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The New GREEN STAGING CHECKLIST - Please add on!

CALL FOR IDEAS TO CREATE THE GREEN STAGING CHECKLIST.

I would like to use this incredibly powerful forum to begin amassing a checklist for GREEN Staging. What are all the ways that the staging process can stay or become GREEN? The goal is to both protect the environment AND protect the indoor air quality of the home, helping the planet and ensuring the health of future occupants. I would love to hear from you.

Here is a STARTER GREEN STAGING CHECKLIST, in no particular order:

Use Non-Toxic Paint. Please see my earlier blog Environmentally Friendly Staging for more information.

Recycle clutter and trash.

Use high efficiency lightbulbs.

Give every homeowner a gift copy of the book My House Is Killing Me by Jeffrey May BEFORE they start work on their home. Please see details in my earlier blog Responsible Staging - Safe Indoor Air Quality.

Completely seal all heating and AC vents BEFORE ANY work is done in the home that could stir up particulates or fumes -- lead dust, sanding of floors, sealing of floors, even painting. I was shocked to learn FROM EXPERTS that, no matter who you hire, you can never entirely clean out the HVAC system once particulates and other matter has been sucked in and circulated.

Avoid all air fresheners and plug in scents. Not only are they questionable for indoor air quality, many people are allergic to them. Thanks to Judith Clausen for that reminder!

Use non-toxic lawn chemicals.

Before dealing with ANY MOLD PROBLEMS, consult an expert. Many times, people make the problem FAR WORSE, by tearing into moldy dry wall and releasing harmful mold spores into the air (and again, circulating them through the house via the force hot air heating and cooling system.)

Urge anyone replacing heating systems to AVOID FORCED HOT AIR. It is the enemy of any individual suffering from allergies and asthma, and it is my firm belief that its popularity explosion since the energy crisis in the 70's is a primary contributor to the dramatic rise in asthma rates among children.

Ok, that's it for starters. Please add on!

Lisa

Posted by Lisa Kauffman Tharp - BostonHomeStaging.com on 01/26/2007 02:50 AM

Comments (37)

green staging, environmental responsibility, indoor air quality

37 Comments on The New GREEN STAGING CHECKLIST - Please add on!

JAN

2007

Lisa this is really sound advice, I agree that the force air is a big part of the indoor air problem many are facing.

Lisa, this is the first I have heard of forced hot air being a problem. I am from California and do not know of any other kind of heat for a house.

Hi Lisa,

Great idea to encourage GREEN Staging! I love it! I personally am trying to go Green in our household, and I'm almost rid of all chemicals in our home - I've switched to natural and environmentally friendly products. I also plan to dedicate a page on my website with ways to encourage others to go Green.

Whaddya think of this idea:

I am currently in the process of finding/researching shelters in my area for women and children fleeing violent homes....the shelters are always in need of all sorts of things, like clothes, housewares, furniture, baby/children toys, books, etc.....pretty much everything, since they are helping people begin their new life, starting over again with nothing - since many times they are literally fleeing with nothing but the clothes that they are weariing.

There's so much stuff that gets "pitched/donated/recycled", etc. when someone is decluttering - why not send it to a shelter? Many of them have their own volunteers who do pick-ups too!

I really hope that this catches on, because there is SO MUCH STUFF out there to give! I'm sure that our clients would love to be able to help someone else too!

Happy Staging!

Pamela Lachance

Lisa,

Great post. I would add to the list by saying that cleaning products are often very toxic. I had to give up using my handy disposable mop system when I discovered that the solution contained formaldehyde! Not good for pets and humans.

Shaklee has complete line of non toxic, organic, and green cleaning products. I am not selling these products so I feel free to endorse them. If you have not tried the Basic H, you should. It does everything you can imagine. It works by making water more liquid if you can grasp that. That is to say things such as paint come off your hands much easier if you have rubbed on a little bit of the stuff prior to painting. It is good for all sorts of cleaning and stain removal. I am sure others know of other companies devoted to Green.

All great tips! And the addition of donating to a shelter is just an added bonus. There's no better feeling than helping others!

For those people with inventory, buy USED! Not only is it good for your wallet, it's good for the environment. We have the great opportunity of keeping used furniture from the landfill if we just get a little creative. An old beat up table can be covered with a nice tablecloth, and no one will ever know the difference!

JAN

2007

use non toxic cleaners and organic products if possible!

and i second the "recycling" of things. keep things out of landfills!

cheers,

cindy

i love staging and all things staging!

i stage to sell, live & work in san francisco bay area

www.staged4more.com

http://stagingtipsandmore.blog.com

Thanks for your comment, Sheron.

