When you become an eco-friendly person, you start to live your life as a way to be kinder to the environment. From how much energy you use and the type of energy you have in your home, to recycling and switching out toxic materials, there are so many ways to decrease your carbon footprint.
One of the easiest ways to be more eco-friendly is in the home, since you spend most of your time there, and there are so many small things you can do. This is not a list of expensive or difficult tasks, like getting solar panels, but instead very affordable and easy fixes that still have a positive impact on the environment.
Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Another great swap you can make is by slowly switching out your regular cleaning products for more natural cleaning products that are kinder to the environment. So that you don’t waste money or throw away the products you already have, keep using them, and just replace them one at a time with the natural alternative as they run out or when you need to stock up.
You will see quite a few natural alternatives or commercial products to avoid. Particularly, avoid cleaning products that are foam or contain harsh detergents, as these tend to be the worst for the environment. The convenience of foaming action isn’t nearly worth it’s considering how bad it can be for the surrounding nature.
Depending on which way you want to go, you can either purchase store-bought natural alternatives, or make your own cleaning products with ingredients like distilled white vinegar, baking soda, and or vegetable-based liquid soap and essential oils.
If making your own cleaners doesn’t appeal to you? There are brands like Seventh Generation or Ecover, available at your local grocery stores. They offer these days just about any household products you may need. I personally use Seventh Generation for my laundry, and Ecover for cleaning my kitchen.
Switch All Your Light Bulbs
One of the easiest things you can do that makes a big impact on how eco-friendly your home is, is switching out your light bulbs. If you have any standard light bulbs, start replacing them with LED bulbs. They are slightly more expensive, but last a long time, and your energy bills will also go down.
LED bulbs can save up to 75 percent of your energy use when it comes to turning the lights on. LED light bulbs also produce less heat in your home when lights are turned on, so you might even find that your home is cooler and your air conditioner isn’t on as often.
Eco-Friendly Food and Cooking Options
When it comes to your kitchen and how you dispose of food, there are a few options. Foremost, the less waste you have, the better off you will be. So, start using your reusable glass or plastic dinnerware that you already have, instead of buying disposable paper plates. It is better for the environment to use a little more water for washing dishes than it would be if you threw away countless paper plates every day.
Another great option is to start composting your food waste. Just about any food scraps you have from cooking or preparing food can be composted. There are now handy countertop composting machines that let you throw in your eggshells, vegetable scraps, fruit skins, and so much more. Once it is turned into compost, it can be used as fertilizer for your garden.
I am thinking of getting this one for my kitchen. I haven’t quite decided on which one. When I do, I will for sure do a review on it as well. There are so many affordable choices now!!
If you live in California, a new law goes into effect in July of this year (2022) that states you can’t throw away any food waste into your regular trash any longer. The state will be changing out our cans of yard waste to a different color that you will be able to throw all food waste into it. Dumb idea about changing the color of the can. Talk about a not so eco-friendly idea. 😛
Use Cold Water to Wash Clothes
If you don’t do this already, now is a great time to switch your washing machine to cold water for your clothes and other laundry. It uses considerably less energy in your home when you use cold water as opposed to hot water. This can be beneficial any time you run water, but because your washing machine uses so much water, that is where it has the largest impact. I have been personally using cold for years, it’s a great way to save on money too!
Buy More Biodegradable Products
Lastly, when it comes to different packaged products you purchase for your home or to be used at home, try to find ones with biodegradable packaging. These typically use ingredients that are non-synthetic and much kinder to the environment and in your home as well. Plus, you know they will be completely recyclable when the materials are biodegradable. From not using single use bottles of water, to buying makeup with as little amount of packaging possible. You can make a difference, even if it’s just a small one. It adds up if we all do something.
I found this amazing article at the Wellness Mama with lots of recipes to help you create a cleaner, safer for your children home!
