Living in the dusty desert keeps the craving for a clean car running high, but car washing can get costly and doing it yourself in the driveway can cost valuable resources lost to the storm drain.  So how about a “waterless” car wash?  eco touch is a car wash in a bottle.  Simply spray it on and wipe it off… saving the normal 50 to 100-plus gallons of water it takes for a hose-and-bucket wash… with no sudsy chemicals washed into the gutter.  The concept is not new - starting in Australia several decades ago, where drought

and water restrictions are a way of life on the arid continent - but the products were often made with toxic ingredients like kerosene!

eco touch is made from plants like coconut, corn and palm.  No harmful chemicals and makers say their magic spray won’t scratch your car’s paint when used with a soft microfiber towel.     

eco touch developer Anne Ruozzi says, “When you spray the forumla it releases the dirt from the surface so it loosens them up. And a microfiber towel is essential to the process.”  She says the formula has water-based polymers so it leaves behind a very smooth finish so that repels dust and also promotes beading when it rains.  So the more you clean it with a waterless car wash - the longer it lasts clean.

eco touch is made in the U.S.A. and is getting endorsements from the green prduct industry. Their biggest market right now is California because of tight water restrictions, but they are selling in 20 countries around the world.  eco touch also markets their portable low-pressure sprayer for high-volume jobs like mobile wash-detailing businesses and companies with fleet vehicles.  It’s faster, but again - no wasted water running in the street and down the gutter.  The unit is electric with one charge lasting every 60 gallons. 

For individuals, a 24-oz. bottle costs $9.95 - or less - and is good for about 4 to 6 washes, depending on the size of your vehicle.  The products are available on-line for now at eco touch, amazon.com & detailing.com, but they are talking to local Las Vegas retailers so you may see the eco-conscious car care products in stores soon.

Gas bills are running high, so finding ways to save on your bill <and> put cash back into your bank account is smart.  Especially if you’re in the market for a new gas applicance like a washer, dryer or water heater.  One word: rebate!

Southwest Gas is offering cash back when you buy qualifying models of Energy-Star and energy-efficient models of gas washers, dryers, water heaters and tankless water heaters from now through the end of November 2011.  Even some programmable thermostats and low-flow showerheads have money-back incentives.  Of course the larger the applicance, the bigger the rebate.  The conservation rebates save you money when you buy the appliance, and the energy efficient equipment helps save money on your gas bill from then on. 

The rebates do come with rules.  So it’s best to go on-line and check out the requirements before you go shopping.  The main one is that because Southwest Gas is offering the rebates, you must be a SW Gas customer and the equipment will be installed and used in your home.  Unless you’re a builder, then that’s a different set of rebate rules.  Check it out.

The list of name brands is super long, so chances are you’ll find an appliance you like that will qualify for the rebate.  Even if you’re not ready to head to the appliance store today, do some research and be prepared.  So when the hot water heater does blow, or the washer does go kaput - you’ve had time to pick out the appliances you would buy when the time comes and you won’t have to make a panic purchase!  Print the list and take it with you when you’re shopping to see if the model you like qualifies for the rebate.  You have until November 2011 - or until the program money runs out - whichever comes first.  So hopefully you’ve got time to make a plan to save money!

If you’re finally getting around to putting up those holiday lights, and you want a change - you might consider energy-saving LED lights this year.  If you’ve already priced them, you know they cost more - sometimes twice as much - but why?  The answers could save you money long after the holidays pass us by. 

Light-emitting diode - or L-E-D lights - are constructed from tiny solid-state chips which convert electricity to light without the use of a filament or glass bulb.  Without the filament, there is nothing in the bulb to “burn out” and there’s very little heat produced… unlike the incandescent bulb, where roughly 90% of the electricity used by the bulb goes to heat that’s produced by the bulb.   

So because LEDs don’t produce heat, they use 90-99% less energy than regular holiday lights, but the technology makes them burn up to 10 times brighter.  They are also safer because they are cooler to the touch, hence cooler to whatever surface you string them to or wrap them around, and they practically last forever!  LEDs have a 50,000-plus hour bulb likfe outdoors - and indoors it can be up to 100,000 hours or longer!  Provided the dog or cat doesn’t chew on them between treats.

Incandescent mini-lights use 10 times more energy than LED minis, and the larger ones use 100 times the energy of the LED version of the same size.  So, here’s the real payoff.  A household using a string of 1000 LED lights for 6 hours a days spends only 50 cents a month to power them.  While the same number of regular mini-lights would cost about $5 a month in electricity and the larger C7s or C9s would run up an extra $50 or more on your monthly power bill. 

And here’s another bonus, when and IF one of the LED bulbs does go out, the rest of the string stays lit, unlike the old kind where you have to endlessly search each and every little socket until you find the faulty bulb!  I know you hate that as much as I do!  To me - that’s worth the extra money right there.  What a bright idea for the holidays!

