We are the creator of the top performing, 70 percent recycled content, 100 percent recyclable FreeStyle commercial flooring line, as well as the FreeStyle ESD flooring line, which is renowned as an interlocking conductive flooring powerhouse that is essential to health care organizations utilizing electronic data. FreeStyle and FreeStyle ESD have been customized and are now available in new styles and colors specific to heath care organizations.

Using the concept of evidence based design, we took a number of health care issues into consideration during the design phase – from medical waste and infection control issues to workplace safety issues, noise and injury reduction issues. Revenue stream is also a major consideration to many health care facilities, as they are unable to shut down for renovations. The unique interlock system on SelecTech’s flooring products enable floors to be installed quickly, at a much lower cost, without adhesives, and without a lot of costly downtime or disruption. For these reasons, our solutions provide significant value to many health care organizations including independent clinics, private medical practices, academic medical centers, hospitals, surgical centers and retirement facilities.

FreeStyle flooring can help contribute to LEED points and is 100 percent “cradle-to-cradle recovery”, meaning that SelecTech’s products are 100 percent recyclable back into new Freestyle flooring.

Health care industry clients that utilize SelecTech’s flooring include Kaleida Women’s and Children’s Hospital, GlaxoSmithKline and BC Biomedical Laboratories.

To learn more about our FreeStyle and FreeStyle ESD flooring for health care, visit http://www.selectechinc.com

Read about us in The Molding Blog, by Doug Smock - http://www.themoldingblog.com/2013/03/01/mack-tweaks-tool-process-to-mold-recyled-pvc/

I can lift heavy.

Tis true!  At least, I’m lifting heavier than I did before – and I’m loving it.  Even as I sit here, sweaty and panting post-CrossFit Mamas, my upper arms are quivering.  I picture them as happy pups, hence the quivering results from severe tail wagging.  Because I am so elated with my workouts these days.

Granted, I’m pretty much always elated with my workouts.  But I was away from my weights for so long that they feel all new and shiney.  And they actually are new and shiney.  I have begun using my Selecteks on a near daily basis and those babies are F-I-N-E fine.  Seriously.  If you lift at home and plan on continuing to lift at home – make the investment.  I can’t wait to start the challenge group with these beauties.

And before we get to the “but you’ll bulk up” phase of the convo, let’s recall that I am, in point of fact, a female and therefore will not bulk up.  This body doesn’t produce those sorts of muscles.  I can lift as heavy as I want and I’ll just get prettier (and more capable of kicking your ass when you insinuate I possess any sort of masculinity).

So anyway – rest day from running, quick 10 rounds for CrossFit Mamas, and now off to shower before the big Homecoming game.  Go, Slaters!

Happy Friday, SweatItOuters!

Size FOUR.

First up – didn’t workout once.  Sorry…didn’t mean to make you spit out your coffee in shock.  But it’s true!  Normally, not a reason for fantabulousness.  And I should rectify that statement by saying I had no formal workout.  I did, however, walk my lil’ butt off.  Literally.  As Hubby and I perused the Gettysburg Outlets, I walked that lil’ butt right into a pair of size four jeans.  I never thought these hips or quads would see the day!  But I was walking right out of the 6′s I had on, so I figured I’d make the attempt.  Left the store with spankin’ new skinny jeans AND trousers.  BOTH 4′s.  And all this after a month of that nasty scale not budging.  So once again, I am proven RIGHT.  Screw the scale!  Use the jeans!

And now I’m extra energized for my back-to-back workouts today (Insanity and an easy run).  My legs feel strong, my lungs feel ready, and my enthusiasm is obnoxiously high.  Sometimes, I need a break to remind me just how much I love what I do.

Mine at last!

Second – Hubby surprised me with a chinup bar AND Selectech dumbbells!!!! Now, of course we left on our mini-vacay before I had the chance to use either piece of equipment.  And of course nothing in my training currently necessitates either piece of equipment.  But I cannot keep my sweaty paws off of ‘em so I see a lifting session in my very near future (translation: Babe’s naptime).  I’ve been dreaming lustily of this since I helped Hubby carry the weights inside on Friday.  Today, my dreams reach fruition.  *blissfulsigh*

LOVE!

