GREENCulture blog We put the “green” in greenyness!

With every beautiful bedroom, complete with curtains and an accent wall and a big amazing rug, there’s an even more beautiful bed that sets everything off. The frame, the posts, the headboards, all of it makes a bed what it is.

Bedding sets can immediately accentuate the colors, scheme, and the décor of a bed to make the bedroom a place of luxury and class. Ecohousewares.com shares your vision for the perfect room, and shares your passion for the ideal bedding set.

Made from only the finest materials, and made to be of the utmost in environmental friendliness, the bedding sets from ecohousewares.com are the best combination of style, comfort, quality, and responsibility to be found anywhere.

As a leading retailer in Green home-products, ecohousewares.com has the best products made from 100% Italian wood fiber, 100% Egyptian cotton, and 100% organic cotton, all of which can make you rest easy that you’re helping the environment, rest easy.

With contemporary styles like the Legna Classic, or more romantic sensual styles like the Legna Lucca Stripe Colletion, there is sure to be something to your liking. The accent stripes on the Lucca give the collection a very provocative, yet classy, look that will not go unnoticed.

For more extravagant looks the luxuriously styled Seville Collection, the Hydrangea, or the Jasmine, all add an attention-grabbing dimension to a room. The Hydrangea and the Jasmine, made from Egyptian cotton, are available in a variety of colors and are designed with earthy accents and floral arrangements so the aesthetics of the room are brought out by the beauty of the collections.

For those that want a more modern look then ecohousewares.com offers the Classic Sateen Organic Collection. A natural and luxurious necessity to have in the bedroom, the set is made from 100% organic cotton, and was meticulously finished inside and out for long-term durability. The Sateen is perfect for adding a contemporary edge to your classically styled bedroom.

With 11 sets to choose from, and numerous color combinations, ecohousewares.com offers the best of the eco-friendly bedding world. All sets are made from the highest quality materials and give a look elegance, beauty, and sophistication.

Enter coupon code “grcltr5″ (without quotes) to receive an extra 5% off all purchases within the GREENCulture family.

Women + Poor Air Quality = Risk

It’s not enough that today’s women are so busy they barely have time for themselves, but now women have to worry about air pollution. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that air pollution, particularly in the urban environment, is directly linked to fatal and non-fatal heart disease and stroke in older women. Can the same be said for men? Nope! Women have smaller blood vessels than men and are more susceptible to particles getting deep into the lungs, causing inflammation and ultimately leading to heart disease and strokes.

But there is a solution. The EPA recommends using HEPA air purifiers in the home and office, as this can greatly reduce the amount of indoor airborne pollutants, creating a breathing environment that is actually healthier than outdoor urban air. So by having your indoor air cleaned of at least 90% of airborne pollutants, you are providing a healthy lifestyle and actually reducing your risk of contributing to lung inflammation, heart disease and stroke due to high concentrations of airborne pollutants.

Thankfully, HEPA air purifiers come in many sizes and are very affordable. At GreenCulture, we carry only the top quality brands of HEPA air purifiers, such as the Alen Paralda Air Purifier, and sell them at prices that fit any budget. We know a woman’s life can be hectic, so maybe our making air purifier shopping simple can contribute a little to making a woman’s life just a tad easier.

Does your bed feel crowded?

Does your bed feel crowded with your partner and pets? Well, it’s more crowded than you may think. Did you know that there are thousands of dust mites in your bed as well. Yep, you read that right – THOUSANDS! But fear not, for microscopic dust mites, though creepy looking, are utterly harmless to humans and your pets. However, it is their droppings and shed skin casts that can cause allergic reactions in humans, including bringing on asthma attacks.

An average dust mite leaves behind their feces 20 times per day. It is the protein in these dropping and their skin casts that cause the allergic reactions, so that is why it is so important to regularly wash your sheets and pillow cases. But keep in mind that the bed is not the only place our sloppy little freeloaders dwell – carpets, couches and anyplace we plant ourselves are prime places for dust mites to call home. So make sure to regularly wipe down your furniture and vacuum you carpets.

