apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Posts By jonathanb

Toxic Shower Curtains = Oops

7_3_2008-toxic.jpgThe mother and baby got us suspicious... but apparently, not suspicious enough.

It turns out we've been tricked.

Regarding that post we wrote yesterday on toxic vinyl shower curtains? We should have done a bit more research before putting it up.

Living With On-Demand Hot Water Heater

7_3_2008-ondemand.jpgWe've blogged about the virtues of on-demand hot water heater, and Re-nest readers contributed to the discussion with their own experiences. Now that we're living with it, we'd like to chime in.

Best Local E-Waste Recycling Resources?

7_2_2008-ewaste.jpgA friend of ours asked what he should do with an old under-cabinet light. We didn't know, so he called around. The answer we weren't expecting to hear: "We'll take anything that plugs into a wall, except washing machines." The best part is that they take the junk for free.

Vinyl Shower Curtains = Toxic Off-gassing for Weeks

7_2_2008-showercurtain.jpgAccording to a new report, this cute shower curtain will release more than 100 volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, into the air in your home...

Do Crock Pots Use Less Energy? For Real?

7_1_2008-crockpot.jpgWe've been wondering if the Crock Pot, the use of which makes us feel so thrifty and virtuous, is actually deserving of our admiration and positive emotions. After some intensive searching, here's what we've found:


  1. The Crock-Pot was invented in 1971,

  2. you can make soufflé (!) in one, and

  3. it may—or may not—use less energy than other appliances...

How to Grow Your Own Vegetable Garden

This video over at monkeysee is the type of step-by-step instruction we need for our garden...

Blogging the New York Times: Square Milk Jugs

6_30_2008-milk.jpgThese funky-looking new jugs of milk are likely coming to a refrigerator near you. Why the change?

How To: Trim Wood Window Blinds

6_30_2008-blinds10.jpgOur new house had a pair of wood window blinds from IKEA that were about an inch too long to fit inside the window trim. Rather than throw away what we already had and spend money on an expensive custom set, we cut the blinds down to width. Here's what you'll need to get started:

"Cat pee is evil, evil stuff."
Wisdom Within: June's Best Comments

imageGood Question: A Green Way to Get Rid of Cat Pee?

"Cat pee is evil, evil stuff."

-Monica

 

Many more after the jump, including:

  • "One good way to determine whether or not office tap water is safe to drink is to observe if upper management is drinking it."

  • "Have you tried olive oil?"

  • "I would definitely try the "no dig" method of gardening..."

Blogging the Rutland Herald: Clotheslines, not Dryers

6_27_2008-clothesline.jpgVermont's Rutland Herald introduced us to Alexander Lee, the person behind Project Laundry List.

Ecohaul

6_26_2008-ecohaul.jpgWe spotted an ad for Ecohaul on a bus shelter this morning in Berkeley.

Looks like they're a Bay Area hauling service that promises to be greener than the rest. The prices are reasonable, if not cheap, and they promise to take stuff the donation services won't touch...

Good City Compost

6_26_2008-foodwaste.jpgWe've just moved to Berkeley, California, where the city runs a fantastic food waste recycling (that is, composting) program. Stephanie blogged about the little green bin that showed up on her doorstep about a year ago...

Spider... Relocation?

6_25_2008-spiderweb.jpgWe've got too many roommates of the eight-legged variety. What to do?

Calculating the Savings of a Dual-Flush Toilet

6_25_2008-mathishard.jpgWe've been trying to figure out whether it makes economic sense to replace an old 1.6 gallon per flush toilet that needs repair with a nifty new dual flush model. Given the drought here in California, and our desire to divert water to our lawn, we were curious to find out if it would make sense. It was almost as difficult as the problem above...

Volunteers Needed to Tend Slow Food Nation Victory Garden in San Francisco

6_24_2008-sfnvictorygarden.jpgLike to garden? Live in or near San Francisco? Want to make a strong statement about the Slow Food movement?

Box Beds

6_24_2008-nytorkney1.jpgThe Post-Materialist, blogging at the T Magazine site, found green inspiration in these way retro cottages with their anachronistically green box beds and high-back chairs...

Cheap and Decent CFLs at Costco

6_23_2008-costcocfl.jpg$1.40 isn't a bad price for a decent quality CFL, but the PGE rebate (for Bay Area electric customers) makes these FEIT Conserv-Energy bulbs cost 65¢ each. That's actually less than incandescent light bulbs at the grocery store. As for the color temperature?

U-Haul's Reusable Boxes

6_23_2008-uhaul1.jpgWe're moving and trying out with different ways to go green in the process. We liked the idea of U-Haul's reusable boxes. They are preprinted with labels for multiple moves so that they can be easily reused. So why is this box sitting with our recycling?

American Clay Plaster Workshops from Orit Yanai

6_20_2008-orit.jpgWe’ve met Orit (oh-REET) Yanai through our friends at EcoHome Improvement, and she’s the best kind of artist: intense, passionate, with an eye for detail.

If you want to learn how to apply American Clay Plaster, we can think of no better teacher.

The best part? Orit travels, so it's not just us Californians who can benefit from her expertise.

Look! Dual Flush Toilet for $199 at Costco

6_20_2008-dualflush.jpgWe were at Costco yesterday, picking up move-in supplies for the new place. We couldn't help but notice the increasing number of green (or green-ish) products in the aisles. Still, it was surprising to see a dual-flush toilet. The brand is WaterRidge, and it sells for $199 at our Costco in Richmond, California.

Look! Bedrock Tile in the 2008 Better Homes and Gardens Idea Kitchen

6_19_2008-bhg.jpgWe thought that tile looked familiar...

Electrolux Hybrid Induction Cooktops

6_19_2008-electrolux.jpgIf you've decided to switch to an induction cooktop—or if it's now at the top of your list for a kitchen remodel—there's a reasonably priced option now available in the US. The best feature of the Electrolux Hybrid Induction cooktop may be that only 2 of its burners are induction, meaning that any non-magnetic pans you have can still be used...

Blogging the San Francisco Chronicle: Grass or Turf?

6_18_2008-mn_artifical_turf18.jpgAstroturf and other synthetic alternatives to grass are getting a green makeover. Whereas fake grass was once pitched as a way to save maintenance costs, now it's touted as a way to reduce carbon emissions and water consumption. But parents in San Francisco aren't so sure they want all that plastic in playgrounds...

The Fridge Cozy?

6_18_2008-fridge.jpgHere's the setup: we were listening to NPR a week or two ago (KQED in San Francisco.) They were reading letters to the editor, and apparently had earlier run a piece on people adding exterior insulation to refrigerators in order to increase their energy efficiency.

The idea was simple and appealing: simply glue foam insulation or cut wool carpet batting to size, apply to fridge, then sit back and save money.

We immediately envisioned a Fridge Cozy empire of hand-sewn, organic wool and cotton fridge cozies in trendy patterns, but, sadly, our reverie was quickly broken.

Green Mortgages

6_17_2008-mortgage.jpgIf you're buying a house or refinancing, it's worth looking into a green mortgage. There are several kinds of mortgages that qualify as green, depending on whether your home is energy efficient, close to public transportation, or just green in general.

A green mortgage can be a bit harder to find, though, so we've pulled together a few tips.