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Green at Home
Energy Savings To Attract New Homebuyers
Energy efficiency is one of the biggest advantages when it comes to purchasing a new home according to homebuilders. Buyers don’t always easily recognize some of the ways that homebuilders make homes more cost effective, like with kitchen appliances, amenities in the bathroom and larger closets. Some homebuilders are now equating energy efficiency with money. Los Angeles based homebuilder KB Homes is starting to provide prospective homebuyers an upfront estimate of what they can expect on their utilities bills from a KB Home. The estimate strives to demonstrate to homebuyers where the KB Home measures up to on the energy efficiency scale. McGuyver Homebuilders Inc. out of Houston recently started providing potential customers with estimates on the annual cooling and heating for their homes. The company intends to reimburse the difference to homebuyers if they end up paying more than the projected estimate in the first two years. This new strategy is directly related to the intense competition homebuilders are facing form the competitively priced foreclosed properties on the market. Sales of new homes dropped last year to the lowest level it’s been since 1963. New homes that are outfitted with energy-efficient features are typically priced higher than older homes. The ...- Bookmark :
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The Eco-Friendly Way To Wrap Up Food
Plastic wrap is one way to wrap up food. It used to be made from PVC but there were concerns regarding the risk in the transferring of toxic plasticizers from PVC into food. PVC plastic wrap is supposedly still used by catering companies, however, the plastic wrap sold in most super markets is typically made from Low-density Polyethylene. The Low-density Polyethylene is safe as far as health and the environment goes, but it usually cannot be recycled. Reusable plastic containers may be a more eco-friendly option for food depending on the quality of the product and the type of plastic used in its manufacturing. Quality is important when it comes to how long it will last and whether it will sustain over time or get warped or crack soon after its purchase. If it does, you may as well have used plastic wrapping. An eco-friendly plastic container will have a triangle with a number inside which indicates the plastic resin code. The resin code to look out for on a plastic container is 1 – PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate) or 2, which is HDPE (High density Polyethylene). The better option is HDPE because PETE is intended for single use because of bacteria ...- Bookmark :
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The Many Applications Of Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets offer a variety of uses. Check them out: 1. Dryer sheets help to keep bugs away. You can put some in a picnic basket when eating outside to keep bugs off the food, or under lawn furniture to repel bees and other pests away from you. 2. Use a dryer sheet to scrub the bugs from your car by wetting the sheet and wiping the dead bugs on the exterior of the car with a gentle scrub. 3. Rub a dryer sheet on your bare skin to discourage bugs from biting you. 4. Put dryer sheets in your drawers to keep your clothes fresh. 5. Put a dryer sheet in your hamper to keep the odor of dirty clothes in check. 6. Put a dryer sheet on your air vents to scent the air that circulates around your house. You can also do this with a ceiling fan or portable fan. 7. Pat your clothes with a dryer sheet to reduce static cling. 8. Wipe your dogs or cats down with dryer sheets after they’ve been outside to help get rid of odors. 9. Place a dryer sheet in your cat’s litter box to help cut down on odor. 10. Take a used dryer sheet to wipe down ...- Bookmark :
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Reuse Your Eggshells
Eggs are a high quality protein and they are very affordable. There have been publicized warnings regarding the cholesterol in eggs, but continued research is showing that there are numerous benefits to eating eggs. Eggs can improve brain function and strengthen muscles. Research claims that a couple eggs a day is okay for most people. Eggs also have unique packaging that is very functional. The eggshell can be reused in many different ways. Check them out: Eggshells can be used as nontoxic pest control in your garden. Take a few eggshells and crush them. Take the broken pieces of eggshells and distribute them around your flowers and plants. The eggshells will keep snails, slugs, and cutworms away without having to implore the use of pesticides that are bad for the environment. Use eggshells as compost for naturally fertilized soil. Eggshells are fast to decompose in the compost pile and contribute very valuable calcium as well as other minerals to the soil throughout the process of being broken down. Break an eggshell in half and use one half of the shell to start seedlings for your garden. Fill the half of eggshell with soil and plant the seeds in the soil. This way you ...- Bookmark :
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Did You Know That Coffee Grounds Can Be Recycled?
Not only does filtered coffee taste better than instant coffee but also the grounds from filtered coffee can be reused and utilized in many different ways. Coffee grounds can be added to compost piles to enrich the nutrient content. Coffee grounds contain Phosphorus, Calcium, Sulfur, Nitrogen, Potassium, and Magnesium. It’s important to note that Phosphorous is not as easy to come by and so it is important to conserve it as much as possible. By simply reusing your coffee grounds, you help reuse some Phosphorus that would have otherwise gone to waste. Coffee grounds can be used as a plant fertilizer. Used coffee grounds can be sprinkled around the base of a plant in order to help fertilize the plant and help it grow. Coffee grounds can also be sprinkled onto a lawn that may be in need of fertilization. Another way to use old coffee grounds is to add water to them and let them stand for a couple of days. Once a couple of days have passed, drain the water and then use the coffee grounds as a liquid plant fertilizer. Another way to do this is to use cold coffee that you don’t want any more and drizzle it on ...- Bookmark :
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