Issues > September/October 2005 (#110) > Household Tips to Keep Your Health and Your Savings Intact

Household Tips to Keep Your Health and Your Savings Intact

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Laundry Room

Launder clothes on the warm or cold water setting for washing, and always use cold water to rinse clothes. Hang clothes to dry whenever you can either outside (sunshine can whiten whites better than bleach) or on a rack, such as the collapsable Wall Shelf Drying Rack at www.gaiam.com. Doing all of these will shave up to 9 percent from your energy bill (that's an average of $162 savings annually for a family of four).

When looking for a new clothes washer, choose an Energy Star-certified appliance such as LG Electronics' WM2677HSM, which is a 125 percent more energy efficient than the federal standard.

Living Room

Keep an eye on heating costs by turning down your thermostat, saving yourself 5 percent on heating costs for every degree lower between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. And an Energy Star-rated programmable thermostat such as Honeywell's can save you up to $100 a year. In any case, don't forget to close vents and doors of vacant rooms.

Avoid breathing solvents and chemicals from paint wood finishes by choosing products that have low- or no- "volatile organic compounds" (VOCs). No-VOC paint brands include AFM Safecoat and Old Fashioned Milk Paint, actually made with milk. In wood finishes, Tried and True's Original Wood Finish and Danish Oil are both No-VOC choices. See the Paint and Wood Finishes Product Reports for more products.

Install energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs, such as those made by General Electric, Duro-Test Lighting or Phillips. One bulb can save you at least $30 in electric bills over its lifespan and reduce greenhouse gases from power plants. If every U.S. household replaced five bulbs, it would prevent the release of as much greenhouse gas as removing 8 million cars from the road for a year. And those five bulbs would save 50 percent of your annual lighting bill. For more products and information, see the Light Bulb Product Report.

Wall-to-wall carpets are a sink for all the dirt, allergens and pesticides tramped in from out of doors which can easily end up in the mouths of crawling children. And synthetic carpets with petrochemical glues are petroleum-derived and non-recyclable. Consider wood flooring, such as Teragren's durable bamboo, a quickly replenishing grass and, for comfort, try easy-to-clean wool areas rugs from Earth Weave. Or use wood reclaimed from old farms, breweries and factories from Mountain Lumber of Virginia to help conserve trees needed to keep down carbon dioxide levels. For more suggestions and products, see the Carpet and Flooring Product Reports.

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