When you think of St. Patrick’s Day, one of the first things that come to mind may be the color green. Green food, green clothes, green decorations – even green beer. But this St. Patrick’s Day, why not add another ‘green’ to the list – a green home. Creating an eco-friendly home can actually be simple when making just a few changes at a time.
Cleaning: Natural cleaning products are just as effective as regular ones. But they don’t contain any harmful chemicals that are bad for the environment and your health.
Granted, natural cleaning products are more expensive and not all people can afford them.
Nevertheless, you can make your own cleaning products using items like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.
Gardening: In case you were wondering what to do with the fertilizer, here’s your answer – plant your own herb garden. Herbs don’t take a lot of space. You can plant them in small pots and keep them inside the house, close to a sunny window. The big advantage? You will always have fresh herbs for your favorite dishes. Potted plants are effective for indoor air cleaning. Not only that, they are also nice and they make your home more welcoming. Sure, it takes a bit of responsibility to take care of plants but it’s surely worth it.
Lighting: Investing in the right energy-efficient light bulbs makes a huge difference. You will not only use less electricity but you will also make your home more environmentally-friendly. No matter how tempting incandescent bulbs are, LED bulbs are the better alternative. They last longer, are eco-friendly, and they help you save money in the long run.
Temperature Control: Get green by installing a programmable thermostat to monitor your cooling and heating systems. A thermostat can reduce the cost of your utility bill and make your home more eco-friendly at the same time.
Smarter Power: Many people use the oven to make toast because they think it’s not efficient to buy a toaster. However, the oven uses a significant amount of energy to heat up properly and, if you only plan to cook two slices of bread, it’s not at all efficient to use the oven. The toaster uses less energy and gets the job done faster. Speaking of the oven, check the oven door every time you bake or cook something to be sure the oven door is properly closed. Keeping the oven door open leads to a huge amount of heat loss.
If you’re a coffee-lover, swap the pod coffee maker for a drip coffee maker. Pod coffee makers are not at all eco-friendly since you have to use pods. The plastic capsules end up piling up in landfills every year. With drip coffee makers, you just need ground coffee.
Source: biofriendlyplanet.com