We all care about our planet and ensuring the health of it for future generations. It's great that we can save money at the same time! Below are some helpful tips as we start the new year to do both:
Remove the Lint
Very simply, removing lint from the dryer reduces its energy use. Clean out your dryer's lint filter before each use and you can cut down on your energy bill, dry your clothes more quickly, and reduce your home's fire hazards. To even further increase your energy savings and decrease the risk of fire, have your dryer vent cleaned at least annually.
Keep it Cold
Use cold water for
the washing machine. Almost all the cost of washing clothes is heating the water. Afraid your jeans won't get clean in cold water? No worries. Newer enzyme detergents perform best in cold water and they are available everywhere. No excuses!
Plastic Bags are so Old School
Get reusable bags for the grocery store and the dry cleaner. More than 100 billion plastic bags are thrown away each year. A plastic bag, cap, or lid takes decades to biodegrade and microscopic pieces end up in our waterways and even our bodies. Jill just returned from Rwanda, in Africa, where single-use plastic bags are banned. Go Rwanda!
Cut Down on Paper
Stop junk mail. Every year 100 million trees are chopped down and 28 million gallons of water is used to produce junk mail for just one year, according to www.greendimes.com. You can stop 75% of all junk mail by registering for the Mail Preference Service on the Direct Marketing Association website. For the small fee of $4 for a 10-year registration period, the organization will remove your name and address from prospective mailing lists. Be patient, it may take up to 90 days for most mail to stop — but it will be worth it!
Get It Clean
Use natural cleaners like vinegar and baking soda or seek out natural brands in stores — there are more available now than
ever. Seventh Generation has great products as does Method.
Get Rid of Paper Towels
Yep. Next time your kitchen counter is wet, reach for a cloth instead of a paper towel. You'll save a lot of paper — including the small, green kind that fits in your wallet. How much green? If you use one roll of paper towels per week, you could save $100 per year by switching to dishcloths and tea towels. And cotton tea towels are thicker and can hold more water than paper towels. Or if you just can't bear to get rid of paper towels altogether, go with recycled and non-chlorine-bleached paper towels from companies like Seventh Generation.
Thermostat Control
Two is the magic number, or even three. In the winter, setting your thermostat too high in sends green out the window. Set it at 68 degrees and lower the temperature to 65 degrees at night if you have a heat pump, or 55-60 degrees overnight if you have gas, oil, or electric baseboard heat. In the summer, set the thermostat for air conditioning at 78 degrees or higher. Raise the setting two or three degrees higher when away during the day. A lower air conditioning temperature makes your costs much higher. Setting your air conditioner at 73 degrees instead of 78 can increase the operating cost by over 50%! Save green and be green. Lastly, thermostats can be sensitive, keep lamps or TVs away from your air conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause your air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
Get the Star
Use ENERGY STAR-labeled products. A new refrigerator with an ENERGY STAR label can save you up to $90 a year compared to older models.
Recycle that Aluminum
We know you know about recycling aluminum. Easy to do. One more thing to add to this is crushing. Yep. Make the process more efficient and crush your cans before collection. This takes up less space in the recycle bin as well as the number of trips to take them to the recycling plant. And by the way, recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV set for three hours!
Remove the Lint
Very simply, removing lint from the dryer reduces its energy use. Clean out your dryer's lint filter before each use and you can cut down on your energy bill, dry your clothes more quickly, and reduce your home's fire hazards. To even further increase your energy savings and decrease the risk of fire, have your dryer vent cleaned at least annually.
Keep it Cold
Use cold water for
the washing machine. Almost all the cost of washing clothes is heating the water. Afraid your jeans won't get clean in cold water? No worries. Newer enzyme detergents perform best in cold water and they are available everywhere. No excuses!Plastic Bags are so Old School
Get reusable bags for the grocery store and the dry cleaner. More than 100 billion plastic bags are thrown away each year. A plastic bag, cap, or lid takes decades to biodegrade and microscopic pieces end up in our waterways and even our bodies. Jill just returned from Rwanda, in Africa, where single-use plastic bags are banned. Go Rwanda!
Cut Down on Paper
Stop junk mail. Every year 100 million trees are chopped down and 28 million gallons of water is used to produce junk mail for just one year, according to www.greendimes.com. You can stop 75% of all junk mail by registering for the Mail Preference Service on the Direct Marketing Association website. For the small fee of $4 for a 10-year registration period, the organization will remove your name and address from prospective mailing lists. Be patient, it may take up to 90 days for most mail to stop — but it will be worth it!
Get It Clean
Use natural cleaners like vinegar and baking soda or seek out natural brands in stores — there are more available now than
ever. Seventh Generation has great products as does Method.Get Rid of Paper Towels
Yep. Next time your kitchen counter is wet, reach for a cloth instead of a paper towel. You'll save a lot of paper — including the small, green kind that fits in your wallet. How much green? If you use one roll of paper towels per week, you could save $100 per year by switching to dishcloths and tea towels. And cotton tea towels are thicker and can hold more water than paper towels. Or if you just can't bear to get rid of paper towels altogether, go with recycled and non-chlorine-bleached paper towels from companies like Seventh Generation.
Thermostat Control
Two is the magic number, or even three. In the winter, setting your thermostat too high in sends green out the window. Set it at 68 degrees and lower the temperature to 65 degrees at night if you have a heat pump, or 55-60 degrees overnight if you have gas, oil, or electric baseboard heat. In the summer, set the thermostat for air conditioning at 78 degrees or higher. Raise the setting two or three degrees higher when away during the day. A lower air conditioning temperature makes your costs much higher. Setting your air conditioner at 73 degrees instead of 78 can increase the operating cost by over 50%! Save green and be green. Lastly, thermostats can be sensitive, keep lamps or TVs away from your air conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause your air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
Get the Star
Use ENERGY STAR-labeled products. A new refrigerator with an ENERGY STAR label can save you up to $90 a year compared to older models.
Recycle that Aluminum
We know you know about recycling aluminum. Easy to do. One more thing to add to this is crushing. Yep. Make the process more efficient and crush your cans before collection. This takes up less space in the recycle bin as well as the number of trips to take them to the recycling plant. And by the way, recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV set for three hours!
28 Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent
