How To Have An Eco Friendly Home:
1. Wash clothes in cold water using a cold-water detergent. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a washing machine uses up to 90% of its energy to simply heat the water in a load of laundry. Also, consider wearing lightly worn items a couple of times before you wash them. The clothes will last longer and you’ll save time, water, and energy.
2. Use a clothesline or clothes tree to dry your laundry naturally outdoors. In bad weather, use an indoor drying rack.
3. Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
4. Likewise, when shaving only turn on the water when rinsing the razor. Alternately, rinse your razor in a cup of warm water. If you run the faucet to warm up the water, collect the water in a pan and reuse it to water plants.
5. Use single-blade razors rather than disposable ones. The nation’s landfills will thank you.
6. Turn off lights as you go from room to room while you are awake. According to ENERGY STAR, as much as 20% of a home’s energy use comes from light bulbs.
7. Reduce the amount of junk mail—magazines, offers and other mail–you receive by registering at https://www.dmachoice.org.
8. If you are buying a new computer and have a choice, pick a laptop because they use significantly less energy than desktops.
9. Pile on the blankets. Snuggle up under blankets at night while watching television and when you go to bed. That way you can turn down the heat in your house but still keep your body warm.
10. Use matches instead of lighters. About 1.5 billion disposable lighters end up in landfills each year. If can’t stand to get rid of your lighter, invest in one that can be refilled.
11. Install an aerator (flow valve) on your faucets. Most new faucets have aerators, which are wire mesh attachments. But if yours is older and does not have one, you can purchase an inexpensive one from your local hardware store. They are easy to install and can reduce your water flow by half without reducing your water pressure.
12. Install a low-flow showerhead. About 25% of the water supplied to the average American home is used for showers. Fact: if every American used one gallon of water less per day, the U.S. would save more than 100 billion gallons of water per year–enough to supply the entire population of Mozambique with water for five years.
13. Install and use ceiling fans. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it costs homeowners $11 billion per year to power their air conditioners.
14. Unplug appliances when not in use. The little red or green light displayed on your TV, DVD player, computer and other appliances means that the item is still partially on, thus it is still consuming energy even when you have turned it off. Even in sleep mode, appliances can be using up to 85% of their full power. Just a little bit of energy used all day and night adds up to a lot. Either unplug frequently unused appliances or purchase smart power strips that allow you to turn the power completely off at the source.
15. Switch to LED light bulbs. LED bulbs, such as those from Cree, look and light like traditional incandescent bulbs and also work with dimmer switches but use far less energy. Cree LED bulbs save 84% of the energy compared to incandescent bulbs and last 25 times longer.
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
