Green Living: Your Home

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Showerhead
Install low flow showerheads. They are a worthwhile investment (especially if you live in a rented space because you can take them with you). They cut down on water usage and save energy costs.

You can buy a Massaging Adjustable Low-flow Showerhead here for about $30.

Digital Thermostat
Consider investing in and installing an automated thermostat. High tech thermostats are well worth the cost, and what you spend, you will get back over time in lower energy bills. It is estimated that you can save about 3% of your heating costs for every degree you lower your thermostat during the winter and up to 6% for every degree you raise it during the summers.

You can buy a HUNTER 7-Day Programmable Digital Thermostat for less than $40 here.

Stop A Leak
Stop a leak. Organize a "stop a leak day" on which everyone in your family tightens, insulates, replaces, caulks or does whatever else is necessary to make your home as tight as possible. You can remove wall outlet and switch plates and add spray foam insulation around the box. Add caulking around window and door frames. It's as simple as walking around any exterior access with a thin ply of toilet paper. If it moves - seal it!

Flushing Too Much Water
You don't need the full tank of water to get a good flow of water when you flush. Reduce the amount of water being used by adding something that will take up space in your toilet tank such as a milk container filled with sand. Simply remove the cover to your tank, flush the toilet and then add the container or brick before the water fills up again.

Automatically Shut Things Off
If you are using portible space heaters or anything that requires temporary electricity such as a diesel truck being plugged in then install a simple timer. This way you will never forget to turn the unit off or in the case of plugging in a vehicle, set the timer to go on several hours prior to needing it rather than leaving it on all night. Incredibly simple to use.

You can buy an Intermatic Inc. Lamp & Appliance Timer here for $6.00.

Lights Out Automagically
We all have a light that ALWAYS gets forgotten like in a laundry room or closet. Install a motion detector switch so the light will never be forgotten again. When you enter the area, the motion is detected and the light goes on. It will automatically turn off when motion is not detected. It is also helpful in the laundry room when your hands are full and turning off the light is more difficult.

You can buy a Leviton motion detection light switch for about $15 by clicking here

Compact fluorescent light bulbs
The facts are plain. Compact fluorescent light bulbs or C.F.L.s use less energy and, over the long haul, save money.

They are so efficient, in fact and their predecessor, the basic incandescent bulb, is so comparatively inefficient that Australia passed legislation in 2007 that would effectively phase out incandescent bulbs by next year. The European Union has followed suit, mandating that incandescents be removed from the marketplace by the end of 2011.

You can buy these bulbs for about $4 if you buy 4 or more by clicking here

Make Your Own Laundry Soap - EASY!
There are toxins present in laundry detergents that are very harmful to the environment. Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates (LAS) are more commonly listed as 'anionic surfactants' on detergent labels. They are one of the more common surfactants found in laundry detergents. They are a synthetic product.

As they are manufactured, cancer causing or carcinogenic toxins, as well as reproductive toxins are released into the environment. Benzene is one such toxin, and if this were not detrimental enough, these also biodegrade very slowly.

Another harmful chemical that is frequently found in laundry detergents are phosphates. Used to remove hard-water minerals and as a preventive measure to keep dirt from settling onto clothes while being washed. Overall, they are used to make detergents more effectiveand their negative impact on the environment is monumental

Click here to make your own - It is so easy and from personal experience, works GREAT!

Make Your Own Fabric Softener
The chemicals contained in the soft and fragrant fabric softeners and dryer sheets you use to make your familys clothes smell nice and feel soft are full of chemicals that could make everyone in your home very sick.

Here is a VERY simple recipe to make your own for a fraction of the price!

Fill The Empty Space In Your Freezer and Fridge
Fill up the empty space in your refrigerator and freezer with bottles of water and it will stay colder longer, without it having to switch itself on. An empty refrigerator or freezer is very expensive to keep cold because it will run almost constantly.