Third – I discovered our favorite restaurant in Gettysburg (Gettysburg Eddie’s) has added a vegetarian menu!  I was not relegated to pale lettuce leaves and lemon water!  Instead, I feasted on portabella, roasted red peppers, and an incredibly vibrant salad.  My drool is making the keyboard kind of slippery…My only regret nutrition-wise while we were out and about?  Nary a blender in sight so no Shakeology for TWO DAYS!  And I forgot to take my vitamins along, so I was feeling mildly sluggish by the time we returned to the M&M Estate last evening.  Today, however, all is good and back on track.  Shakeology has been consumed and Mama is on the verge of a workout.  Things are back to healthy!

Last (but not nearly least) – I handed out copies of my book to my sisters and my mom.  Autographed and everything!  There’s something about a book that just feels good in my soul.  Those are my words and my ideas between those covers…and that’s my name on the front cover.  My bucket list would be shorter if I wasn’t constantly adding new goals to replace those accomplished.

It’s good for your FitLife AND your soul.

Great weekend.  But it’s over…and now we’re movin’ into a new week, a new school year, and a new challenge group.  Just because I’ve had an awesome three days, don’t expect me to slow down and become a slug.  I’ve got plenty of awesome to keep going.

Michael King: Co-founder, Vice President/Operations
Mr. King has over 15 years of experience in waste processing and recycling services: for over three years he acted as the Deputy Director of Solid Waste with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and for three years as Associate General Counsel for Biomedical Waste Systems. He holds a law degree from Northeastern University.

Jeffrey G. Lampert: Vice President/Business Development
Mr. Lampert, for the past 30 years, is widely recognized as a business development /subject matter expert (SME) in the Mission-Critical 24/7 & Electronics Manufacturing space. His former company, UTP (United Technical Products) was the first company to design, patent, and market static control, conductive carpet tile flooring and grounding solutions for world class data centers, control rooms, network operation centers, air traffic control towers and sub-assembly, electronics, manufacturing  environments.  Mr. Lampert is a graduate of Ithaca College.

When we think “green”, we need to think about embodied energy.  If a product is made of recycled materials but had to be shipped from halfway across the planet, it’s not as green as it seems.  Conversely, if the product is made close to home, but the materials were hard to come by, it’s not as green.  Considering the entire life cycle of a product is more important than what the packaging tells you.

Check out Eco Friendly House and Garden for a great example of the embodied energy of locally grown grapes.

Yummy Bamboo

Photo Courtesy of Irargerich

Much like cork (which we examined earlier), bamboo flooring has been lauded as a green, sustainable alternative to hardwood flooring.  Like cork floors, however, there are benefits and drawbacks.

Benefits of Bamboo:

-Renewable Resource – Unlike hardwood trees that take around 100 years to fully mature enough to use for flooring, bamboo only takes about 3 to 7 years to mature.  Bamboo is an incredibly fast growing plant, growing as much as 39 inches in one day!  And because bamboo is a grass, not a tree, it replenishes itself without the need to replant it.  In fact, because bamboo is prone to overgrowth, harvesting it is actually beneficial to the environment.

Giant Bamboo Plants

-Price- Compared to hardwood, bamboo floors can be a quite a bit less expensive.

-Easy to Install- Most homeowners can install bamboo flooring themselves.  No special tools are need and the flooring is pre-finished, so you don’t have to sand or stain it.

-Fire Resistant

-Attractive – Available in light to dark shades, bamboo floors look great and add warmth and style to any room.

-Anti-allergenic

-Softer than Hardwood – Because bamboo is a grass it is not as durable as hardwood and can be easily scratched or dented.  You should never wear high heels or drag furniture across bamboo and furniture legs should sit on coasters.  Pets may mark up bamboo floors as well.  There are many brands and variations in quality of bamboo flooring available, so testing your samples by banging them with a hammer is highly recommended.   Also remember that lighter shades of bamboo flooring will be sturdier since the darker shades are achieved by heating the bamboo, weakening it as a result.

-Not Locally Sourced –The majority of bamboo comes from Asia, increasing its embodied energy.

-Fading – Can fade in areas of direct sunlight.

-Questionable Labor Practices –Because most of the bamboo flooring comes from China where there are no guidelines for fair labor practices.