And since their droppings and skin casts are so small, a lot of it becomes airborne, too. That’s why it’s recommended that you use a HEPA air purifier in your favorite living areas. HEPA air purifiers catch particles that are 0.3 microns in size and larger, thus cleaning your indoor air of more than 90% of airborne particles. You may not be able to entirely rid your home of dust mites, but at least you can clean up after them and allow yourself to breathe easier.

HEPA vs. Ozone

Trends and hype can be exciting, but they don’t always have our best interests in mind. Consider the buzz around ozone-generating devices being marketed as a health boosting solution to indoor air quality problems. Upper atmosphere ozone is a layer of gasses that protects us from skin damaging ultraviolet sun rays, but ground level ozone is really SMOG! Who wants to buy something creates that smog in your home?

The US Federal and State Clean Air Legislation lists what breathing in excessive ozone can do to a person:

• Eye, nose, throat, and lung irritation.
• Significant temporary decreases in lung capacity in healthy, exercising adults.
• Asthmatic individuals are especially susceptible to ozone toxicity, which includes constricting airways.
• Can cause increased sensitivity to airborne allergens and other irritants, and it can impair the body’s immune system.
• Summertime ozone episodes in the northeastern U.S. lead to 10-20% increases in hospital admissions and emergency room visits.
• Human population studies of long-term exposures to low-level ozone indicate that it may lead to permanent reduction in lung capacity; animal studies have shown chronic high-level exposures can cause lasting structural damage in the lungs.
• Children, especially asthmatics, are most at risk from exposure to ozone.

A high efficiency particle air filter (HEPA) air cleaner is a better and proven way to clean indoor air. Check out the evaluations of household air cleaners that have been published by the Consumers Report, the American Lung Association and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The former two reports give explicit warnings against ozone-generating devices. As the Consumer Reports’ authors conclude, after performing tests, they “wouldn’t recommend an ozone generator even as a last resort.”

UV light vs. bacteria

Ever wonder why you never got sick during those hot, summer days at the beach or pool? (Getting sunburn doesn’t count) The sun casts a special wavelength of ultraviolet light called UV-C which neutralizes flu viruses and other pathogens. In fact, UV-C also neutralizes bacteria, fungi and molds. That’s why hospitals and laboratories use UV-C on their work surfaces, indoor air and equipment to reduce the risk of infection. Also, pharmaceutical manufacturing and food processing facilities use UV-C to sterilize water.

The way UV-C neutralizes viruses and other pathogens is that the UV-C damages the RNA and DNA, removing the virus’ capacity to reproduce. It’s the virus’ capacity to reproduce that causes sickness and infection.

Just keep these advantages in mind when using UV light in, say, an air purifier to clean your indoor air:

• Ultraviolet light is a non-chemical approach to disinfection.
• Because ultraviolet light works by physically damaging the DNA, viruses and other germs cannot develop resistance or immunity to it. Microorganisms will remain susceptible to UV-C light.
• It makes your environment healthier in general, providing the benefit of disabling all kinds of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and molds.

Ever wanted to have your very own Hobbit home? Sure you have. We all have at some point (especially after watching Lord of the Rings). A family man in Wales wanted just that and built his own low impact, environmentally-friendly Hobbit-style home with the help of some family and friends. A couple thousand man hours and approximately £3000 later, the on-going family home project is coming to fruition. Built with nothing more than spare wood, lime plaster, straw bales, solar panels, and a few eco-friendly necessities and utilities, living a sustainable lifestyle can actually be quite affordable. Of course, the matter of having access to land for a project like this is a difficult proposition. The point of it, however, like all worthwhile endeavors is the possibility of achieving a sustainable way of living in some fashion.

Executive Occasional Living Room Furniture

The Executive Occasional Living Room Furniture shines with sophistication and richness. The items in this collection are functional yet elegantly beautiful. They are crafted out of only the finest select hardwoods and come in warm rosewood and walnut veneers and silver hardware. The collection looks professional but still comfortable enough to fit into any living room.

