Going green at home does not mean you have to use only one square of toilet paper or grow your own food. There are many ways to go green, be comfortable, and keep your home and family hip and happy without going "rustic". Below are a few of the easiest ways we've greened our home:
1.) If you haven't already, a BIG way to green your home as well as your wallet is to change your light bulbs from incandescent to compact energy saving full spectrum light bulbs. Energy Saving bulbs use less energy and replicate natural daylight, keeping your bathrooms, hallways and kitchens lit and keeping you in complexion-friendly lighting! We love Clear-Lite™ Energy Saving Natural Brite White Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs, with an average rated life of 10,000 hours, look for it at your local Office Depot on online at http://www.officedepot.com. (Please make sure to contact your local town or city hall to ask how to dispose of these types of light bulbs as they do contain mercury and cannot be disposed of in regular trash/recycling bins).
2.) Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use. What is commonly known as "vampire energy loss", (no we aren't referring to the Twilight series), is the wasted standby power of household electronic devices. Turning your computer off, or taking the charger out of your cell phone still leaves an electric charge on the device and drains energy without any benefit. Although each device only drains a little electric current, adding up all your chargers, computers, tv's etc overnight can add up! If it's too much of a hassle to unplug your tv and computers at night, at least make sure they are fully turned off (including any digital or cable boxes) to make sure you aren't being wasteful as you sleep.
3.) For those of us with the best intentions to turn lights off when we leave the house or go to our bedrooms, timers and sound devices (like clap-on) can help to make sure we don't forget! One of our favorite electronic timers is AutoChron, a wireless wall switch timer that offers 7-Day, customized programming for convenient operation of your home's lighting and appliances. The device is controlled by a toggle switch which you can program to turn off lights every day or a few days a week from for example 9am to 6pm, when you are at work or out of the house. Find AutoChron at your nearest Home Depot.
4.) Love the scent of wildflowers or vanilla bean when you come into the house? Use natural oil diffusers and plug-ins rather than artificially scented ones, and protect yourself from dangerous toxins while you breathe. Not many people know this, but most of the plug-in diffusers or even reed diffusers you find in trendy boutiques or grocery stores use fragrance oils, that is to clarify, artificially fragranced oils which may contain Toluene and Formaldehyde, toxic chemicals linked to cancer, organ toxicity and birth defects. Check out the reed diffusers and natural plug-ins we offer at Destination Organics.
5.) Like flowers? Use potted plants! Using potted plants or better yet, having a roof garden or designated area to keep plants, is a great way to weave in nature and beauty into your home and entertaining life. Taking care of plants also helps keep you in tune with Nature, and the simple addition of a plant in the home will also help increase oxygen in the environment and ultimately increase your oxygen intake, making you a healthier person.
6.) If you are the romantic type, try replacing your wax and paraffin candles with soy based candles to clear the air of soot and toxins released from burning paraffin. Soy based candles last upto 4 times longer than regular wax or paraffin based candles, and also burn clean - so you aren't left with the black soot from the burning that stains walls or disperses into the air. Hugo Naturals has some of the prettiest smelling candles you'll find. Adjust temperature before leaving and going to bed. Or better yet install a programmable thermostat.
7.) Can't take the heat? Use fan's instead of air-conditioners and make sure to close all doors and windows to get the maximum cool per room. Live in a super hot place and can't get rid of your air-conditioner but still want to go green? Place air-conditioners in the shadiest part of your home, so the immediate temperature in its surroundings won't be too difficult to bring down to the temperature you program it to be. Another option is to always keep blinds and curtains closed, so they won't let in the hot sun through the windows during heat waves, or the cold in during the winter.
8.) Many of us are too busy to cook and rely on websites like www.Delivery.com to get us through dinner. These days, many restaurants are wising up to the Eco-Revolution and are giving customer's a "go green" option for take-out and delivery. If you are ordering take out or delivery, request no additional cutlery or unwanted sauces if you already have some at home. This not only reduces your waste, but also helps the restaurant to order less plastic knives and forks that won't be used. Delivery.com has a great option before you check out for just this purpose! Make sure to check it off before you place an order.
9.) Want to clean your home and save money? Disinfect floors, bathrooms and counters with Vinegar and a touch of essential oil. Just dilute 1 part vinegar with 9 parts water and drop some essential oil for scent for a clean and eco-friendly home.
10.) Reuse, Recycle, Reinvent. We all know the importance of recycling, but recycling can also be implemented by reusing old containers for different uses while staying super hip. Case in point, those luscious chocolate milk glass containers we get from Whole Foods make for great retro vases, or fill them up with some water and put a tea light in them for an instant romantic glow. We also love using paper bags as make-shift garbage bags rather than throwing them away, or keeping old margarine containers to store soap, pack a nice soup or even just use it as tuperware. Get creative with the things you have at home and your life will have less waste, unique and practical knick knacks at home... and best of all... more time spent helping to save the planet.
Got other ideas? Email us at info@destinationorganics.com and we'll post them!
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