Mopping the floors has never smelled this good...

Recently, thanks to an epic smoothie spill in my kitchen, I desperately needed to buy a new mop. So, a little while later, while out shopping with Mr. Speedy, I picked up Method's O-Mop.

The O-Mop starter kit, which comes in recyclable bamboo packaging, includes an "ergonomic mop" (which basically means that it's curved, or, as they say, "bends so you don't have to"), corn-based sweeping clothes (like a Swiffer, but compostable), a reusable microfibre mop pad and non-toxic all-purpose floor cleaner in a yummy lemon ginger scent. The whole kit retails for about $30, and I also picked up the almond wood cleaner, which costs about $7.

Sure, it smells great, and has some eco-friendly street cred, but it also has a few other nice perks, including the fact that the microfibre mop pad can be tossed in the washing machine between uses and that no bucket full of water is needed. The freedom from lugging around a sploshing bucket of dirty water was honestly enough to hook me.

You simply squirt the cleaner on the floor, scrub it with long strokes (though bigger messes, like dried smoothie remnants, may require a little more attention) and voila, the kitchen floor is clean and sparkling — and smells delicious. No need to open all the windows to air out that awful chemical smell like with my previous cleaning supplies!

But, like all products, it's not perfect. The metal and plastic construction of the mop itself makes me worry that a few hard scrubs could break the head clean off, and a few cracking noises during use helped reinforce that fear.

So, the verdict? Love the eco-friendly aspect and the great smelling cleaners (which left no apparent residue on the floor), but I am still a little concerned about how the mop will hold up to heavy scrubbing over time. In the meantime, my floors will be sparkling and my home will smell like almonds and lemon ginger.

Metro Home Show sneak peek!

Spring is a great time to get inspired for all your renovation and gardening projects, even if the weather isn't quite nice enough to act on them! And the next show I'll be hitting up is the Metro Home Show, which starts next week (April 10 - 12).

Now, as those who read my blog regularly or follow me on twitter may know, I enjoy my fair share of video games and technology, and Mr. Speedy is really quite the gadget geek. As a result, I'm really excited to check out the "techno-chic" trends at the show's Sony Spaces, styled by Cheryl Tourrenueva (who many of you will know from Home Heist).

And, as an added bonus, she's done this video to share a sneak peek of her plans for the eco-friendly, techno-savvy and stylish spaces. But, we'll still have to wait until next Friday to find out what the finished rooms look like!

Poll: Mandatory energy audits

Well, the results are in, and the majority of Yourhomers aren't fans of mandatory energy audits.

Last week's poll looked at the Green Energy Act proposal requiring energy audits with home sales. As I've blogged previously, I'd like to know about the energy efficiency of a property before purchasing — but I don't know if it should be mandatory or the seller's responsibility.

It would appear that Yourhome readers, or at least those who vote, are more decided on the matter, with a whopping 71 per cent saying that energy audits should not be a mandatory part of selling a home. Just over a quarter, at 26 per cent, said mandatory audits were a good idea and the remaining three per cent said they didn't know.

This week, our poll stays on the green trend, asking whether you're planning any green renovations or upgrades within the next year.

Inspired by the dramatic eco-friendly renovations profiled today, I want to know your plans! Are you upgrading your bathroom with low-flow fixtures? Improving your insulation? Upgrading your on-the-way out fridge with a more efficient model? Or even changing up your palette with some low- or no-VOC paint? Let me know.

Cast your vote on the front page and check in for the results next Saturday!

And, once you've checked out those fab reno jobs, I encourage you to peruse our new navigation here on Yourhome, read up on Colin and Justin's gloomy to glam living room makeover and get behind the bricks with the Libfeld brothers.

Pretty, tasty water

You're certainly not going to confuse Aquaovo's Ovopur with your standard water cooler.

I first encountered the egg shaped filtration unit at the Interior Design Show. While I did get a sample sip, I didn't have much of an opportunity to learn more about it.

Luckily, I ran into the folks from the Montreal-based Aquaovo again at the National  Home Show, and this time we had a chance to chat.

