Building green homes is not only trendy, but carries with it the moral imperative of ensuring the health of our families, communities and planet. Aside from the fact that it can save you a lot in terms of energy consumption, it can also help conserve resources and promote better health.
If you have your mind set on going green this year, be sure to implement some of these useful tips.
If you’ve already bought a home and it wasn’t built green, you can still make it eco-friendly through small adjustments. Here are some simple ways to do that:
1. Use only eco-friendly cleaning products.
Always check the label when buying eco-friendly cleaning products. Not only will you protect Mother Earth, you will also be protecting your family’s health this way.
2. Bring in a few pots of live plants inside your home.
It will bring in fresh air and absorb carbon dioxide. Remember to consider though whether the plant may be poisonous to your children or to your pets, and always check if the plant needs direct sunlight to survive.
3. Repurpose items before recycling them.
Old towels, for example, can be used as rags or donated to pet shelters who use them as bedding or for cleanup and potty training.
4. Paint your home instead of buying new wallpaper.
It’s cheaper and demands less resources.
5. Make your furniture look new by repainting it regularly.
Sanding can also help keep it looking good and extend its life.
6. Use empty glass jars as vases.
You can either fill it with flowers or small things like marbles, buttons, or seashells. They will liven up a room with their colors.
7. Buy window shutters.
Window shutters are a great solution to help keep your home cooler (thus conserving energy).
8. Use broken glass, plates, or pottery for decoration.
If you have broken glass or plates, you can use the pieces to decorate a table top using a mosaic style putty to adhere the pieces.
9. Use table lamps instead of fluorescent lights.
Aside from consuming less energy, they can also be moved around, making your lighting scheme more efficient and flexible.
10. Buy secondhand items instead of new.
Remember that secondhand doesn’t necessarily mean old or much-used! Aside from being dirt-cheap, you can also help keep them from being thrown into the dustbins, which means one less thing in the landfill.
The most important thing is to think outside of the box. Look around your house and start greening your home now for the year ahead.
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