How Small Changes Can Make Your Home More Eco-friendly

We are experiencing climate change along with ever-increasing population growth. This can be challenging due to factors like affordability and buying power. The way we inhabit earth needs changing.

Fortunately for us, with an increased awareness of climate change in the estate sector and the world, there are many sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to almost every home appliance or equipment we use.

These small initiatives can considerably impact lowering carbon footprint and reducing energy consumption. Not everybody is in the financial position to afford solar panels, but there are other differences we can make in our home to make it more eco-friendly. Fortunately for you, most of those changes are budget-friendly, like garden services, and are an efficient method to turning your home eco-friendly. This article will discuss how to make your home more eco-friendly and sustainable and how these small changes can impact the environment.

Washing your clothes with cold water

Around 90% of the energy from washing machines goes into heating the water to dry clothes. So skipping the heating process and using your washing machine in the cold water setting will be helpful to reduce the usage of heat. Doing this reduces carbon dioxide emissions and can keep your clothes in better condition for extended periods because hot water deteriorates the fabric and makes your clothes less vibrant. Unless you have stubborn stains on your clothing, there is no need to use your washing machine in the hot water setting.

A recycling bin

The first step to encourage yourself to be conscious about recycling is to purchase a recycling bin. You’ll be more responsible about recycling items like paper, jars, glass bottles, and anything else you can recycle. On the other hand, having a compost bin is a good idea because this way, you will know when you need to get rid of leftovers and reuse the leftovers as fertilizer for plants. You get access to free fertilizers by responsibly discarding leftover food etc. Luckily, you’ll find many compost bins designed to be odor free, neat, and tidy. They also assist in helping your day easier by reducing household waste.

Window treatments

Curtains and window blinds have another use besides keeping your home’s privacy intact. They’re also helpful in keeping the hot and cool air outside during extreme weather. However, hot and cold air can still creep in despite having your blinds closed. Especially if you don’t have a big tree to protect your home from the sun during summer; otherwise, it can feel like an oven. The best way to maintain the temperature within your home is to upgrade windows and blinds so your house can have a moderate temperature instead of using an AC daily.

Invest in energy-efficient light bulbs

Energy-efficient light bulbs have been in use for a very long time but have only been used by the general public recently. People have started to become more educated about energy and cost-saving measures. There have been complaints in the past about how they don’t give out enough light or take too long. However, improvements in technology have been made, and they are the best option for the home if you want something eco-friendly and cost-efficient. Another bonus to energy-efficient light bulbs is that they do not need to be replaced as often as traditional ones.

Intelligent use of the kitchen

Always check the oven door every time you bake or cook and ensure it is shut. Leaving the door open leads to a significant amount of heat loss. It is important to note that ovens use a considerable amount more energy to heat up, and if you only plan on cooking a couple of slices of bread, toasters are a better alternative. An oven is less efficient than a toaster because the toaster uses less energy and gets the job done quicker. Additionally, swap your pod maker with a drip coffee maker for coffee because pod makers are not known to be eco-friendly.

To sum up

There are a few changes that you can opt for that will help make your home more eco-friendly. Switching from the hot water setting to the cold water setting in your washing machine will save a lot of energy and is known to make your clothes more long-lasting. Additionally, having a recycling and a compost bin in your home may be a good idea to learn to recycle cans, etc., and use the leftovers as fertilizers for plants. To avoid using AC, upgrade your windows and blinds to keep the harsh sun conditions out and let your house remain moderate. Investing in energy-saving light bulbs is an excellent method to minimize energy use. Finally, since the kitchen has many heat-supplying appliances like an oven, reduce the use of it, keep the oven doors closed or use a better alternative like a toaster if you want to toast bread.

We hope this article has been informative and helps you make your home more eco-friendly. Thank you for reading!