Here are some easy ways to make “green” a household word from Sara Snow’s Fresh Living: The Essential Room-by-Room Guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home (Bantam, April 2009, $16).
In the kitchen
Stop pre-rinsing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. If you have a newer model, it’s not necessary, and you can save up to 20 gallons of water for each load of dishes. Save more energy by opening the door and letting dishes dry on their own.
In the bathroom
Skip the bath and opt for a five-minute shower. A full bathtub can use as much as 50 to 70 gallons of water. If you still prefer to take baths, be sure to plug the drain immediately, adjust the water temperature as the tub fills, and turn off the water when the tub is only half full.
In the bedroom
Mattresses are full of harmful chemicals, so an organic cotton, wool, or latex mattress is a better option. If you can’t afford a new mattress, start by covering the one you have with an organic cotton or organic wool barrier cloth. And switch out your pillow for one filled with organic wool or shredded rubber.
In the living room
Simple houseplants can be an effective way to clean the air in your home and reconnect you with living elements. Bamboo palm is effective at filtering formaldehyde (found in pressed wood furniture) and benzene (found in inks, oils, plastics, and rubber) while the peace lily and gerbera daisy are good at eliminating trichloroethylene (found in dry cleaning, paints, and varnishes).
In the laundry room
Using cold water to wash clothes will cut down on the energy required to heat the water, and cleaning the lint filter in your dryer before each load will improve circulation and lead to greater efficiency.
Comments (9)
Hi I would like to make my bedroom feel and look
very relaxing and tranquil what suggestions and/or ideas can you give me? pictures /rugs/flowers anything, what type of patterns would you suggest
thats v good
Of course all mfrs are going to now say they are “green”. How can we weed thru the advertising and choose products that are truly green?
We take pics of flowers wherever we go. The best get printed at Walgreens (or wherever) and go in frames on the wall. Looks like we paid a lot for photo art. Lots of free photo manipulation tools too, make them sepia or hand drawn looking.
I need people’s advice on something. My husband drinks a bottle of bourban a week, with coke. He would happily drink more if I didn’t put my foot down. I find this amount excessive for clarity of thought, health, weight and finances. I would appreciate comments and advice.
For your own sake, try Alanon. I have personal experience on both sides of this fence. This is a situation that is only going to get worse. I can personally guarantee it. You can find Alanon in any phone book….in my state (Texas) call 211 for info. You can also try calling your local police department, hospital…you’d be surprised at the people who will give you this info without asking for any information. Good luck and you’ll be in my prayers tonight.
Even better, dry your clothes on a clothesline :)
trudy – a bottle a week IS excessive.!! would your husband willingly play russian roulette? about the same……only bourbon will take a bit longer and be a lot more painfull.
Is memory foam a ‘green’ option in bedding?