Are you ready to Go GREEN?
An Eco Friendly Home.
Are you ready to go green? All kinds of people are trying to be more eco-friendly, and what better place to start than in your own home? Here are some tips for creating a greener home:
1. Recycling should be made as easy as possible so that it becomes second nature. Set aside a space for your own recycling center and make sure everone, down to the smallest tyke, uses it. Buy products with easily recycled packaging. Try to avoide containers that are made of combined material (cardboard and plastic for example).
2. Buy eco-friendly cleaning products. Better quality and less expensive than in the past, these products can be found right in your neighborhhood grocery store. Stay away from products that contain chemicals like petroleum, which take a hefty toll on the environment. You can even make your own, with safe ingredients like baking soda, vinegar and olive oil.
3. Compost! Keep a coffee can under the sink to toss vegetable peels, egg shells, coffee grounds (but no animal products!) Use the resultingmix for fertilizer in your garden.
4. Use flourescent light bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs. FLouresents last three to four times longer and have a lower impact on the environment.
5. Redecorating? Choose paints that contain low volatile organic compounds (VOC). These paints won’t off-gas or produce noxious smells.
6. Instead of vinyl flooring, consider using stone or other more durable materials that have a longer life cycle.
7. Clean your heating and cooling systems annually to make them more energy efficient.
8. Weatherproof windows and doors to keep out drafts and lower energy costs.
9. Keep your cat indoors. Domestic cats kill more than one billion small birds and animals every year ( one outdoor cat averages 40 kills per year). They upset natural predator/prey balances and eliminate ground nesting birds.
10. Lower your thermostat in the winter. Raise it in the summer. Save energy and reduce pollution in the process.
11. Dispose of old paint, chemicals and oil properly. Don’t put batteries, anti-freeze, paint, motor oil or chemicals in the trash. Use proper toxic disposal sites.
12. Plant a tree. They store carbon dioxide and “scrub” the air.
13. Wash dishes by hand in a basin and then use the dish water for outdoor gardens.
14. Plan to run all errands at one time to save gas and cut pollution.
15. Collect rainwater and use it to water your plants. Chlorine in tap water sometimes fades their green color, and fresh rain water will also make plants more pest resistant and healthier.
16. Use as much natural light as possible. Everything looks better and is in tune with the sun’s cycle. You can always close the blinds if you want to sleep late or take a nap. Try to bring in reflected light so direct sunlight doesn’t fade or degarde materials and furniture.
17. Maintain as many plants and trees as possible both inside and outside your home. They keep you in touch with nature and help take toxins out of the air.
18. Take a canvas bag or two with your to the grocery store to cut doen on wasted plastic and paper.
19. When buying clothing or fabrics, choose organically grown cotton or natural wool. Products made of these fabrics are healthier for you, your home and the overall environment.
November 05 2007 06:36 pm | Home Ideas and Tips