Reduce Your Household Water Use Efficiently

Reduce Your Household Water Use

Reducing household water usage has big-time benefits for both homeowners and for the environment: reducing strain on local water resources, cutting demand on wastewater treatment facilities, and lowering both water and sewage utility bills, to name a few. Although this is by no means an exhaustive list, we’ve put together a collection of water-saving tips… [Continue Reading]

AeroGarden: Easy, Efficient Indoor Gardening

Aerogarden: Aeroponics Kit

In 2004, MetaEfficient.com pre-reviewed the AeroGrow aeroponics growing system. That was before the system was released. A couple of years ago, you couldn’t cut on your TV without seeing an ad for AeroGrow indoor gardening systems. It isn’t as ubiquitously advertised now, but it hasn’t disappeared from the market. In fact, five years after its… [Continue Reading]

The Most Efficient Humidifier: Areca Palm

Areca Palm: Best Indoor Humidifier

It’s important to keep indoor humidity at an optimum level (45 to 65 percent). Dry air in the winter  is one the main causes of sinus infections and sore throats. You can use a mechanical humidifier to add moisture to the air, but these devices require constant cleaning to prevent the growth of microorganisms. An… [Continue Reading]

Efficient Repurposing: Twist & Spout

Here’s a way to reuse virtually any soda or water bottle with a screw-on cap. It’s called the Twist & Spout, and it comes in two varieties. Use the Garden style to create a watering can. Use the Kitchen style to make those two-liter soda bottles easy to handle. A set of two is available… [Continue Reading]

MetaEfficient: Microgreens

Growing microgreens is a metaefficient way to have attractive, flavorful greens available for salads and garnishes. Top class restaurants use freshly cut microgreens to liven up their dishes. Microgreens are tiny plants, no more than 8 to 14 days old.

Most Efficient Burn Treatment: Fresh Aloe Vera Gel

The most efficient treatment for burns is: aloe vera gel. Nothing in the world heals burns faster and more effectively. There’s no reason why everyone can’t have access to at least one of these plants, since they are easy to grow indoors. To get best results, the gel must be fresh and undiluted.

Self-Rejuvenating Prehistoric Plant

This plant, the Club Moss (Selaginella Lepidophylla), has been around for 290 million years. It pre-dates the dinosaurs, and survived through their destruction, it also made it through the ice age and continues to thrive to this day in the 21st century. It can dry up and hibernate for as long as 50 years at… [Continue Reading]

Most Efficient Filtering Plant: Boston Fern

The Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) — it’s the plant that’s the most efficient at removing formaldehyde (the most common indoor air pollutant). See our post on How To Grow Fresh Air for more information.

An Intelligent Indoor Plant Light

It’s great to brighten up a cold winter day by growing plants under lights indoors. This device aims to make indoor growing easier. It has a grow light (a full-spectrum 9-watt fluorescent), and the lamp turns on and off every day, simulating the changing length of days with the passing seasons. The Intelligent Plant Grow… [Continue Reading]

Upside-Down Tomato Garden

This curious planter takes the toil out of tomatoes by elevating the planting bed so vines grow downward. The hanging vines need almost no attention as tomatoes ripen in the air (not on the ground) where they won’t rot. Complementary plants like basil, parsley, rosemary, and peppers can be planted on top, which holds up… [Continue Reading]