Many folks can't afford solar panels or a new hybrid car — and newly produced items like those can actually add to a personal carbon footprint, because of the energy and resources needed to make them.

There are, however, simple, constructive ways to reduce your carbon shoe size without the big price tag. Lisa Wise, executive director of the Center for a New American Dream, says everyday choices and actions can make a huge difference:

 1.    Buy organic and local.

When possible, buy organic or "fair trade." There's a better chance the food was grown in an eco-friendly way, and if it's locally grown, it didn't have to travel that far. This also goes for those double lattes — coffee often has a large carbon footprint because of the distance those beans had to travel to get here, and how they were produced. Also, try eating at restaurants that serve locally produced or seasonal foods.

2.    Pay attention to packaging.

When out shopping, try to go to stores or co-ops that keep packaging to a minimum. For example, you may choose to buy the loose tomatoes rather than boxed or plastic-wrapped tomatoes. Also, take reusable bags to the grocery store. When it comes to resources, plastic is better than paper — but a reusable cloth tote-style bag is better still.

3.    Ditch bottled water.

Bottled water has a huge carbon footprint — it's bottled at one location in small plastic bottles and shipped all over. Try buying a reusable water bottle or canteen for your water. Also, a lot of restaurants have made the move from offering fancy bottled water, usually imported from an exotic source, to using in-house filtration systems that make tap water a good choice. Many plastic water bottles are recycled, but most are not, making the footprint even bigger.

4.    Energy-proof your home.

We're not talking major upgrades here… Make sure all of your windows close properly and that the attic in your home is properly insulated. This can save you big bucks on your energy bill. Also, keep your heating and cooling systems properly maintained, and switch to reusable filters when possible. Try switching from incandescent to compact florescent light bulbs. Compact florescent light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than our normal light bulbs and last much longer. Compared to regular bulbs, the fluorescents are more expensive, but they will eventually pay for themselves due to lower energy costs.

5.    Go native.

Use native plant species to landscape around your home or business. The plants will probably grow better in a familiar environment, and the plants may also get shipped a shorter distance to get to your local nursery. Also, use organic soil when planting — it's made using more eco-friendly methods, and uses less resources. And remember, green plants are a good way to offset carbon. So plant something, anything — it helps.

6.    Take a direct flight.

If you need to travel by airplane, try taking a direct flight when at all possible. Your impact is reduced when you take one flight, as opposed to hopping on a couple or more passenger jets to reach your final destination. You might also feel a little less harried when you arrive, because changing planes can be a real hassle.

7.    Switch water heaters to vacation mode.

Most water heaters have a "vacation" setting for when you are away from home for an extended period of time. Switching to that "away" mode still keeps the water warm, but will not use the energy it takes to keep a tank full of piping-hot water. Enjoy your vacation even more, knowing that you're saving money and reducing your footprint.

8.    Unplug it!

Unplug appliances that you don't use frequently. Most electronics have a standby mode that siphons energy even when not in use. Cell phone chargers, laptops, televisions, stereos — there's a whole list of items that should be unplugged when not in use. Try using a power strip for groups of electronic items. One flick of the switch and it's all off.

9.    Keep your car.

With gas prices seemingly always on the rise, it's tempting to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle. But if your older-model car is in good condition, you're better off keeping it in good running condition. Even hybrids create a big footprint when they're built, so consider driving that old clunker for a little while longer. Also, try more eco-friendly modes of transport when possible, like buses, trains, a bicycle, telecommuting or even walking.

10.    Use cold water.

No, not in the shower… but maybe in the washer. Try using cold water to launder things that don't need to be cleaned in hot or warm water. It takes a lot of energy to heat up water — multiply that by the number of loads, and that's a big footprint. Most major detergent makers sell detergents designed to have the same cleaning power as with regular soap. Try washing mixed loads in cold water, too.

11.    Have the family over.

Family gatherings are a good way to spend some quality time with loved ones, with very little carbon impact. Cooking and entertaining for larger groups is more efficient and, per person, a lot less expensive. And who can put a price on these "carbon freebies"?

 12.    Make time for errands.

A lot of us try to run errands in-between work and other commitments. Try bundling errands together to reduce how far you need to travel. Going back-and-forth to the same part of town on different days to run errands uses more gas than if you planned and did everything in the same area all at once. And if you really want to make it a "carbon freebie," try carpooling and running errands with a buddy.

