10 Simple and Earth-Friendly Changes to make in your Home
Happy Earth Month!!!Living Green has been a part of my life looong before it was "trendy" to do so. I probably would say I was raised with hippie lifestyle ideals... (well at least the earth-friendly ones.)My Grandma is an earth-conscious farmer that taught my mom the ways of living green; consequently, my mom then instilled them in my siblings and me! I could really talk your ear off about this topic, but I'll just share a few examples of these efforts to be green in our household as we grew up.For one, my mom insisted on using 100% biodegradable shampoo and conditioner and then had us save all our shower water so that we could re-use it to water our huge garden. A little extreme I know, but man we saved so much water when watering our garden and when the rain wasn't enough; and, speaking of our garden, so much money was saved on local organic veggies from our own yard!We also recycled militantly! Every Saturday, each of my brothers and sisters and I had to help sort the recyclables and take it to the recycling center. It definitely inspired in me a love for caring for the earth. In high school, when our town decided to close the recycling center due to lack of monetary funds, my best friend and I made a petition to bring it back. We asked everyone we knew to sign it; and, when we took it to the town council, they ended up reversing their decision and brought it back! I'm still pretty proud of that. Small efforts can make a big change! :)But enough gloating about my own tree-hugging craziness. You don't have to do anything extravagant to make the earth a healthier place; there are so many simple changes you can make in your own home today that have just as much impact on our environment.
1. Use plants to purify your air naturally.
They do so much more than make your space look fresh and beautiful. A few of the top recommended ones for air purification are Aloe Vera, Spider plants, Snake plants, Dracaena, Philodendron. These are also some of the hardest to kill ( in my experience) so if you're new to the plant world I would start with one of these. And when it comes to watering, less is more with most indoor plants. Pick one day a week to water and let the dirt dry out in between waterings.
2. Opt for low-VOC or no-VOC carpets, rugs, and paints.
VOC stands for Volatile organic compounds. They are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary room temperature, (basically they release strong chemicals into the air). Paint stores always carry low-VOC paints so, with today's options, there's no reason to choose ones that off-put gas. When choosing rugs and carpets, look for more green materials like sisal, wool, or organic cotton.
3. Swap incandescent lightbulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs and LEDs
LED lights are more efficient than traditional lighting, have a longer life span, and don't have any toxic elements. This is one of the easiest design changes you can make to go green at home.
4. Clean with natural products and ditch paper towels.
Ridding your home of unwanted chemicals is easier than you think. The internet is full of DIY home cleaners that don't take long to make and last for months. For the majority of my home cleaning, I use vinegar and baking soda to clean. These are probably ingredients you already have in your home and they clean faster and more effectively than anything else I've tried. And for cleaning, I use rags that can be washed and reused over and over. You can buy cute ones or just make your own by cutting up some old t-shirts. Super easy and it will save SO much wasted paper towel from going in your garbage!
5. Reuse and repurpose furniture
Perhaps you inherited some old furniture from a family member but don't completely love it? Give it new life with some paint or sand it down and refinish it. Or maybe you're tired of the decor in your living room? "Shop your home" and switch up some of the furniture from another room. Never underestimate the power of rearranging your furniture! The bookshelf in the picture below was an old end table that someone had left by a dumpster, I scooped it up and painted it back to life!
6. Shop at thrift stores/antique stores for art and collectibles.
One man's trash really is another man's treasure! When you're looking for art or collectibles for your home, always check your local thrift stores first. You'll be amazed at what treasures you can find, and it will keep consumer waste down because you are choosing to buy preowned rather than brand-new products.
7. Install a water-saving showerhead.
A water-efficient showerhead can save more than just water – it can also save you money on bills, reduce your energy consumption, and resulting greenhouse gas emissions. There are so many affordable options out there today, so this is another budget-friendly change you can make in a couple of hours.
8. Open windows whenever you can.
This sounds simple but it is so effective in creating a fresh home environment. Even with all the natural products and air purifiers, there can still be harmful chemicals floating around the air occasionally, so open your windows and let mother nature circulate some fresh air into your home. This also promotes a more relaxing environment in your home as well!
9. Use Natural laundry soap.
This is just better for YOUR health and for the environment. Traditional laundry soaps are filled with toxic, cancer-causing chemicals and leave behind a lot of the soap residue on your clothes which is in turn absorbed by our skin and inhaled into our lungs. The scents that they are filled with are also very toxic and can lead to many health problems. Natural laundry soap is filled with completely natural ingredients, minerals, and components, which means that natural laundry detergents are completely safe for the environment and biodegradable.
10. Recycle, reuse, and properly dispose of waste!
As you read in my above story, I can't stress this one enough! Recycle everything you can to your local recycling center or in a blue bag if you have curb pickup. Also, try to reuse items, like cloth bags for your groceries, so you are not consuming more plastic with each visit. And lastly, make sure broken electronics and old batteries, lightbulbs, etc are properly disposed of at eco-stations or other local drop-off centers. IKEA is great for disposing of your old lightbulbs or batteries, most stores have a drop-off station right by their check-out aisles.I hope you've enjoyed this post and feel inspired to make a few earth conscience changes in your home! Happy Earth Month!