Aquaovo is the brainchild of Noemie and Manuel Desrochers, and the Ovopur is their eco-friendly solution to provide quality drinking water from the tap, with the aim of making bulky, unattractive water coolers, and bottled water, obsolete.

The porcelain, metal and glass unit also aims to encourage people to further incorporate water into their lifestyle, through a design that they hope people won't want to hide in a dark corner of the kitchen.

The unit's also supposed to be very user friendly — basically just fill it with tap water, let it trickle through the Aquacristal filter (which is also reusable — you can return the used cartridges for a rebate), pour and drink.

This eco-friendly filtration system's not cheap— the unit costs $689 and filters run about $59, and must be replaced three times a year.

But, over time, the company says the savings will add up. In the first year, they estimate the price per litre at $0.40 compared to $0.41 for bottled water (based on consumption of 2,000 litres a year). In the following years, the price per litre drops to $0.07, with refills at $159, while bottled water is estimated at $0.31 per litre.

What do you think? Is the design and green cred worth the investment? Would this encourage you to drink more water?

IKEA goes solar

"Spring is coming. Spring is coming. Really," has been my mantra during the last few gloomy days. And, to fuel this attempt at optimism, I've been eying new decor for my deck, starting with the fab outdoor furniture I featured last week.

Today, I'm shopping outdoor lighting. And I'm happy to have come across SOLIG, a new line of solar-powered lights from IKEA. I'm particularly taken with the paper lantern style model, shown right, which is $9.99 a pop and comes in several colours.

The lights come with a solar cell panel and have an auto mode, which turns on automatically at dusk and off when it grows lighter. They also have an on-off switch.

With a fully charged battery, the light is supposed to last for about 11 hours.

The lights aren't available in their online store, but I'll be keeping an eye out for them next time I make the trek to the good old yellow and blue!

Have you spotted any great outdoor decor for spring?

Mandatory energy audits?

Under the proposed new Green Energy Act, Ontarians won't be able to sell their homes or condos without first getting an energy audit, which costs roughly $300. Audits should still qualify for the up to $150 subsidy under the Green Energy Act.

The legislation won't require sellers to take any action on the audit results, it's merely intended to inform potential buyers of the property's energy efficiency, and create some more jobs in the energy auditing field.

As the proposal is being debated and fine-tuned, Energy Minister George Smitherman has also hinted that buyers may end up footing the audit bill.

As a prospective buyer, and someone with a bit of a green tilt, I think mandatory audits, regardless of who pays for them, would be a great move. I'd prefer to have a picture of my energy costs and know what work would need to be done to cut my bills before making an offer on a property.

But critics, and there are many, share a different view. They argue the audits are just a thinly disguised new tax in an already overtaxed industry, and that this measure would further drive down prices at a time when many homeowners are already feeling squeezed.

What do you think? Is this a positive step in a green direction, or another stress on the real estate market? Or is it both?

Read more on this topic:
Green audits have critics seeing red
Home sellers face $300 'green audit

Dreaming of a green Christmas?

While Christmas in Toronto will most likely be white — thanks to yesterday's doozy of a storm and two more forecasted to hit before the big day — nearly half (47 per cent) of Yourhome.ca readers who voted in last week's poll say they're taking steps to have a more eco-friendly holiday. (Read the full story.)

Just over a third (31 per cent) said they weren't planning on greening their celebrations, six per cent said they were thinking about it, and 16 per cent said they didn't know.

If you are thinking about an Earth-friendly holiday, here are a few quick tips as we enter the home stretch:

• Make your own ornaments by bringing in nature and repurposing existing decor items, such as martini glasses and vases.
• Reuse gift bags and get creative when wrapping. A scarf makes a great wrapper for a CD or DVD, and it's a bonus present!
• As you're rounding out those purchases, consider giving loved ones an experience in lieu of traditional gifts — it's a unique present, and odds are they won't have two of them to return come Boxing Day.
• Reuse last year's stylish holiday cards in your decor. Cards can be framed for an extra little touch of festivity or repurposed as gift tags.

