Sierra Club Green Home’s Director of Sustainability Jennifer Schwab has some great tips for going green on a budget this spring. Since it sometimes seems that being eco-friendly is expensive, it is really nice to see some tips that cost less than $40. In fact, some are completely free, but I’ve simply never thought of them. Here are a few of my favorite ideas from Sierra Club Green Home:
Use a Bathroom Fan – ensure your bathroom fan is turned on for 20 minutes AFTER your shower to avoid mold build up (and be sure your fan’s wattage is equivalent to your bathroom’s square footage!)
I knew that bathroom fans were important, but I wasn’t running mine long enough after anyone showered. I was going with about five minutes, which is only a quarter of the time I needed.
Install Low-Flow Water Fixture ($29.90) – faucets account for more than 15 percent of a typical household’s indoor water use and showers 17 percent. That adds up to more than 2.2 trillion gallons of water in the United States every year. Cutting that by 40 percent by installing low-flow fixtures— available at Home Depot for only $29.90—would save 880 billion gallons of water…every year.
I don’t know what your area is like, but around here, every town is raising water and sewage rates. Some of them are doubling and tripling rates. That means that this isn’t only a green idea. It is also a money saving one.
Open the Window – when using a gas stove in order to ensure you and your family aren’t breathing harmful fumes. Our ovens and cooktops article tells more.
You know, I cook with propane all the time and don’t open my window. I plan to start though. It makes sense to get some fresh air in when you’re using gas.
Take Your Shoes Off before entering the home so pesticides aren’t brought inside.
Taking off shoes as soon as you come in the back door is mandatory at my house because I don’t want to spend two hours hunting for someone’s sneakers. Now I have a second reason for my rule!
Update Spring Colors with Low-VOC Paints ($35) – maintain indoor air quality by eliminating harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by paints, carpets, and furniture. Glidden low-VOC paint is available for about $35.
If you’re planning to repaint, taking a look at low-VOC options just makes sense.
Are you planning to make any little changes around your home to be greener this spring?
Photo: SXC
Post from: Blisstree