Green Every Room, Save Lots of Money : Rounding Out The House
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: green, laundry, purifier
1. Rounding Out The House
In this economy, every little bit helps. First, we gave you tips and reviewed products that help you save money and are good for the environment by reducing your electricity bill through lighting and temperature-management improvements to your home.
Now, we’re polishing off the rest of the house. In the final stages of “greening” our home with tech, we went room by room through our house, looking for appliances that could use upgrading. Then, we searched the Web and looked at what top manufacturers had to offer in the way of new sustainable-replacement products. While some of our finds were obviously more “techie” than others, each one is an improvement over its energy-sucking ancestors, giving us yet another reason to believe that the traits of “environmentally-friendly” and “technologically-advanced” are destined to be intertwined in the future.
Green gadgets for the home range from the must-have to the nice-to-know, and as I continue to look for affordable replacement options for my power-sucking traditional appliances, it should become easier to find just the right solution. While it’s always debatable as to whether replacing your existing gear with new stuff is a green decision concept, I would argue that as your older appliances and gadgets wear out, it’s always smart to look for the most advanced and efficient gadgets to take their place.
Though we cannot tell you exactly how many dollars and cents we saved by incorporating whole-home green solutions (including the products we tested for the lighting and temperature reviews), we can say that the electricity costs have recently increased by 7% in our area. My bill? Its the same size as it ever was, meaning I'm saving at least 7%.
But this isn't just about the bottom line. The balance between green versus effective is a delicate one. A whole-home perspective can keep your room-by-room decision making in check and will guarantee that tech and sustainability are long-time partners for the future.
What follows are the products that made the most difference in our lives during a month of testing.
- Next page Laundry Room: Spin Dryer
Temperate-Management link is broken.
Another great article in this series. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Temperate-Management link is broken.
Fixed, thank you.
I'm not sure what kind of clothes dryer you USED to have... my LG gives me about 25 combinations of drying heat and spin rate all the way from "no heat, no spin" to "bake and spin the heck out of the clothes." I usually use low heat with lots of air-ated (sp) spin time.
Tomshardware rules! This exactly the kind of out of the box article that keeps me visiting this site again and again.
the warm mouse conflicts with my situation... my hands get cold, yes, but they also get sweaty.
yes, cold and sweaty is a regular for me.
5V?, the usb could output 2.5W, 5V means nothing in terms of consumption.
interesting devices.
"electricity costs have recently increased by 7% in our area. My bill? Its the same size as it ever was, meaning I'm saving at least 7%."
Say your original bill was $100. With a 7% increase, it's now $107. So if you're still paying $100 with a new base of $107, you're paying 93.45% of the total bill, which is a savings of 6.55%. Not "at least 7%". Less than 7%.
What a waste on the clothes spinner.. just set the washer to the high spin and you don't need to buy another device to sit in your laundry room. My mom has done it for years.
The spinner is not a waste at all. It is MUCH faster than even fastest washing machine spin cycles. As a result it removes much more water and detergent from the clothes. It would be a waste if the spin cycle was the same speed, or close to the same speed.
I've been looking for an air filter that's actually "quiet". The one I have now has a constant annoying hum. This is one of the better Honeywell Filter I've seen.
I've been looking for an air filter that's actually "quiet". The one I have now has a constant annoying hum. This is one of the better Honeywell Filter I've seen.
does anyone know what the space capacity this Honeywell Filter can accomodate?
If you are looking for USB Heating solutions to keep energy bills down for chilly temperatures (air conditioned offices are cold, too) -- go directly to the manufacturers at ValueRays.com! You can get super prices, free shipping & no sales tax at one of their authorized online vendors, too, at IGMproducts.com. I have fibromyalgia and so I need to use a complete USB Heated Computer Workstation because I spend 8 hours a day using the computer. The heat really helps me be able to work longer hours. : )
Does anyone know if the Warm-Mouse-Heated-Keyboard website belongs to ValueRays?
Does anyone know if the Warm-Mouse-Heated-Keyboard website belongs to ValueRays?
JudyJudy,
It appears that site is not owned by ValueRays, but I can't be sure. The site was registered by iGlobalMall.com. However, I'm not sure why you mention that website, when a different site is the one we cite in the article itself (warmmouse.com).
Rachel Rosmarin
Editor of Tom's Guide
Thanks for the reply Rachel. I want the valuerays heated keyboard pad and it seems as though its temporarily out of stock. Just wondererd if I contacted valuerays directly maybe they would have it. I'd rather just get it online and not go through the manufacturer though. I'll try to hunt down iglobalmall. Thanks, JJ
Thanks for the reply Rachel. I want the valuerays heated keyboard pad and it seems as though its temporarily out of stock. Just wondererd if I contacted valuerays directly maybe they would have it. I'd rather just get it online and not go through the manufacturer though. I'll try to hunt down iglobalmall. Thanks, JJ
I see! Okay thanks, and good luck.
Here's another ..... I just found this GREEN product -- and it works with your warm mouse item:
Mouse Hand Warmer blanket pouch
I'm going to try this, too because it's totally GREEN! Actually, all the products that produce warmth will help with energy conservation don't you agree?