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Most of us, even though we don’t mean to, treat the environment like a punching bag. The average American creates thousands of pounds of CO2 for heat, light, transportation and other energy-sucking activities each year (calculate your carbon footprint and learn ways to offset it at carbonfund.org). But if we all make a few small adjustments as individuals, it’ll add up to something meaningful.
It’s easy to treat the planet like a lady.
Example: An automatic dishwasher uses much less water and energy than washing dishes by hand, and it’s faster and easier to boot. This is a no-brainer of the highest magnitude, and it’s only one of many “small things” we can do.
Here are more suggestions, room by room.
Kitchen
- Use chlorine- and phosphate-free dishwashing soaps.
- Don’t pre-rinse dishes before placing in dishwasher (you really don’t need to…honestly).
- A baking soda/water paste cleans most sink and fixture surfaces (porcelain, plastic, stainless steel and chrome) and countertops too.
To help your fridge run more efficiently:
- Don’t jam-pack it.
- Dust the cooling coils underneath or behind it regularly.
Clean spills on the stovetop or inside the oven when they’re still warm (try to avoid heavy-duty oven cleaners).
Bathroom
- Fix dripping faucets.
- Put in a low-flow shower head.
- Take shorter showers (mine are about two minutes long and I’m squeaky-clean).
- Try to clean sinks, toilet, shower or bath more often with non-toxic cleaners to reduce the need for heavy-duty chemical cleaner.
- Get a low-volume toilet.
- Use toilet paper made from recycled pulp.
- Clean shower and tub after every use – it requires less cleanser and less effort in the long run.
Bedroom
- Every few times you change bedding, sprinkle baking soda on top of your mattress and vacuum it up to clean and freshen the surface.
- Quickly freshen pillows in a dryer set on “air only".
- Keep closets free of mildew, mold and mustiness by not jamming them with clothes, which hinders ventilation.
- Keep a container of baking soda or a sock filled with kitty litter in closets and dresser drawers to freshen and absorb moisture.
- Change or clean furnace/AC filters every two months.
- Install a carbon monoxide detector if you have a gas furnace.
- Prevent mold by keeping the basement dry with a dehumidifier.
Laundry
- Use plant-based, phosphate-free laundry soaps and detergents (it’s on the label).
- When you replace washers and dryers, buy efficient models.
- Wash laundry in cold or warm water, not hot.
- Use oxygen bleach instead of chlorine.
All Around the House
- Use fewer chemical cleaners, replacing them with green alternatives (again, it’s on labels).
- Switch to energy-saving compact fluorescent (CFL) lightbulbs.
- Purchase reusable cleaning tools and supplies, not disposable ones.
- Use dimmable lights.
- Use rechargeable batteries (once you buy a charger and make the transition, you’ll love ‘em and save money).
- Try alternatives to disposable diapers (sure it’s more work, but the kid will grow up in a cleaner world).
- Install a programmable thermostat.
- Use ceiling or room fans instead of air conditioning.
- Recycle.
- Take your own canvas shopping bag to the supermarket, or reuse the ones they gave you last time (many supermarkets have a bin at the entrance for recycling plastic bags).
- Refill water bottles, don’t keep buying new.
- Carpool or take public transportation.
- Use drip irrigation, not sprinklers, on your lawn.
- Buy second-hand clothing (except underwear).
- Buy in bulk, or purchase products in concentrated form.
- Compost food scraps with grass clippings and leaves.
- Get your name off many junk mail lists.
