I looked into the future and saw...more laundry

While researching a Hot Home Products column about laundry appliances, I learned some cool things that I just didn’t have room for in my piece. For instance, Philippe Meyersohn, general manager for GE Appliances Canada, told me that the future will belong to smart appliances, which will be able to do fancy stuff like adjust the water temperature of the washer based on electricity prices. This generation of machines will require shape-changing municipal infrastructure, but GE has already tested the technology with good results in Vancouver. Meyersohn also said that while there are currently no Energy Star regulations for dryers, the company expects to see something in place by 2015.

“These changes will come about as people more concerned about environment, and because water and energy costs will keep going up,” says Meyersohn.

I also chatted to Steve Preiner, director of marketing for Bosch Appliances, about his company’s decision not to introduce steam,  which  is a hot (get it?!) feature on many lines, into its laundry products.

According to Preiner, steam adds cost to the machines and may not actually add that much functionality. “If you get a high enough temp in the wash, you don’t really need steam,” he says. “As for the dryer, you can get the same effect by spritzing a garment with water and using a gentle cycle.”

It’s a good tip, one I’ve frequently used. In fact, even with older or basic machines, good laundry “habits” can produce cleaner clothes. For example, do you:

• Shake clothes out before you put them in the wash, and turn them right side out?
• Make sure you’re not overloading the drum?
• Add detergent to the water before adding clothes, rather than loading the machine and pouring detergent on top?
• Treats spots and stains as soon as they happen, rather than letting them dry?
• Sort clothes appropriately, separating, for example, natural from synthetic fibres?

   

  Don’t forget that this hot, dry weather is perfect for line-drying clothes. At these temps, they’re ready in a snap, and the sun helps to bleach and sanitize whites.   Pic courtesy of Bosch
  For more laundry tips and advice, check out Clorox’s Dr. Laundry site.

   

  Pic courtesy of Bosch
  

A well-designed laundry room (and some good tunes) makes the job just a little easier

The efficient laundry room requires more than just good appliances. Perhaps that’s why Whirlpool enlisted the help of Clare Kumar, professional organizer, to design what it calls an "intuitive” laundry room (see example above).

Here are a few tips from Kumar:

Create an efficient layout with enough counter space to have a prep station for laundry products, and to serve as a folding surface when needed.

Use under-counter space to store hampers, and add shelves or baskets for supplies

Paint the walls a fun colour, and keep a radio or I-Pod nearby to listen to music while  working. My current fave song for folding laundry is by Fitz and the Tantrums 

Whirlpool Duet laundry pair (see pic below) also has some features that will save you time and trouble, including a “sixth sense” technology that measures the size of each load to determine how much water and detergent is needed, a built-in fan that  tumbles wet clothing for up to 16 hours, and an anti-vibration/noise feature. The set comes in white, red and silver. Prices start at about $2,500.

 

 

They're baaack - eco energy grants add incentive to make household upgrades

It was pretty much a no-brainer that the federal ecoENERGY Retrofit program would be reinstated in the last budget. Why not continue a plan that’s good for the environment, and the economy?

Naturally, that's being applauded by manufacturers such as Owens Cornings, who make EcoTouch Pink Insulation batts and AttiCat expanding blown-in insulation system and Roxul, which makes stone wool batt insulation (shown above).

According to Owens Corning, an attic insulated to the recommended standard of R-50 will save a half-ton of greenhouse gas emissions annually. It will also make your home more comfortable.

Insulation is just one route to a more energy efficient home. If you want a larger plan, consider having an energy audit done by an organization such as GreenSaver, Ontario’s oldest not-for-profit provider of energy audits and services.

What does a home energy audit entail? To get the full story, go to GreenSaver’s website. Basically, it’s a review of your home’s energy efficiency — inside and out — and includes a “blower test” to measure air leakage. After the review, you get a report detailing suggested improvements and after they’re made, GreenSaver comes back to measure your efficiency gains. That document can be used to apply for various grant programs. 

For more information on government grants and rebates for home improvements, as well as how-to guides for making your home more environmentally-friendly, go to Show Me the Green.

