GIY (Green It Yourself)

There's an awful lot of information out there about going green. We asked for a little clarification.

by Lynne Templeton

Lynne Templeton, director of design for Old City's Greenable, had more ideas than we could cram into our "Design on a Nickel" Home and Design package. She was kind enough to provide us a quick-and-neat checklist for making your home or apartment as friendly to the environment (and yourself) as possible:

1.) Paint with Zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds) and nontoxic paints. Zero-VOC stains and sealers are also available, and good for anywhere in the home. (VOCs, according to Wikipedia, are "organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere.")

2.) Insulate! One of the fastest ways to see a payback in energy savings is after your home is properly insulated. Do it yourself with natural recycled denim, or for the tightest seal, install soy-based spray foam products.

3.) Use CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs in all of your most-often-used lamps and fixtures.

4.) For kitchens, laundry rooms, basements and playrooms, use linoleum or rubber (recycled tire) flooring. Linoleum is an all-natural renewable resource emitting no VOCs.

5.) Use chemical-free cleaning products for the entire house.

6.) Use carpet tiles for flooring; if they get stained or damaged, you can replace individual tiles instead of having to discard an entire rug.

7.) Tankless hot water heaters mean not having to heat a large tank of water throughout the day.

8.) Purchase recycled paper products, tissues, toilet paper and paper towels.

9.) Vacuum with high-suction, dual-cyclone vacuum cleaners like the Dyson to remove dust and allergens. (Dyson is certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.)

10.) To avoid getting "greenwashed" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwash) when you're shopping for green DIY home products, make sure wood products have FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certification, paints are zero-VOC (not low-VOC) — and have a performance guarantee — and that fabrics, carpet and furnishing are Greenguard-certified.

Lynne Templeton is the director of design for Greenable, 126 Market St., greenable.org.