How to Go Green in Your Home

Want to go green in your home? Try these 29 easy tips. Most of them are completely free (we won't tell you to buy all organic food or replace your car here). The green tips are organized by room, except for the first section which has ideas for going green that apply to the entire household.

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These tips affect the entire household. Try incorporating some of these and watch your utility bills fall as you save energy.

Free ways to go green in the entire house:

• lower the thermostat
• lower the temperature on your hot water heater
• wrap insulation around your water heater
• fix leaky faucets
• unplug unused appliances and chargers
• turn off lights when you leave a room
• use natural light -— put off turning on lights in the evening as long as possible
• electronics like computers, cell phones and the like: donate or recycle properly instead of throwing away, and keep them as long as possible first

Inexpensive ways to go green in the entire house:

• replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs)
• make your own cleaning supplies
• make sure all faucets have aerators
• look for energy efficient appliances when ready to replace old ones

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Just two simple changes in the laundry room will have a huge effect on energy conservation, because heating up water (for washing) and air (for drying) is very energy-intensive.

• wash in cold water
• use a drying rack or clothesline

Save water by going green in the bathroom.

• take shorter showers
• install a low-flow showerhead

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Buying food consciously, eating less meat, and ditching the paper cleaning items will make your kitchen greener!

• go meatless once or more a week
• purchase food from local farmers when possible
• eat lower on the food chain
• use a water purifier instead of buying bottled water
• use a reusable water bottle
• use cloth rags or biodegradable microfiber rags like Skoy cloths instead of paper towels
• use cloth napkins instead of paper
• run the dishwasher only when full

The home office, with its computer and other electronic equipment, uses a surprising amount of energy. Go green in the home office with these tips.

• shut down your computer completely at night or use an energy saver setting
• pay bills online rather than by mail
• reuse scrap paper by printing on 2 sides or by using it as notepaper, or let kids draw and color on the back sides

It's easy to be more eco-conscious by taking small steps like these. Everything you do makes a difference, and every little bit adds up. Begin by trying just one or two of these tips to go green in your home, and before you know it, you'll be seeing the results of your efforts.

10 Ways to Go Green and Save Green: http://www.worldwatch.org/resources/go_green_save_green

Images:

1. http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1134582
2. http://www.sxc.hu/photo/783168
3. http://www.sxc.hu/photo/523038