Simple swaps and innovative ideas for cleaning and maintaining your home that won't cost the Earth. Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home. This beautifully illustrated black and white guide with 101 hints and sustainable, natural cleaning tips and hacks will help you take small steps that have a massive positive environmental impact. In Clean & Green, Nancy Birtwhistle shares the simple recipes and methods she has developed since making a conscious effort to live more sustainably, many of which are faster and easier than the go-to products and methods most of us use now. From everyday cleaning and laundry tips to zero-effort oven cleaner and guidance on removing tricky stains from clothing and furniture, these economical, practical methods are perfect for anyone looking to reduce their use of plastic and throwaway products. Nancy shares her tried-and-tested recipes for all-purpose cleaners, replacements for harmful chemicals that will keep both your home and the planet clean and green for future generations.
"Cleaning your home without harsh toxic chemicals is rapidly becoming the new standard ... The first such reference created for visual learners, this book shows what you really need to do to get rid of germs with both safety and the environment in mind ... More than 450 photos. Room-by-room advice: kitchens, baths, bedrooms; Green quick-cleaning techniques; Cleaning product recipes"--Publisher description.
This easy-to-use guide for everyone who is concerned about the toxic chemicals in cleaning products includes remarkably simple recipes for natural, non-toxic household cleaners that really work--the secrets the cleaning industry doesn't want consumers to know.
Learn how to create your own cleaning products that are better and healthier to use and keep your home sparkling clean. What is in my cleaning products? Are these chemicals bad for my health? Do they damage the environment? How do I reduce the amount of plastic in my home? These are questions we should all be asking when it comes to cleaning our homes. Clean Green shows you how to tackle each room and cleaning task in a natural way. From laundry detergent, toilet cleaner and furniture polish to hand wash, dishwashing liquid, stain remover and air freshener, all the recipes for natural products in this book are quick and simple to make and, most important of all, they work! They're not expensive either, many will save you money in the long term and help you to cut down on your plastic waste too. Small steps. Big changes.
Are you becoming more conscious of the ingredients you use to clean your home? Are you fed up with using strong chemicals and aware these could be having a detrimental effect on your health? In this book, you will find over 110 recipes for practically any cleaning dilemma, from natural disinfectant to safe and effective stain removal. Each chapter covers every room in your home with simple recipes to make your house sparkly clean, as well as being good to the environment and your health. From bathroom battles to kitchen messes, this book solves every cleaning problem that you might come up with at home. Learn how to make everyday products, such as an all-purpose cleaner and laundry detergent, but also the best way to clean things, such as pillows or carpet that you don't clean every day. You can also find out how to scent your homemade products with essential oils to make your home smell how you want it to. Homemade cleaning products can just as powerful as store-bought, and Natural Home Cleaning shows you how.
**The Green Home Blueprint** Unlock the secrets to transforming your home into an eco-friendly sanctuary with "The Green Home Blueprint!" This comprehensive guide is your ultimate resource for making sustainable living accessible and practical. Whether you're starting your green journey or looking to enhance your current efforts, this book delivers clear, actionable advice to help you create a healthier, more energy-efficient home. Dive into Chapter 1 and gain an essential understanding of your home's energy footprint. Learn to identify and eradicate common energy-wasting habits and discover the myriad benefits of an energy-efficient household. In Chapter 2, explore effective insulation and air sealing techniques, from DIY projects to professional services, ensuring your home remains cozy and cost-effective year-round. Chapter 3 delves into optimizing your heating and cooling systems with smart thermostats and regular maintenance tips. Uncover renewable energy options in Chapter 4, including solar, wind, and geothermal solutions, to significantly reduce your carbon footprint. Sustainable water usage is made simple in Chapter 5 with water-saving fixtures, rainwater harvesting, and greywater recycling. Illuminate your home with eco-friendly lighting solutions from Chapter 6, and select sustainable building materials in Chapter 7 to ensure every aspect of your living space is green. Chapter 8 guides you through choosing energy-efficient home appliances to maximize efficiency across your kitchen, laundry, and electronics. Reduce waste effectively with strategies from Chapter 9, and improve your indoor air quality with non-toxic paints, air-purifying plants, and better ventilation in Chapter 10. Chapter 11 offers eco-friendly home cleaning tips, while Chapter 12 focuses on sustainable furniture and decor. Enhance your landscape sustainably with Chapter 13âs native plants, organic gardening, and green lawn alternatives. Chapter 14 provides water and energy-efficient landscaping strategies, including drip irrigation and mulching. Get inspired to build an eco-friendly home office, manage energy usage efficiently, and understand the financial aspects of going green with Chapters 15 to 18. Involve the whole family in sustainability efforts with Chapter 19, and stay informed on the latest green technologies and innovations in Chapter 20. "The Green Home Blueprint" is your essential guide to creating an environmentally friendly, cost-saving, and forward-thinking household. Start making impactful changes today and embrace a greener lifestyle for a sustainable tomorrow.
