Summer Energy Audit



Save money while you keep your cool by taking stock on your summer energy usage. Between 50%-70% energy usage in homes goes toward heating and cooling.
 

(Image: Houzz)

If you have in home air conditioning, not only are you lucky, you should be sure to replace your furnace filter every 4 to 8 weeks. This will keep your air conditioner/furnace running more efficiently. A dirty filter will increase the cost of running your system.

Block sunlight and keep the heat out by drawing your curtain during the warmest parts of the day. If you're not sure when that is, draw your curtains once daytime temperatures surpass a comfortable level. At work all day? Keep your curtains drawn to keep your house cooler while you're out.


Run your ceiling fans counter-clockwise. The counter-clockwise direction draws cool air upward, which increases air circulation and your fans efficiency during summer months. If you have an air conditioner, this can reduce the strain and save you money on your energy bill.


Clean your air conditioning unit. The more your AC works, the more leaves, grass and dirt get sucked into the unit. Condensing coils filled with dirt and debris shut off, leaving you with a hot house full of cranky people. 


Make sure all your ducts are properly sealed. Leaky ductwork attributes to 25 percent of cooling costs. If you have central AC and you notice that the temperature between rooms fluctuates drastically, then you have some leaks. Call a pro to have your ducts tightly seal. Professionals don't recommend sealing your air ducts with duct tape as it does not seal properly and can loosen over time.

Keep Cool Without the AC

Why not kick the AC for a day and make some homemade ice cream to enjoy out in the sunshine. Why not start with this recipe, no ice cream maker needed!

Green Your Clean
5 Eco-Friendly Homemade Cleaning Products

There are many inexpensive, easy-to-use natural alternatives which can safely replace your commercial household cleaning products. Here is a list of common, environmentally safe products which can be used alone or in combination for a wealth of household cleaning duties. We've also included some recipes for some greener cleaners to get you started.

• Baking Soda - cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours.
• Soap - unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates.
• Lemon - one of the strongest food-acids, effective against most household bacteria.
• Borax - (sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors.
• White Vinegar - cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.
• Washing Soda - or SAL Soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate, a mineral. Washing soda cuts grease, removes stains, softens water, cleans wall, tiles, sinks and tubs. Use with care, as washing soda can irritate mucous membranes. Do not use on aluminum.
• Isopropyl Alcohol - is an excellent disinfectant.
• Cornstarch - can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.

Modern Kitchen design by Toronto Kitchen And Bath SVEA KITCHENS

Laundry Soap

Ingredients
Borax

Baking Soda

Pure Soap or Castile Soap

Essential Oil

Directions
Grate your bar of soap to make a ½ cup. Combine soap with 4 cups of baking soda and 10 cups of borax in a large bowl, whisk together until thoroughly combined. Add three tablespoons of essential oil and whisk again. Fill your jar with your new laundry detergent.

Use 2 tbsp for each load of laundry. Washes approximately 80 loads of laundry.

All-Purpose Cleaner

Ingredients
Citrus Peels, Herbs or Essential Oils
5% White Vinegar
Water 

Directions

If you are using citrus peels or herbs to make your cleaner scented, lightly pack a glass jar with your selected ingredient and fill remaining space with vinegar. Be sure not to fill it all the way to the brim, you want a little head space, at least a half inch. Let your vinegar mixture sit in a sunny spot for a week. After a week, strain your mixture and pour into a spray bottle and add equal part water.

Alternatively, you can pour your vinegar into your spray bottle, add a couple drops of essential oils and there you have it! Oils such as Tea Tree, Lavender, Pine and Lemon are the most common and have additional antibacterial properties.

Window Cleaner

Ingredients
Rubbing Alcohol
Vinegar
Corn Starch
Water

Directions
Combine 1/4 rubbing alcohol, 1/4 vinegar and 1 tbsp of corn starch with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use.

