Dangerous Venting

There are a few distinct smells that waft through the neighborhood indicating exactly what the people inside a nearby home are up to: enjoying a winter fire, grilling up some burgers, doing the laundry. The latter is usually the aroma of scented fabric softening sheets churning about in a warm dryer load. It's an undeniably steamy, comforting smell but when you read about what's really being emitted out that vent, that "fresh" scent really starts to stink.



Today, I stumbled upon a post on re-nest that reveals the unfortunate findings of a new University of Washington study on fragranced laundry products. "The results found more than 25 VOCs emitted from dryer vents, with highest concentrations of acetaldehyde, acetone, and ethanol (two of which are considered carcinogenic). To put it in context, one of the carcinogenic VOC's, acetaldehyde, had emissions that would represent 3% of total acetaldehyde emissions from automobiles in the study area. That might not seem like a lot, but given how commonplace they are in homes, the findings are significant." The carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) found were acetaldehyde and benzene, to which there is no safe exposure level, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Professor Dr. Anne Steinemann who conducted the study pointed out that this is particularly alarming because dryer vents are completely unregulated, unlike smoke stacks or car exhaust pipes. And it goes without saying that not only are the VOC's being emitted into the air, but that chemical residues are being left on clothing and leaching into groundwaters which have their own ramifications. But that's a whole other post.



Personally, I'm grossed out by conventional scented laundry products with their overly perfumed "clean" scents. Every time clothes come back from my son's father's home that have been laundered with scented products, I have to immediately re-launder them because the stench is too strong to me. "Clean" really doesn't have a scent, and it certainly doesn't smell like soap or wildflowers. But this doesn't mean I don't love soft, clean clothes and linens!! So I pop a Get Clean Soft Fabric Fragrance Free Dryer Sheet (shown below) into every dryer load.....a completely nontoxic, biodegradable dryer sheet formulated from vegetable-based softeners. The re-nest post underscores this sentiment: dryer sheets aren't inherently bad, just chose unscented versions that are not made of synthetic or polyurethane foam materials to cut the harmful emissions.



Click here to read the complete Chemical Emissions from Residential Dryer Vents During Use of Fragranced Laundry Products Study.

Vote for Baby Green!

I know it's not flashy. I know I've got a lot to learn. Baby Green is still, well, a baby.

You see, as a novice blogger, I've focused only on regularly infusing these posts with ecologically-conscious design information and ideas. I have neglected to learn how to upgrade the appearance of my blog, add advertising and punchy navigational widgets, and I really ought to post my story of how all this came about and the resulting mission, but right now I'm taking it one post at a time. And that's it.

As the evolution unfolds, it's been heartwarming to have your support with a few inquisitive comment postings, some loving pats on the backs, a Homies Award nomination, and a solid amount of votes. But we're waaay behind. So please show your support for the new kid on the block, the less-established but well-intentioned, the stumbling baby trying to pull herself up onto standing legs for the first time.....and vote for Baby Green by Thursday Feb 3 6pm EST. If you've already voted, please get your like-minded friends and colleagues to do the same.

I'll resume normal posting tomorrow, including some inspiring and innovative new products from my swing through the New York International Gift Fair.

For now, I leave you with a manipulatively sweet photo of my son and 6 reasons why you should take 1 minute and vote for Baby Green in The Homies:

1. Because you like my blog
2. Because you are my friend, relative, neighbor, co-worker or secret admirer
3. Because you love a good comeback story: In 2010 I was near-bankruptcy, but I stayed in the ring determined to embody any timeworn adage about never giving up
4. Because you like to cheer for the underdog: Baby Green is David to a half dozen Goliath blogs
5. Because you care about our earth's well-being and want to be active in a massive cultural shift on how we consume, think, live, design and raise our children like I do
6. Because I told my son, Ryder, he could have the $50 prize if we won but he, without thinking, said "No that's OK, we can find someone who needs it more and give it to them"



VOTING IS EASY!

* First, go to Re-Nest's voting page for The Homies contest and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page where you are directed to "register" or "sign in" in relatively small text If you are not a member of Apartment Therapy or Re-Nest, you will need to click "register" and create an account, inputting your email address, a user name and a password. Don't check next to the daily email boxes if you don't want to receive any future mailings from the sites. The only email they will generate will be one you'll receive immediately to confirm your registration.
* Once you receive the email, click the imbedded link back to Re-Nest. Click on The Homies 2011 link toward the top of the page and you'll be sent back to the voting page.
* Click the circle next to Baby Green and then click "Answer Survey" to have your vote counted. And that's it!! Easy!!
* For the true democratic experience, you can come back to the page anytime and click "Show Results" to see how Baby Green is doing.


All love,

Amanda

Mi casa

I am so thrilled to announce that Apartment Therapy's green living site Re-Nest featured my humble abode a few days ago. Please click here for the posting: http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/green-tours/amandas-serene-long-beach-bungalow-green-house-call-136902

For my loyal blog followers ;) here are all the photos from the house tour, plus some extras!!



After entering the bright yellow front door of my bungalow, this is the first room you see, awash in white walls and pops of avocado and celedon. The green and white palette and the framed photos of undisturbed rain forests bring me back to nature every day. The bench is a slab of reclaimed wood from an old lower Manhattan building.



We remove our shoes upon entry so the storage bench was essential. All my son's books live in this bookshelf; we purge regularly or borrow from the library to keep the collection manageable.



Free of any clutter, rugs and excessive artwork, the narrow living/dining area features just a sofa, wall-mounted credenza, and dining set. The tables are both made from sustainably harvested teak and the pendant lamp is made from white-painted bamboo strips.



The top photo is a view from the front room, this is a view from the kitchen.....but it's all the same stuff. :)



The framed work on paper by Jimmie James was the only piece of art I had hanging in this house for a while. If you look closely among the abstract brush strokes, there is a rough sketch of a house and words that read "happiness is a good home." I must emphasize that it says "home" not "house;" there is a profound difference to me.



This is my home office with budget-friendly IKEA furniture and walls covered in grass cloth. In addition to being an interior designer, I specialize in home organization. But if I don't 'walk the walk' at home, I can't help my clients. Staying organized fuels my productivity and provides necessary calmness in every day.



My tiny bedroom has only enough space for a bed and two makeshift nightstands. The framed sun prints were the result of a project my son and I did one relaxing Summer afternoon. The energy of that sunny day still lives on in them and I smile every time I see them.



I kept the palette light and serene; I wanted to feel like I was waking up in a hut on a little island every morning. The leaning ladder further supports the exotic vibe and gives this feeling of infinity when I lay in bed looking at it, reminding me of how much lies beyond our walls.



An Oeuf dresser holds all of my son's clothes and old letters are a colorful, yet timeless decoration for the wall above.



Wanting to keep it simple in Ryder's equally tiny bedroom, we kept the colors calm and the wall art minimal, but fun. His collection of karate belts is beginning to take over though. ;)



Given the fact that the house is a rental, the kitchen isn't all that bad. It's clean and big enough; a few small decorative touches make it a peaceful and comfortable extension of the rest of the house. I made the powder blue formica counters work for me, not against me, and applied my minimalism here more than anywhere else. My only appliances are the basics like a fridge, oven and dishwasher (yay!), a toaster oven and a juicer. I haven't had a microwave in years and don't miss it one bit. Less truly is more.



Again confronted with the standard whiteness of a rental home bathroom, I embraced it and added only straw-colored organic cotton towels and bamboo accents. It feels like a really, really small spa in there to me: calm, clean, pure and light.

Thanks for coming over!

xx
Amanda