Going Green Tips

Today our society is really becoming interested in the concept of "going green" but what does that really mean and what can WE do to truly make a difference.  I challenge each of you to make one simple change each day for at least a week, and you will be on your way to a greener and safer way of life.

1. Clean Green - Make your own natural cleaning supplies.  It's easy, less expensive and much healthier for you, your family, and your pets.  My favorite cleaning products are baking soda, lemon, and vinegar.  A good website for cleaning supply recipes can be found at SafetyAtHome.com  Click on the link for Seasonal Safety and go to Spring. Water - Turn off water when you are not using it.  For example when brushing your teeth don't let the water run, repair leaky toilets, and buy low-flow faucet aerators or shower heads.  Did you know fixing a slow-drip can save 3,000+ gallons of water a year!
2. Lights - Save electricity and reduce environmental impact by turning off lights when you leave a room.  Light-emitting diodes (LED's) use less energy and last longer that other bulbs.  My husband and I just installed new outside lights on our house (front door, back door, and on the garage).  We chose motion detector lights so now they only get turned on when someone needs an outside area to be lit up.  My kids are notorious for switching on lights to get from one room to another.  I challenged them to take the NO LIGHTS CHALLENGE.  For one month we used tea light candles in areas where we pass to get from one part of the house to another (hallways, mudroom, staircase).  Instead of turning on the hallway light to get from the family room to their bedroom we put a tea light candle in a rinsed out jar.  Do you know that month our electric bill went down $20.00?  I was amazed and so were the kids.  Now they are more conscious about turning on lights unnecessarily.
3. Recycling - Challenge your family to see who can make the most creative objects from recycled materials.  My daughter is currently working on a wall sculpture she is making out of toilet paper tubes.  Do you know that recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to operate a TV for 3 hours.
4. Insulate - Caulk and weather strip your home or add insulation to your attic, walls, and basement.  This will help cool air stay inside during the summer and cold breezes outside in the winter.  Last winter my husband noticed that cool air was coming in through our light switches and outlets that were on outside bearing walls.  He picked up some insulated wall plates and quickly got rid of the cold air drafts at a minimum cost.

What tips do you have for helping us to Go Green?