Our next poll looks forward to the festivities once the gifts are all purchased and the home is dressed to the nines — the parties. We want to know how many of you are welcoming — and entertaining — family and friends over the holidays.

And, of course, we have a little advice to offer, including tips for hosting a smart cocktail party (along with the best products to help you on your way), personalization ideas and much more in our festive guide.

Festive guide launches!

Just in time for the first real Toronto snowfall of the season, Yourhome's festive guide is up and running! From great gadgets for kitchen gurus (the apron is super cute) and eco-friendly gifts to recipes for bite-sized aps, decorations on a budget, tips for picking the perfect tree and so much more, we've got your holiday covered. There's lots more to come too, so check back for our upcoming features on how to green your holiday, this season's trends and tips for holiday cleaning.

A cleaner, greener home

Last week, I confessed that my husband and I have done a poor job of making our new apartment a home.

While admitting that our disorganized quarters - complete with box room - is a problem was an excellent first step in making a change, I admit there's still much to be done. In fact, everything else.

But, I decided the first step was to look at the way I clean. While keeping organized certainly helps with cleaning, the products I use play a big role in our lives.

My husband hates when I use commercial cleaners - both due to the stinky fumes as well as a firm belief that every time I scrub, spray and shine our home I'm killing brain cells that I will likely need for our future happiness and prosperity. (In my defence, I do make a point of always opening a window.) But the smells bother me too - aggravating migraines, drying out my skin and contacts and just generally making the room unpleasant.

So, inspired by this regular squabble, I went to a DIY green cleaning course last month (read about it here) and learned how to mix up my own cleaners. I felt empowered as I mixed up the lemon essential oil, the washing powder and the vinegar, thinking about how I was doing my part for the environment, being resourceful and healthy and saving money to boot.

But, alas, as a busy, young woman, mixing up cleaners like Grandma used to wasn't the perfect solution. Yes, they worked great - barring the laundry soap, which I thought was too messy because it's powder, not my preference of liquid (which was prompted by the great laundry soap spill of '03 in residence) - and are supposed to be just as effective as cleaning with all those harsh chemicals, just better in every other way.

But, the smell of vinegar, while a vast improvement, did not trigger the joy I hoped for from a gleaming home, and, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom, I feared lingering little germies (I'm a bit of a germophobe. Growing up, I didn't like calling home on pay phones because other people had used them). And lugging buckets of washing soda, vast quantities of vinegar and other necessities from the store to measure and mix before cleaning just lengthened an already long and boring process.

So I sought out an in-between solution - off-the shelf natural brands. Now, companies in Canada are not yet required to label their products and there's no stringent testing to certify things as organic or all natural, so you've got to take manufacturer's claims with a grain of salt. I try to look for the Eco-Logo to reassure me that these products are indeed making an effort and haven't just been made over to capitalize on the green trend.

These products, of which I've now tried several brands, satisfy the eco-conscious, healthier side of my cleaning needs. They don't stink - a particular favourite is a cucumber scented all purpose cleaner - or burn my eyes. I don't need to open all the windows and turn on the fans when I'm using them. Gloves are often not required.

And, those precious brain cells that my husband is so worried about seem to be thriving.

Buy a skillet, plant a tree

OK, so maybe it's not as catchy as "Save the cheerleader, save the world" but I think Earthchef has got something going for it!

The Canadian line of earth-friendly pots, pans, utensils, induction cooktops and cutlery, manufactured by Berghoff and sold at the Bay, Zellers and Home Outfitters (check them out online here) also happens to be pretty and both user- and wallet-friendly.

The company has also partnered with Tree Canada to reduce its carbon footprint, and for every 11-inch skillet sold, the company will sponsor the planting of one tree and its maintenance for five years.

They sent me their 11-inch skillet to try, and I must say that I was very impressed. The non-stick ceramic coating (touted as being six times stronger than traditional non-stick coatings) lived up to its name, surviving both my metal spatula and my cooking without incident.   

That performance, when paired with the skillet's $30 price and recycled packaging, was enough to convince me to check out the rest of their line on my own dime - I've already got my eye on their bamboo cutting boards.