Green Cleaning For Your Interior: Is It As Effective?

The more eco-driven designs I work on, the more I have realized it is just as critical to address the upkeep along with the initial design work. What kind of interior designer would I be if I designed and ran? I think it is critical to talk about green cleaning with a client. I mean, after I have done all the research, put time and creativity into using new innovative materials, employed recycled content, why would I want that to be wasted and contaminated with harsh cleaners?

Sometimes, like for healthcare environments, you can never get them away from bleach…which I think a lot of people would be thankful for. But for other interiors for corporate, education and hospitality, green cleaning can be both beneficial to the integrity of the green design, and as I have research, economical as well. It’s a win-win!

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are one of the biggest no-nos in regards to green design. VOCs can be defined as any type of off gassing that occurs from the production or use of a product. I think the most common example of everyday VOCs is new car smell. Believe it or not, but any smell, including fresh money smell, is considered a VOC. Copy machines are a big culprit of VOCs in the corporate world, so it is suggested to keep copy and print machines in separate areas from employees and preferred with separate HVAC duct work. Cleaning products traditionally contain massive amount of VOCs.

So if VOCs are that dangerous, why would you want to choose cleaning products that make the situation worse? Harsh chemicals may get the job done, as you think, but there are many solutions that include simple household products, like vinegar and baking soda that can be just as effective. Baking soda is a smell reducer rather than a smell creator – think about how it helps the contents of your fridge. Why not take that house wide and break out of the ice chest with baking soda?!?

Before starting a green cleaning program in your home or business be sure to do some additional research on various green cleaning products and methods. Here is one article I think gave some good and basic- idea starting advice. Good luck and think green clean!

Sustainable Paint Trend

Looking for a fun, inexpensive way to brighten up your room to this year’s latest trends? Have you considered taking one of the key walls in your room and painting it a bright trendy color? Such as the wall that’s immediately in front of you when you walk into the room. Do you have a small angled wall that your fireplace is on? Or what about the wall your beds headboard sits against?

I recommend staying away from walls with lots of windows because the wall becomes broken up and won’t have the full effect as a solid wall with a pop of color! Painting a wall is a great way to pop that standard beige sofa everyone seems to have. Try this year’s bright plum purple, fuchsia, lime green or light green/blue trends! Throw pillows that incorporate these colors will also add an additional pop of color to the room. If you are keeping the rest of your walls a neutral color, try finding some wall art prints or oil paintings that incorporate these bright colors. Why not add a rug to pull it all together?

While taking on this fun adventure, why not learn a little bit more about what the paint companies are doing to follow the environmental trend. A majority of the paint companies offer low VOC paints or no VOC paints. VOC’s are volatile organic compounds that may cause some types of cancer when released into the air. Another benefit of using this paint is that your house will smell very little if at all like paint! Some of the paint companies even offer paints that are a primer and paint color in one! My personal favorite would be Benjamin Moore’s AURA paint line.

I would recommend that you save the time and try out this new paint technology. To continue the environmental trend, remember to recycle those plastic paint tray liners. Cloth tarps and standard paint brushes are a great investment because you will be able to reuse them again next time. Now that’s what I call “green”!

Good Luck and I hope you enjoy your new trendy colored inspired room!

What is Sustainable Flooring?

Are you looking to replace flooring in your home or workplace? Do you find yourself wondering what the most sustainable option is? We all hear about bamboo flooring, but is that really the best choice for you?

Bamboo is definitely a rapidly renewable resource. Your location will determine just how far the product has to travel by boat, plane, truck or train. If the product has to far too travel, it may not be the most environmental product available to you. So is there a better option for you? Most flooring companies have come a very long way with making their products more sustainable.

Many vinyl products now contain recycled content. Vinyl floors are often recyclable at the end of their lives. Look for VOC free vinyl flooring to keep your air clean! Many contain harmful chemicals which could possibly outweigh the fact that the product has other sustainable elements. Read carefully before purchasing!

Carpeting has also come a long way. Much of the manufacturing process is run on renewable energy such as wind, solar or methane gas. Reusing water and dyes have also become popular. Did you know that you can even buy residential carpeting made out of recycled pop bottles? Check out Mohawk’s website. To look for a guarantee that your carpet is sustainable, make sure it is CRI (Carpet and Rug Institute) Green Label Plus, which identifies products with low VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) that may be harmful for us to breathe.

