By Kim Wallace and Trevan McGee |
Think you don’t have the cash required to live green? Think again! These tips will make your home greener than it is today with little or no money down.
Accent your area.
Lay a few area rugs down on hardwood, tile or linoleum for a carpetlike effect without harmful glues. Choose rugs made from natural fibers such as cotton, wool, hemp, bamboo and sisal, and look for vegetable dyes or no dye at all. Rugs made from recycled materials are another green option.
Set the mood.
Turning the lights down makes for an inviting atmosphere, and it saves electricity. A compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) has a 10,000-hour lifespan. New low-wattage CFLs work with conventional incandescent dimmers and cost about $20 per bulb.
Found it.
Finding free or cheap furnishings is tons of fun, and your budget will thank you. Check Craigslist (www.Craigslist.org), Freecycle (www.Freecycle.org), thrift stores and curbside pickup for unique pieces that need a makeover. Breathe new life into hand-me-downs by reupholstering with fresh, breathable fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp or linen.
Lose the shoes.
Here’s an easy one: Take your shoes off when you enter your home. Shoes track traces of dirt, dust and other toxins into the house, which leads to poorer air quality and more vacuuming and cleaning. Designate a place near your entryway for footwear.
Create a healthier kitchen.
Follow this recipe to reduce, reuse and recycle.
• Befriend your dishwasher. In general, a regular dishwasher cycle uses less water than handwashing. Skip the prerinsing and save even more. For caked-on food, soak in cold water (to avoid using energy to heat the water). Some dishwashers have a heated dry feature; turn it off and either towel or air dry.
• Don’t buy the water. Fitness and energy waters may be all the rage, but there’s no beating pure, unadulterated water. If you’re concerned about the quality of your water supply, invest in an under-sink filtration system or a water-filtering pitcher. There’s none of the waste associated with bottled water, and it’s significantly cheaper in the long run.
• Down with disposables. Paper napkins and paper towels are garbage waiting to happen. And while you can buy recycled-paper or other eco-friendly versions, they’re still not reusable. Switch to cloth napkins and dish towels instead. They may cost more, but you can use them indefinitely.When buying dishes and flatware, avoid plastic, which is made from nonrenewable petroleum and may impart odors and hazardous substances into food. Instead, buy metal flatware from a secondhand or consignment store. It will be less expensive than new, and you’ll be promoting reuse—and you might come across cool, retro designs.
A Bathroom Boost
About 65 percent of your home’s water use can be traced to the bathroom, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Tweak your throne. The first sign of a troubled toilet is the sound of running water between flushes. Malfunctioning toilets can leak hundreds of gallons of water a day, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Test your toilet’s water-tightness with a few drops of food coloring in the tank; if the bowl shows traces of color after 15 minutes, you’ve got a leak. When it’s time to replace the toilet, opt for a high-efficiency one. For a couple hundred bucks, a 1.3–gallon-per-flush model will save $100 a year on your water bill, according to the EPA. Start your search for the perfect throne by visiting www.EPA.gov/watersense/pp/find_het.htm.
• Just say no to vinyl. Exchange your PVC-vinyl shower curtain or liner for one made with hemp. The fiber is naturally antifungal and antibacterial. After showers, leave the curtain extended for even drying. To wash, scrub with a bit of borax or distilled vinegar added to water and hang to dry.
• Combat clogs. Baking soda and vinegar work magic on bathtub drain problems. Pour one cup of baking soda down the drain followed by a cup of vinegar (preferably hot) to unclog the drain. The baking soda fizzes after the vinegar combines with it, and it eats away at clogs. If your drain backs up, don’t use a declogging chemical; first try a drain auger or “snake.” For small clogs, mini-snakes work as well as full-size snakes—and they’re cheaper.
The Better Bedroom
• Get it covered. Many conventional mattresses contain hazardous or irritating chemicals such as formaldehyde. While a natural-fiber or rubber-tree latex mattress is ideal, a natural mattress topper over your conventional mattress may be more economical.
• Dress your bed accordingly.In summer, switch your AC off at night, then outfit your bed with lightweight linens and open a bedroom window. If you’re still too warm, invest in a small fan; it will draw less energy than cooling your entire home. In winter, lower your thermostat at bedtime—keep it set above 60 degrees, or your pipes might freeze—and add an extra blanket. Or use a space heater in the bedroom.
Excerpted from Natural Home, a national magazine that provides practical ideas, inspiring examples and expert opinions about healthy, ecologically sound, beautiful homes. To read more articles from Natural Home magazine, please visit www.NaturalHomeMagazine.com or call 800-340-5846 to subscribe. Copyright 2008 by Ogden Publications Inc.
