10 Easy Tips for Making Your Home Environmentally Friendly

Are you trying to ‘go green’, but don’t know where to start? Have you been trying to make changes in your life for the environment, but feel like there is more you could be doing?

Take it from someone who beats themselves up way too much about not being “green” enough, DON’T STRESS IT. Any change you are making, and any step you are taking, is ENOUGH. Whether you switched to vegan, or you only cut meat out once a week, you are making a difference. Any step towards saving the environment is a step in the right direction, no matter how small it seems to you.

So what are some simple (and cheap) things you can do to be making your home environmentally friendly?

10 EASY TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR HOME ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

1. Repurpose food containers. I try to buy glass food containers instead of plastic whenever I can, but sometimes that is just not possible. Try and repurpose as many containers as you can! I’ve learned that plastic containers make great cups, dog food scoopers, leftover holders, pencil holders, piggy banks, and even pots for my plants!
2. Make your own compost bin. Making your own DIY compost bin can be super easy, cheap, and actually fun to do! I made mine with a $5 bin and some soil! Check out my previous post on How to Make an Easy DIY Compost Bin.
3. Use reusable grocery bags and water bottles. There are so many single use plastic items out there that could be cut out, but it is hard to eliminate ALL OF THEM. However, two very easy and important ones are grocery bags and water bottles. You can buy reusable grocery bags at the store for very cheap. And if a reusable water bottle is out of your price range, then just keep refilling a plastic one!
4. Use cold water when washing your clothes. Using cold water when you wash your clothes is an easy way to conserve energy. According to Consumer Reports, cold water gets the job done just as effectively as hot water.
5. Swap out your incandescent bulbs for some LED bulbs. According to Energy Star, Residential LEDs — especially ENERGY STAR rated products — use at least 75% less energy, and last 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting.
6. Fill your dishwasher ALL THE WAY before running it. I haven’t had a dishwasher in almost 4 years, so I don’t worry about this one. However, it SHOCKS me when I go to people’s houses and see them running a half filled dishwasher. It is a tremendous waste of water and energy to run it before it is full.
7. Switch to cloths from paper towels and napkins. Cloth wash cloths and rags are great for cleaning yourself, the house, and everything in between! Not only will you save paper product and plastic packaging, but money as well! They can be used multiple times before washing and they don’t take up much room in the washer machine!
8. Get window treatments and seal any drafts. One of the most energy efficient things you can do for your home is doing home renovations; including new windows, doors, roofs, siding, and much more! However, if major home improvements are not in your budget right now, at least get window treatments and seal all drafts! Putting blinds, plastic, or even blankets in front of all your windows will help you from losing energy through them. And then getting something to put under your doors to eliminate drafts will also help significantly.
9. Clean fridge coils. By cleaning the fridge coils once in awhile, it means the fridge doesn’t have to work as hard to keep the food cold. This will save energy and it isn’t hard to clean them! Apartment Guide has a great article on How to Clean Refrigerator Coils.
10. Hang out your clothes to dry when possible. If you can avoid using the dryer, you should! You can hang them outside if it is nice, or inside (by a fan or under a vent works the best).

These are just a few simple things you can do in making your home environmentally friendly! There are tons of other ideas and strategies. Feel free to share what you have tried and anything you do in your own home. I would love to share ideas!