Urban Blog

There are many diverse ways to make your home greener. Many of the ways to make your home greener and eco-friendly are also inexpensive. Rather surprisingly many of the best ways to green your home are also completely free or can even help you save money!

Greening your home doesn’t have to be a difficult, time consuming, confusing or laborious process. Quite the contrary, the path to a greener and healthier home can be a pleasant, easy and even fun journey! If you’re already using our clotheslines, you already know well that this is the case.

We think that these five simple tips can make a tremendous difference in your life and the health of the planet. Let’s dive in and explore some of the best low-cost ways to make your home a greener and healthier one. Adopt these simple tips and you’ll be helping the planet while boosting your health and the health of your family.

Tip Number One-Be Highly Selective in What You Buy

One of the single best tips for greening your home is to be very selective about the products you buy. Cleaning products are a great example of where it pays to pause and consider what products you should and should not be buying. In short, refrain from buying any cleaning products that have chemicals or contain ingredients that are not naturally based.

The odds are great that you don’t need industrial strength cleaning products, so what should you do? Just don’t buy them at all.

Instead, you can make your own cleaning products for a fraction of the cost of buying cleaning products, for example, soap and water goes a long way in cleaning countertops, toilets, showers and more. The idea that you have to constantly clean using “tough” cleaning products is an idea created by marketing firms over the last half century!

Tip Number Two-Adjust Your Thermostat, Save Money and Help the Planet

Heating and cooling your home isn’t just expensive, but it is also tough on the planet. The less energy you use, the better off everyone will be. Using less energy means that you lower your carbon footprint while at the same time putting more cash in your pocket every month.

Start by turning down your thermostat a couple of degrees in the winter and leaving it a couple of degrees higher in the summer. After a few months your body will adjust to this small change and you’ll love the savings. Everyone literally benefits from this no-cost approach to greening your home! In fact, you’ll actually save money.

Tip Number Three-Remember that Weeds are Not the Enemy

Without a doubt one of the most significant environmental disasters of the 20th and early 21st Centuries has been the rise in popularity of the lawn and the treatment of that lawn with toxic and dangerous chemicals. Weed killing products, such as Roundup, should be avoided in all circumstances. The scientific community has raised a significant alarm regarding the safety of such products.

You do have options. First, remember that weeds are not the end of the world; they are just weeds! Secondly, weeds can be treated with a vinegar spray bottle. While this approach takes more work, it is far safer for you, your family and the planet as a whole.

Weeds cannot give you or your family cancer or neurological disorders. Toxic weed killers, on the other hand, are likely a very different story. Additionally, these harmful chemicals make their way into our water supply.

Tip Number Four-Natural Insulation for Big Results

So far our previous three tips were all free or even helped you save money. Tip Number Four isn’t free, but it can be inexpensive and save you a great deal in the long run.

The day you insulate a previous uninsulated space you will begin to save money. Many home improvements can take years before homeowners see a return on their investment; however, insulation is unique in that insulation immediately begins paying for itself.

An uninsulated space means that you invariably use more energy. Insulating an uninsulated space, however, means that you save energy and do so while lowering your carbon footprint. It is a true win-win for you and the planet! When you opt for insulation it is a smart move to select insulation that is green. Some green insulation options include blue jean insulation and wool insulation. However, it is important to check and make certain that these insulations are not treated with dangerous chemicals as some wool and blue jean insulation is treated.

Tip Number Five-Simple Changes to Your Dinner Plate

One of the single greatest steps for greening your home is to eat less meat. Meat takes a tremendous amount of water and resources. Simply cutting back or eliminating your meat consumption will help lower your carbon footprint and take pressure off water and energy resources. If you are not a vegetarian or a vegan, consider reducing your meat consumption just one day a week. Medical studies indicate that this simple move will also help your health.

Five Small Changes Produce Combine for Amazing Results!

Together these five tips can be used to lower your carbon footprint, save you money, improve your home’s resell value, lower your water consumption and help the planet. The good news is that regardless of your budget, there are many easy to adopt changes that will help the planet. If you want to “go green,” there are plenty of wonderful options!