Improvements to Make Your Home More Eco Friendly

1. You’ve heard it before, but we’ll say it again: the energy savings associated with compact fluorescent light bulbs are enormous! Swap your incandescent bulbs for these eco friendly CFL’s and save more than $50/year. Look for Energy Star certified bulbs to ensure that they’re the most efficient.

2. Consider switching to organic and eco friendly cleaning products. Many household cleaners include ammonia and other toxic chemicals — not exactly the type of product that we want around our children and pets! Check out quality brands Seventh Generation, Ecover, and Biokleen.

3. A low-flow showerhead can save up to 15-20 gallons of water per day depending on how many people live in your household. That is a tremendous savings! Plus, low-flow showerheads have come a long way…most people can’t even tell that it’s low-flow! Pick one up at your local Lowe’s.

4. Choose safe cookware. Pots and pans with non-stick coatings can be problematic if scraped into your food. Instead, seek out cast iron, enamel-coated cast iron, and stainless steel.

5. Fragrance-free household goods are an easy way to ensure that dangerous chemicals won’t be getting washed down the drain. Laundry detergent, fabric softener, perfumed soaps, dish soap, and dryer sheets are all becoming available in much-safer fragrance free versions. Need to have some type of scent? Look for those with essential oils.