If it’s cooling you’re looking at (and who isn’t during this blast of heat), you might consider whether a ductless system, such as that made by Daikin, would work for you. Many models qualify for eco-retrofit grants, information about which can be found at Natural Resources Canada.

If I had extra money sitting around (dang! why did my 1992 Mercury Sable have to die this summer, forcing me to buy a new car?), I think I’d invest in venting skylight window or a roof window (shown below) from  Velux. (I already have one of their sun tunnels, which has become one of my fave features of my house). If I did, I bet I could pretty much turn off the central AC (which I only use on the hottest of the hot days) as opening a skylight allows hot air to escape. I've been told that some models qualify when they are used to replace inefficient skylights and that each reno that includes an Energy Star skylight is eligible for $40 per skylight. The company’s solar water heaters, which save CO2 from the atmosphere and can lower water bills by up to 60 per cent, would also qualify.

Best to get moving on all this, though. The grant program will close by March 2102, or when the $400 million runs out, whichever comes first.

 

Takling it easy in the garden

In my Hot Home Products column this week, I wrote about EnviroSand, a new product that is supposed to stop weeds from growing up between paving stones. So far, so good, on the test patch I did, but what will happen by September, after weeks of summer sun and rain? I’ll report back. If the worst happens, I’ll return to my old-school practice of using the weed brush I got several years ago from Lee Valley Tools  for $10.95 (handle not included). The four-inch long brush, made with 1.5-inch brass-plated steel bristles does a superb job of cleaning out weeds, especially if used after a rain. Or if I’m feeling lazy, I'll use my Ryobi string trimmer to give the weeds a brush-cut, which makes for a tidier look.

For tips on lower maintenance, environmentally friendly planting tips and techniques, check out  LEAF, a non profit organization dedicated to the protection and improvement of the urban forest. 

I also talked about the fact that since organic waste collection has picked up in many municipalities, backyard composters are less productive, since folks direct all their green waste to the curb. That’s too bad, since home-made compost is easy to produce and does wonders for the garden.  To keep my backyard bin going, I:

Put in grass clipping from the weekly mowing of the lawn

Add a handful of dry leaves, which I keep in a bin

Once or twice a week, divert vegetable peelings from my kitchen into a bowl and dump it into the bin

Occasionally toss the soil from an old potted plant in there

Turn it with a garden folk when I think of it

For more extensive (and experienced!) advice on composting, check out this article from Canadian Gardening magazine.

P.S. The pretty pics come from PC Home, but local, independent garden centres, such as Sweetpea's, are also a good place to find easy-care plants and good information.

A beanbag blast from the past

Anybody who was a teenager in the seventies will remember the BeanBag chair. They were all the rage. In fact, I do believe I was sitting in one when Paul Henderson scored that famous goal. And perhaps when I first saw Mott the Hoople on Rock Concert. These slouchy, comfy chair bags, which can be smooshed into a loveseat, couch, or giant floor pillow, are back.They’re about 4.5 by 5 feet, and are filled with foam beads. Coverings include nylon, faux leather and metallic polyester. Check them out at the online store, BeanBagBoss. There are a ton of colours, patterns and designs, including a shiny gold lame, which – if I do say so myself –  has a 70s glam rocker vibe. Plus ca change!

Phone it in

Kohler Canada has just launched  a free mobile application for IPhone and I-Pod Touch users that it’s touting as a hardworking resource for designers and homeowners alike. Features include the ability to access product images (like the gorgeous toilet and shower head shown above) and instructional videos, a database of KOHLER retailers, and a product catalogue.  

What's next? More sustainable energy, we hope!

Interested in green and sustainable energy? Then check out the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) WattsNext website, the aim of which is  to promote conservation and renewable energy  by showcasing sustainable energy ideas from across Ontario.

To encourage greenies, those signing up to receive updates from OSEA get their name entered in a weekly prize draw. Share a story about an individual or local initiative and you get extra entries in the weekly draw, and your project gets pegged on a WattsNext? map of sustainable energy initiatives.

Or you can submit a video of  an individual or community-based green energy initiative for a chance to win a complete 10 kilowatt solar system. The video with the most views before September 24 will be the winner.  Prizes will be announced at Ontario's Green Energy Field Day, a "doors-open" event showcasing conservation and renewable energy projects across the province.