Somebody was grumbling at a family party the other day that they did not like LED light bulbs because they only came in bright white, and they preferred a warmer color. I agree with them- warm white is somehow much more soothing, and we are more used to that color with our incandescent lighting. However, the good news is that LED lights are now available in warm white, and there are also dimmable LED light bulbs. Given that LED lights will last a good 12 to 15 years and use a tiny fraction of the cost to run compared to incandescent lights, I predict they will become the new standard of the future.

Starting at $18.99 and available at GreenandMore.com

http://www.greenandmore.com/led-light-bulbs.html

I need to tell you about the new Miele S7 upright vacuum cleaners; seldom have I been so excited about a new vacuum and I took this vacuum apart in our offices. I do not use an upright vacuum myself as I have so little carpeting in my home, and with a bad back even lifting a gallon of milk is a challenge- let alone a full size upright vacuum cleaner. But if you prefer uprights to canister vacuums and have carpets - read on.

The new Miele S7 upright vacuum cleaners are in a class of their own, and provide Miele customers with an upright vacuum cleaner design to which no other manufacturer even comes close! Miele has taken seven years to design this vacuum cleaner and have thought of everything to make vacuuming a pleasurable and efficient experience. Our five star rating suddenly seems inadequate to describe how superb the design is which Miele has achieved. Miele has introduced its new swivel neck and plethora of other innovative features, so that you will glide around the house cleaning every edge, every curve and every corner without exertion. These features include the Miele S7’s patented Swivel Neck™ design plus 360 degree swivel front casters, retracting rear wheels and an ergonomic handle, all cleverly designed that you use less effort, while being very nimble as you vacuum.

These vacuums have an impeccable sealed HEPA filtration system so nothing escapes, and you will find that changing the bag and filters has never been so simple or hygienic. This is an upright vacuum cleaner where the needs of the user have been taken into account from the get go, whether it is the eight LED headlights on the power head, the finger tip controls on the handle, automatic carpet height adjustment, 4-stage suction control, finger tip brush roll and power controls, 12 ft. extra reach hose, stainless steel telescopic suction wand or three full-size onboard accessory tools. If you can dream it, Miele now has it. A dream of an upright vacuum cleaner that looks good, feels good, and most importantly does a superb job of vacuuming. You will not be disappointed with any of the new Miele S7 Series Upright Vacuums!

Starting at $749 and available in a wide range of colors and styles.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/miele-s7580-tango-swing-bolero-upright-vacuum-cleaners.html?itemId=3515

Given the Haan steam mops have been flying out the door and everyone at work was buzzing about them, as steam cleaner fan-in-chief, I decided to take one of these babies home with me to test. I was particularly interested in doing so because I was told it not only did floors but had a short handle so you could clean flat surfaces like my electric stove top. I have found that I am incapable of having any saucepan on the stove without something spilling over at some point. It is just the way it is and I have the toughest of times cleaning the stove top. My floors are also getting a pounding in winter and eagerly await the cleaning lady. However in between her visits the floors look a bit ragged and because of my fragile back which is still recovering from an injury, I am less likely nowadays to take out my beloved Ladybug Vapor Steam Cleaner.

So bear in mind that as a Ladybug fan, I have a tendency to compare the steam mops to multi purpose vapor steam cleaners that cost more. I tested the Haan F30 Burgundy steam mop (starting at $99.95) since the Haan FS-20 steam mop (starting at $99.95) was at a trade show. I filled up the steam mop with no trouble at all; it is nice and lightweight and heated up within 5 minutes or less. This steam mop does not have a “ready light” indicating the steam has reached optimum temperature like more expensive machines, but I knew enough not to start cleaning the moment the machine starts to emit steam, but let it stand a little longer on its heat proof stand. Do not let it stand on your wood floors unprotected otherwise you can burn them, so be warned. The steam mop ran a little wetter than I was used to, but mainly only while it was still heating up to optimum steam temperature levels. I used it on my kitchen floor and the real test was the encrusted cat food droppings that my little darlings so thoughtfully spill all over the floor near the cat bowl. You cannot get this crud clean with a regular mop - trust me - even my obsessive cleaning lady is beaten by this cleaning challenge. The Haan steam mop rose to the occasion- not as fast as my LadyBug, as I had to go over the area a few times to get it really clean- but it did get the job done and the rest of my kitchen floor was really clean without any odor of chemicals. The Haan Steam mop moved around my kitchen floor really easily, and I also did the nearby den wood floor and the wood floor of our entrance way. What I liked was the floor pad was nice and large, and the Velcro attachments are just brilliant! This model has an ergonomic handle, and I confess it did feel nice and easy in my hand.