Computers and other electronics are some of the biggest energy hogs in our homes and offices.  So anything that helps recude your power use is worth taking a look at and maybe giving it a try.

The EcoButton is a handy little power-saving gadget that sits quietly beside the keyboard to help remind you to save electricity when you step away from your computer.And it’s really simple to use.  It plugs into a USB port and then the L-E-D glowing disc sits on the desktop and waits for you to give it a press when you’re taking a break. 

The EcoButton website takes you through the easy install steps and includes a power consumption screen where you input the wattage of your computer, the size of monitor and the price per kw of electricity to help calculate your energy savings.

While most computers have a stand-by mode, the EcoButton takes your computer down to a deeper energy savings without totally shutting down your computer; it’s called S3 sleep state.  The beauty of that is when you’re ready for lunch or to slip away from your computer for awhile, just press the EcoButton and your computer takes a snooze without losing the work that’s open on your screen.  When you return press any key on your keyboard and the computer refreshes - right where you left off and you’re ready to work again in seconds.  Cool. 

The nifty gadget costs about $20 and the maker says it can save you up to $100 a year on your power bill - depending on how often you remember to use it.  The EcoButton works with Windows 2000, XP and Vista programs.  It is not Mac compatible yet, but they’re working on one.  And you must have the hibernate mode available on your computer for the EcoButton to work.  I couldn’t find it readily available at U.S. retailers, but you can get it on-line.  Here are some sites I found - other than EcoButton.  If you find it in stores - let us all know.  It might make a great stocking stuffer for the holidays!

It looks like a puffed up Alka Seltzer tablet BEFORE it becomes a moistened paper towelette.  It’s called the Ec’o Towel (not a typo - “Ec’o” is the right spelling of this product) and I think you’ll be amazed at how a few drops of water can produce a handy little wipe in a matter of seconds. (See demo.)  Pour a few drops of water on this hydrolic-processed thick nickel-sized pellet - and voila! - it grows into this moistened 10″x8″ handy wipe, ready for use to clean up whatever you’ve got - wherever you are!  I loved it.

The Eco’o Towel was discovered by a woman named Gertrude, who thought it was a fantastic product that could help clean up our footprint on the planet by cutting back on using paper towels, napkins, wipes, etc.  The little white wipe is 99% lint-free and it’s totally reusable.  You can wash it and use it again… and again.  When you do throw it away, it’s bio-degradable so it breaks down in the landfill. 

The towel is darn convenient, too.  You can carry it in your purse, your pocket, the briefcase, a lunch kit, the golf bag or the diaper bag.  I think the price is affordable for the convenience; $4.95 for a 10-pak and $8.95 for 24.  Check out Gertrude’s website for ordering and some other nifty products.  She also carries bio-degradable doggie poop bags and kitty litter pan liners by Bio-Bag.  Neat stuff to keep our planet a little cleaner.

It’s Green Consumer Day and it may be a good time to reflect on our buying habits.  Many of us consider ourselves to be eco-conscious, but are we true eco-consumers?  Do you consider the resources used to make a product before you buy it,  and even if you knew - would it change your buying habits? 

A recent video called, “The Story of Stuff” shares a theory on how consumerism is stuffing our eco-awareness away in the closet, while we go do more shopping.  The video was produced by a group called, ”The Story of Stuff Project” and definitely has strong political views of how our buying of stuff has spun out of control.  Whether you agree with the point of view or not - just watching this video did make me think about how voracious our appetites for stuff has become and how readily available more and more stuff is all the time.   

And could we really change the cycle of the way stuff is produced, consumed and disposed of simply by demanding earth-friendly products from manufacturers and retailers and becoming more vigilant in reusing and recycling our own stuff?   I may not agree with everything in the video - but I sure wanted to clean out my garage after watching it!

Eco-products for our furry friends can be hard to find, but I managed to track some down at the SuperZoo pet convention this week at the Mandalay Bay.  If you ever doubt how people splurge on their pets - you should go to one of these pet product shows!

Grooming products are always in demand.  One company, called Earthbath, puts out bio-degradeable and chemical-free pet shampoos, lotions, potions and wipes.  The products are people-tested and cruelty-free (although having a poodle-doo can be cruel, ha ha.)

Natural shampoos with ingredients like tea-tree oil, eucaplytus and peppermint and tango mango help moisturize dry skin and give your pooch a nice shiny coat.  Their oatmeal flavor is the best for itchy or sensitive skin.  There’s even a conditioner and bubbly cleanser for kitties made from cherries.  Meowwww.

No time for a dunk in the tub, Earthbath has a variety of flavored spritzes to spruce up your pup’s fur and get the stink off until you get them in the bath.  All natural wipes are great between baths, too and super for the St. Bernard drooler in your house.  (You can even keep them around when your hubby’s watching the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders this weekend on TV)  ha ha!  They also have ear and eye wipes - cool.  They’re the same ones the San Francisco Zoo uses on their new baby gorilla. 