13.    The Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

It seems like something from a kid's sing-a-long, but sometimes we lose sight of just how much we buy. Try buying less, and reusing and fixing things when you can instead of buying new. And for a lot of people, recycling is as easy as rolling the trash bin to the curb. Just remember to do it at work, too.

This product is fragrance free, biodegradable, non-toxic, skin friendly and has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Design for the Environment Program. It doesn't get more greener that that!

The benefits of having Greenway Carpet Cleaning apply this product to your freshly cleaned carpets, upholstery and area rugs are numerous. Here are some of the advantages:

• Stain-resisting properties are restored to all carpet fibres
• Traffic lanes stay cleaner longer
• Approved safe for children and pets
• Spot and stain removal is easier to clean up
• Abrasion and wear is reduced
• Vacuuming is easier and more efficient
• Superior resistance to soiling
• and Extends the life of your carpet

To celebrate our introduction of this new green product, Greenguard™ stainguard and protector, we are happy to offer 25% OFF any application for the month May!

Greenguard™ Stainguard and Protector

with any Carpet, Area Rug and/or Upholstery Cleaning!

*Be sure to mention this special when you book your cleaning!
**Offer expires May 31st, 2012.

Most homeowners may not be aware that every carpet manufacturer has recommendations for the care and maintenance of carpet. Manufacturers recommend professional carpet cleaning at least once every 18 months; more often for high traffic and heavy soil conditions.

Dirt is a carpet’s worst enemy. Especially microscopic gritty soil, not visual, but present in the carpet, and causing damage with every footstep. Even microscopic soil particles have sharp edges that can cut carpet fibres.

When carpet is walked on, fibres are damaged and come loose. When emptying the bag or canister after vacuuming take note of the amount of “fuzz” mixed in with the dirt. The fuzz is actually the carpet going out the door, one bag at a time.

Carpeting is also the single most effective air filtering system in the home. Outside air is brought into the home through open windows and doors, and the HVAC system. It contains an assortment of contaminating particles; including soils, dust, pollen, bacteria, and other allergens. Like any other filter, carpet must be cleaned to remain effective.

When air is stilled inside the house structure, gravity settles the particles into the carpet. While food and beverage spills are the most visible types of soiling, it is the unseen settled soil particles that “kill” a carpet years before its time.

 Which Method is Best?

 What is the best way to clean carpet? Today’s technology has yielded various methods as well as a specialized carpet cleaning machine for administering each. One of the most popular methods is using DIY carpet extractor machines – widely available for rental in grocery stores, or for consumer purchase in department stores. However, this method is usually a poor choice for several reasons.

Most rental or home machines have their “brand name” carpet cleaning solution for purchase. Since it is the untrained general public who use this type of machine, results can vary dramatically.

In order to effectively rinse away soap residue, cleaning should be followed by a hot water rinse. Unfortunately, rental and home machines put a lot of moisture into the carpet; their vacuum power is not sufficient to effectively extract it. This results in a mix of soil, detergent and water, all left in the carpet. The only point of detergent it to loosen the soil off of the fibre, allowing for extraction. Without this key step, you're actually worse off than before.

An over-saturated carpet takes days to dry. Over-saturated carpet can fall victim to mold and mildew. Carpet backing can de-laminate, resulting in premature death of the carpet. And damp carpet promotes quick re-soiling in traffic areas.

The best bet for prudent homeowners is to take advantage of the services of a trained professional, using commercial carpet cleaning equipment. There is the traditional steam cleaning option, and there are also various low moisture methods of professional carpet cleaning available.

While some homeowners may balk at professional carpet cleaning prices, professional carpet care services are well worth the investment; insuring many years of attractiveness, durability, and extended carpet life.

Here at Greenway we are neurotic about recycling – we have specific bins that we use to recycle everything from paper, soft and hard plastic, Styrofoam, chemical jugs, foil lined paper, packaging, etc. Almost nothing goes into the garbage. Even broken brass fittings from our solution lines are collected and recycled. In fact, we only produce one regular garbage can of non-recyclable waste in an average 30 day period. Really what it boils down to is just being organized and having a place to put each recyclable product.

What are you doing to do to decrease your carbon footprint?

For removing cat and dog hair from upholstery in your house and car, use a rubber glove. Gloves with a raised grip work even better. Put the glove on and run it under the tap to make it wet then shake off excess moisture. Run your fingers over the pet hair on your furniture in short scraping strokes. You will find that the hair is easily removed and it is especially easy to get into nooks and crannies and areas down the back of your sofa.

