Easy Ways to Create a Green Home Environment

Posted by Mary Babiez on Aug 29 2017

When we design new home housewarming gift baskets, we think green. We use environmentally friendly household products, all natural soy based candles, and a popular book with lots of tips and ideas for green cleaning around the house. This is just the beginning.

We all want to do our part to protect the environment. For many, it seems difficult and expensive. While many organic products can be more expensive than their less green counterparts, there are many ways to get started thinking green without breaking the bank. In fact, there are things you can do that are simple habit changes in your daily routine.

Use less water.

Saving water is all about small steps, here are a few that will help save big.

- Turn water faucet off while brushing your teeth

- Take shorter showers, at least on some days

- Only run full loads of laundry and dishes

Use less energy.

You may not have the money to buy a hybrid car or convert your house to solar power, but you can make a big difference with small habit changes and green thinking when you are in the market for new appliances.

- Unplug chargers when not in use. Cell phone and other chargers use power even when there is nothing plugged into them.

- Put devices with remotes, such as TVs, VCRs, and sound systems, on a power strip and turn it off when you’re not using them. These devices use a lot of power to run the remote receiver even when the device is off.

- Walk or ride your bike for short trips.

- Buy local products. It takes energy to transport food and other products across the country. Buying local not only supports your local economy, it helps them use less energy.

- Buy energy efficient appliances. They may be more expensive, but make up for the increased cost in lower energy bills.

- Buy from sustainable producers. These are farmers, ranchers, and other producers that use techniques that pollute less and use less water. You can do some research online or ask at your local organic market to find these products.

Reuse.

Before throwing away old boxes, containers, and other household items, think about how they can be reused. Search online for tips to reusing common household items. If you’re creative, you can probably come up with many new ideas. If you’re not so creative, look online for ways to reuse whatever item you are about to throw away, and find new ways to reuse. Engage your kids’ creativity to come up with new ways to reuse. Have a contest on who can come up with the most ways to reuse household items. You will not only be practicing conservation, but you’ll be establishing good green habits for your kids as well!

If you want inexpensive, natural, safe products, learn how to make them yourself. Vinegar is a great way to clean and disinfect glass and other surfaces. Need to remove stubborn stains? Just add some baking soda to your vinegar cleaner. Some quick searching online will lead you to hundreds of other natural safe home-made cleaning products.

We all know that going green is better for the environment, but it’s also better for you. Conserving resources also helps save you money, which is something most of us are more than happy to live with.