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When you look at all the gloomy changes that the environment is going through thanks to our daily habits, you can’t help but feel guilty. If you’re wondering if there’s a way to reduce this even while not going too out of your way, then yes! Of course we can, as individuals, do our bit to help out the lonely planet. And you don’t even have to become a completely different person in order to go environment-friendly.
You are reading: 15 DIY Eco-Friendly Home Improvement Ideas
Follow these 15 simple tips to become a greener person at home!
1) Introduce Greenery In and Around Your House
It is a great idea to plant some trees and shrubs around your house and even home plants for the indoors, if you can spare the space. If you live in an apartment, you could think about maintaining a balcony garden. Did you know that it is possible to grow your own fruits and vegetables even in a balcony garden? Introduce some shade-friendly plants, like orchids and money plants, inside your house.
The indoor plants for home greenery outdoors will not only add visual appeal to your house, but also help you maintain a cooler environment around you. This will, in turn, lead to a reduction in energy consumption, making your space eco-friendly.
2) Fix Those Leaks!
Are there leaks in your house pipes that you have been procrastinating on fixing? It is high time you got around to doing that. Remind yourself that just two leaky taps wastes about 6 litres of water a day!
Fixing all the leaks in your home plumbing system will help you conserve water, and also conserve more energy.
3) Use Eco-Friendly Household Products
Switch over to eco-friendly products for your household from those chemical-laden ones – it will not only help you go greener, but ease your conscience as well. You will feel the (good) results on your skin, too.
Bathing soaps, floor cleaners, hair oil, shampoos, laundry detergents, diapers, sanitary pads, kohl, lip balms, bug sprays – all those products you use in your daily life have “green” equivalents that are just as good. Find out about them, and start using them.
4) Get Non-Toxic Paint for your House
Environment-friendly, non-toxic paint is easily available in most stores these days. The next time you plan to do up your house, ensure that you use this kind of paint and green building materials.
This natural painting helps reduce the level of air pollution, as well as minimises the amount of contaminants within your house, all while giving the house a more natural and handsome appearance.
5) Change Those Fixtures and Appliances
The next time you plan to change your household appliances, your refrigerator or geyser, for instance – ensure that you buy eco-friendly ones. These new appliances will help you conserve energy and water. For instance, some modern refrigerators come with see-through doors that enable you to look at the contents without opening the door, thereby helping you save energy. Many geysers available today have an automatic power cut-off system that turns it off once the water has fully heated up.
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Also, each time a light bulb needs replacement, buy an LED or fluorescent light that will consume lesser power.
6) Switch Off Appliances, Lights and Fans When Not in Use
How many times have you come across the advice to switch off household appliances, lights and fans whenever you are done using them? Well, it is time to start following this advice religiously.
You will be surprised at the amount of energy you save in this manner! Just switching off electrical appliances has brought down a friend’s electricity bill from Rs. 5,000 a month to Rs. 3,800 a month. That is a HUGE difference, right?
7) Manage Your Waste Wisely
Begin segregating your household garbage and try your hand at waste management, if you aren’t doing it already.
You’ll be doing yourself and the environment a huge favour by getting a home composter, turning all your food waste to compost. Be prepared to get stunned at the way your garden grows post this!
Dispose of electronic and medical waste the right way, instead of just dumping them with the rest of the garbage.
Old magazines, newspapers and other paper waste can be recycled, as can most of the plastic waste.
8) Use Solar Energy
Get solar panels installed on your terrace, so that you can make use of solar power to heat up your bath water. You could even switch over to solar-powered batteries, vehicles, and lights for your green home.
See the difference in your electricity bill the next month onwards!
9) Reduce the Use of Plastic
Switch over to stainless steel bottles to store your drinking water. You could store groceries in stainless steel containers instead of plastic ones, or store them in pretty ceramic or tin containers that’ll add to your kitchen decor while also lasting you for years! Bamboo or wooden buckets can be used instead of plastic waste paper baskets. Change the buckets and mugs in your bathroom to stainless steel ones, too.
Whenever you step out of your house, ensure that you carry water in a stainless steel bottle, so that you do not have to resort to buying bottled water. Also, carry your own cloth bags when you go grocery shopping and do away with those unpleasant plastic ones.
10) Change Your Showerhead and Toilet Flush
Change the showerhead and the toilet flush in your home to ones that are more environment-friendly. Buy ones that use a lower volume of water, so that you can cut down on water wastage. High pressure hand showers and faucets also have the tendency to spoil the pipe washers quickly and you’ll have to replace more frequently.
11) Use Eco-Friendly Cookware
Stainless steel, aluminium, brass and clay vessels are great to cook in, and environment-friendly as well. Switch over to such cookware instead of microwave-safe vessels and non-stick pots and pans.
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Stainless steel, brass and ceramic cookware are safer for your health, and can be cleaned relatively easily, with less water.
12) Run Your Washing Machine with Full Loads
Whenever possible, wait for a full load of clothes to run your washing machine instead of putting only a couple of article in. You could skip washing the clothes on a day when there isn’t much in the laundry basket. Or you could choose to wash clothes on alternate days!
You will be amazed at the amount of water and electricity you will save by doing this.
13) Get Those Services Done!
Get regular servicing done for all your household appliances, especially your air conditioners, the refrigerator, the gas stove and the vehicles. Clean up the dirt accumulated on those wires. Also, reduce the amount of junk in your car.
All of this will not only ensure a much lower electricity consumption, but the clean and functioning gizmos also keep your home generally happy.
14) Harvest Rainwater
Original Picture by ‘bownose’: http://bit.ly/1Psmd03
Get a rainwater harvesting system installed in your home. If this is absolutely not possible, place a few barrels, buckets or pots around your house in which rainwater can collect.
Use the water collected using rain water harvesting for various household uses, or use it for growing your beautiful garden!
15) Use Locally Made Products
Use products that have been made locally, instead of things that have travelled half the world to reach you. This applies not only to grocery and vegetables, but to the décor of your house too. Why don’t you consider doing up your house with locally made products or handicrafts?
By doing so, you will not only help the local economy and help artisans maintain their livelihood, but also reduce wastage in a lot of ways.
Simple, right? Going green is not difficult. It just requires the right mindset and getting off the couch for a little longer every day! And while you’re at it, encourage carpooling, too.
Why don’t you take a pledge to get a more eco-friendly house this very instant?
Source: https://ecis2016.org/.
Copyright belongs to: ecis2016.org
Source: https://ecis2016.org
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