The Madison Sofa Table, the Madison Cocktail Table and the Madison Lamp Table all have one shelf. Another common feature in all the Madison Tables is a slight curve to the table legs, bringing soft beauty to the simple structures. The Grand Central lamp table has a polished edge glass top and one wooden shelf, and the design is unique and contemporary.

A living room is never complete with an entertainment console, and the Riverside Entertainment Console serves this role well. Each of the two doors has an adjustable wooden shelf behind it. Two adjustable glass shelves are found in the center portion of the console, and a light and grommets are available for electrical cords.

The Riverside Entertainment Hutch has three drawers, perfect in size for the storing of new CDs or old-fashioned vinyl albums. There are 9 shelves, 3 of which are adjustable so as to maneuver around a sound system, and also have grommets.

The Columbus Circle Console has four faux leather doors, and it is small but roomy. There are 5 adjustable shelves and grommets, which make this small structure very versatile.

The Tribeca Pass-Through Bookcase has four push-through drawers and 5 adjustable shelves. The bookcase is made of clean cut lines but still manages to allow plenty of room for experimentation and variety.

The Executive Occasional Collection comes with a warranty from the item manufacturer against any material defects and workmanship that may be realized for one year. All items are made from sustainable harvested wood, causing as little damage as possible to the environment as a whole.

You can find this exquisite collection and other living room furniture at Eco-Furniture.com.

Madagascar Bedroom Set Collection

A new bedroom furniture collection coming soon to Eco-Furniture.com is one that is sure to give your bedroom a look of tropic paradise. The Madagascar Bedroom Collection is an exquisitely designed furniture set made from Mozambique and Prima Vera veneers in warm cognac and black smoke finish. The bedroom set includes a platform bed in the Minuet (featuring two puck lights on both ends of the headboard) and Ballad editions (Queen, King, and Cal King sizes), Pier Nightstands, Demi Dresser, and Mirror. The Pier Nightstands feature a touch latch center drawer that holds a charging station and a puck light with touch dimmer switch.

Master craftsman, eco-designer, furniture hero - words that Stephen Staples, maker and co-owner of Staples Cabinet Makers, embodies. Allow me to tell you a little bit more about our eco-superhero Mr. Staples. No, he doesn’t wear a red cape with a large S on his chest, nor can you summon him with your magic ring. But this guy really does know how to save the environment - this hardworking artisan makes gorgeous and natural looking furniture from reclaimed wood from old barns and houses found throughout the New England area. Following a Japanese philosophical style known as “wabi sabi,” which roughly translates to “flawed beauty” in the art world, Staples truly believes that the real beauty in his work lies in the natural contours, knots and stains that have naturally formed in the wood throughout time. With his dedication in using reclaimed wood to create unique furniture laced with historical and aesthetic value, Stephen Staples is our green superhero/super-artisan of the year! To learn more about his beautiful furniture pieces and about his inspirations, visit Staples Cabinet Makers.

If Tarzan and Jane could see these treehouses, boy would they be green with envy! Treehugger.com has posted this awesome story about Seattle-based TreeHouse Workshop, a carpentry company that utilizes reclaimed wood to build your fantasy-inspired treehouse, with some that come with plumbing, bathrooms, and even fireplaces! And I’m sure by special request they’ll even add in some vines for those Tarzan bellowing moments.

Who would’ve thought that you could get a couple tax breaks here and there by remodeling your home? This Yahoo! article explains that not too many homeowners are aware that making “green improvements” for their home will help save them some green. Simple things that limit spending, energy waste and emissions like opting for a solar water heater in place of an electrical one and replacing old windows with ones that meet Energy Star standards will help you save some cash and the environment. Now that’s a solution that will have you seeing green!

This story on enn.com chronicles the rise of the organic cotton industry. As more and more people adopt a healthier lifestyle, they’re becoming concerned not only with what goes IN their body, but what goes ON it as well. The story mentions that up to a third pound of harmful chemicals goes into the farming process of the average cotton tee shirt. Nasty stuff. Check out our organic bedding and linens at http://www.ecohousewares.com.