13 Tips for a Greener Home

Did you turn your lights off for one hour on March 31st? If you did, you participated in a global phenomenon called The Earth Hour - one hour for our planet. It’s nice, but it’s not enough. Each and every one of us needs to do a lot more.

Ok, we all know is that it’s of a great importance to lower the amount of energy we are using. But honestly, do you really know how to do it? I’m bringing you 13 tips for a greener home. Do our planet a favor – implement them all.

1. Energy Saving Light Bulbs

I’m going to start by stating the obvious – replace all the light bulbs in your home with energy saving light bulbs. They save energy, they save your money and they are eco friendly. There is no excuse – go buy them now!

2. Energy Saving Appliances

Ok, I am aware of the fact that they do cost more than the “regular” ones, but is it really that expensive? If you have an old fridge at home, all the extra energy it uses could light your home for around 5 months. That’s a huge waste of energy. If you can afford energy saving appliances of the last generation, make sure you do that. They pay off very quickly.

3. Use Natural Light

Instead of turning your light on in the middle of the day – open your curtains. Even better open your windows and let both fresh air, and natural light in your home. It doesn’t only make your home a greener place; it makes it a fresher and more beautiful one as well.

4. Repair All Leaks

Did you know that just one leaky faucet can waste up to 10 gallons of water every week? Why would you waste all that water? Call your plumber and repair all the leaks in your home. Save water, we’re running out of it slowly.

5. Buy a Laptop

Pretty Businesswoman Using Laptop Outdoor

Replace your desktop computer with a laptop. Laptops use less energy and they don’t need to be plugged in, all the time. The standard battery on a laptop lasts between 4 and 6 hours. And yes – turn off your computer, desktop or laptop, during the night. If no one is using it, there’s no need for it to be up and running.

6. Unplug All the Chargers

Believe it or not, charges use some energy when plugged in, even though they are not charging anything. Yes, of course, it’s not really that much energy, but get 10 of your friends to unplug their charges as well, and you’re already on to something.

7. Recycle

Woman with recycling box

You didn’t think I would skip the recycling, did you? There is no green home without the good recycling plan. Recycle anything that can be recycled. You will save both energy and money. Check out the article on how to recycle at home for some useful tips.

8. Buy Recycled

It is not enough to simply recycle. To complete the green circle, the best idea is to also buy recycled things. I mean, what’s the point of recycling materials if everyone still buys things that are not recycled? Think about it next time you reach for your favorite daily newspapers.

9. Forget About Disposable Bags

I’ve got to be honest about this one – I don’t understand people who always use disposable bags from the store. Seriously – going to a planned weekly shopping and not bringing some bags from home is simply irresponsible. I mean come on! Take all those cotton bags and big rucksacks you have in your home and bring them with you. They exist for a reason. Use them!

10. Lower the Temperature

Honestly – it’s not really normal to walk around wearing a T-shirt when it’s snowing outside. Put some clothes on – it’s winter for crying out loud! Lower the temperature and take an extra blanket for the night. Oh, and one more thing – it will give you a perfect excuse to snuggle with your man whole night long.

11. Shower

Pretty Young Woman Taking Shower

If you want a greener home, forget about taking long baths. Even better, replace your bath with a shower cabin – that way you wouldn’t even be tempted. Bathing can use up to 3 times more water than a shower can. Shorten your showers to a minimum and save some extra water every day.

12. Use Cloth Instead of Paper Towels

How many times have you made a mess in the kitchen? And how many paper towels have you used to clean it? Well, next time use cloth or sponges. Clean the mess, wash the cloth or the sponge, and save a tree each year. Worth it, right?

13. Buy a Thermos

If your tap water is safe to drink, why would you give all that money on buying small plastic bottles of water each time you go out? Buy a thermos instead and carry the water, which will stay cool, in it. Plastic bottles are a really bad choice and many of them are cancerous. They should by all means be avoided.

Well, thirteen is not the favorite number for many people, but ignore the number itself and remember the tips. There is no reason why your home should not become a greener one today. Let us all make an effort to save our planet. Think global, act local – start in your home.

About the author

Sarah

I’m a free spirit who likes to travel, cook and fly. Licensed paraglider pilot, I spend all my spare time flying. In the meantime, I like to share my recipes and travel experiences.

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