Consumers are becoming more aware of the impact and carbon footprint we leave on our environment. Eco-conscious households and families are going green in an effort to sustain the environment and create a health environment. Use these 25 tips for going green to make your home more eco-friendly.
1. Eat Local Foods
Buying locally grown foods cuts down on the amounts of greenhouse gasses need to transport foods to market, lessening the impact of individuals on the environment, improving local economies, and much more. Local Foods Network: This site explains the benefits of eating locally grown foods.
2. Water Yards Sparingly
Many people do not realize that lawns only need about an inch or so of water a week in most parts of the country, and so they over water their yards. Following drought restrictions, and limiting the amount of water used on the lawn is a great way to save this resource. Living Green Lawn Care and Irrigation: On this site users can find much information about proper water use and their lawns.
3. Unplug or Get Rid of Your Extra Refrigerator or Freezer
An extra refrigerator or freezer uses more energy and results in the emission of more carbon dioxide. An easy way to prevent this is to use the extra appliance sparingly or not at all.
Unplug Your Freezer: This page briefly describes how getting rid of that extra appliance can save the environment.
4. Use Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Fluorescent light bulbs use less energy and cost less over the long run than their incandescent counterparts.
Energy Savers: Light Bulbs: Click this link to find the advantages of fluorescent light bulbs over their incandescent alternatives.
5. Change the Air Conditioner Filter on a Regular Basis
Regularly changing the air filter on the air conditioner will improve its efficiency and cut down on the amount of energy and pollutants that can occur from using said energy.
Heat and Cool Efficiently: This site explains many things that can be done to run an air conditioner and heater more efficiently.
6. Wash Full Loads of Laundry
Buying locally grown foods cuts down on the amounts of greenhouse gasses need to transport foods to market, lessening the impact of individuals on the environment, improving local economies, and much more.
Make It a Full Load: Here is a brief explanation of the benefits of doing only full loads of laundry.
7. Set Thermostat as High or Low as Possible
The higher the thermostat is set during the summer and the lower it is set during the winter, the less energy will be used in heating or cooling the home.
Top 10 Tips to Save Energy: Florida Power and Light gives several tips on saving energy, including in the heating and cooling system, on this site.
8. Eat a Vegetarian or Mostly Vegetarian Diet
It takes a lot of energy and fertilizer to sustain diets that are high in meat products. Increasing the number of vegetarian meals or eating a wholly vegetarian diet can lower the environmental impact of meat eating.
Eat Well: This page explains many of the environmental and health benefits of vegetarianism.
9. Reuse Paint Thinner
Paint thinners can be reused as furniture sealant, who knew? After a while, the thinner will separate, leaving a layer of clean thinner on top. The clean layer can be removed and the bottom deposits properly disposed of with a hazardous waste removal and disposal service.
Painting to Decrease Pollution: Information about how to get the most out of you can of paint and decrease your environmental footprint.
10. Get Creative with House paint
Most homeowners have a collection of half used paint from a decorating binge. Put that paint to use by giving a new coat of paint to your garage or shed. If you don’t like the existing paint in your garage, mix it up! By adding semi-glosses to flat paints, the paint will take on a shine and is also easy to clean.
Reduce, Reuse, and Redecorate: Information about how to properly use, store, reuse, and dispose of paint in your garage.
11. Turn Your Paint Upside Down
Standard consumer paint products are known to settle and separate when they are left in your garage. To help slow the separation process, periodically turn your sealed paint cans upside down. This will help to remix and redistribute the solvents that rise to the top of the paint can. Rotating the paint helps the product to last longer and protects your home and environment from leaky solvents that might escape from the can.
Paint Storage: Helpful paint storage tips to use when storing those half empty paint jars.
12. Battery No-Brainers
Many consumers have found it economical to invest in a battery tester. Testing the batteries around your house can help determine if they are usable. Have a designated storage area for dead batteries and a few time a year, bring the batteries to your local recycling center.
Battery Recycling: Lean why batteries should be recycled and the proper way to dispose of them.
13. Refrigerator Redefined
Don’t blast your foods with cold air. Regulating the temperature of your fridge can help lower your electrical bills and ensure that your leftovers do not get freezer burned. The average temperature for a fridge is approximately 37 to 40 degrees, this is a safe temperature in which the food will not grow bacteria. Freezers run about 0 to 5 degrees. Shave 10 degrees off of your refrigerator temperature and you will save a whopping 25% on your energy consumption.
Energy Smart: Lower your energy consumption with these helpful appliance tips and statistics.
