Meet Green Home Expert, Bridget Biscotti Bradley, at her book signing, June 2

If you have ever wondered how to achieve a green home, or need fresh ideas and an ingenious perspective on green techniques, Bridget Biscotti Bradley’s book entitled The Green Home is for you. In her 7th book, Bradley shares her expert advice and provides inspiration to guide people through the process of greening their homes. The book contains detailed descriptions and stunning illustrations that help demonstrate the feasibility of greening one’s home.

The Green Home, published by Sunset Magazine, is a 208-page book that offers real-life tips on how to green a home for remodelers, new homes, or those who just want to add some green into their lives. From wall paints, countertops, furniture, mattresses and more, The Green Home describes in detail the pros and cons of various green materials and options, making greening a home simple and realistic.

Bradley will be signing her book, The Green Home, 7:30 tomorrow night at Kepler’s in Menlo Park. If you can’t make it there, visit Bradley at her eco-friendly store, Reclaim, in Menlo Park.

The following are ten tips in Bradley’s own words that reveal her original thinking:

1. Shop Vintage: Before buying something new, check Etsy or EBay, or go to a local antique or salvage shop. Think creatively about how to reuse something that may have had a different purpose originally.

2. Buy Quality: If you get cheap furniture or home finishing materials, you’ll need to replace them more quickly than if you buy something made well that will last for decades. It may cost more now, but you’ll save money by not re-purchasing the same item again every few years.

3. Clean Green: Check your cabinets for toxic cleaning supplies and take them to your local hazardous waste drop-off. Next time, buy plant-based products whose ingredients you can pronounce, or use your own concoctions of white vinegar, water, lemon juice, and borax to clean. This will help maintain healthy indoor air quality.

4. Go Local: Give preference to things that were made locally. The closer to home the better, but anything made in America is a step in the right direction, environmentally speaking.

5. Open Your Windows: Because of all the synthetic materials in our homes, the air inside a house is likely to be two to five times as toxic as outdoor air, and that number can spike to 100 right after a product that emits high levels of VOCs has been used, such as common household cleaners or oil-based paint. Avoid bringing new toxic products into the home, and air the space out at least once a week regardless.

6. Sleep Organic: Studies have shown that the chemicals in conventional mattresses seep into our bloodstream after eight hours of sleep. What a nightmare! If you can only afford to make one change, buy an organic mattress that has not been treated with any chemicals (keep your eyes open for greenwashing). Top it off with organic cotton sheets, natural rubber or wool pillows, and a wool comforter.

7. Banish Plywood and Particleboard: The adhesives used in conventional plywood and particleboard contains formaldehyde, which releases into the air for years through any unsealed edges. Don’t bring these materials into your home. Spec green versions for sheet lumber or custom cabinetry, and buy solid wood furniture that has been finished with 0-VOC or low-VOC, non-toxic paint or sealant.

8. Get a Home Energy Audit: Especially in the Bay Area, there are many companies who will come to your house and perform home energy tests to see if your house leaks heated or conditioned air (thereby wasting energy). Fix the problem by adding insulation, weatherizing doors and windows, and sealing cracks in the floor. You’ll also learn how to reduce gas and electric bills and use less water. The audit may cost around $500, but you’ll get the money back soon in reduced utility bills.

9. Remove Carpet: Carpet is the least eco-friendly floor covering, both because it’s very hard to keep clean and because most carpets are made of synthetic materials that will never biodegrade. If you suffer from asthma, allergies, or chemical sensitivities, remove the carpet in your home. If you’re in the market for a new floor, either buy 100% wool carpet backed with natural rubber and jute that hasn’t been treated with any stain, flame, or moth repellants; or avoid carpet altogether.

10. Plant a Drought-Tolerant Garden: Aim to use as little potable water as possible in your landscape by planting natives that require miniscule amounts of water once they are established, and greatly reduce or completely remove water-guzzling lawns. Use drip systems at the root rather than sprinklers that overspray, and put your system on a timer at night so that the sun doesn’t quickly evaporate the water.