Thousands of household products contain toxic ingredients. Today, more and more people are seeking more natural cleaning methods to reduce their exposure to harsh chemicals. From the kitchen and bath to the living room and laundry, Green Cleaning For Dummies provides readers with green solutions to every common cleaning chore. Focusing on organic, nontoxic, sustainable alternatives to conventional cleaning products, it’s packed with suggestions and tips for effective cleaning, and even offers green solutions for sprucing up patios, garages, vehicles, and the exterior of a house.

Want to build responsibly, reduce waste, and help preserve the environment? Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies is your friendly, step-by-step guide to every facet of this Earth-friendly method of construction. Building a home—even a green home—uses plenty of resources and energy. This practical, hands-on book shows you how to build or remodel conscientiously, whether your dream home is a simple remodel or a brand-new multimillion-dollar mansion.

You’ll start by identifying green materials and sizing up potential systems and construction sites. You’ll weigh the pros and cons of popular green building methods and identify opportunities for saving money in the long run. Need to find some green professionals to assist you in your venture? We’ll help you do that, too. This book will also help you discover how to:

• Understand the lifecycle of building materials
• Choose the right system for your green building project
• Put together a green team
• Work within your budget
• Use green building methods and sustainable systems
• Speed construction and reduce energy use and waste
• Refinish old fixtures and materials
• Beware of asbestos and lead-paint hazards
• Avoid costly mistakes

Complete with lists of ten green things to do on every project and ten things you can do right now in your home in order to go green, Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies is your one-stop guide to planning and building the home you’ve always wanted.

You’ve been wondering how to reduce your footprint, but are intimidated by the idea that nothing less than installing solar panels and going off the grid will work. Nonsense – no need to be scared off by all that “green” noise. You have two goals: saving your money and saving resources – and you can do that by making quiet, gradual changes over time and still living your life the way you live it now.

This is not about ripping out all offending objects in your house in one afternoon and upgrading with the latest in high-tech green toys. The author outlines how he and his wife first began making small changes around the house to save electricity. They cut their power bill in half. Then they moved to recycling and brought their garbage down to almost nothing. Haynes walks the reader through every low-impact, low-tech solution — from power to recycling to shopping to transportation – with the important distinction that it won’t cost you more than you save. You can live light and go green the easy way, within your budget and stress-free. You really can.

Most people are unaware that environmental problems such as climate change can be easily avoided, at a profit, through the intelligent application of appropriate technology. The Carbon Buster’s Handbook describes how to achieve this goal in the residential field.

The first book in North America to provide a detailed carbon accounting of a family’s carbon emissions and how to reduce them, it systematically analyzes energy costs and evaluates which measures yield the highest returns for the environment and the pocketbook. It provides answers to questions such as:

• Which measure is more effective: putting solar panels on your roof, or buying a hybrid car?
• Where do I need to invest first: in high-efficiency shower-heads, or solar tubes?
• Is a $500 fridge that uses 800 kWh of power per year a good buy?

The book allows individuals to quickly and accurately assess which products are a good deal and which aren’t. It systematically analyzes residential carbon emissions and energy costs and prioritizes solutions based on highest carbon reductions and monetary returns, yielding results that are often surprising. The book enables readers to dramatically reduce their carbon emissions – far below the levels targeted under the Kyoto Protocol. At the same time, readers implementing the recommendations will save an average of US$15,000 in energy costs over the next five years.

How efficient are front-load washing machines? When is it time to replace your old refrigerator? These questions and many more are answered in The Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, a one-stop resource for consumers who want to improve their home’s energy performance and reduce costs. Zeroing in on the most useful response can be a challenge—this 9th edition guide cuts through the confusion.

Well-organized and highly readable, The Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings begins with an overview of the inter-relationships between energy use, economics and the environment. Chapters focus on specific areas in the home, such as electronics, lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, kitchen and laundry, and provide helpful explanations for each.

In The Homeowner’s Handbook to Energy Efficiency, John Krigger and Chris Dorsi help homeowners set realistic personal goals for reducing their energy consumption. Their methods for making homes more energy efficient will also improve comfort, safety, durability, and resale value. They guide readers through the process of assessing current energy usage and predicting the benefits and estimating the costs of remodeling options. With projects ranging from simpe fixes to large-scale renovations, this book offers solutions for the energy-conscious homeowner, regardless of budget, technical ability, or time.

Want to go green in and around your home? This value-packed guide gives you easy-to-follow, budget-friendly tips that will reduce you ecofootprint. From using greener cleaning tools and building materials to cutting your energy costs and working with your lawn, you’ll discover how to make your home cleaner, healthier, and more energy efficient.

“In Beyond Lightbulbs, Susan Meredith, has created a compelling story about how we might face the energy question head-on. In clear and entertaining language, she writes about the truth of the upcoming energy crisis and what we can all do about it. This is a fine book that should be read by everyone who has even a passing interest in the subject.” -R. Britt Freund, Assistant Dean and Former Director, Texas Evening MBA, McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin

Strive to thrive by learning more about your indoor air.

With rising energy costs, homewoners are beginning to examine the energy efficiency of their own homes, asking questions that range from where energy comes from and how much it costs, to how to choose new appliances and what options exist for renewable energy? The Home Energy Diet answers all these questions and more…