You are among the vast majority when you say that you did not realize that forced hot air is a problem for folks with allergies and asthma. Unlike passive heating systems, such as radiant, or good old fashioned hot water baseboards and radiator heat, forced hot air is BLOWING, which means that ANY ALLERGEN TRIGGERS - DUST, DANDER, MOLDS, PARTICULATES, CIGARETTE SMOKE, VOCS, POLLENS - and OTHERS are constantly made AIRBORNE and are CIRCULATING around the house, to be inhaled by the occupants. For those without sensitivities, this is no problem. For those unfortunate to have sensitivities, which are millions of adults and children, this can be a BIG BIG problem. Furthermore, the blowing air is hot, which can add to dryness in the air. Humidity levels can be another trigger for asthmatics in particular. Too hot, and asthma flares. Too much humidity (when overhumidifying to combat the dryness), molds develop and again, asthma flares.

Unfortunately, forced hot air has become the standard in most newer construction, and yet, if there is ANYTHING problematic in your home, it can and will become airborne and circulate throughout the house. For example, even if allergy-prone people keep pets out of their bedroom, the dander is circulating throughout the house.

Have you ever stayed in a non-smoking room of a hotel, and yet still get that smoky air feeling? Blame the HVAC system. Its circulating that same smoking-room air into yours.

Lisa

Pamela and Ann. Great tips! We must all encourage recycling and reuse, even of larger household items such as refrigerators and furniture. Keep the used out of the landfills, and reduce all the impacts of manufacturing of new items.

James - I will check out Shaklee. Thanks for the heads up.

Lisa

JAN

2007

Great idea!

I also use non-toxic cleaning products and air fresheners.

I advocate donating unwanted furniture household items and clothing to charities.

JAN

2007

Great list I've got a couple of extras.

1) Use VOC free paint, there's a difference

2) If possible don't use carpet of any kind. The American Heart Association / American Lung Association also recommend no carpet. If you do put in new 'healthy' carpet check to see they are using VOC adhesives.

3) Use vinagar or other Earth friendly products (Simple Green) to clean the house.

4) Have a place for recyclables.

5) Research your house plants, some are air cleaners some polute the air.

JAN

2007

Another part of "green" staging is being aware of pet odors -- There is nothing worse than walking into a home and the clients stating they have to get out because of pet odors -- This is especially true with punget cat odors -- This also is a problem with the litter box that has not been cleaned -- or a multi-cat family. It is difficult to believe the homeowners are not aware of the odor, but the buyers notice these things right away and they are real turnoffs.Also, some homes with pet have carpets that carry the odors -- and the homeowner's are not even aware of how that may affect others. It is good to get a good carpet cleaning prior to putting the home on the market.

The other odor that bothers people a lot is the "musty" smelling basement -- where there has been an air freshner sprayed to mask the smell - it usually doesn't fool anyone. It is best to get to the source of the problem and correct it.

Joan

JAN

2007

Good List. Glad you care enough to blog about it.

This is a great list!! This is something that I hadn't though too much about. I try to do my best to recycle items again and again. Thanks to these great tips I will be more alert about it.

FEB

2007

I love Simple Green. It's an all-purpose, biodegradable cleaner widely available. Not only is it environmentally friendly, but it does a great job! I keep it with my home staging staples as well as use it for my own home cleaning.

I also try to support a local non-profit store second-hand store called Boomerang. It is where I bring most charitable donations but I have also found lots of wonderful home accessories, especially glass vases, for cheap prices. In addition, I have purchased from them wonderful photo books ("coffee table" books), cut out the prints and framed them as a source of cheap artwork for staging homes.

Hope this helps

Lori

www.room-to-improve.com

FEB

2007

When recycling, be sure not to recycle refridgerators, don't give them away for someone else to use. In Utah, our electricity provider will pick them up, pay you $40 for them and recycle them 100%. Just a note here....

You can also get staging items via Freecycle and Craigslist, thus giving them a life extension so they don't end up in the landfill.

MAR

2007

Now a days most of the people was suffering with Attention Deficit disorder.
They are facing terrible problems with this disorder's. I have found an amazing web site
which will help them to get relief from all the problems like ADD,ADHD, adult & child ADD.
I'll suggest them to go through this site.<a href="http://www.instantaddsuccess.com/public/department37.cfm">ADD Friendly Systems</a>

PLANTS.. Look for indoor air quality with plants. be SURE they are NOT toxic to your pets, though. I wrote an article about that. Will try to find it and send it over to you.

MAR

2007

I have also read that the plug-in scents are major fire hazards! Another good reason to avoid them.

