Spring Cleaning With Lake Zurich Freecycle™

Written by on March 2, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Don’t Throw it Away – Freecycle™ It!

Are you ready to start your spring cleaning? I know that I am! I’m a huge advocate of recycling and reusing. I’m working hard on the third “r” – reducing. Donating to organizations like Goodwill and Salvation Army are great things to do. But there are some things that I’d love to see go directly to someone who can really use it. That’s where Freecycle™ comes in. They are a nonprofit, worldwide group with over 8 million members!

Freecycle™  is an organization with local chapters. I am a member of the Lake Zurich and Buffalo Grove groups. Members post items that they no longer need so that others may use them. The only rule is that everything must be FREE. Members can also post things that they are looking for. I am often surprised at the items that are listed. As of this writing a Jenn Aire cooktop, Mitsubishi 52” TV and rolls of wrapping paper are a few of the items offered on the Lake Zurich site. Members are looking for a baby monitor and a coffee grinder among other things. These things go fast so if you’re looking for something you have to check often.

You never know what people will want. About two years ago I was getting rid of an encyclopedia set from the early 80’s. I didn’t think that anyone would want it. After all, we have the Internet and the information was quite outdated. I posted it on Freecycle™ and received about 10 inquiries. I gave them to a special education teacher. She said that her kids loved looking through the books. So don’t assume that no one will want your items. It felt really good to give those books to that teacher and she was thrilled.

If you’d like to join a Freecycle™ group, visit their website. You can join more than one group although some have restrictions. It’s fun to actually meet the people who are benefitting from you unused items. So, get ready, get set, SPRING CLEAN!

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“I shall make electricity so cheap that only the rich can afford to burn candles.” ~Thomas Edison~

Written by on July 28, 2010 · Leave a Comment

How We Can Save a Little of Our “Cheap” Electricity

I was burning candles before dawn today and it’s not because I’m rich! We had no electricity. That started me thinking about ways that we should be cutting down on our use of electricity. Like yesterday’s water-saving article, there are hundreds of ways. Because it’s so hot, here are a few tips to cut your energy consumption from your air conditioning.

~Use a programmable thermostat. If you don’t already have one, it’s worth the minimal investment. Set it to turn the AC off when you leave and back on about ½ hour before you are due to return. Contrary to popular belief, it does NOT take more energy to cool a house down than to keep it cool. If your house uses window or wall air conditioners, you can use programmable plug-in timers.
~Using a ceiling fan can help you feel about five degrees cooler. Make sure it’s blowing down. This will allow you to raise the temperature of the air conditioner. Ceiling fans cost about a penny an hour to run – central air costs about 70 times as much!
~ Keep your blinds and curtains closed. Direct sunlight can raise the temperature of a room by 10 – 20 degrees.
~Clean or replace your AC filter every month. Dirty filters reduce air flow causing the unit to work harder and use more energy.
~Avoid adding heat to your home. Any heat that is generated has to be removed. Try to cook on an outdoor grill, in a crockpot or in a toaster oven. Use the air setting on your dishwasher. Use your clothes dryer during the cooler mornings or late evenings.

It is estimated that air conditioning accounts for approximately 16% of a home’s energy usage. These tips afford easy solutions that won’t impact our comfort in our homes. In addition to being good stewards and saving energy, we’ll also save a few bucks. That’s always a good result! P.S. Thanks, ComEd, for getting our Long Grove power back on in just a few hours!

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“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Written by on July 27, 2010 · 4 Comments

10 Easy Water Saving Tips

 “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink” is a quote that most people are familiar with. But did you know that only 3% of the earth’s water is drinkable and 2% of that is inaccessible? I was reminded of that yesterday during a presentation on green building practices and how they affect us in Lake County. There are literally hundreds of ways to conserve water and I’d like to share 10 easy tips that you can implement in your home today.

~Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving to keep excess water from going down the drain.
~Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Fix it and save up to 1,000 gallons a month!
~Fix leaky faucets and consider installing faucets with water-saving aerators.
~Spread a layer of organic mulch around plants. It saves time, water and money.
~Use a broom instead of water to clean steps, driveways and sidewalks.
~Make sure the dishwasher is fully loaded before turning it on.
~Use leftover water for houseplants instead of pouring out a half-full glass of water.
~When doing laundry, use the appropriate water level and load size.
~Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. It will shade roots and hold moisture better than if it is closely clipped.
~Cut  your shower time down by just two minutes and save hundreds of gallons a month.

I just heard about west coast builders who require that buyers of their real estate sign a document disclosing that the builder will not guarantee that there will always be a water supply. I can’t imagine how that would play in Lake Zurich, Long Grove and Buffalo Grove real estate. I’m sure that I don’t want to find out, so I won’t be waiting until the well is dry to make changes!

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A CFL THAT CLEANS THE AIR?

Written by on June 6, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Ionic Bulb Does Double Duty

By now you all know that I’m a Realtor in the Lake Zurich area and I see a lot of homes. It’s encouraging to see how many people are using Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs. But did you know that there’s a CFL that also cleans the air?