Hardwood can be extremely environmental! Look for an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified product. This will guarantee that the wood came from a sustainably managed forest. Basically this means that for every tree that is cut down and made into products, it is properly replaced.

Tile has even found its way into the sustainable movement. Manufacturers have found ways to put recycled products back into the tile process. The products are often GreenGuard certified, which helps identity products that are good for our indoor air quality. For more information check out Crossville, Inc or Florida Tile.

Other sustainable floors may include rubber flooring, linoleum, and polished or stained concrete. Basically, there is a sustainable option in all types of flooring. With a little bit of research, you can definitely contribute to the sustainable movement with your flooring choice!

Finding the right Compact Fluorescent for You

One of the big trends right now is saving energy. Everywhere you look, shop, and open the newspaper, it’s all about being “green!” So the most important question on everyone’s mind is, “How can I save the earth and save money at the same time?” Let’s face reality – most people will not change their habits unless it benefits them in some way. So, one of the easiest things you can do is change out all your incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents.

Many of you have probably encountered the fact that the bulb you bought may have had a different coloring of light output than you are used to, possibly a bluish color. And your first reaction was probably not a good one and so you swore off compact fluorescent bulbs forever.

The key to purchasing the right compact fluorescent bulb for you is to look at the Kelvin degrees. In layman’s terms, this means the coloring. It’s simple: the lower the number, and the warmer the light…. The higher the number, the cooler the light. If you tend to have warmer colors in your home, such as gold’s, burgundy’s, warm greens, coffee beiges, etc, then you definitely want a bulb with warmer light output. If you have more cool colors in your home, such as blues, violets, light greens, and grays, you may be able to get away with the cooler colored light. But when it comes down to it, most of us are used to lighting our homes with the warm comforting yellow incandescent bulbs. So in order to do this, buy a bulb that is 2700 degrees Kelvin (or some company’s call this “soft white”). Now, switching to these compact fluorescent bulbs may cost you more up front, but they are proven to use 75% less energy and will last for much longer. This will cost you less in the long run because you won’t have to run out to the store as much and your electric bill will be lower! It’s a win- win situation for all. The stores have come a long way and you are now able to purchase these bulbs in your local Lowe’s or Home Depot.

It’s very important to remember that at the end of the compact fluorescent bulbs’ life, you need to recycle it! The bulb does contain a very small amount of mercury. It has been compared to be less than the size of the tip of your ball point pen. Now that’s small! Many stores offer recycle disposals for these bulbs. You can also contact your local waste department or recycling center to find out how to properly dispose of them in your area.

Together we can make a difference by the very small changes we make in our day to day lives.

Information on recycling Compact Floursecent Lightbulbs’s at Home Depot

Lowe’s Soft White Compact Floursecent Lightbulbs

What is LEED?

How many times have you picked up a newspaper to read about another LEED certified building? Do you find yourself wondering what LEED is? Being green is all over the news these days.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED buildings are certified through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). “LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures.” (www.usgbc.org)

Every couple of years an updated rating system is released and individuals can take the LEED Accredited Professional Exam. In 2009, individuals are now accredited in their specific area of work. There are 5 types of exams:
1. LEED for Green Building Design and Construction
2. LEED for Green Interior Design and Construction
3. LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance
4. LEED for Homes
5. LEED for Neighborhood Development.

Many different professionals are responsible for creating a LEED certified building, including architects, landscape architects, electrical engineers, HVAC engineers, civil engineers, interior designers, and construction managers. Basically anyone involved in the building has to play a part in the process; from manufacturers guaranteeing their products meet certain minimum standards to the actual workers who build and execute the installations.

The LEED rating system is determined by meeting a minimum number of credits. Buildings are certified as silver, gold or platinum. Their certification level depends on the number of credits that are reached during the design and construction process.

The main areas that LEED addresses are sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. There is also an additional section for innovation and design which may allow an achievement over the minimum requirements for a credit or a creative solution to make the building more sustainable.

Paperwork, drawings, photos and many other items are submitted at two different times during the development of the project for review through the Green Building Certification Institute. They are responsible for determining if the building has met the necessary requirements to become certified. The Green Building Certification Institute has taken over administrative responsibilities during certification for the U.S. Green Building Council. This is a time consuming process and will only get done if everyone works together as a team!

If you are interested in having your home or business LEED certified, research a qualified professional in your area to assist in determining what your needs will be. This can be done by searching for a LEED AP. For more information go to the U.S. Green Building Council’s website at www.usgbc.org