Tag Archives: living green


Living Green: Lawn Care

Interested in changing some lawn care habits to help the environment and your pocketbooks? Here are 5 great ways to start living green!

 

1. Pour with Care! – Gasoline can be very damaging to the soil of your lawn not to mention the creatures that come in contact with it. So, when you’re pouring gas into your lawnmower take your time. All too often we’re trying to be quick and we end up spilling gas everywhere which is wasteful and potentially very harmful. We recommend investing in a funnel or a gas canister with one built in to help you control the gas as you pour!

2. Don’t Water the Sidewalk – We talked about this in our Living Green: Conserve Thy Water post but we wanted to say it again, don’t water the sidewalk! It’s very wasteful of our water resources to be spraying the lawn so be extra careful where you place that sprinkler the next time you go to give your lawn a drink!

3.  Get Reel About Mowing – You may have never considered a Reel Mower before but this handy tool will help dramatically reduce the negative impact that your lawn care has on the environment. This tool is run totally by you, no gas and no electricity. Look at it this way, by using a reel mower you’re trimming your lawn, saving the environment, and getting a workout all in one! Now that’s a win.

4. Downsize – A bigger lawn means more work which usually means more resources. Consider investing in a smaller lawn the next time you’re home-shopping. Remember, there are always parks and public spaces if you’re concerned about having the space you need.

5. Eco Landscaping – It may seem strange but there are ways to design your lawn that will make your home more ecologically friendly. For example, deciduous trees can be planted to the south or west of your home to shade the building and lower air conditioning costs. Shrubs can also be planted around the foundation to help insulate your home and keep that heat in! For more info check out this article!

Interested in other ways to live green? Check out our other blogs:

Living Green: Conserve Thy Water

Living Green: Laundry

Living Green: Conserve Thy Water

Living a green life is about more than just saving money, it’s about minimizing as much as possible our negative impact on the environment around us. At Martell Home Builders this idea is more than just words, it’s action and we want to empower you to action as well. Besides purchasing a net-zero home (which you can definitely do!) there are other ways that you can minimize that negative impact.

 

In our first installment of the living green series we talked about how to live green in the way you wash laundry (check out that post here). Today, we want to talk water. In a Country covered in fresh water lakes, ponds, and streams, we often don’t fully appreciate how lucky we are to have access to clean water. By being intentional in our efforts to conserve water we are both ensuring a ‘moist’ future for our children and also expressing solidarity with those around the world that are less fortunate than we. So, without further ado, here are our top 10 tips on how to conserve water in your home!

1. Turn off that Tap! – We’ve all heard this one before (or at least should have) but turning of the tap while you’re brushing your pearly white teeth is a great step towards water conservation. You don’t need to hear a waterfall while you brush!

2. Don’t Flush Unnecessarily – Instead of flushing that kleenex away, just put it in the garbage and save water.

3. Basin, Not Tap – Wash your fruits and veggies in a basin or bowl instead of under a running tap.

4. Brick in the Tank – If you have a large toilet tank but a displacer inside of it to save water.

5. Brita in the Fridge– If you keep a jug of cold water in the fridge it will keep you from running it (until it goes cold) the next time you want a glass

6. Don’t Water the Road– Position your sprinkler so non of the water is getting wasted by watering roads, driveways, etc.

7. Big Close Drops –  Set your sprinkler or hose to dispense big close drops. A mist will likely be wasteful since a lot of it blows away!

8. Check– Check those valves and pipes for cracks and leaks

9. Long Lawn – Set your lawn mower to a high setting – longer grass = more shade = less evaporation!

10. Fish Food – Use your old fish tank water (when you’re switching it) to water your plants!

Check out more tips (100 to be exact) here!

 

Living Green: Laundry

Living an environmentally conscious life helps you to contribute to the sustainability of the environment and can also mean savings for you and your family (as your trim down on electricity usage, reuse items, and reduce the amount of waste that you create). This summer the Martell team wants to help you save money and save the environment! To do so, we’ll be bringing to you, throughout the summer, a number  of ways that you can make your home and your life more eco friendly.

 

Stop. It’s laundry time.

Doing laundry can be time consuming, money consuming, and energy consuming. Here are some great (and sometimes common sense) tips on how to get your clothes clean without breaking the bank (or the ozone layer). Remember, you may roll your eyes at some of the more “well known” tips but it’s never bad to be reminded that little changes can make a big change!

 

  1. Dry Those Clothes Outside, Silly! It’s summer which means the sun is shinning and it’s the perfect time to hang your clothes out to dry. Dyers use up so much energy that this quick (and easy) switch will help you save watts and wadds (of cash, that is).
  2. Turn Down the Heat – You may be noticing a bit of a theme here but heating things with electricity is expensive and sometimes wasteful. Turn your washing machine to “cold water” to save electricity that would have been spent heating the water .
  3. Use Eco Friendly Detergent – It may be a bit more of an investment but using natural detergents can will reduce your negative impact on the environment. Even making your own can be a great way to do your part.
  4. Reuse the Bottle – Instead of throwing out that detergent bottle why not turn it into something new! One way to reuse it is to (after rinsing it out) punch some holes in the lid and use it as a watering can for your garden! Check out this example from Pinterest:

5. Measure – We’ve all done it. You’re pouring out the detergent into the cap and one way or another it gets spilled.. or you pour in way too much. This not only creates a mess but it also means that your’re wasting the detergent that you paid for (and the more you have to buy it the more bottles you have, the more waste!). So, next time you’re pouring make sure there are no distraction and ALWAYS measure! (Hint: if you’re bad at measuring, like me, try out Dizolve pre-measured laundry sheets!)