Navigation

Tag Archives | green kitchen remodel

5 Red Flags When Shopping Online for an Eco-Friendly Kitchen

October 26, 2021 0

When shopping online for eco-friendly products for your kitchen, you may come across some products that are not really what they claim to be. Whether you’re looking for dishwashing liquid, small appliances, or kitchen utensils, finding the right products is important to your health and safety. Many products for the kitchen advertised as sustainable may not be. In this article, we will discuss warning signs to look for when shopping online for sustainable products. We will discuss sites that have products too good to be true, sites with no reviews or refunds, products sold with credit card purchases only, products advertised as green that are not, and how to tell the difference. Follow these tips and you will be able to buy sustainable eco-friendly products for your home with confidence.

Products That Appear Too Good To Be True

When shopping you may come across eco-friendly products that seem too good to be true. They promise more than what they deliver. For example, a dishwashing gel that advertises it is sustainable and safe. When you check the ingredients, you find it has sodium borate in it and other chemicals. The advertising is false because this dishwashing gel is still toxic and not eco-friendly as advertised. Always check the ingredients in a product to use in the kitchen or the materials that cookware and utensils are made of before buying. Nonstick coatings on cookware are known to be toxic, and when advertised as eco-friendly, signal false advertising.

Checking the materials small appliances, cookware, and utensils are made from will help you make better decisions. With a 40% increase in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, it’s essential to know how to shop for eco-friendly products that improve the safety of your home before undergoing your own kitchen remodel. Always research products before buying them for your home.

Website Offers No Refunds Or Product Reviews

The website sells eco-friendly products but offers no refunds or exchanges for their products. This is often a sign that they do not make good products. A credible website will offer refunds for a damaged or defective product or send a replacement. An Internet crime is committed by a site that offers false information about products or services to consumers, and when a product has no customer reviews, that can be a sign that the product could be a scam. Look for products with guarantees or refunds on products you buy.

Website Only Offer Credit Card Payment Option

A site that asks about credit card information before you look at their products or actually purchase them is a big red flag. A good website will offer you more than one way to pay for products. Once you pay by credit card, you cannot really go back and change the transaction. Websites that accept checks or payment on delivery show they are reputable and have different ways for consumers to purchase their products. Sites that accept a variety of payment options show they stand behind their products.

Suspicious Product Advertised

You visit a site and find that they have a product you have never heard of with a rather general description. It has quality photos but the description does not match the photos. You cannot find any information about the product or reviews. This may be a warning not to bother buying it and to just keep looking elsewhere. A website that has no address or phone can mean the site is shady.

Kitchenware That Is Not Eco-Friendly

Plastic products for storage and eating often have chemicals that are harmful to the human body. Polystyrene is used to make plastic cups, plates, rubber, food containers, and packaging has been linked to cancer. Some disposable water bottles have been found to be made with harmful chemicals. Plastics become more lethal when heated, and used with acidic food. Avoid small appliances made of plastic or substances like Tritan that studies link with health problems. Due to the fact that more people are eating at home, it’s important to use safe eco-friendly products in the kitchen.

There are some things we cannot change in our fight to make the environment better. Using oil in our cars and appliances is unavoidable, with oil so ingrained within our culture since the first oil pipeline was constructed in 1862. However, by investing in eco-friendly products for our homes and kitchens, we can do our part in helping to make the planet greener. Just be sure you are watching out for potential scams when beginning to shop for eco-friendly products!

Why A Green Kitchen Remodel Is Worth the Investment

July 14, 2017 0

For many parents and homeowners, remodeling is a dreaded subject. It is something to be avoided and decried as too expensive, too time-consuming, and too difficult while the kids are still young. In fact, that aversion to change is likely why 47% of Americans haven’t updated their home decor in the last five years, with 9% having neglected it for more than a decade!

But remodeling is the best way to make your home feel more like an extension of who you and your family are. And it is the best way to increase the value of your home should you ever want to sell. That’s why many parents decide, reluctantly, to take remodeling one step at a time.

Among the more popular starting remodeling projects is the kitchen remodel. People remodel their kitchen for a number of different reasons: some want a more open floor plan, others want to improve the efficiency of their kitchen, and some just get tired of the ugly wallpaper that came with the house. For many people, the fact that even a minor kitchen remodel, done right, has an average return on investment of 82.7%.

But if you are in the market for kitchen remodeling, consider opting for greener options when selecting your design components. Not only will you have the satisfaction of leaving a smaller footprint on the planet, but it might even help to increase your home’s resale value.

According to Realtor.com, 61% of homebuyers in 2017 will be below the age of 35. As millennials continue to represent more and more of the housing market, they will bring with them their own tastes and desires, such as sustainable offerings. In fact, nearly 75% of millennials are willing to pay higher prices for sustainable products, more than any other generation.

Items such as sustainable kitchen cabinets, flooring, and countertops can make your kitchen look stunning and reduce the environmental effect of your remodeling project significantly. But even if you spend all your free time watching HGTV — all six minutes of it between tucking your child in bed and falling asleep on the couch — it can be hard to know what exactly is or is not sustainable.

We’ve put together a few quick tips to help you pick the right, sustainable materials for your kitchen remodel.

Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinets are a great place to start your search, considering the majority of cabinets are made from wood. Make sure that your wood is either reclaimed or can be certified as sustainably harvested. Also be certain that they use formaldehyde-free glues.

Countertops
For countertops, look for materials that are recycled or at least made of sustainable materials. Some of the coolest options on the market are made of recycled glass and cement before being finished to look like limestone. You can also find a number of interesting counters made from wood reclaimed from old barns and other buildings.

Floors
While linoleum often gets a bad rep, it is a great option for environmentally friendly floors. Made from biodegradable materials, this durable flooring comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Cork is also a popular option, and it is made from wood that is carefully monitored to maintain available supplies.

There is more to consider, of course, such as energy-efficient appliances and the smaller touches like efficient LED lighting. But if you can find sustainable options for these three components, then you are already ahead of the curve.