I am looking forward to testing other models, but I have to say that all in all this is the best floor mop I have tested at this price point, and one of the Haan Steam Mops will find a permanent place in my home. Steam cleaners just do a better job without chemicals, than the mop and bucket routine, and for someone like myself with back problems, they are very user friendly.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/steam-mops.html

Fragrance Free Textile Candles Starting at $18.89

We managed to launch our new line of allergy friendly Imagination candles the week after Christmas. Not the best of timing, but we wanted to make sure that this line of simply beautiful candles did not add any pollution to the room - and our testing team was backed up with new product testing.

I have been depriving myself of candles for years because I did not want to add particulates to any room of my home. When I saw these fragrance free candles and was stunned at their exquisite patterns, achieved by a patented process, I begged our testing team to add them to their schedule. I am pleased to say that they came out with flying colors, and no increase in particulates was detected after several hours of candle burning in a tiny room.

I am especially enchanted at their textile design which has a candle at the bottom of a wax wall, so the light can shine through the pattern. The effect is stunning. My only grumble is that you definitely need a long taper to light the candle. Lighting the candle with a twisted up piece of long paper is NOT the way to go and left a black sooty mark on the candle wall. So now I am informed. But I am also in love. If you like candles or have a loved one who likes candles, these ones are fragrance free and have dozens of patterns to choose from. They would make a great gift to cure someone of the winter blues or for upcoming Mother’s Day. Starting at $18.99.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/candles.html

With any purchase of over $150 we will send you a Rechargeable LED kitty flashlight as a Free gift! These flashlights are simply adorable and make a great holiday gift. We even ship it for FREE, - a $25 total value. Offer while we still have supplies of the kitty flash light – but they’re going fast!

http://www.greenandmore.com/greenandmore-blackcat-rechargeable-LED-flashlight.html

I predict that the LED light bulb will become the de facto standard light bulb within 5 years for both homeowners and commercial building owners alike. It is only the initial outlay of money that is holding most people back. However, if you can afford the upfront cost (our LED light bulbs start at $24.99), the cost savings in energy consumption and convenience of not having to change the bulb, perhaps for decades, makes LED light bulbs very attractive as a lighting option. Moreover LED light bulbs are available in all sizes that the homeowner or commercial building owner might need. The other thing that confuses people, is what strength LED light bulb they need to replace their present incandescent light bulbs, since their low wattages of 3 to 13 watts hardly sound like they are going to light up your world! This is why it is incumbent on all retailers of LED light bulbs to rate them in the incandescent equivalents – which we do on GreenandMore.com. Another aspect of LED light bulbs that has been disappointing till now, is that lumen for lumen the LED light bulbs did not seem to give out much light. This is because LED lights are more directional and perfect for down, task or spotlight applications. However, recent advances by CREE and others have made LED light bulbs both brighter and with a wider angle of light dispersion.

LED light bulbs can last 10 to 20 years and have no mercury in them as compared to compact fluorescent light bulbs, and consume a fraction of the energy of a regular incandescent bulb. Imagine cutting your lighting bill by 90%; In my mind that is what energy conservation is all about.

Here’s a quick list of LED light bulb pluses for you to consider:

• LED light bulbs consume 5 times less energy than compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• LED light bulbs contain no hazardous mercury for disposal.
• LED light bulbs do not flicker.
• LED light bulbs are very robust because they are solid state and do not contain filaments.
• The light from an LED bulb comes on immediately with no warm up time.
• Led light bulbs last for 10 to 20 years compared to the average compact fluorescent light bulb found in big box stores, which while rated to last for years, we have often found will only last a few months.

http://www.greenandmore.com/led-light-bulbs.html

I hope you are not sick of hearing about all the cleaning uses I keep finding for my Ladybug Steam Cleaner (On sale - starting at $999) but I have had mine for about 8 years now and it is still going strong and its uses never cease to amaze me. So I am listing below some new ones which I have encountered in the last few months.

 

• Ants.We had ants late summer, everywhere. I destroyed the ants’ nests outside on the patio with the steam cleaner, and blew some steam down some crevices where I could see they were crawling into the house as well as hunting them down on the floor. This was a much healthier, non-toxic alternative to spraying RAID which my husband decided to do one day.

 

• Weeds in Patio.Also this last Fall, I tackled weeds in the crevices in our patio by applying steam to them. If my neighbors had seen me, no doubt they would have thought me crazy- but it works nicely without spraying chemicals all over the place.

 

• Cleaning the Outdoor Grill.It takes a flare up before my husband decides to clean our grill, which we use both summer and winter but under pressure he cleans the grill, and then gets quite obsessive about it and the tough brush kit of the LadyBug works fabulously well.

 

• Stained Throw.I have a very beautiful Siamese Blue Point cat named Truffles who blotted his copy book one day by searching out my silk and velvet throw by Kumi Kokoon and throwing up all over it. Using some Formula 212 Spot Cleaner (starting at $39.95 and included with the purchase of a Ladybug) and some very low level gentle steaming had the throw look like new again, and Truffles lived to see another day.

   

• Drain Odor.The drain odor in our kitchen was really fierce last Fall. Apart from cleaning the drain gasket, I used the steamer to really blast out the disposal, and then ground up a lemon in the disposal. I got brownie points in our house for solving that one.

