Owning a home is a luxury. But it is also a responsibility.
We all have a duty to protect the planet from destruction and to do our part in helping plants and animals survive. Understanding the environmental needs of our world is part of the responsibility of being a homeowner. How, you may ask? Read on to find out how you can make your home eco-friendly and make a positive contribution to our planet.
Firstly, one of the best things about being a homeowner is that you get to decide on everything. The decor, the layout and the structure of the house are all yours to choose – but making choices about your home isn’t just about paint colors or furniture layout. For those of us who are concerned about the planet, eco-friendly decisions are just as essential as stylish ones – if not more so! Here are a few tips for making your home eco-friendly:
Environmentally friendly home cleaning and maintenance
Maintaining your home doesn’t mean constantly throwing money at it. Using eco-friendly cleaning materials and ethically sourced products in your home doesn’t have to break the bank.
Most people use harsh cleaning products which are pretty damaging to the environment, due to the fact that they contain harsh chemicals which damage natural materials and surfaces. In addition, most cleaning products are packaged in plastic, which fills the earth with toxins and damages the seas.
You might be thinking: how will I get my home spotless if not with harmful chemicals? But nowadays, there are plenty of alternatives to corrosive bleaches and other nasty chemicals in your home. Method are a staple eco-friendly cleaner in my kitchen cleaning cupboard. These eco-friendly cleaning alternatives are not only safer for you, your children and your pets, but they also don’t increase the toxicity of our water systems either.
Similarly, filling your home with cheap, disposable products rather than long-lasting ethical ones is a no-go for eco-friendly homeowners. When buying furniture, cooking equipment and food, think long-term, and go eco.
Nowadays, you can find tons of inspiration on pinterest for eco-friendly storage solutions for your kitchen cupboard. Having an environmentally kitchen set-up doesn’t have to be expensive. You can even reuse sauce jars as nice glass storage containers.
Creating an eco-friendly garden
If you take care of your garden well, you can boost the value of your home immensely, as well as further establish your home as an eco-friendly space! Learning how to garden is not only great for the environment, but it is also calming and great for your physical and mental health. This year we recently started giving our garden the long overdue love that it needs and the wellbeing effects we’ve received in return are outstanding! I have loved tending to plants and creating a calming space outdoors.
One way to make your garden an eco-haven is to attract wildlife. Incorporating hedging such as Portuguese Laurel, will attract animals such as birds, hedgehogs and bugs to make their home in your garden. This helps you to live harmoniously among nature and provide a safe little home for all the creatures local to your area.
Energy efficiency at home
Heating your home and supplying it with water comes at a cost to the environment – but there are things you can do to help reduce your impact.
Features such as double glazing, electric heating, and energy-saving kitchen equipment will help you maximize your home’s energy resources while allowing you to also save money in the long run.
An energy efficient home is considerably better for the planet, aiding your environmentally friendly lifestyle and helping our world stay cool.