Simple Steps to a Greener Home Part 3

Simple Steps to a Greener Home - the conclusion:

I wanted to end this series of greening your home by talking about ways to make your bedroom greener, using energy saving appliances and devices, and recycling and repurposing products you were going to throw away.

A Natural Bedroom:

When shopping for mattresses and bedding look for stores that sell products that are made from recycled, sustainable or organic materials. One such store is ABC Carpet & Home.

When you buy a new mattress get one that is made from 100% organic cotton. Cover your new mattress in an encasement cover, which is also made out of 100% organic cotton. This will help keep dust mites and other microorganisms out of your mattress helping it to last longer and stay healthier longer too. All of which saves you money and helps you get a more restful sleep.

Find sheets that are (you guessed it) made from 100% organic cotton that are dyed with low impact natural dyes. The prices for these items are comparable to those made the non-Ecofriendly way. Ecofriendly products are continually coming down in price as more and more people are purchasing more and more of these products.

Energy saving:

When shopping for new appliances look for appliances and products with the Energy Star logo. This logo is only given to products those meet rigid standards of proven energy savings, and who doesn’t like to save money.

Change all your incandescent bulbs to compact florescent light bulbs. They give off 70% less heat and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. They also use substantially less energy saving you money.

Reuse and Re-purpose:

Look for recycled products for your home, such as paper products. Paper towels, tissue, toilet paper and printer paper can be made out of recycled paper. There are a few companies that use recycled paper that you could not tell the difference from the old way of making them.

Before you throw out any item ask yourself, “Can I use this item for something else or another purpose?”. If your answer is no consider giving it away or donating it to Goodwill or another thrift store like it. Where I live we have an artist who takes in castoff metal and wood. He makes beautiful sculptures with these items that, If not for him, would end up in landfills.

Also if your items are just not salvageable at all consider taking them to recycle centers. There are such centers in most communities or close by. Old metal appliances and even cars can be turned into cash at your local recycle center. Glass, paper, metal, these centers sell the reclaimed materials to companies that make new products out of them, keeping those materials out of landfills.

These are just a few ideas to make your home greener. I am sure you can think of some more. Until next time be courageous in your designs.

Simple Steps to a Greener Home Part 2

Simple Steps to a Greener Home: Continued.

As we we continue our discussion of ways to green your home I want to talk about some of the simplest ways to be Eco friendly in your home.

Houseplants:

Green your environment, literally, through the use of houseplants. Not only do houseplants provide natural beauty to our homes, but they also clean the toxins out of the air. A NASA study revealed that house plants can remove up to 87% of toxic indoor air within 24 hours, and can keep it at that level as long as you keep your plants.

Not all plants need to be placed near windows. Look for tropical plants to stick into dark corners and areas. They love the shade. Plants should not be placed in drafty areas because the draft prevents them from reducing toxins in the air.

If you are afraid of killing your plants because you might forget to water them or you travel a lot you can still have live plants in your home to help clean the air. Invest in plants known as succulents. They are arid plants and require very little water. They can go a couple of weeks and more between watering. My favorite succulents are Sedum, Red Succulents, and Aloe.

With so many indoor plant choices it is very easy to improve the air quality as well as the beauty of your home.

Here are some tips for caring for your houseplants:

·        When watering your plants use tepid water, not cold or hot.

·        Don’t over water your plants. More damage is done from over watering plants than under watering.

·        Read up on your plants to see what they need to thrive, light, fertilizer, etc..

Composting:

The average American household generates over 200 pounds of kitchen waste every year. I am talking about things like apple cores, lettuce, and pineapple peels. Most people throw this away. Instead of tossing this out make a compost pile. Think of the money you could save producing your own organic fertilizer instead of spending it on all that nasty toxic commercial fertilizer filled with unhealthy chemicals.

To make your own compost pile you will need a round plastic barrel shaped plastic container, that is open on both ends with holes cut or poked in the sides for aeration. You can just pile it on the ground if you don’t have a container but it will take longer to “cook” another way of saying turn into compost. It can be as elaborate or simple as you like, just o it! Remember to only place plant based scraps that are degradable in your compost bin. A good recipe to remember is to place items in your bin this way, brown, green, brown, and green. Brown being lawn refuse like leaves and grass clippings and green being kitchen refuse. Compost can provide nutrients to and improve the structure of soil. 

Next time we will talk about ways to Green up your bedroom, save energy around the house, and keep junk from ending up in landfills.

Until then remember to keep your Designs Courageous.