`No shoes please.” The sign greets visitors to Steve and Miwa Peoples`
spotless Seattle home.
It was a touch that environmental expert Susan McGrath heartily endorsed. McGrath, who writes a syndicated column called the Household Environmentalist, was there to go through the house and suggest some environmentally conscious practices the couple could consider adding to their routine.
The Peopleses, who have an infant son, Anthony, were already doing a number of environmentally ”conscious” things.
For example, they switched from juice in cartons to frozen concentrate to cut down on packaging waste (cheaper too). They`ve signed up for curbside recycling and put a clothesline up this summer.
Steve Peoples says he drives to his job because he works irregular hours as a flight attendant (”it would take two hours by bus”), but his wife, who works in airline reservations, carpools.
They are beginning to think about ways to cut down on paper towels. Miwa, raised in Japan, naturally reaches for a dish towel to wipe up a spill. But all-American Steve says, ”I was just snatching a paper towel when a rag would do as well.”
”A lot of this stuff isn`t really inconvenient, but you don`t think about it,” he says.
Walking through the house, McGrath was able to add to the list of things the Peopleses already are doing.
– No shoes.
It`s second nature to Miwa to remove her shoes at the door. The Japanese think the American habit of wearing dirty shoes into the house is, well, disgusting.
Besides, McGrath says, in most areas there is a lot of lead in the soil from old paint and car emissions; also pesticides. The contaminates are tracked onto the rug from shoes, and though not enough to hurt an adult, they can be harmful to children.
The best way to enforce the no-shoe rule with guests, McGrath says, is to provide slippers at the doorway, as the Peopleses do, and maybe a little bench if you have room. (If an occasional friend or service worker doesn`t follow the rule, that`s OK.) A lesser alternative to removing footwear at the door is to provide a tough mat and ask that shoes be wiped hard before entering.
– Cut down on paper towels.
McGrath suggests that to help cut down on towels, the Peopleses put the rolls somewhere inconvenient, such as in a drawer or below the sink (”you have them if you really need them”), and put sponges and a circular hand towel in convenient places. Saves money and cuts trash, too.
”The problem with paper products,” she says, ”is we have to cut down forests to make them, and the process is very polluting, especially white bleached products, which are created with chlorine, which creates dioxins and lots of bad things.”
– Avoid white paper coffee filters.
Nodding toward the couple`s automatic coffeemaker, McGrath suggests they consider switching from the white paper filter to brown paper, or cloth. Unfortunately, cloth must be rinsed after every use. A gold filter is another option-not cheap at the outset, but long-lasting.
– Kitchen cleaning products.
In the kitchen, McGrath finds a bunch of products she suggests the Peoples wean themselves from, starting with drain cleaners.
”They`re probably the most toxic household products someone would have. They are unbelievably toxic. . . . Plus, any plumber will tell you it`s terrible for your pipes.”
”Oven cleaner-incredibly toxic.” Peoples says he uses it only on the barbecue grill. McGrath says he should try not to. ”Just scrub?” Peoples asks. That, and try some of the ”recipes” for safer, effective substitutes for toxic cleaning products, available from local toxics coalitions.
– Ecological baby supplies.
McGrath is happy to see that baby Anthony`s cheerful, colorful nursery is equipped with cloth, not paper, diapers. The couple noted that in addition to helping the environment, they were saving money.
They do, however, use baby wipes. McGrath suggested that they consider cutting down their use. ”The problem is you end up with an unbelievable amount of these plastic tubs. If only they had refills, it wouldn`t be so bad.”
McGrath says she herself uses wipes for her own baby (her husband thinks they`re indispensable), for those times they`re really necessary, like ”when you need a fire hose for the baby.” Otherwise, she suggested, try using cheap cotton washcloths. Keep a tub of water handy (change regularly) to moisten them. ”Wipe the baby with the washcloth and then dump the cloth into the laundry.”
– Nix pesticides and herbicides.
In the basement, the Peopleses had a chest filled with a cornucopia of toxic stuff, including bug spray, flea spray, weedkillers and fertilizers.
They don`t even use many of these products. Steve Peoples says he bought them because when he became a homeowner, he thought he should ”provision the house.” One pesticide, bought for a lawn pest he never found, just sits.
Problem is, McGrath says, it`s now a household hazard, of particular concern now that they have a child.
There are many safer products or natural solutions available, she says. McGrath suggests that Peoples can use less fertilizer-late fall, instead of three times a year as he now does.
Since Peoples says he cuts the lawn as often as every four days in growing season, McGrath suggests he cut it less severely, then let the clippings just sit and fertilize. (He has signed up for yard-waste pickup.)
”We`ve found out it`s not true this contributes to thatch. Also, if the lawn is a little longer and healthy, it crowds out weeds.”
As for his Round-Up weedkiller, ”it`s not a hideous chemical, it`s one of the more benign ones.” But, she asks, with all the other stuff, ”what kind of cocktail are you creating?”
”Settle for a lawn slightly less green. You`re getting healthy as opposed to perfect.” Peoples jokes: ”It`s the American way to want the greenest lawn in the neighborhood.”
”It`s tough in this neighborhood,” McGrath sympathizes, noting its immaculate lawns. Still, she says, maybe they can learn to live with a garden that looks a little less wonderful. Maybe they can talk ”gently” to their neighbors about their new approach.
She doesn`t recommend a compost pile, which the Peopleses had been considering. Most of their yard waste is clippings, and they don`t have the brown matter, such as leaves, that would make the right mix.
As for the flea spray, McGrath suggests it`s toxic, and if little Anthony has a notion to lick the dog, it wouldn`t be good for him. The spray isn`t good for the dog, either, she says.
– No leaf blower.
Peoples notes he spent good money on the blower sitting in the basement, but he doesn`t use it anymore. ”I realized I was blowing dirt, chemicals and dust elsewhere.”
McGrath agrees. ”It goes into your lungs. These burn gas, and there`s no emission control. There`s also noise pollution.”
Peoples says now he sweeps his extensive sidewalk weekly, which takes a half-hour.
– Water heater.
McGrath nods happily at the Peopleses` water heater, which is blanketed. The Peopleses also turned down the temperature from 140 degrees to 125. A good move, McGrath says. Besides the energy waste, 140 is dangerous because the water is hot enough to scald. Unless you have an older dishwasher without a temperature booster, the hot-water tank setting doesn`t need to be higher than 120 to 125, she says.
– Washing machines
The Peopleses have an older machine, but should they eventually buy a new one, McGrath tells them that an adjustable temperature-and-water-level machine can save energy. Peoples notes they always use cold water.
Their collection of soaps is another good move, McGrath says. They use a basic detergent with no additives such as bleach or softeners, and have the extra-duty stuff (bleach, Spray `n Wash) to treat spots individually. ”Keep bleach to a minimum,” she suggests. Next time their big bottle of chlorine bleach is depleted, McGrath suggests they try an oxygen-based (non-chlorine)
bleach. ”Try it,” she says, ”and if it doesn`t whiten enough for you, you can switch back.”
– Fireplace
The Peopleses don`t use their upstairs fireplace, but occasionally use the one downstairs. McGrath says occasional use is no big deal, but ”just don`t bank the fire. Keep it going, use only seasoned wood.”
She notes that some studies have shown that children have more respiratory problems if they are around a lot of burning wood.