You can also use a dampened sponge. Rub the sponge in a downward motion over your chairs, cushions and car upholstery.

Pet stores carry specially made tools for removing cat hair including rubber rakes, pet hair removal sponges and pet hair magnets.

Pet hair rollers are another solution. They are a small hand held roller which come supplied with disposable perforated sheets of sticky paper. The idea is to roll the pet roller over the area of pet hair and the hair sticks to the sticky paper.

A similar method of removing dog and cat hair is to wrap packing or duct tape around your hand, sticky side facing out and pat this over the furniture or car seats.

Rub a clothes-dryer fabric-softener sheet over the pet hair. The softener in the sheet makes it easy to pick up the hair.

A lint brush brushed one way only over fabrics is also useful for removing cat hair.

How to Remove Pet Hair from Carpets

Rubber brooms can be used on stubborn hairs. The rubber bristles work with static electricity and the cat hairs just seem to jump on to the brush. Another method is sweeping with a stiff bristle brush before vacuuming.

If time and energy are not a problem to you, you can go over your carpet with a rubber glove or damp sponge to remove the hairs.

Tips for Dogs

You can vacuum the dog! Really. You can teach your dog to enjoy being vacuumed. It's best to start doing this while the puppy is young but you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. Its a great way to get rid of the dog hair before it hits the carpet. Use the small brush attachment tool and massage it over your dog. They really do grow to love it.

Buy a New Vacuum Cleaner

You might want to invest in a new vacuum cleaner. Dyson make a specially designed vacuum cleaner that removes animal hair called the Dyson Animal. It may be a difficult decision to buy an expensive vacuum cleaner but if you are a pet lover and you are likely to have cats or dogs in the house for most of your life then the initial cost could be money well spent to save you from the 'pet hair blues'.

How to Remove Pet Hair from Clothing

All of the above methods for removing pet hair from furniture can used to remove hair from clothing. Another handy hint is to put the item of clothing in the clothes dryer for 20 minutes. The lint filter should remove the problem.

Low Shedding Dogs

There are a number of dog breeds that shed very little. I'm not suggesting that you replace your current dog with one of these breeds but it is something you might wish to give some thought to in the future.

We are now a WoolSafe^® Approved Service Provider!

Our customers have trusted us to care for their fine carpets and rugs since 1993. It is an honour for us to finally join this fine organization of wool carpet and rug care experts from around the world. Just so you know, before being accepted into the network, WoolSafe^® Service Providers sign a code of professional ethics and use WoolSafe^® certified products in their cleaning practices.

By hiring a WoolSafe^® certified firm, you can be assured of receiving the very best cleaning service that the industry has to offer.

with FREE pick up & delivery on Area Rug cleaning.

**Be sure to mention this special when you book your cleaning!
**Offer expires April 30th, 2012.

Below are the online warranties for two major carpet producers.

Shaw Carpets  (click here)            Mohawk Carpets (click here)

Is yours buried in your closet somewhere?

The Gemstone Rug

Owned by Kathryn Bonnano, the rug was created in France over the course of a decade, from 1980-1990 and boasts dimensions of slightly more than a meter by 60 cm. The rug includes 1,242 diamonds, 4,580 emeralds, 1,888 rubies, 8,428 blue sapphires, 12,988 pink sapphires, and 9,668 yellow sapphires. All told, the rug contains a total of 14,000 carats of precious stones.

For five years, gemstones from all over the world were gathered, polished, and cut to fit the rug's design. It took another five years to complete the complicated setting process, which required the highest expertise to place the gemstones in their exact places in the design. In addition, the rug's surface had to be smooth and the stones were accordingly adjusted to give the rug a coherent look and pleasant feel.

Fulll View – Gemstone Rug                  Close Ups

All the gemstones set in the rug are oval-shaped and measure 6 X 4 cm. The brilliant cut diamonds were set using prongs, a method common in bracelets. Tassels of gold chain were also created for the rug.

Close Up of Gemstone Rug

After its completion, the prayer rug was sent to the Gubelin Gem Lab in Switzerland to be inspected and certified, where a random one percent of the stones in the rug were analyzed. The gemological analysis required special preparation and the microscope that was used was assembled on a metal rod that could move over the various parts of the rug, while another rod held the rug up from below.

Holy Cow!!