The Ionic Bulb has a built-in air purifying chip that is designed to remove dust, smoke, pet dander, odors and bacteria from the air. The company’s website explains that it uses negative ions, similar to rainfall, to clean the air. Okay, I’m a little embarrassed to admit it. I thought that the water cleaned the air so I learned something new today.

It seemed too good to be true so I checked out the reviews online. Reviewers are claiming that it helps to reduce allergy symptoms and removes cooking, pet and smoke odors. These could be great in my own home where I have the urge to perfume our Golden Retriever, Quincy, every day!

One bulb lasts about 10,000 hours or about seven years and promises to clean 100 square feet of air. Remember that all CFLs contain a small amount of mercury and should never be thrown in the trash. In the Lake Zurich area, we can recycle at one of the SWALCO facilities.

If you’re using the Ionic Bulb, let me know how it’s working!

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Hazardous Waste Collection in Lake Zurich

Written by on June 2, 2010 · Leave a Comment

SWALCO Collection on June 5th

What’s in your garage? A little bit of left-over oil based paint? Burnt out fluorescents or CFLs? How about your medicine cabinet? A few prescription pills that went unused or out of date over-the-counter medicines? I KNOW you’re not putting these things in with your regular trash, so now is the time to clean up and get rid of them!

SWALCO, the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County, is collecting waste materials on Saturday, June 5th from 8 am to 2:30 pm. The collection site is May Whitney School, located at 100 Church Street in Lake Zurich. 

 

Items that will be accepted are:

Aerosol Products
Antifreeze & Motor Oil
Fertilizers/Herbicides/Pesticides
Fluorescent Light Bulbs/CFLs
Furniture Stripper & Varnishes
Gasoline & Kerosene
Household Batteries (Lithium & Rechargeable only)
Household Cleaners
Oil-Based Paints & Paint Removers
Prescription and over-the counter medicines and supplements (people & pet) – NO DEA Controlled Substances.

Items that will not be accepted:

DEA Controlled substances
Business wastes
Farm chemicals
Propane tanks
Lead-acid and alkaline batteries
Explosives
Medical wastes
Fire extinguishers
Smoke detectors
Household electronics

You don’t need to live in Lake Zurich to participate. Residents of the communities of Hawthorn Woods, Long Grove, Kildeer and surrounding areas are welcome, although it is open to Illinois residents only. If you have questions about other items, you can contact SWALCO at 847-336-9340 or visit their website, swalco.org.

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Home Air Conditioners Can Leak Refrigerant in to the Air!

Written by on May 3, 2010 · Leave a Comment

 

Lake Zurich Homeowner asks “Does my air conditioner need a tune-up”?

The short answer is “yes”! But, you know me and I can’t just stop at that. As concerned homeowners, we don’t want refrigerant leaking in to the air!

Spring is the optimal time to schedule a tune up for your air conditioner. An efficiently run system will save energy and money. Many HVAC companies in the Lake Zurich area offer a tune up service. This service usually includes measuring the airflow, cleaning the condenser and measuring and adjusting the refrigerant levels.

Gases emitted during a refrigerant leak are harmful to the environment. Quick action of refrigerant leak detection is of great importance. Refrigerant gases have been identified to cause damage to the ozone layer which has high global warming potential. You may think that the “little bit” that leaks out at your house doesn’t do much harm. But imagine that just 10% of the homes in Lake Zurich, Long Grove, Kildeer and Hawthorn Woods had that “little” leak? Now imagine 10% of the homes in the state of Illinois, now Wisconsin. You get the picture!

Do you have a great HVAC contractor that you’d like to recommend? Post it here. We’re always looking for contractors who offer great customer service, are prompt, and give attention to the details.

Everyone loves lower utility bills. The added benefit is that the cost savings equate to less energy use…the greener way to live!

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Earth Day

Written by on April 22, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Tips for Green Living

April 22nd is the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. As a Realtor® in the Lake Zurich area, I visit a great many homes. I’m happy to say that in most of them I see recycling bins that are being used. In honor of Earth Day, here are a few additional ways that you can make a difference:

Recycle your old medicine. Many people think that it’s ok to flush it down the toilet. IT’S NOT! That sends it straight to our waterways which contaminates our drinking water and harms aquatic life.

Compost. This is a great time to start a compost pile. You can purchase a compost bin or build your own. Find instructions on the internet or check out a book at the Ela Public Library.  You’ll be helping the environment and your plants will love the nutrients provided by the compost.

Use a rain barrel. Again, this is something that you can purchase or build yourself. The Better Homes and Gardens website has some great information on the benefits of a rain barrel and how to build one.  I think this will be a great weekend project for my husband!

Free recycling for old cell phones. While at the Lake Zurich Post Office last week, I noticed that they had postage paid envelopes for recycling your old cell phones. Remember to clear all your personal information before mailing.

There are so many easy ways to live in a more environmentally friendly way. Share some tips here. We can help each other make a difference.

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