14. Freezer Fortification
To test the sealing on your freezer, put a piece of paper in between the door and the door frame and morning try to remove the paper without opening the freezer door. Is it stuck? If the piece of paper comes out easily, there may be a problem with the sealing on the door.
The Fantastic Freezer Trick: Use this simple test to find out if your freezer is working overtime.
15. Throw a Party!
Have a second fridge or freezer in your garage for stockpiled foods? Get rid of it! Many households buy extra food, in case of emergencies, but what many don’t realize is that not only are you paying for the foods, but you are then paying to hold them in your freezer for maybe years at a time. Cut your losses and your electric bill by cutting down on the frozen and refrigerated foods you have in the house. To jump start your freezer clean out, throw a dinner party to use up the extras, just beware of freezer burn. When all is done, send your old fridge to the recycling.
Make a Cool Change: A guide to recycling your fridge and why this is an important and energy efficient change.
16. Clean Up Your Cleaners
Using household cleaners that are environmentally safe is an easy step in going green. Typically, green cleaners do not contain a lot of dyes, artificial ingredients or harsh chemicals, and are made primarily from natural ingredients. Some of the more well-known brands of cleaning products now offer environmentally friendly lines, many can be found at your local grocer.
Green Cleaners: Lean why it is important to go green and what types of cleaning products are available.
17. Watch Out Windows
Take a good look at your windows and see if they are well insulated and well-made. If they are not well insulated, you can add window treatments and sealants to conserve energy and keep your home either warm or cool, depending on the season. This will help lower your energy consumption and your monthly bill.
Window Know How: Information and suggestions for homeowners looking to go green and make their house more sustainable.
18. Fill ‘er Up
Resist the urge to run the dishwasher when it is only three quarters of the way full. Most dishwashers use approximately 4 gallons of water for each cycle. Even though they are more efficient than washing dishes by hand, which uses about 24 gallons of water, dishwashers are only as efficient as the people using them.
Buying a Dishwasher: Learn about the benefits of buying a new energy efficient dishwasher.
19. Do You Have A Leaky Flapper?
To make sure your pipes are running smoothly in the bathroom, pour food dye into the tank of the toilet. Come back in a couple of hours; if the dye has made its way into the toilet bowl, you might have a leaky flapper. A toilet tank’s flapper can leak for a number of different reasons, it might be because of mineral build up or worn hardware. If your flapper is leaking, head down to the hardware store for a replacement flapper assembly, this will save you up to 43,000 gallons of toilet water a month in leaks.
How to Repair a Toilet: Once you have the parts, learn how to fix the flapper yourself.
20. Shower Power
Use a one-gallon bucket to measure how much water you use in the shower. Place the bucket under the faucet and turn the water on. If it takes less than 20 seconds to fill the bucket, you may be using more water than necessary. Replace the shower head with one that sprays 1.5 gallons a minute. Not only will this help save on water, but on heating costs as well.
Water Saving Advice: Advice on how to conserve water.
21. Limit Your Boiling Point
Turning your hot water heater down from a toasty 140 to 120 degrees can put a dent in your monthly heating bill. More importantly, it can extend the life of your hot water heater and help to avoid build up and aging.
Water Resources: Information about how to save money and conserve water.
22. Stop the Water Torture
Fixing a leaky faucet can save an average of 1,800 gallons per year. So get on your tool belt and wrench and get to work fixing any drippy faucets or pipes. Don’t delay, smaller leaks can quickly become major problems.
Fixing the Faucet: Learn how to fix your leaky faucet and save energy.
23. Proactive Cleaning
Nobody likes a dirty house, so take the action against the dirt and grim by investing in a few floor mats to place at the entryways to the house. If your floor mat is long enough to take five steps, you will drastically reduce the amount of dirt tracked in by shoes; and less dirt means less need for cleaning products and cleaning appliances that run on electric. So, walk it off!
Indoor Air Quality: Learn how a dust free home and proper cleaning can improve your families air quality and health.
24. Wash with Cold
Laundry is more than just brights and whites, and hot and cold. Turning down the hot water on your washing machine to 100 degrees can help reduce energy use, while saving you $40 a year in heating costs.
Energy Savers: Tips on how to save energy in the laundry room.
25. Don’t Be Afraid of the Basement
Basements can serve a duel purpose, they can be a cool and comfortable place to hang out in the summer, instead of cranking up the air conditioning. They also house the furnace. Unfinished or not, venture down into the basement and clean the furnace filters, this will help to improve the air quality in your home.
Get the Dirt on Furnace Filters: An article from the Washington Post about furnace filters and how they can impact our health.
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