-Lax Government Standards – Again, due to the countries of origin, the production and construction of some of the bamboo flooring available are unregulated, resulting in a flooring that may have toxic byproducts.  Also, the adhesive used to manufacture the flooring often contains formaldehyde.

So, if you are in the market for bamboo floors, you have little bit of homework to do.  Test various samples of bamboo flooring to see which ones are the most durable; look into the manufacturer to make sure their bamboo flooring is formaldehyde free and fair trade.  And don’t go for the cheapest bamboo flooring available; you get what you pay for, and what you get will most likely be a floor with little durability.

FreeStyle/Place N' Go Bamboo

If you love the look of bamboo floors but want something manufactured a little closer to home and something much more durable that uses recycled material in the manufacturing, an alternative is Place N’ Go flooring in the Bamboo finish.  Place N’ Go uses no adhesives, is water-proof and eligible for LEED points.

Resources – TLC and Green Home Source

Image Courtesy of Evgeni Dinev

If our visit this year from the Four Snowmen of the Apocalypse leaves you wanting nothing more than to crank up the thermostat, curl up and keep the cold at bay, you’re not alone.

According to Earth 911, “For each 1 degree you turn down the thermostat in the winter, you’ll save up to 5% on your heating costs.”  That may be a hard sell when you’ve just come inside after digging yourself out of yet another blizzard, but there are other things you can do to get your wintertime energy usage lower.

Insulation – The most important thing you can do is make sure you have adequate insulation.  If you suspect your home is losing heat, you can hire an energy auditor who will inspect your home, room by room, look at your past utility bills and perform tests to show where your home is losing heat.  Your state or local government energy office or your gas or electric utility company should be able to help you find a professional energy auditor.  The U.S Department of Energy suggests you…”Make sure the energy auditor uses a calibrated blower door. Make sure they do thermographic inspections or contract another company to conduct one.”

Programmable Thermostats – If your family is out of the house for 8 to 10 hours a day, why bother heating it?  With a programmable thermostat, you don’t have to remember to lower it before you leave in the morning or go to bed at night.  And you know that when you get home your house will be nice and toasty!

Furnace Filters – Clean monthly and replace as needed.

Floors – Ceramic or stone floors can feel like ice during the winter and make a room seem much colder than it is.  So if you’re planning on re-doing your floors, you may want to consider some options:

1. Radiant Floor Heating – The U.S. Department of Energy defines radiant heating as, “involv[ing] supplying heat directly to the floor …The systems depend largely on radiant heat transfer: the delivery of heat directly from the hot surface to the people and objects in the room via the radiation of heat.” It may sound very decadent to heat your floors, but hydronic radiant heat actually uses little electricity and heats rooms more efficiently than baseboard or forced air heating because no heat is lost in the ducts. According to the Healthy House Institute, “…comfortable conditions and heating energy efficiency can be maintained with radiant heating systems with lowered ambient air temperatures.”
2. Type of flooring – Ceramic, stone and even wood can make for very cold floors.  Warmer alternatives include carpet and laminate flooring.

Carpet is very warm, but it’s hard to keep clean.  And if you’re installing it in a basement (usually the worst offender of cold floors), you have to be sure you don’t have any moisture seeping through the concrete as it may result in mold growth.

Laminate flooring has a decorative top sheet with a wear layer over it and a plastic backing.  It is easy to keep clean, it’s durable and it’s flexible enough that you don’t have to worry about uneven substrates. Place N’ Go™ flooring is water-proof, making it suitable for basement applications and it’s available in many decorative finishes so you can have the look of wood or stone without the cold.  And because it’s free-floating, you don’t have to worry about moisture causing any adhesive failure.

Windows – You may think I’m going to tell you to replace your windows with Energy Star approved windows, but I’m not.  Replacing all your windows is expensive and there are things you can do to improve your current windows.

1. Always make sure your exterior storm windows are down and if you don’t have exterior storm windows, get some!  They add extra insulation, cut down on drafts and are less of an investment than new windows.
2. If you can feel cold air coming in at window joint, simply run a bead of latex caulk where the window and siding meet.  You can also use caulk on the interior window joints.
3. Plastic window film can keep a lot of that cold out and is incredibly inexpensive.
4. Open the blinds or shades on your windows that get a lot of sun (and keep those windows clean); the greenhouse effect can really warm up a room.  And as soon as the sun starts to dip, close those blinds or shades to help keep the heat in.