Shower Cleaner

Ingredients
Dish Soap

Vinegar

Directions

Mix equal parts dish soap and vinegar. Spray down the shower and let sit for 2 hours, wipe down shower with a cloth and hot water.

Pet Odor Eliminator

Ingredients
Mouthwash
Water
Newspaper

Directions

In an empty spray bottle combine 2 parts water to 1 part mouth wash. Spray the mixture onto whatever upholstery is soiled. Lay newspaper over the sprayed area and let dry. The newspaper should absorb the smell completely. If not, repeat the process.

BrightNest: Helping you keep your home in shape

You keep track of your finances, calendar and friends and family digitally but how about your home? BrightNest.com is a recent startup that is gaining attention for the way it allows you to keep track of everything about your home.

Tips & Tricks

BrightNest gives you the information you need for all those home tasks you keep meaning to get started and maybe even some you haven’t even thought of. You can explore their library of money-saving tips, cleaning and organization tricks and suggested home tasks. You can then add these tasks to a list for your own reference or even assign them to other people in your home – the ultimate honey-do list!

Organize

Everything from important phone numbers to appliances, you can store all of your essential home details and documents for future reference and easy access. On top of this, BrightNest will keep track of your project history and even find owner’s manuals for your appliances. Is your fridge making weird noises that you just can’t figure out and you can’t find the manual? Simply add your appliances with their serial numbers and BrightNest will find the manual for you!

Reminders

Now you might be thinking it’s all well and good that they give you ideas but maybe your biggest issue is that you're not quite sure what needs to be done when. They’ve got that covered too! BrightNest will add relevant reminders to your To-Do’s that you can then add to your own lists. Don’t worry if you get a project that you don’t even know how to start, every project comes with all the information you need to get it done quickly and properly. BrightNest makes keeping your home maintained and organized that much easier. 

Build a Simple Raised Vegetable Garden Box



Raised garden beds are one of the easiest ways to start a vegetable garden. This 7ft x 5ft garden box is made from cedar which is naturally rot resistant and doesn't require staining, sealing or painting. However you can if you would like to match your homes decor.

When you plant the right foods the amount you spent on the materials can be quickly offset by savings at the grocery store, not to mention fresh fruits and vegetables from straight from the garden just taste that much better.

Difficulty       Time            Cost

Easy               20 Minutes       About $40

Shopping List

4 8ft cedar fence boards4 6ft cedar fence boards
1” screws
2” screws

Tools
Safety Glasses
Pencil
Hearing Protection
Drill
Circular Saw or Mitre Saw

Tape Measure

Cut List
4 1x6 cedar fence boards at 60” (end panels)
4 1x8 cedar fence boards at 84” (side panels)
8 12” from cut fence boards

Step 1: Prepare Your Location

Select a flat, level and sunny location where you would like to place your garden box. Most vegetables like between 6 to 8 hours of sunlight so it’s best to pick a location that receives a lot of sun. Measure out the area of your garden box and lay down weed fabric. Secure weed fabric in place.

Step 2: Cut Panels

Cut 1-foot off the end of each fence board so that you have four 7-foot boards, four 5-foot boards and eight 1-foot pieces.

Step 3: Build Side and End Panels

Make sure that you attach the 1-foot sections to the rough side of your fence boards as this will be the inside of your box.

Flip your boards over and using 1” screws attach with two 1-foot pieces at either end of your 7-foot boards, placed about 1-foot from the edge of the boards. 

Repeat this step with the remaining 6 boards, attaching in pairs.

Step 4: Lay Out Your Box

Now that your sides are built, lay each one in place for the garden box. Ensure that you have a slight over lap of weed fabric. 

Step 5: Attach Panels

Butt together the ends of each side up and attach using 2” screws. Add screws to the top, middle and bottom of each end.

Step 6: Finish the Box

Lightly sand any rough edges and corners to smooth away splinters. Fill with soil, either your own mixture or store bought garden soil depending on your preference.