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BANG FOR THE BITE
It takes a bit of elbow grease, but if 10,000 Biters sweep rather than hose their driveways, we'll save the water used by 46 Americans in a year.
COCKTAIL FACT
NASA engineers are working on a laser broom that will sweep space debris out of the path of the International Space Station.
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home › tip library › Cleaning Your Driveway
Is a hose-off worth the run off?
The Bite
Nope. Instead of hosing down your driveway, try sweeping it and putting trash where it belongs, since hosing causes water waste and run off of litter. You gotta oppose the hose...well, sometimes.The Benefits
- Avoiding runoff. Junk that you hose off your driveway can eventually get to waterways.
- Water savings. Hoses use 25 gallons every five minutes.
- Burning calories. You'll burn about 173 cals an hour sweeping versus 86 as a hoser.
Personally Speaking
Jen's ex-BF once chalked "I [heart] U" on her driveway. He used it as an excuse to not get a real Valentine's Day card, and she used it as an excuse to not sweep the drive ever again.Wanna Try?
- Handmade Broom Set - fair-traded, renewable sorghum broom set from Thailand ($59).
- Sweep Dreams Broom - also made from sorghum, with a bamboo handle ($24).
Jul 16,2007
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Eco-Clever
Oh, how I wanted to start today’s posting saying: “Don’t be a hoser, man.”
I’ll refrain.
Well, seeing how it’s already out there, too late.
-Heather...off to feel VERY homeowner-y by putting new couplings on my hoses (that just sounds so much more exciting than it is)...
I’ll refrain.
Well, seeing how it’s already out there, too late.
-Heather...off to feel VERY homeowner-y by putting new couplings on my hoses (that just sounds so much more exciting than it is)...
Biter Comments...
@Skye in SC:
*don't you think most brooms sold in the US are made in China, anyway?
*and if you did find a US-made broom, what are the odds that it would be made of straw or other biodegradable material, instead of plastic?
moral of today's tip: sweeping your driveway is good. and if you don't have a broom that can handle the job, buy one that is biodegradable and hopefully not made by sweatshop labour in China.
It is a good tip - washing off driveways seems ridiculous. But perhaps you all are preaching to the choir? I feel like tips like this aren't helpful because it is something I already would know to do. Challenge us to do more and not just the common sense things!
Why have you got a driveway in the first place????
If you have to have a driveway, try to make it of porous material such as gravel, to reduce runoff. Then you won't need to sweep it, or coat it with that tarry stuff (why does anyone need a shiny driveway)?
This one made me laugh. We are an American military family living in Germany and over here it is illegal to use your hose to wash down your driveway or sidewalk so we havent done it in so many years I guess I forgot that people even did it. But maybe that is a good thing. Don't have to worry about it being a bad habit once if and when we do move back to the states! And my kids will never pick it up either!
...And I thought I'd found sister haters of those torture chambers known as hoisery! Come to think of it, maybe you need a bite on hose...
I grew up in the Southern California Desert on a family farm. We used water for the animals, cooking, bathing, pasture, garden and the duckpond. We didn't use it on our driveway or in the yard. When I moved to a nearby city (still in the same desert area though) after highschool, I was shocked and amazed that people used water to wash down their driveway, streets and curbs. I still live in the same city area and now we are under mandatory 15% water reductions due to the state water situation. These same people can now get fined if they use water to wash down their driveways. I think it should be a permanent fine. As far as brooms. The one I use outside is 16 years old now. Older than my son.
One of the additional reasons it is bad to use water to wash down driveways, curbs, etc. is due to the chloramine that is sometimes present in tapwater. Chloramine is toxic to fish, amphibians and reptiles and is often used as a disinfectant for tap water. If you wash down your driveway, the chloramine goes into the stormdrain which then goes to our rivers, creeks, bays, etc.
For more info, here is a helpful site: http://www.cpau.com/docs/factsheets/water/quality/chloramine.html#1 Also check your local water provider for information!
Juliadevi, sometimes my gut just wonders if some of the "eco-advice" we're getting is just a pretext to sell expensive stuff. I actually agree with you in principle. It would have been more helpful for me to post an alternative rather than complaining.
:-) Here is an American-made option that's half the price of what our erstwhile Biters recommended:
http://www.lehmans.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=8
Lehman's is a great source for a number of American-made products. Check it out!
Good luck using one of those brooms to sweep off a driveway... that would take a few hours at least! Howabout some good eco-friendly push sweepers designed for large area sweeping? Those ones looked like they'd be good for sweeping indoors.
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Skye in SC | July 16, 2007 at 06:14 AM