Take these steps and you can sip your hot chocolate knowing that not only are you keeping warm, you’re saving energy, too!

Image courtesy of NASA on the Commons

We are never going to save the planet.  Because, let’s face it, we are not mighty enough to actually ruin our planet (even if a crazy general starts a nuclear war).  We could definitely make it completely uninhabitable, but Earth itself would survive and someday new life would flourish.  If, however, you want to secure your children’s children a nice blue marble to live on, you need to take certain steps.

But where to start?  Will it be expensive?  And, most importantly, will I be uncomfortable??

It’s daunting, isn’t it?  So, over the next several weeks, I’m going to bring you posts about easy, mostly inexpensive ways to make sure future generations can drink clean water,  breathe fresh air, run through fields and all that other good stuff we like our planet for.

So stay tuned!

Photo used under Creative Commons from vonslatt

Of course, most people know that the overuse and disposal of plastic is negatively impacting our planet.  Plastics can take hundreds, possibly thousands, of years to biodegrade.  Every water bottle, every cell phone, every plastic bag you ever threw in the trash is still sitting in a landfill somewhere, just…sitting.  Or maybe it’s in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch; estimates of this giant mass of garbage floating in the Pacific ocean have it larger than the state of Texas!  Most of that trash originated on land and consists of mostly plastic and chemical sludge that has been drawn together by the ocean currents.  It’s very harmful to marine life; animals sometimes eat the plastic, mistaking it for food, or get caught up in the plastic.   In addition, the islands that are in these ocean currents get massive quantities of trash washing up on their shores.

Photo used under Creative Commons from How can I  recycle this

That’s where the three Rs come into play: Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.  We’ve already talked about the three Rs on this blog, but today I’d like to delve more deeply into recycling.

The most common complaint people have when it comes to recycling plastics is that it can be somewhat confusing.  Because different types of plastic require different processing to be reformulated and re-used as raw material, municipalities have varying rules and restrictions regarding what kind of plastic you can and cannot recycle.

To distinguish between different types of plastic, The Society of the Plastic Industry designed resin codes that could be molded or imprinted on plastic items.  The code numbers range from 1 thru 7 to identify the group of plastics the item was made from.  The Daily Green has the following descriptions:

Number 1 Plastics
PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)
Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.
Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers

PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), though the material is in high demand by remanufacturers.

Number 2 Plastics
HDPE (high density polyethylene)
Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow only those containers with necks.
Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing

HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

Number 3 Plastics
V (Vinyl) or PVC
Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping
Recycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers.
Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats

PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don’t let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.

Number 4 Plastics
LDPE (low density polyethylene)

Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet
Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling.
Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile

LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it.

Number 5 Plastics
PP (polypropylene)
Found in: Some yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles
Recycling: Number 5 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays

Polypropylene has a high melting point, and so is often chosen for containers that must accept hot liquid. It is gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers.

Number 6 Plastics
PS (polystyrene)
Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases
Recycling: Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers

Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products — in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. The material was long on environmentalists’ hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still don’t accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction.

Number 7 Plastics
Miscellaneous
Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, ‘bullet-proof’ materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon
Recycling: Number 7 plastics have traditionally not been recycled, though some curbside programs now take them.
Recycled into: Plastic lumber, custom-made products

A wide variety of plastic resins that don’t fit into the previous categories are lumped into number 7. A few are even made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. Polycarbonate is number 7, and is the hard plastic that has parents worried these days, after studies have shown it can leach potential hormone disruptors.

So now that you know what’s what, you can make sense of your town’s rules regarding recycling.  Some towns even offer single stream recycling, which means that all you have to do is put all your recyclables (paper, glass, plastics and metals) into one bin (just make sure they’re clean)  and put the bin by the curb once a week.  There are a few restrictions there, too, but it is much easier for the consumer and should result in more items being recycled.

Plastics have only been around for about 150 years and yet we have landfills full of plastic and our oceans are being poisoned by it.  According to the Clean Air Council, “In the U.S., 4.39 pounds of trash per day and up to 56 tons of trash per year are created by the average person.”   So get that blue bin and do your part by recycling!

