5 Easy Ways to Make Your Home Greener
Today more than ever before, it is important to live a healthy and eco-conscious lifestyle. Not only is it beneficial for the environment, but for your family as well. By reducing your exposure to harmful chemicals and conserving your energy consumption, you are ensuring a healthy future for yourself and the planet. Here are some quick and easy things you can do to make your home healthier and greener:
Buy some air purifying plants:
Houseplants are an easy way to decorate your home and purify the air. NASA has composed a list of common houseplants used in space facilities that filter out volatile organic compounds from the air. Certain plants such as spider plants, rubber plants, bamboo palms and peace lilies act as natural air filters, while also releasing oxygen into your home. So toss those fake flowers and invest in plants that absorb harmful pollutants in the air (such as benzene, formaldehyde, mold spores and bacteria) to create a healthier environment for you and your family.
Replace your cleaning products with natural alternatives:
Traditional store bought cleansers are loaded with toxic chemicals that have the potential to cause harm to you and the environment. They can be particularly troublesome if you or someone in your family suffers from allergies or skin sensitivities. Therefore choose non-toxic cleansers or create your own at home from common household products. Baking soda makes an effective abrasive cleaner and water and vinegar are excellent for cleaning glass and windows.
Start composting:
Composting is an easy way to reduce your household waste and help care for the environment, and it can also serve as the perfect fertilizer for your garden. Fruits, vegetables, eggshells, tea and coffee are all compostable. An easy way to start composting is to keep a small composting pail in your kitchen that you empty into a large composting bin in your backyard. Once your food scrapings have composted into mulch it’s time to spread it on your garden. Approximately 30% of household waste is compostable, so between composting and recycling you can greatly reduce what your home sends to the landfill.
Switch your light bulbs:
Switching your traditional light bulbs to energy efficient alternatives is not only beneficial for the environment – but for your wallet as well. While they initially cost more than traditional light bulbs, compact fluorescent light bulbs use a quarter of the electricity of traditional bulbs and last 10 times longer. Halogen incandescent and LED light bulbs also use far less energy and greatly outlive traditional bulbs. Also, it’s important to be mindful of turning off lights when you are exiting a room or leaving your home. If you have difficulty remembering this then try installing motion sensors or timers in your home that activate lights only when needed.
Conserve Energy:
There are a number of simple things you can do to conserve energy in your home. Try putting your thermostat on a timer so that the temperature is lower during the night while your family sleeps and heats up during the day. Another simple thing you can do is to unplug electrical appliances and devices while not in use. Items such as TV’s, computers and toasters continue consuming energy while plugged in and not in use. When it comes time to update your appliances try switching to energy star appliances, which are more energy efficient and must meet a certain set of criteria outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency. Little changes in your behaviour can have a big impact on your home’s total energy consumption, so be conscious of the ways in which you can help your home be more energy efficient.
I hope you find these tips and tricks to make your home greener helpful and informative. If you would like more information click here
