How To Live Green

There are some simple ways to become more environmentally friendly, so here are some easy tips on how to live green.

The Yard

Trade grass for ground covers or mulch. Maintaining the lawn takes a lot of water and energy so it is best to use native grass. Try to do the following:

- Cut grass no lower than 2.5 inches, lower may require more water
- Always water the lawn before sunrise or after dark, this will efficiently reduce the evaporation and water
- Do not throw grass clippings, leaving them in the lawn may provide nutrients
- Buy organic fertilizers, they don’t degrade quickly as synthetic fertilizers and safer for children and animals

The Fridge

Appliances can be a great source of green living. Keep in mind when using or buying appliances for your home:

- Do a load of laundry in cold water; it is more energy-efficient than in hot. Dry loads of laundry consecutively as you are taking advantage of residual heat in the dryer.
- Use gas ranges rather than electric ranges
- Always look for the Energy star level when buying new appliances.
- Replace refrigerator that are 10 – 20 years old, they could be less efficient than the newer models.
- A side-by-side refrigerator uses 10 to 25% more energy than stacked refrigerator-freezer models.
- Don’t place refrigerator next to a heat source such as vent, dishwasher, oven or in direct sunlight

The Lights

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) reduce the energy used for lighting by 1/3 and are available at most home stores and some warehouse club stores. CFL will last 10,000 hours while regular bulbs last only 1,000 hours.

The Paint and Cleaner

Household cleaners and paints have ingredients lists that read like a complicated chemistry quiz. Here are some of the few tips while cleaning your home:

- Use concentrated brand of cleaner where you need to add water for a variety of things.
- Do not use cleaners with chlorine beach or sodium hypochlorite as they have harmful environmental effects. Look for cleaners with citric acid or hydrogen peroxide which will do the job just as well.
- Avoid volatile organic compound (VOC), VOC-less paints cost the same as other premium paints and have no paint smell.