 

• Stain on Neighbor’s Couch.I spent one not so lazy Sunday afternoon helping a fairly hysterical friend and neighbor whose husband had just spilled red wine all over their couch, cushions and carpet the night before. Using the Formula 212 spot cleaner to presoak the wine split areas which were very extensive, the Ladybug came to the rescue with a towel and the triangular brush. My neighbor was simply astonished as the velvet couch came back as good as new, and her husband was profoundly grateful for saving his you know what.

   

• Rust Stains on Patio.News travels fast in our neighborhood and I was asked if the LadyBug steam cleaner could take the rust stains off a neighbor’s patio. This time I declined to do the job for him and instead showed him how to do it with a tough brush kit and pre-spray with non toxic concrete cleaner. Since patio tiles are porous this was a very tough task but 90% of the stain was removed and my neighbor was thrilled.

   

• Odor in Carpet.We own rental property, and we got a call from a new tenant demanding a new carpet because of dog odor from the last renter. Then the tenant next door to her, thinking her neighbor was about to get a new carpet said that hers was stained as well and she wanted a new one! I told my husband, who thought we should pay about $5K-$6K in new carpet for them, to send our handyman in with the Ladybug steam cleaner. For about $300 in labor we now have happy tenants once more thanks the LadyBug for saving me money.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/ladybug-steam-cleaners.html

The ultrasonic warm and cool mist Air-O-Swiss 7144 humidifier (starting at $199) has become my new favorite humidifier this winter season. It is also our new category winner! I tried it out when I had a hacking cough and kept waking in the night, and it definitely helped my breathing and reduced the amount of time I coughed in the night. Specifically, this is what I found:

Pluses

 

• After griping that my office had not sent me home with a manual, I found that Air-O-Swiss 7144 had thoughtfully put operating instructions inside the humidifier in an easy to view spot. Great for those who lose the paper manual anyway. I did figure out most of it, and got it operational without the manual, and I am not very handy, but the actual instructions were a nice bonus!

 

• I found the size and the shape of the humidifier made it the easiest of machines that I have ever tested. It still fills up from the bottom, but even when it was full, it was a cinch to carry and did not ask for assistance from my spouse. Actually, I did request his help once, but that was more from being annoyed at the hours of him imitating a couch potato when I was doing all the housework!

 

• This humidifier is almost completely silent, most people will think it is totally silent, but I hesitate to say that for 100% since there is always someone outside the norm. However, I defy you to hear it from the other side of your bedroom from your bed.

 

• The 7144 humidifier gave forth a satisfying amount of mist, and the humidity in my room increased quite quickly. It was not a fair test however, since my Siamese cats kept walking in an out of the bedroom.

 

• I confess to really liking the styling, and the silver/black color fitted nicely and unobtrusively with the bedroom décor.

Minuses

• If there was one minor thing to pick on, it was how the digital read out of humidity levels seemed to take a bit of time to settle down and give an accurate reading. I did check the levels against a hygrometer I had and found at most a couple of percentages difference.

• You do have to figure out the controls when you have them up close and personal on a counter top, and then memorize them, because once I put this humidifier onto a small foot stool to raise it up off the floor (as per manufacturer’s instruction) you will not be able to differentiate the controls from far away, unless you have eagle, youthful eyes.

Starting at $199.99 the Air-O-Swiss 7144 Humidifier covers up to 650 sq. ft.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/airoswiss-7144-ultrasonic-warm-cool-mist-humidifiers.html

As a parent, I appreciation the value of furniture that can withstand the pounding metered out by energetic young toddlers. I learned quickly that living and dining room sets can be of high quality, but are no match for my little speedsters. Additionally, I want to ensure they have a special place to play, relax and call their own.

The stylishly sturdy designs of Whimsical hand-painted children’s table and chair set offered through GreenandMore have proven to be the perfect addition to my youngsters’ playroom. Each piece is handcrafted by artists in exciting colors like Bohemian Orange and Rhapsody Yellow, reflecting a creative sense of individuality. Besides being beneficial to your family, these pieces maintain a sense of environmental principle since they are crafted from only FSC certified wood and low/no V.O.C. paints.

Whether you are a sensible, yet fun-loving parent, or simply a doting grandparent with a birthday or holiday gift in mind, these heirloom quality works of art are sure to delight youngsters from six to one hundred and six.

We all like to hear of environmentally friendly ideas that can be easily transitioned into our lives. Well now, such an inventive idea can literally stop traffic: Street Sign Drink Coasters. I had a chance to use one at a cocktail party several weekends ago, and found myself seeking out its partners like the proverbial street sign on a map. These amusing and thoughtfully recycled coasters were truly eclectic and stylish; and, they became instant conversation pieces for the host and her enamored guests. They make a wonderful holiday gift or stocking stuffer for that eco-minded friend who is looking for something different and original.