Liz Kulig of Hasbrouck Heights thinks a clean environment should be a green environment.

So when Liz and her co-workers spiff up your home, they use organic, bio-degradable, vegetable-based cleaners.  No chemicals, nothing that will cause skin irritations, or trigger sensitivities in pets and children.

Liz’s special mission started two years ago when cancer struck close to home. She  began learning about the benefits of a diet of organic food, and lots of exercise. Plus, she educated herself about toxins in the house.

“I (also) learned that the air inside my house is at least 5 times more contaminated then the air outside!” Liz wrote us.  “And sometimes, due to the usage of household cleaners, the air in my home may be even 100 times worse than the air outside!”

And so, Eco Green Home, -- Liz’s company—was born.

At the end of one of the cleaning sessions, you’ll be able to inhale your room air without worrying about toxic residue.  The cleaners leave behind a sachet filled with lavender. Sometimes, they burn natural oils when they clean.

Liz attended a session on aroma therapy at a Pennsylvania spa. “The idea came to me, that if I’m using odor-free cleaners, I can offer my clients aromatherapy during the service, so they get that refreshing, and healthy, fragrance when they open the door coming home, “ she wrote.

Eco Green Home charges $25 per hour, and services North Jersey. Most average 3 bedroom homes take 3-4 hours. The green cleaning supplies are included. You can reach them at (201) 694-1350 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

When the job is finished, the cleaners leave a piece of organic chocolate on the bed pillow. Liz thinks the service is “hotel-worthy.”

You—and your house -- will be healthier when they are finished.

Want a greener home? Think about wrapping it in bark.

Not so unusual in other parts of the country, but rarely seen in our neck of the woods… bark siding looks great, and signals that you are serious about recycling.

Spectrum Construction and Development (www.spectrum-construction.com) is completing the remodeling on what is believed to be the first house in the state with bark siding.  The pristine three bedroom home on Lake Mohawk in Sparta was purchased by a Jersey City woman as  a weekend retreat.

“It ties right into the existing renovation. There’s a lot of stone and logs, she thought it (the bark) would compliment the natural beauty of the stone”, says Spectrum President Don Dyrness.  

The bark is snipped off when poplar trees are cut down for lumber. It is dried and cut into siding. The material is more costly, but lasts up to eighty years without any maintenance, like staining or painting. And when it is finally replaced, the bark can be ground into mulch, so it is fully recyclable!

Dyrness says green products are becoming more important to his customers. Energy efficiency and sustainability have become the biggest selling points for exterior  and interior materials. In keeping with the natural theme, the bark house has a sink made from a carved tree trunk.

You can read about bark siding at www.barkhouse.com. We think Sparta’s bark house will be the first of many. Good ideas have a way of branching out.