beautiful and inexpensive a natural wood floor is they are keen to get it installed in their own home. Hardwood flooring is the first choice for most when they are looking at installing a wooden floor in their home, Oak and Cherry because of the variety of colors and shades are two popular choices, sometimes a more exotic hardwood like Bamboo is the hardwood of choice. But one environmentally friendly choice is also available and that is cork. Cork has been around for centuries and used for floors for a very long time and for a number of reasons,among those reasons is the fact that it is a very long lasting product and that it comes from a renewable resource.

Source

Cork is harvested from the bark of cork trees, which are a variety of Oak The cork is gathered through stripping off the bark on the outside of the trunk,this regenerates in about six years ready for harvesting again. This means that rather than cutting down a tree just once for material,cork farms can strip the bark away again and again; there are still trees being used in bark harvesting that are around 200 years old! For for those of us who care about the environment, this makes cork flooring an ideal material, since it comes from a renewable resource. Even for those who have not considered the source of the material, cork flooring is a wonderful alternative for hardwood floors.

Durability

Often when we think of cork, we think of the soft material used in cork boards but in reality Cork is one of the strongest materials used. Not only is it scuff resistant, it is elastic and hard to damage under normal circumstances, but it also resists water penetration, unlike other hardwood floors, so it is ideal for bathrooms and kitchens, for this reason too, it is used as stoppers in wine bottles.

Because of the hard wearing qualities of Cork, there are flooring installations that have lasted for over 100 years. It is also one of the floorings of choice used in the United States Library of Congress. Cork has excellent insulating properties, so good in fact that it can help reduce heating or cooling costs. This makes it a very good flooring material for basement floors for example. Cork flooring is a good sound insulator too, a fact well known in the building industry for years and useful for home owners in reducing noise transfer from floor to floor.

Aesthetics

Cork flooring has a mottled appearance that we are all familiar with and which makes it different from all of the other wood floors. It comes in a variety of patterns and colors that you can select from to match your own particular decorating style. Because of it’s elastic nature Cork flooring is comfortable and quiet to walk on. - ideal for apartment dwellers.

Health Concerns.

Cork flooring is much more than just an environmentally friendly material,it is a naturally hypo-allergenic substance which does not support the growth of mold or mildew , it does not produce toxins or shed any fibres and it is antistatic. All of these properties are good news for those people who suffer from allergies



ARLEN

Jessica Ackerman asked:


You recycle, traded in your SUV for a hybrid car and always ask for paper instead of plastic at the grocery store. You care about the future of the planet and know that means doing your part to help the environment. There are easy ways that you can incorporate your desire to reduce your carbon footprint into the choices you make when decorating your home.

Here are some tips to start making your home a little greener.

• Paint

Here’s an idea: Take a bucket full of dangerous chemicals and apply them to every large flat surface in your home. Breathe deeply so you can take into your lungs all these chemicals have to offer. Then, in a year or two, you can apply another layer of chemicals on top of the old one! Does that sound like something you would do? Of course not, but some experts say that is exactly what you are doing when you paint your wall with traditional paints.

There are other options available in the form of eco-safe paints. These paints are made without any of the chemicals found in traditional paints. They are available in a wide variety of colors. To be sure you are getting paints that are truly eco-friendly, check the label for certification by either Greenseal or the Scientific Certification Seal.

• Flooring Options

The best option, environmentally speaking, is to keep what you have. Of course, this isn’t always possible, so there are options for replacing your flooring that won’t have a negative impact on Mother Earth.

If you want to keep a wood floor feel, consider bamboo. It’s tough as nails, beautiful and just as affordable as traditional wood flooring.

If its carpet you want, consider carpet tiles. They are often made from reclaimed materials, such as plastic bottles, and use non-toxic dyes. Also, using carpet tiles allow you to create fun patterns with the carpet, or just have a more traditional look. And if a stain can’t be removed, you can just replace a few tiles instead of having to replace the entire carpet.

• Furniture

Who needs new when used will do? When people redecorate what do they do with their old, perfectly good furniture? They either sell it or donate it to charities who sell it. If you care about the environment, you should at least LOOK for used options when you need a piece of furniture.

Used doesn’t have to mean shabby, scratched and beat up. Check your local classified ads, thrift stores and yard sales. You’ll be surprised at the treasures you will find. As a bonus, you’ll save money and have furniture that isn’t a cookie cutter copy of what everyone else has in their home.

If you can’t find what you want used, consider purchasing furniture that is made from eco-friendly material such as bamboo.

• Accessories

Again, keep in mind that everything old can be made new again! Scour antique stores and thrift shops for mirrors, knick knacks and artwork. Look to nature for ideas for artwork, and made some things yourself. Use your personal creativity to both create something beautiful and help the environment.

It’s easy to find ways to decorate your home without having a negative impact on the environment. It takes just little extra effort and attention to create an environmentally friendly home that is also beautiful. And that’s something that you - and your grandchildren - can live with.



KAITLIN