I forgot to add that in addition to being a huge fan of compact fluorescent light bulbs, I have also discovered the joys of motion sensor switches, which turn lights on only when you enter the room, and turn them off automatically when you leave. I installed one in our laundry room (my wife always left the lights on). My wife was skeptical initially, but now loves it because she doesn't even have to switch on the lights when she enters the room. About a minute after she leaves and voila, out they go!

Dont forget - when replacing flooring to use a sustainable flooring -- Bamboo !

MAR

2007

Lisa...Looking forward to your entry into the GREEN is Red Hot Contest. Look for contest winners beginning March 15th! G O O D L U C K!

Tag your article GREEN AWARENSS , OK?

MAR

2007

Lisa,

I just heard about this website on the "Today" show and thought it might interest you. It is full of a huge assortment of environmentally friendly products:

http://www.gaiam.com

enjoy,

Lori

JUN

2007

Great information. thanks for raising awareness. As someone who suffers chronic sinus infections I do try to apply the basic strategies, but there is so much to learn and so much more we can do to improve our home environment. Thanks, Rhonda

Fantastic post, Lisa!

Pamela: great idea with the local domestic violence shelters. Before starting my Home Staging business I was a children's counselor at a local DV shelter and did outreach in our community. The majority of families coming through the shelter are in GREAT need of clothing, furnishings, personal items, etc. Obviously the shelters are in a confidential location, but the agency will offer an alternative drop off location for donations. In addition, some DV agencies have a thrift store where they will take donations. Families in the shelter get free vouchers for shopping for needed items AND the store is open to the public, thus bringing in much needed funds for DV services.

VOC paints: love them! I previously wrote a blog about Benjamin Moore's AURA paint. It's not readily available in all states, but I've also found Safecoat paints & primers.

A great book to look into is Better Basics For The Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living. You can find simple remedies for household cleaners etc.. I also like the idea for giving a book like this as a gift to a client.

I would suggest looking at local retailers. We have a local store called Healthy Home where you can buy Green products: paints, flooring, bedding, cleaning supplies etc. Support these retailers and encourage others to shop there as well.

Another idea is to use Green products as staging props. I use natural spa products in bathrooms; you can also use towels made from Bamboo....etc.

Capturing this nitch market with green staging is a great idea. Using materials, accessories & furniture in and outside of the home to promote a greener style of living is something that everyone can learn from.

Excellent post! Very timely.

JUL

2007

Fantastic start to a huge need- Awareness the list is great from simple green to bamboo The old gravity heat of my 1st home built in 1918 was the best one ever.

We moved to a home built in 1963 in November. We had sniffles too long and I hired an air quality specialist. Scott Trimmingham in Torrance. Environmental Aire. The solution was simple..for us

instead of all windows closed...open them up a crack even in the winter and get some fresh air in

To recirculate the old air just gets...old.

Lynne Pope

Realtor, Redondo Beach

DEC

2007

Lisa, Congratualtions on your post being picked for the best of 2007 Excellent list esp re: Air fresheners... So many agents or stagers advise homeowners to use these... NO please do not. In addition to making many sick, the chemicals will stick and permeate everything including sheetrock and the smell will never go away! Same thing for many of the scented candles. It is indoor pollution that will stick around forever!

Amway has been around with non sudsing soaps....environmentally clean

And my old gravity furnace was my all time favorite. Now I know why

My main tip for all to really listen to is this.......crack open a window to get real air in...

the old stagnant air needs to have new air put in just like a river needs fresh water in to keep it flowing

Do that crack of fresh air every day...it makes a world of difference...to wellness in winter

Lynne Pope

Manager Remax Palos Verdes Execs... Manhattan Hermosa and Redondo Beaches....

JAN

2008

Great post lisa - we are incoporating Green Staging into our business methods, practices and products. This is so helpful. Are you creating one grand list? If so, will you repost it when you have it? Thank you.

Kym

SEP

2008

Lisa, thank you so much for this and your other posts about greening your staging practice! I’ve cited this post in the acknowledgements of an exhaustive sustainable staging checklist I created, which is now available in PDF format on my new website’s blog.

http://www.ecodomestica.com/2008/09/11/sustainability-and-staging-an-introduction-and-sustainable-staging-checklist/

Please take a look. I’d love to hear your comments on it.

Warmest regards, Deborah Merriam
ecoDomestica reDesign, Edmonton, AB, Canada

SEP

2008

Just a followup that I now have an ActiveRain proflie set up... Deborah

DEC

MAR

Great ideas Lisa, thank you. I ended up in the Emergency room after using the plug in air freshners. I ended up with severe chest pains and shortness of breath so severe I thought I was having a heart attack.

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