Caring about the environment is an important part of today’s world. Some time ago, the only thing you could do to protect it was recycling. However, now there are many more ways in which you can do it. The best thing is that most of them don’t require extra money or time. Furthermore, in some cases, you’re saving the money.
Making your house green doesn’t need to be very expensive – you don’t have to, for example, buy solar panels right away. It’s the small changes in your everyday life that matter more. So to help you with that, here are four ways, in which you can make your house green.
Get Serious About Water
The first step to making your house green is to know how you can conserve water, as wasting water is one of the main problems these days.
If you use a dishwasher or a washing machine, don’t use it when only half of it is occupied – wait until it’s full. Don’t take baths every day – a short, 5-minute shower uses about half the water an average bath does. Don’t let the water run when you’re doing the dishes. Instead, fill the sink. That way, you will use a small amount of what you would use by letting it run.
If you have an electric water heater, you should think about changing it to the one that uses gas, as it has less of a negative impact on the environment. On the internet, you can find opinions about which is the best gas water heater. You could also opt for a quality electric shower as well to heat the water at the source and it only heats as much water as you use.
Save Energy
The first thing that you can do to save energy is to change the regular light bulbs to compact fluorescent ones. They use only a quartet of the electricity that the standard ones use. Another important thing about which a lot of people tend to forget is to turn off the lights if you don’t need them, or you’re not in the house. You can also install motion-sensor lights.
If you can, get an electronic thermostat and adjust your central heating so that it will turn on before you come home from work or school, and will lower the temperature when you go out again. Don’t make your fridge and freezer work more than necessary, and remember always to close their doors. Leaving them open even for a few seconds can result in a significant waste of energy.
If you’re not using an appliance, unplug it. A good example is when you’re charging your phone, and end up disconnecting the phone from the charger but not the charger from the socket. Even if turned off, appliances such as television or computer can consume a lot of energy.
Last but not least, reduce the amount of light used. Instead, try to brighten your home naturally, by opening the shutters, blinds and drapes. After all, the cheapest and most environmentally friendly light and the heat source are right outside of your window.
Clear The Air
If you want to clear the air in your house, the first step is to ban smoking indoors. Another way to not only clear the air, but also add a pop of colour to your home is growing plants indoors – they will act as natural air filters. A right choice would be to plant Boston ferns, rubber plants, spider plants or palm trees.
Protect yourself from dangerous gases, such as carbon monoxide and radon. You can do it by going to the local hardware store, and buying a carbon monoxide detector and radon test kits.
Stop Using Toxic Products
Try to change the chemical detergents that you are using now to their eco-friendly versions. You can find them in almost every grocery store or drug store. If you want to, you can make your own by using baking soda – it’s cheap and effective on all types of surfaces. Instead of using a disinfectant from the store, try using citrus oils or tree oil. And to clean the toilet, you can use white vinegar.
As an alternative, you can stop using cleaning products altogether, and start using microfiber cloths, whose purpose is to attract dirt. You can use them on all types of materials, either dry or wet.
Conclusion
There are many ways in which you can make your house green, and the ones listed above are just a drop in the ocean. If you want to find out more about how you can achieve that, you should do a little bit of research – the internet is full of tips on how to do it. Good Luck.
