Going Green
Bed and Breakfast Network wants to help in some small way to make our planet green and save you some money too. We have all watched Ed Begley, Jr. and admired his passion for the environment and saving money for all of us. There are so many simple things we can do just to get started making this a better world. As we find out what great things we are doing no matter how small we want to do more and more. It is such a satisfying feeling to know the little bit we contribute really does help not just ourselves but our children, grandchildren and many more generations to come. Having a short conversation with someone without preaching but giving them knowledge may have an affect that we may never know about. www.BedandBreakfastNetwork.com would love to hear your “Green” stories ” just e-mail green@bedandbreakfastnetwork.com we will try to publish as many as we can.
Thank you the Aardvark Team
Thank’s Ed your doing a great job.
Compact fluorescent lamp (CFLs)
Change your light bulbs to (CFLs). You will be using a fraction of the power and that means money in your pocket. You can buy them in bulk at almost any store, hardware, discount or grocery store. A convenient purchase that in the long run costs less and the return is more.
Smart Power Strips
Use “Smart Power Strips” they automatically turn off electronics when not in use. You would be surprised at how much little things add up on to your electric bill. Cell phones chargers, TV’s and we know you probably have several TV’s, Laptop computers even though unplugged they all use electricity even when the device is not plugged in. Smart Strips will go idle when you set them at a certain time and pay for themselves in about 6 weeks.
Pipe Insulators
Add pipe insulators to your water heaters this will save you big time on your electric bill.
Low Flow Showerheads
Try a low flow showerheads they are cheap and easy to install and are like a taking a shower in a mist and feels so good. They also use as little as 1.2 a gallon/minute. Designer low flow showerheads can also be installed but they are more expensive and we are counting on the fact that maybe you are on a budget and buying the less attractive ones are about $10 so if you have several to install this will be a substantial savings. Believe it or not some local water company will give them to you for FREE, but you have to ask.
Home Garden
Have your own garden One of the most rewarding experiences is growing your own garden vegetables, herbs, and flowers all qualify and not only look beautiful and are fun to watch grow but help reduce air pollution.
Non-Aerosols Cleaning Spray
Switch from Aerosols to plastic (please note we are not talking about drinking from but for cleaning).
Public area Recycling Bins
Add recycling bins in public areas of your Inn. Cans, bottles, paper. Nontoxic Cleaners
Switch to Stainless Steel Water Bottles
Stop drinking from plastic bottles because of the biphenyl (this impairs immune function and so much more) change to stainless steel waters bottles. Be sure to spread the word to new mothers for their family.
All Natural Cleaning Products
Clean with non-toxic cleaners. You can find them at any grocery store, hardware store or discount store or they are easily made at home ….online just put in the search non toxic cleaning kits or go to your book store or library you will find mountains of help.
Wash Clothes in Cold Water
Wash clothes in cold water. According to government investigations Hot water uses up to 90 % of electricity wouldn’t you like to see those figures on your electric bill.
Now these are just a few tips on how to “go green” for your bed and breakfast inn. If you have any other ideas please share your comments below. Thanks!










nifty
Good information. FYI many if not most, store brand cleaning products that claim to be “green” are not. They are, as I like to say: riding the green wave. It is popular now so they come up with a closer to green product than their original and call if green. Shaklee’s “Get Clean” line of products are guaranteed, always safe, always works and always green. Economical too because they are concentrated. Please check out my web site and feel free to give me a shout if you have any questions.
the garden vegetables that we put at home are usually cabbages and tomatoes;”"
I don’t mean to dig up old posts, but these are great points.
Thanks for the information!
One thing we did was replaced our 40 gallon hot water heater with 2 tankless hot water heaters. They only heat the water when it’s needed as opposed to sitting in a tank and being heated all the time. We instantly saw a drop in our gas bill!
We also line dry our linens. To keep them fluffed, we put them in the drier for 10 minutes after drying outside.