The essential, real-world, green home manual Everyone can make green home decisions on a budget with this inspiring, informationpacked guide. Whether you are building, remodeling, buying, or just curious, here are real-world strategies for getting the greenest results from your budget, with hundreds of ideas for a home that is built to last, comfortable and healthy, money- and time-saving in the long term, and kind to the planet. From your home's exterior to its operating systems within, from siting to interior design, this is the basic training that has given many the confidence to proceed. Award-winning sustainable design and building consultant and teacher Kathleen O'Brien and architectural designer and sustainability consultant Kathleen Smith offer their "top picks" for each phase. They've also each faced their own green home challenges in a single-family house and a duplex, and other case studies show affordable energy-efficient green homes both old and new. Brimming with ideas, clear and logical, with tips, checklists, and resources for green home planning, construction, remodeling, and maintenance, extensively illustrated with photos and diagrams, this is the essential green home manual for novice and professional alike.
Describes how to renovate, purchase, and live in homes with environmental consciousness in mind, providing tips on increasing the energy efficiency of one's home without relinquishing aestheticism.
A comprehensive guide to building green on any budget. According to conventional wisdom, building a green home is an expensive endeavor. The standard approach treats green as an add-on, tacking "premium" products, finishes, and equipment onto a traditional home design. As a result, many green home projects end up over budget or fail to achieve their environmental and performance goals. Green Home Building explodes the myth that green homes have to cost more. Using proven methods based on applied building science, the authors show how to: Lower base construction costs to provide funding for high performance upgrades Achieve a net-zero energy home, including "zero-ing" water, waste, carbon, and associated costs within fifteen years Live affordably into the future, despite anticipated rising costs for fuel, water, materials, taxes, and health care This comprehensive guide to building green on any budget defines the strategies that maximize the return on green investments. Written for anyone who has ever been swayed by the argument that the price tag limits how green a home can be, Green Home Building is a must-read for builders, contractors, architects, designers, and homeowners. Miki Cook is a green building and sustainability consultant who has dedicated her career to educating contractors and the public on the strategies, methods, and benefits of green homes. Doug Garrett has trained thousands of homebuilders, architects, and sub-contractors to build energy-efficient homes using applied building science to improve comfort, durability, and healthfulness while meeting or exceeding the energy code.
This comprehensive guide provides all the necessary tools and strategies one needs to successfully launch and grow a business cleaning homes. The authors combine personal experience with expert advice on every aspect of setting up and running a thriving home-based housecleaning business. In addition to the essentials common to the series, this volume also includes information on franchising, selecting cleaning products and treating stains, and much more. Special features include: · a sample service manual · room-by-room home-cleaning plans · a sample invoice · a service and payment record · a checklist of start-up requirements This new edition will also address the benefits of cleaning with “green” ecofriendly chemicals—both from an environmental and a marketing perspective.