Your home is something that you want to look after; it’s yours after all. So why not adopt the same approach to the planet? Many of the principles of having a homestead involve making the most of natural resources, while also being more environmentally responsible.
Even if you don’t own a homestead, you can still bring many of these principles into your own home to help you make it a greener home.
14 Step To A Greener Home
1. Actively reduce your electricity bill
While you need electricity to power the various things around your home, you don’t need to power everything all the time. There could be many things in your home that are using unnecessary electricity.
This leads to a huge waste of energy, as well as high utility bills for you. Make your home a greener home by using less electricity. Some easy ways you can use less electricity include unplugging appliances, mobile phones, computers, etc. when you’re not using them.
You’ll be surprised at how much of an impact this can have on your bill.
2. Grow your own produce
The carbon footprint caused by the food industry is becoming an increasingly hot topic. Getting your produce from local suppliers is a good way to help support your local economy.
You can also grow your produce at home. If you’ve got the space, you can grow everything from fruit and vegetables to herbs and spices, giving you everything you need to make tasty home-cooked meals.
If you don’t have a garden, you can still grow your own food at home, and there are plenty of easy vegetables you can grow indoors. This is yet another way of making a greener home.
3. Switch to low-energy lighting
Low-energy lighting has many benefits. Low-energy light bulbs tend to last longer than traditional light bulbs, while also helping to save money on your energy bills.
As well as using low-energy lighting in your home, you can also consider investing in a smart home system that will allow you to turn off lights accidentally left on from your mobile phone. In addition to using low-energy light bulbs, you could also try avoiding using your lighting at all by using candles or even portable lights a few times a week.
4. Use less water
A bath might be the perfect way to relax, but it does use much more water than a shower would. Try to limit your baths to once a week.
Stick to showers the rest of the time. If you can, try to stick to a two-minute shower. A fun challenge that everyone in the family can try.
When you’re making coffee or tea, only boil as much water as you need – this will stop you wasting water unnecessarily.
5. Conserve water
Sticking to the subject of water, have you thought about conserving water? There are systems you can put in place that can conserve rainwater, which is ideal for use in the garden.
A professional plumbing service like Heatworks Heating and Plumbing Ltd can give you some advice on the types of systems that could benefit you. And they can install them in your home. You’ll find that conserving water benefits your home in many ways, especially if you’re prone to droughts during the summer months.
6. Use less plastic
A greener home means less plastic. Plastic is another hot topic when it comes to going green. As more and more brands alter their packaging to reduce plastic waste, you too can do your bit to bring down the amount of plastic that is thrown away each year.
Among the 100 steps to a plastic-free life are using glass containers to store food and other products, only using a reusable water bottle or travel cup and saying no to plastic bags in stores.. You can get creative in using less plastic to carry out everyday tasks while recycling and reusing the plastic you’ve got is a good way to reduce waste.
7. Clean with natural products
Everyone likes their home to be clean, but you don’t have to use chemical products to keep your home sparkling. There are many different types of homemade cleaners you can make using products around your home. Our growing reliance on chemicals is helping to pollute the environment, so using chemical-free alternatives is important.
If you’re looking for natural air fresheners for your home, you might want to consider bringing some more plants and flowers indoors to create a more natural fragrance scheme.
8. Buy natural fabrics
Natural fabrics are becoming easier to find in stores, with 100% pure cotton and even bamboo textiles starting to become more popular in people’s homes. When it comes to choosing products for your greener home, and even your clothing, invest in natural fabrics.
They may cost more than polyester or other synthetic fabrics, but they are much better for the environment and are easy to repurpose or recycle.
9. Make your own compost
Compost is important to have around your homestead or any garden where you want to grow things like flowers or produce. Making your own compost out of your food waste such as tea bags, vegetable peelings, grass and other items is simple to do and could save you money compared to what you’d spend at a hardware or gardening store.
Get into the habit of composting your waste, and you’ll have just what you need to keep your yard looking its best.
10. Start food planning
Despite your best efforts to cook and eat healthier, there is still the possibility that you might waste food. Fresh food that is perishable such as dairy, meat, fruit and vegetables, can all be saved if you plan your meals accordingly.
Before you pick any of your produce or head to the supermarket, make a plan of what you’re going to cook throughout the week. Doing this means you’ll only have what you need and are more likely to use up your ingredients.
You should also get into the habit of freezing foods that you aren’t likely to use in time. Pre-preparing vegetables and fruit before freezing them can be a big time saver, allowing you to make healthy meals easily at home, without having to worry about waste.
11. Turn down the heating
If you often find yourself running towards the thermostat in winter, take a second to think if you really do need to put the heating on. Nobody wants to be in a cold home, but there are things that you can do to keep yourself warm without resorting to your heater.
Wearing extra layers is a classic choice, while it doesn’t hurt to have a few throws or blankets lying around your home. Meanwhile, a hot water bottle has more benefits than you might realize – helping you to keep home via your own personal heater that doesn’t require constant gas or electricity to work.
12. Plant some trees
Why should you plant some trees? Planting trees in your garden is a good way to help the environment and aim to combat the growing levels of carbon in the atmosphere. If you have the land available, then planting some trees could make a huge difference.
Trees don’t cost a lot to plant, while you may even be able to find an organization that can help you out. If you don’t have the space to plant some trees, you can donate to the International Tree Foundation or Rainforest Rescue, who both have excellent tree planting programs.
13. Use sustainable materials in your decor
Did you know that there’s such a thing as eco-friendly decorating? Well, now you do! Instead of using artificial materials for your home decor projects, look to use sustainable products instead.
Natural stone is a great example of a strong and sturdy material that’s perfect for home improvement or home decor. Cotton, wood, and slate are all fantastic, attractive choices for any of your projects. When considering your next home improvement project – consider the ways you can use sustainable features instead.
These option all make for a greener home.
14. Recycle or upcycle your furniture
If you’ve grown tired of your furniture or it needs a bit of TLC, there are some things you can do to stop it from going to waste. If your furniture is made from recyclable materials, take them to be recycled. Selling or donating your furniture is another way to make sure it doesn’t simply end up in a landfill.
Alternatively, you could upcycle your furniture and repurpose it to give it a brand new look. You’ll find some great ideas on Pinterest on how people have completely transformed their items to give you some inspiration to get crafty.
Looking after the environment is important, and there is a lot that you can do in your home to help make a difference. Even small changes can have an impact, so make sure that you stay on top of your recycling and aim to cut down on your food and energy waste.
Start looking at ways that you can make a greener home and do your bit to help the world become a much more eco-friendly place.