11 Easy Ways to Green Your Home

Are you ready to go green? Here are 11 quick and easy tips to green your home (and save some green):

• Unplug appliances and electronics. TVs, computers and kitchen appliances, as well as cell phone and laptop chargers, all use energy when they are plugged in—even if they are turned off. You don’t need to be Chuck McGill from Better Call Saul to get VERY frustrated about the needless use of electricity in your home!
• Consider replacing some of the toxic, synthetic and artificial products around your house. According to a government report from 1989 (and things have only gotten worse), liquid dish soap is the leading cause of poisonings in the home for children under the age of six (over 2.1 million accidental poisonings per year). Most brands of liquid dish soap contain Formaldehyde and ammonia.  Of the chemicals found in personal care products: 884 are toxic, 146 cause tumors, 218 cause reproductive complications, 778 cause acute toxicity, 314 cause biological mutations, 376 cause skin and eye irritations.  For example, choosing the right soap can be the answer to many of the most common skin conditions associated with using commercially available soaps that commonly contain harsh chemicals, additives and other synthetic ingredients.  Falls River Soap Company and other handmade soap companies specialize in producing environmentally friendly, sustainable natural soaps.
• Use power strips. “Smart” power strips automatically turn off electronic devices when they are not being used or when one main unit (like your personal computer) is powered down.
• Turn off lights. We hate to sound like your nagging parent, but when you’re not in the room or not in the house, there’s no need for all the lights to be on.
• Clean and replace furnace or air conditioner filters on a regular basis. Dirty air filters block air flow, increase energy bills and shorten equipment life.
• In the warmer months, keep the shades and blinds down on south-, east- and west-facing windows. In the colder months, open them up and let the sun in.
• Activate “sleep” features on your computer and office equipment. When consumer electronic products go unused for a long period of time, they power down.
• Lower the thermostat in the wintertime. Wear a sweater around the house and put an extra blanket on the bed at night.
• Use fans instead of air conditioning whenever possible during the summertime or combine their use to use less energy when trying to turn down the air temperature.
• Close vents and doors to unused rooms.
• Wash your laundry with cold water. It’s just as effective.