How Green Is Your House?
An eco-friendly approach to home care
Living green isn’t just about saving energy. Sustainable living also means putting earth-friendly practices in place throughout your home, such as recycling. There are tons of little things we can do in our homes to help with reducing landfill waste, cleaning the air, and preserving the natural landscape.
Here are 30 simple changes you can make to help your family live a greener lifestyle.
1. Switch out all your conventional incandescent lightbulbs to compact fluorescent, LED or halogen bulbs.
2. Turn off lights and other electronics when you leave the room.
3. Turn down the thermostat! Install a programmable thermostat to adjust temperatures when you’re away from home.
4. Wash only full loads of laundry, and use cold water instead of hot, when possible.
5. Air-dry dishes, rather than using the heated drying cycle of the dishwasher.
6. Line dry your laundry.
7. Recycle. The number of bins you need depends on your city’s guidelines for sorting. If no sorting is required, a single bin will do.
8. Donate unwanted clothing to charity. Or sell them at a kids consignment sale.
9. Use leftover water to quench thirsty plants or freshen the dog’s bowl.
10. Stop throwing away your dryer lint! Put it in the backyard for the birds — they use it to feather their nests.
11. Maximize your bin space by compressing cans and bottles.
12. Plan an herb garden.
13. Start a compost pile in your backyard. Here is your guide to compost gardening. (Add your fireplace ashes to your compost pile.)
14. Switch one appliance to an energy efficient model (look for the “energy star” label).
15. Stop using plastic bags. Buy several recycle bags and take them with you to the grocery store.
16. Drive the speed limit, or as close as you can.
17. Schedule your errands back-to-back to consolidate your trip and save gas.
18. Walk or ride a bike for errands that are two miles or closer.
19. Shop at your local farmer’s market.
20. Your computer may go to sleep, but it’s still sucking energy. Turn off your computer at the end of the day.
21. Pay your bills online (and opt for paperless billing) to cut down on paper usage and postage costs.
22. Shred scrap paper and old bills.
23. Repair your leaky faucet (especially if you live in a drought-prone area).
24. Switch to all-natural detergents or make your own eco-friendly cleaning products.
25. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater.
26. Unplug chargers and appliances when not in use.
27. Collect rain water and use it to water you house plants and garden.
28. Switch to cloth diapers — or do a combination of cloth and disposables.
29. Use a Diva Cup or chlorine-free feminine hygiene products for your monthly cycles.
30. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins at dinner.
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