1.  REDUCE – This one’s easy: just use less stuff.  Buy less and when you do buy a new item, look for something that will last and then maintain it.  Borrow books from the library or buy used books.  Use less water; install low flow toilets and shower heads.  And use your dishwasher; because they use a set amount of water to clean all the dishes rather than a variable amount, dishwashers are actually more efficient than washing dishes by hand!  Power off or unplug electronics when you’re not using them (most electronics use a small amount of energy even when they’re powered off).  Insulate your house so you use less energy to heat or cool it.

2.  REUSE – Don’t just throw things away; get creative!  Refill your water bottles.  Turn that ratty t-shirt into a dust rag.  Store leftovers in empty jars.  Use reusable cloth shopping bags instead of plastic ones.  Store screws or nails in empty coffee cans.   Give magazines, DVDs and books to friends.  Donate what you can to local charities.  Turn your well-loved but unwearable clothes into comfy pillows.  And soda bottles with the tops removed and a few holes punched in the bottom can make good planters.

3.  RECYCLE – Glass, paper, plastics and aluminum.  Many towns and cities have curb-side recycling, which makes this ‘R’ one of the easiest.  Many municipalities have different rules, so find out what your town’s rules are.  And then stick to them; it’s easy to contaminate a batch of plastics making the whole thing rubbish.

Check out the Natural Resources Defense Council for more great tips.

Basement with Place N' Go Red Oak

SelecTech’s hard-surface flooring can help you achieve all three ‘R’s.  We’ve put a lot of thought into what our flooring is made of and what will happen to it when the consumer is done with it.  With our product, we’re recycling a type of carpeting that can’t be reused.  Our flooring also has a much longer life than other materials, thereby drastically reducing waste disposal, manufacturing of replacements, energy to transport replacements, etc.  And because you don’t use any adhesive with Place N’ Go™, FreeStyle™ or SelecTile™ flooring, if you move, you can pick it up, take it with you and reuse it in your new location.  In addition, if you decide you want a new finish, because we make all the layers out of the same basic material we can take back your old flooring, recycle it and make new tiles out if it!

It certainly seems like this has been quite a year for flooding.  The Northeast was pummeled last spring and the Midwest was hit hard this autumn.  I’ve been told again and again by homeowners that had never had a drop of water in their basements that this year that all changed.

So what can you do if your basement is flooded?  First of all, act quickly: you don’t want to let that water linger in your basement because the longer it sits, the more damage it will do.

Cut Off Power to Your Basement

There is always the chance that there is electricity coursing through the water.  If your breakers are not in the basement, just switch them off.  If they are in the basement, you will have to get the power to your entire house shut off so you can reach the breakers without getting zapped.  You will probably have to call the electric company for that or you may have to call an electrician.

Get Rid of the Water

There are so many ways to do this, ranging from the time-consuming method of using a bucket, using a shop vac or sump pump or hiring a Disaster Restoration Company.   Some basement water-proofing companies have emergency services and can also be hired to remove the water.  If you do decide to do it yourself, one important thing to remember is that it must be done slowly; done too quickly and you may cause the soil and foundation to shift, resulting in collapsed basement walls, floors or foundation.   You must never pump more than three feet of water every 24 hours.

FEMA  recommends the following steps:

• Begin pumping when floodwaters are no longer covering the ground outside.
• Pump out one foot of water. Mark the water level and wait overnight.
• Check the water level the next day. If the level went back up (covered your mark) it is still too early to drain your basement.
• Wait 24 hours, and then pump the water down one foot again. Check the level the next day.
• When the water in the basement stops returning to your mark, pump out two to three feet and wait overnight.
• Repeat daily until all the water is out of the basement.

Mass Department of Environmental Protection   

Dry It Out

Open all the windows and doors, set up fans and get as much air circulation into your basement as possible.  The more air movement you have, the faster the basement will dry.

Sort Through the Wreckage

Now you can start deciding what you can keep and what you must throw away.  Handy Homeowners suggests the following steps:

1.  First move out the furniture and carpets/rugs and clean and dry what you can save.  Remember, if there was any sewage in the water, you must get rid of everything.  Then, sort through all the smaller items.

