aroundthehouse: : New Year, Greener Home: 9 Tips for ’09 (2009-01-01)

- Enough with the stuff. One of the best ways to green-up your home is also the easiest: Get rid of the stuff you don't really need. That means fewer things to gather dust and take up space. Reduce your knickknacks on display by at least one-third. Pull out 20 books from your bookcase that you don't like or know you will never read. Get rid of clothes you haven't worn in a year. In these tight financial times, you might even be able to make a little money from selling some of your stuff, on Craigslist for example, or by having a garage sale. Or just donate to charity. Many non-profits such as Goodwill and Northwest Center that accept used items are badly in need of donations. When you disperse your unneeded stuff, it reduces the need to produce new stuff.

- Called on the carpet. Because dust loves hiding in carpeting, try to vacuum twice a week. If anyone in your house has dust sensitivities, consider getting a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter. If possible, phase out your wall-to-wall carpeting in favor of area rugs. And you can keep a surprising amount of dust and pollutants out of your carpets and rugs just by encouraging people to take their shoes off.

- See the light. Make this the year you really embrace compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Choose CFLs with at least a five-year warranty. If you need a new light fixture, pick an Energy Star model. Stay away from halogen light fixtures and bulbs. Halogen bulbs are not nearly as energy-efficient as CFLs, and they burn so hot that they can pose a safety hazard.

- Show your new colors. You may want to avoid painting for environmental reasons - the chemicals in paint, the disposal issues - but actually painting the exterior of your home can be a very green thing to do. Painting makes your home last longer, reducing waste. If paint is peeling on even one side of your home, it's time. Choose exterior latex rather than oil paint. If you have a contractor do the job, make sure the crew follows green practices and disposes of extra paint properly.

- Be a quick change artist. For the sake of indoor air quality, get in the habit of changing your furnace filter every month, or every six weeks at the most. As much as I would love to promote reusable furnace filters to reduce waste, Consumer Reports says some of the disposable filters are better for removing dust. The ones they recommend include 3M Filtrete 1700, 3M Filtrete Ultra Allergen Reduction, and True Blue.

- Clear the air. How about making a vow to not use chemical air fresheners all year long? Despite their evocative names, like "Morning Rain" or "Tropical Escape," these are usually loaded with chemicals you don't need in your home. Instead of using air fresheners, stop odors at the source by emptying the garbage or washing the dog more often.

- Take care of what you've got.
Too many of us, myself included, have stored stuff in a basement or garage and then it gets wet or moldy and has to be thrown away. What a waste! This year invest in some tight-seal plastic storage containers to protect those summer clothes, family documents and other things you need to save. Reusing cardboard boxes is a well-intentioned idea, but not for basement storage, since they don't stand up to flooding (all too common in Seattle basements), mold or mice.

- Go greener with your cleaners. Many household cleaners contain toxic or questionable chemicals you don't need. Consider making your own cleaners using common substances such as lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda. Recipes abound on the Internet. If you would rather buy a product, many greener household cleaners are now available, including products from Seventh Generation, Method, Clorox (Green Works) and Arm & Hammer (Essentials). One thing I like about the new Arm & Hammer Essentials products is that you reuse the spray bottle and just buy concentrate cartridges for refills, reducing a lot of packaging waste.

- Get a move on. If you really want to go green, consider downsizing into a smaller home, especially if your kids have moved out and you still have a 2,000- or 3,000-square-foot house. With the current market prices, this might be a great time to make your move: You could buy a smaller home at a bargain price, and rent out your larger old home for awhile until the market improves and you can get a better price for that one.

Have a green and fine 2009!

For more EcoConsumer resources from King County, visit www.KCecoconsumer.com.

Tom Watson is a project manager for King County and is the Seattle Times EcoConsumer columnist. Every month, Tom will offer smart and easy tips on how you, too, can become an eco-consumer.

For past articles, go to the EcoConsumer Archives.