The company that redefined "clean" is taking the flu head-on, by giving away 1,500 free shots at the South Central Family Health Clinic in South Central, Los Angeles, on Wednesday, October 21. The free flu shots will be available from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, and both adults and children will be eligible.
Clorox seems intent on preparing its faithful customers for Outbreak 2010, with an entire page on their site devoted to the latest flu strain.
With homeowners sealing up their windows, doors and walls against the oncoming winter and all its accompanying germs, viruses, and what-have-you, it's a good time to evaluate the indoor air quality (IAQ) of the home. Now might be a good moment to consider an air purifier, or run down this list of the top 10 contributors to poor indoor air quality.
In the meantime, are you getting the flu shot and/or the H1N1 shot this season?
Most people care enough about energy efficiency that they'll make some changes to their own home to lower the bills a few bucks. But wielding the caulk gun at a stranger's house? Isn't that extremist? The volunteers at HEET don't think so. The Massachusetts-based organization combines weatherizing techniques and good ole-fashioned barn raising sensibilities to kill a few birds with one big good-will stone. Improve a home's energy efficiency? Check. Teach participants skills on said topic? Check. Build community? Check.
Their most recent "barn raising" (yes, they really call them that) attracted the attention of fellow blogger Martin LaMonica, who joined 40 others to help weatherize a leaky New England house before Old Man Winter starts his blowing. You can read all about his experience on his CNET GreenTech blog page.
Great concept, great cause. I wonder how many of these groups are cropping up across the country. Have you helped raise a barn lately? What are you doing to winterize your house this season? Get great tips for winterizing on a budget.
About five years ago we did a major renovation to our house and the architect suggested we use spray foam for insulation. There were many benefits; it was a green technology, it provided a vapor barrier, it added some rigidity to the structure, it filled every nook and it could get wet without growing mold. The down side: In those days a truck showed up at your house with 55 gallon drums of chemicals and a very loud machine used to mix the foam and to power the sprayers. They did a great job, they were pros, but I was not about to call them for my newest project, a small basement room makeover.
Step in "Foam it Green" from sprayfoamdirect.com, which has a DIY version of the big truck. For $330 I got two small canisters connected to hoses which meet and mix at a spray gun. The kit also came with extra nozzles, safety equipment (gloves, glasses etc) and instructions. Note: It's important to read these even though it is against every guy's better judgement. With things like temperature of the foam and spray force, you don't want to waste the product or the applicators.
The process went well and after a minute of spraying I got pretty good at it. (You can see the finished product in this picture.) After the foam cured -- about four minutes -- I added a second layer, where needed. The best part: I've insulated the whole room and I'm not itching! Next up: Drywall.
In these days of high energy costs, it's remarkable how much you can save by simply reducing air leakage. The U.S. Department of Energy says you can save up to $67 a month. Now representatives from White Lightning caulks and sealants are holding a series of events at hardware stores called "Seal Up Savings" to educate consumers on their products and uses. The events demonstrate where the caulks and sealants can be applied, appropriate products for different applications, how to prep and how to apply. The DoE says reducing air leakage for a 1,300-square-foot home can result in savings of $67 a month in heating costs and $18 a month in cooling costs. Just caulking and weatherstripping your doors can save approximately $70 to $130, depending on the heating source, in a year.
When I lived in "the bush" in southern New South Wales in Australia, rain was a big deal. Because we lived off a water tank on our parcel of land and not water from the village (yes, we didn't even live in a "town" but a "village"), water conservation was a major concern. Rainwater was collected from the roof's gutters and drained into the gigantic tank. During the three months of winter when we didn't have a drop of rain fall, my parents-in-law, with whom we were living, bought a rain gauge. My mother-in-law was obsessed with keeping track of how much rain fell then calculating what that number meant to the water in the tank.
Needless to say, you may not live in a drought climate but you, too, may want to measure how much rain you're getting. Here's a product my mother-in-law would have loved had she not moved back to New Zealand last year where they get plenty of rain. The EZ Read™ Illuminated Rain Gauge collects and measures rainfall and has three LED bulbs positioned to light up the inside and outside of the water column, making it easy to read in the dark. Powered by two AAA batteries, it works with any infrared remote control in the house. All you do is point the remote at the gauge and hold down the power or volume button. The Illuminated Rain Gauge will light up and automatically shut off after five seconds. You can stake it in the ground or mount it. It sells for $24.95 and is available on the manufacturer's Web site or by calling 1-800-228-0275.
