Going Green has become very popular these days and almost everyone is doing their part to help the environment and save money and stay healthy in the process. When you make a few changes to your home to make it kinder to the planet, your eco-friendly choices do more than help save the planet. Reducing the pollutants in your home can help you breathe easier and can reduce your risk of illness from exposure to household toxins over time. Energy-efficient options, on the other hand, can reduce your utility bills and leave more money in your pocketbook.
There are tons of different things you can do to be green, including changes big and small. Of course, not everyone can afford to go out and install solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling units and plugs for new electric cars in the garage. Luckily, you don’t have to do any of that to make repairs that help the planet and help your family at the same time.
The Realistic Way to Get Green
Here are some realistic ways to green your home so you can save money and live a healthier lifestyle, while also doing your part for the environment.
- Swap incandescent bulbs. CFLs and LED light bulbs are much more energy efficient than old-school incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs also generate heat, which can force your cooling system to work harder in the summer and make your room warmer than it should be. Soon, you won’t have the option to change your bulb because new energy efficiency standards have resulted in a incandescent light ban (You can still find them but they don’t make them anymore). Learn about the new lighting deals available for beautiful, bright homes for less.
- Turn to natural pest control solutions. You don’t need to spray chemicals on your home to keep it free from insects and other unwanted critters. There are many different natural pest control products on the market. Food quality Diatomaceous earth, for example, is a product added to grains to keep them free of insects, so they’re perfectly safe you can eat them. This destroys the tough exoskeleton of the insect, and is a good way to deal with an infestation. There are also natural pesticides, and a variety of tools for organic pest control in, around your home and garden.
- Choose the right carpet cleaning solution. Carpet cleaning can remove a lot of dirt, dust mites and debris from inside your home. However, you’ll want to research carefully the product and carpet cleaning company you use so you can end up with one that’s planet-friendly.Chem-Dry Carpet Cleaning is a good solution if you want to go green, and have a beautiful shiny carpet. Cleaning old carpet instead of getting new is also a green choice because you won’t be sending very good carpet to the landfill and you won’t be buying new carpet that took energy to make.
- Consider composting. Composting allows you to reduce the food waste you generate because you compost leftovers and other natural products instead of throwing them in the trash. Compost can be used to help your garden grow, so you’ll turn your trash into something beautiful.
- Replace your air filter. You should change the filters on your HVAC components regularly (once per season). A dirty filter can cause your unit to work much harder than it has to just to keep your house at a comfortable temperature when you set the thermostat. There’s no point in wasting money and shortening the life of your HVAC unit when you can do a quick and simple job of changing filters regularly.
These are just a few of the many different ways to go green in your home. Many local electric and utility companies offer free energy audits so you can find areas where your home needs repairs. Caulking windows and applying sunscreen, for example, can also be simple solutions that allow you to go green.
Bella Mackrell is a self-proclaimed hippie. She is all about getting back to nature and being as natural as possible. In fact, he believes that all the chemicals we use are why so many of us get sick. so what does he do? He wrote to advise others on how to return to what nature intended.
