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eco house

How to Easily Transition Your Home into an Eco-Friendly Environment

Many people have transitioned their home and environment into a more eco-friendly space. There are a few reasons why they are doing this, with the main one being that it helps to protect the environment for our future generations. That’s our children and grandchildren.

But, it also can help save money and help our health. And who can’t use a little extra cash in their pockets, or a few less issues with their health?

So, if you are considering taking the steps in turning your home into a greener environment, read on for some ideas to make the transition a smooth one.

Furnishing with an Organic Flair

I am first going to tackle one of the biggest areas that can be addressed. In fact, it’s big enough that you might want to take this in baby steps. I am talking about the furnishings within the home. To switch everything out for natural and organic would be put a big dent in the wallet to do all at once. So, that is why I recommend a slow transition in getting rid of the allergen traps.

Carpet is notorious for trapping dirt and stains. However, it’s also a haven for dust mites and other allergens. If you are considering a change in flooring, you might want to opt for a hard surface such as bamboo, which is good for both allergens and the environment.

Window treatments are also a home for allergens. If you are not wanting to launder them on a regular basis, you might want to switch draperies out for blinds that will not trap allergens.

One last area I want to discuss in this section is bedding. Mattresses, sheets, and comforters are not only capable of trapping allergens, but also created with chemicals…unless, you go with organic. I have a friend who is getting serious about going green, and is expecting a baby as well. The nursery was the first room they tackled, with an organic baby crib mattress, all natural sheets, bamboo flooring, and blinds. So, the baby will not be breathing in chemicals as  they sleep.

Cleaning up Naturally

One way to remove chemicals from your environment is to clean with natural products. You will notice that the shelves at stores are filling up with natural products, including a variety of cleaning products.

You shouldn’t have a hard time finding them at all. However, if you prefer to go completely natural and save money at the same time, make your own. Just look in your kitchen pantry for ingredients that work well for cleaning, such as lemon juice, white vinegar, salt, club soda, and so much more.

There are websites that are dedicated to all natural cleaning products that will provide ‘recipes’ for a multitude of cleaning needs from windows to laundry.

A Little R and R

Of course I need to address recycling, which is the first ‘R’ and far more popular and easy to do than when it first started. Many cities have bins available for you to recycle and have curbside pickup available. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

The second ‘R’ is to reuse. If you can reuse something, it can help save money, as well as the environment. The following are 5 ideas on how to reuse:

  1. Shopping Bags – the plastic bags you get from the store can be used for storing items, or as a small trash bag
  2. Cleaning Rags – use washable cloth cleaning rags over paper towels
  3. Borrow – rather than purchasing something you won’t need forever, see if you can borrow it
  4. Jars – emptied food jars can store many other items
  5. Garbage – make into compost for a natural fertilizer

I am sure you will be able to find many other items around the home that you can creatively use in other forms. It’s all about putting less waste into our world.

Energize that Transition

Simply turning down the heat will help reduce your energy budget, that’s common knowledge. However, are you aware of how much? For every degree you dial it down, you will save on average of 2% on your energy bill. Good enough reason to put a sweater on, right?

Another option is solar power. A solar-powered generator allows for currents of electricity to reach a battery ‘bank’, to be stored. They say the most resourceful form is the flat panel. These work especially well for larger roofs in sunny areas. While this is an area growing in popularity, it also takes a bit of research to know how to do it right.

In Closing

There are several ways you can transition your home and environment into an eco-friendly area, and I have mentioned just a few. Do some research to see what you can do to ease your transition and get a great start on a healthier future for your children and grandchildren.

 

As a successful freelance writer and Internet marketer, Mark Harris enjoys researching for new material for future projects. His latest series of articles on going green was inspired when he was visiting www.ecohomeinspired.com. Mark is married and lives in White Rock, B.C. on Canada’s stunning west coast. When he is not working, he enjoys time on the local beaches, kayaking, and hiking.