*Collaborative post.
Whether you’re trying to live more sustainably and efficiently or are hoping to add some value to your home—or both—taking measures to make your home more sustainable is a great idea! It wasn’t always so straightforward to make your place of living more sustainable, but now there are plenty of options based on your needs!
Most of the simple tips we’ll explore here come down to our everyday habits and how we use our appliances, but there are also some one-time purchases you can make to create a more sustainable living situation. Let’s dive into some of the ways you can create a green home.
Skip the Dryer
Using your dryer less and hanging clothes up to dry can help you make big savings on energy use and costs. A lot of measures you can take to be more sustainable in your home will actually save you money. It certainly helps to be able to dry something on the spot, but for the most part a solid drying rack can do the trick.
Use Cold Water for Laundry and Dishes
Using cold water for laundry and dishes usually does the trick just as well, if not better, than using hot water and can help you save on energy use and costs. Most stains come out with cold water in the laundry and because of how much water gets used during a load, shifting to mostly cold water can make a big impact on how green your laundry process is.
Share Your Home With Shrubs
It’s long been known that plants work as an air filter in your home. Plants can help purify the air in your home and if you have enough space for multiple plants or a miniature garden you can plant some herbs and save on costs that way.
Planting your own herbs is pretty simple to manage with some soil, water, and fertilizer, so, depending on your home setup, this can be an enjoyable and sustainable practice.
Install a Water Filter
We know that plastics are a major contributor to pollution and we’re learning more about the effects of microplastics on our bodies. Not everyone knows about how fossil fuels drive the plastic industry but it’s just another big reason to stop using the material.
In order to stop the negative impact of using so much plastic, you might consider installing a water filter and using a reusable water bottle so that you don’t have to worry about buying big packs of water and then recycling the plastic (much of which ends up in a landfill anyway).
Look into Window Treatments
Window treatments are another great way to optimize your home environment and make it greener. Window treatments can help insulate your home and trap heat but also allow for cool airflow from outside depending on the type of treatment and your outside environment.
Curtains can also help with this but, however you do it, the idea is to save on heating and air. If you already have some type of curtain set up, another option is to try some LED lighting for energy efficiency.
However you decide to improve your home in the name of green living, the driving force behind your changes is based on your habits and everyday activities. Small actions can make a big difference, so start small and build a sustainable practice. It might help to leave yourself small reminders by the sink or laundry at first, but after you’ve made it a habit the benefits will start to stack up. Like we said, one of the best things about living green is that you can make a positive impact on the world and your wallet at the same time!