But maybe some of the best earth-friendly items I found at the show are made by a company called, West Paw Design, out of Bozeman, MT.  They have some cool eco-toys for dogs and cats that are made with various amounts of pre-consumer and post-product waste and are totally recyclable.  There’s the Tux, the Zisc, and the new Bumi (pronounced boomie) and when your dog is finished chewing and tearing them up - you can send them back to the company where they are ground up and used to make new toys!  Priced at $10 to $15.  Neat.  There are fluffy kitty toys, too, made from recycled plastic bottles.  Huh?  Purr-fectly safe for your pet.

The Renitz doggie sweater is made in the U.S. from 100% reclaimed cotton.  No pesticides, no dyes.  They’re adorable and the small runs $34.  And an awesome pet bed - called the Eco Nap - is made with a neat material called, “Intelliloft” that are fibers made from recycled plastic soda bottles.  The tags on each item tells you how many bottles were recycled to make the product.  Now that’s eco-cool.  And I LOVE their website.  Great pictures and explanations of products and shows pets <with> the products.  Plus they have prices on everything.  You’ll have to show some restraint in spending because you’ll want to buy it all.

Have you ever heard of a “smencil?”  Me neither.  You can’t eat it, but wait ’til you smell one!  Cotton candy, root beer, cinnamon, and very berry, to name few flavors.  You can find them at a really cool earth-friendly website called, “Stubby Pencil Studio.” 

Kate Rosenthal started the site about 3 years ago, when her twin daughters were two years old.  She wanted to find safe, eco-alternatives for art supplies for her girls.  She started with adorable Color ‘n Kids note cards - printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper and cholorine free!  And things took off from there.  Before she knew it - she found items like Beeswax crayons, Banana paper notebooks and monkey pencils.  What a wonderful menagerie of eviro-conscious creative stuff for kids!

There are things like O’Bon pencils, made from 100% recycled newspapers with rainbow and wildlife patterns.  Who knew you could roll old newspaper into pencils?  (Jeans into carpet was an eye-opener for me.)  But this is fantastic!  Then you take a great idea like that and make it even better by adding yummy smells like chocolate, watermelon or peppermint - and you have one gourmet-licious writing utensil.  They’re affordable, too; a set of five costs $5.95.  The peppermint Smart Smencils actually enhance your kids’ learning power by stimulating their concentration.  Seriously - research says peppermint is a great brain booster and kids who smell it - get better test scores!  That school tool gets an A+!

A must for little kids - is crayons, of course!  Don’t you have about a thousand of them all over the house and under the backseat of the car?  Well, Stubby Pencil Studio carries crayons so cool that I bet the kids will keep them in a safe place to use over and over again.  Soy crayons by Prang, don’t flake like regular petroleum wax color sticks and are made with pure soybean oil.  Eight crayons for just $1.00 - that’s very affordable.  And crayons made out of beeswax and vegetable oils with natural pigments for color?  What a honey of an idea.

Check out all the earth-friendly ideas for your budding artists - and YOU - at Stubby Pencil Studio.  (I didn’t even get to the Banana, Coffee and Tobacco fiber papers and notebooks.)  It’s a whole new world of green creative fun!  P.S. Kate says she can ship within 2-3 business days.  Yipee.  I can almost taste my grape smencil now!

You have to search store shelves and the web for eco-alternative school supplies - but they are out there!  Most of the time - but not always - they are a little more expensive.  Here’s what I found.

At office supply stores - like Office Depot and Office Max - I found laser printer paper made with 30% post-consumer waste, 100% recycled filler paper, and pencils made with 100% sustainable wood instead of wood harvested from rainforests.  Office Max also carries Fellowes brand mouse pads which are made from 100% recycled rubber.  Both carry the At-A-Glance notebook and desk calendars that are 100% recycled paper.  They carry EcoVue 3-ring binders that are made from 70% post-consumer waste and are 100% biodegradable.  And on their clearance shelf - I found pens made corn, recycled pencils and colored pencils and coffee paper - both stores carry Post-It notes with 30% to 100% recycled content.  At Office Depot, I also found Pentel RSVP pens made with about 60% recycled plastic.

I didn’t find much of anything really eco-smart at Target, except a nice contemporary 3-ring binder by The Greenroom.  It’s made from 100% recycled fiberboard and printed with soy-based ink.  Smart.

How about glue?  You can find washable, non-toxic glue by Elmer’s and other off-brands.  But it’s still far from enviro-friendly.  On treehugger.com, I found a totally natural paste and glue stick made in Italy by Coccoina.  It’s almond paste and tastes like marzipan - for those little paste-eaters in your house!  Only $3 for the glue stick.  That’s much cheaper than a visit to the emergency room!

Ever since an Idaho college student prepared a thesis paper saying toxins were released from frozen or extra hot water bottles, there has been controversy over the safety of drinking water from plastic bottles left in extreme temperatures.   According to the FDA, the research for that paper was poorly done with some bad results.  But between the media and the internet e-mails, the so-called study spread false fears throughout the world.

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