2.  After everything has been removed, clean the basement floors and walls using bleach and water.  All that ventilation you set up earlier will help here to keep you from getting sick due to fumes from chemical cleaners.  You can also use bleach to wash any clothes or rugs.

Now that you’ve cleaned and sanitized, give it time to fully dry.  When it’s dry you can start moving furniture and other items back in.

Protect Your Home From the Next Great Flood

You don’t want to go through that again, so what can you do to prevent it?  The easiest thing to do is to get a sump pump system with a battery operated backup pump.  If you want to go even further, there are basement waterproofing companies that will install sub-floor drainage systems.

Even if you water-proof your basement, you may still get seepage through the concrete or water from a plumbing leak.  That’s why you should also think about using flooring that is water-proof.  Carpet will get ruined and most hard flooring surfaces that use adhesives will fail because of moisture.

Having a basement full of water can be downright heartbreaking.  Knowing what to do when it happens and how to prevent it from happening again can help you deal with whatever deluge Mother Nature may throw at you!

According to the EPA there are thousands of products that emit VOCs.  Fuels, cleaning, disinfecting and cosmetic products, as well as paints and varnishes, are made with organic solvents. “All of these products can release organic compounds while you are using them, and, to some degree, when they are stored.”  These products and their use in our homes and offices result in indoor concentrations of VOCs that are much higher than outdoors, up to ten times higher!

How can we minimize our exposure to these chemicals?

One of the easiest ways is to make sure your home has adequate ventilation. Open your windows and let that fresh air in!

There are some safe products on the market today, but if you want to save some money you can easily make your own cleaners with some common household items. Worldwatch Institute has some great “recipes” for everyday cleaners:

“-Stock up on a few safe, simple ingredients that can be used in most cleaning situations. Soap, water, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, borax, and a coarse scrubbing sponge can take care of most household cleaning needs.
-Instead of using a standard drain cleaner, which likely contains lye, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid, try pouring a quarter cup of baking soda down the clogged drain, followed by a half cup of vinegar. Close the drain tightly until fizzing stops, then flush with boiling water.
-For an effective glass cleaner, use a mixture of half white vinegar and half water.
-Baking soda and cornstarch are both good carpet deodorizers.
-To clean up mildew and mold, use a mixture of lemon juice or white vinegar and salt.
-A paste of baking soda, salt, and hot water makes a great oven cleaner.”

By using homemade cleaners we not only minimize our indoor exposure to VOCs, but we also minimize the amount of VOCs that get into our water and soil.

When it comes to carpeting, in addition to becoming a home to dust mites and mold, new carpets emit VOCs from the solvents used to make the carpet and the adhesives used during installation. Air Quality Sciences suggests that if you are having new carpet installed you should schedule the installation at a time when the building will be unoccupied; if that’s not possible, try to leave the building immediately after the installation.  Instead of using an adhesive, ask your installers to use carpet tacks to affix the carpeting.  Ventilate the area as much as you can: open doors and windows, use air conditioners and fans and get the air moving; do this for at least 48 hours after the installation is complete.

Or you could avoid carpeting all together and consider a hard surface floor material.

These are just a few ways we can keep ourselves and our planet healthier…leave us a comment and tell us: what are some things you do to help yourself and the environment?

Woo-hoo, we’re finally here!  First, a quick introduction…

Founded in 1993, SelecTech, Inc.’s mission is to create valuable products from scrap plastics. Using state-of-the-art technology and innovative product design, SelecTech created FreeStyle and SelecTile Flooring. With over 50% recycled content and being 100% recyclable, FreeStyle and SelecTile Flooring are helping us achieve this mission.

One of the biggest problems in the recycling industry is that, due to the sorting and cleaning process, products made of recycled materials bear a higher cost than regular products.  But SelecTech has found a way to convert low-cost plastics into high-quality products that will actually help customers save money.

In addition, our flooring is so easy to install that most people do it themselves and because we completely eliminated the need for adhesives, we also minimized your exposure to any VOCs!

We are committed to changing the flooring industry to help better our environment and with FreeStyle and SelecTile flooring products, we think we’re doing a pretty good job!

This blog is going to be a place for you to learn more about our products and our company, to find out what “Going Green” is really all about, and, hopefully, where we can get comments and feedback from you.