An Eco-Friendly Home

Protecting the environment doesn’t have to be an expensive venture.  The simplest, small steps can actually have a huge impact, when multiple households adopt the same green practices.

Reduce water usage.

• Don’t run the water while brushing your teeth.
• Take showers rather than baths and keep them short.  Turn the water off while lathering your hair and turn it back on to rinse.
• Only flush the toilet when necessary
• Ensure you've got a full load before running the washing machine or dishwasher.

Reduce energy

• Invest in energy efficient appliances.  They’ll pay for themselves by lowering your energy bills.
• Unplug battery chargers when they’re not in use. 
• Use power bars to plug in your electronics.  Because they typically all use remotes, they continue to use power even if they aren't turned on.  By using a power bar, you can turn them all off with one flick of a switch.
• Instead of driving, walk or ride a bicycle for short trips to the market or the gym.
• Buy locally made, organic products. Less energy is used for shipping and you’ll be supporting your local economy.

Reuse. 

This is the perfect opportunity to get creative.  Try viewing items in a different light.  This is a terrific opportunity to get the kids involved, since they have such active imaginations. Toilet paper rolls can be used to keep excess lengths of cord need and tidy.  Egg cartons can be used to start seedlings.  Glass jars can be used as canisters or even as glasses for a back yard barbecue. 

Choose earth friendly products.

While the availability of eco friendly products has improved over the years, it’s become easier to make substitutions.  Buyer beware:  Some products abuse terminology such as “natural”.  Read the labels carefully.

The better solution is to make your own natural products.  You’ll save money as well as the environment.  Vinegar serves as a terrific cleaner and disinfectant.  A vinegar and baking soda mixture is effective for removing stains.  There are a multitude of tried and tested home made cleaning recipes available online.