Becoming more environmentally friendly at home has many benefits – from helping our planet to helping your wallet. Not only are you helping to look after the environment but you’ll also enjoy lower bills, increased energy efficiency and your home will require less maintenance over time. With a wealth of information and support out there, it can be a bit overwhelming. No worries, we have compiled five easy ways for you to green your home yourself.
Go Green – Clean Green
One of the biggest sources of indoor pollution are the harsh chemicals we all use to keep our homes ‘clean’. Many of these products might be great at cleaning your space but have you ever look at their ingredients? Some of the powerful cleaning ingredients have been show to release toxins into the air that might affect your personal health. So perhaps it’s time to make the switch to some more eco-friendly cleaners.
There are many ‘natural’ cleaning products on the market but we have found that Platinum All Purpose Cleaner does the best job at cleaning and disinfecting while also being 100% natural. It does everything from kill mold, salmonella and ecoli yet it is 100% safe for your home and family. And while you are at it, why not opt for cleaning tools that are better for the environment? Libman has launched a broom that uses recycled and under-utilized plastic waste for its bristle and 70% recycled steel for its handle. So you can feel better as you sweep away the dirt that you are still helping the environment.
Go Green with Organic Bedding
Did you know that many brands of conventional sheets, especially those that claim to be “wrinkle-free”, have been treated with formaldehyde? These chemicals have been known to leach out of the sheeting while you sleep. Yuck! As you sweat at night, your skin is exposed to these chemicals.
But there is an easy solution, simply switch to organic bedding. Not only will your improve your health as you sleep, sheets made from organically grown cotton don’t pollute the environment with pesticides. Further, if organic cotton requires less water to produce, so you are saving our waterways in more ways than one. Added bonus: organic sheets are incredibly soft and comfortable. For more info on the benefits of sleeping on organix sheets, check out White Terry Home.
Eco Friendly Paint
A lot of our indoor air pollution comes from the chemical off gassing in our home furnishings and building supplies. Now you may not be able to change how your home was built, you can upgrade some of your finishes to be more environmentally friendly to your indoor air.
One of the biggest surfaces in your home are your walls (and ceiling) but do you know what paint was used on them? Some paints can be notorious for off-gassing for many years to come. So why not update your home with a fresh coat of more eco friendly paint? Benjamin Moore has recently launched their Natura paint line as the greenest line yet. The product is free from emissions and is now certified as allergy and asthma friendly.
Save Some Green and Conserve Water
Did you know that the average home uses over 400 gallons of water per day? Sure there are some great simple tips to conserve water – from don’t leave a tap running while you brush your teeth or always fix a leaking faucet. But to make a real difference (and save some cash), you should consider investing in some water conserving fixtures like kitchen taps, or bathroom faucets, or even shower heads. Replacing a tap often requires the skills of a licensed professional plumber, but you can swap out a shower head easily on your own with some basic tools. There are lots of low-flow shower heads out there that save water and maintain great water pressure. You can easily install most of them with some Teflon tape and a wrench. And in less than 20 minutes. Isn’t it time to make the upgrade and save some water?
Clean Your Indoor Air
Did you know that the air inside your home is typically even more polluted than the air outside? Sometimes 2 to 3 times more polluted than outdoor air. Yuck! And since research shows that most of us spend most of our time indoors these…maybe it’s time to start cleaning our indoor air?
One of the easiest and most cost effective ways is to simply open up your windows. Open your windows for even just five minutes a day to alleviate the accumulation of harmful air pollutants in your indoor air. Or you could step it up with some indoor plants that are known to help clean the air: aloe vera, snake plant, spider plant or a bamboo palm. For more ideas check out our article on houseplants.
Ready to invest in better air? Consider an air purifiers; these are proven to be an effective way to reduce harmful particles in the air. The Dyson Pure Cool will not only cool your home but has one of the most advanced air purifying systems out there. The unit automatically purifies to remove gases and 99.97% of allergens and pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. The Pure Cool also captures ultrafine particles including pollen, mold and bacteria.
