(ARA) – As the weather warms, are you thinking about spring cleaning? Or, maybe you’re planning to spruce up your home with some improvements and upgrades. This year, why not add “spring greening” to your home-freshening routine?
Making your home a “greener” place to live can improve its energy efficiency, reduce waste and make you feel more in harmony with the natural world springing to life around you. Green efforts can be as simple as switching out old incandescent light bulbs for more energy-efficient ones, or as energetic as adding skylights in the house or a vegetable garden in the backyard.
If you’re looking for ways to make your home environment more earth-friendly this spring, here are some ideas to consider:
Powering down
No matter how eager you are for warm weather, you’re probably not too excited about the electric bills that come with summer heat. Heating and cooling account for the largest portion of a home’s energy bill. Fortunately, you can do a lot to reduce electric use – and waste – to trim costs and still keep your home comfortable.
If you’re up for some minor improvement work that can pay off big in terms of energy savings, make your home feel more connected to nature, and add decorating flair, consider adding a skylight. The abundant natural light admitted to your home by skylights can help reduce the need to power artificial light sources. Plus, the natural chimney effect of venting skylights is a great way to passively vent moisture, fumes and potentially harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In spring and fall, when it’s too warm for comfort, but not hot enough to justify turning on the air conditioning, venting skylights can let in cool breezes and lower cooling costs. And they can close automatically in case of rain. You can learn more about No Leak Skylights and their energy-efficient benefits at www.veluxusa.com.
You can also reduce energy costs in warmer months with some simple maintenance. During summer, when your cooling system works harder, be sure to change the air filter on your home’s HVAC system every month. EnergyStar.gov also recommends a yearly tune-up of your system.
Greening up
Some of the most popular home improvements can be accomplished in ways that are environmentally friendly. For example, painting is a common spring spruce-up. Many paints, however, contain VOCs and give off fumes that can irritate allergies and asthma. You can make your redecorating more eco-conscious by opting for low-VOC paints. And always be sure to open plenty of windows before painting, even if you’re using a low-VOC selection. The fresh air will help the paint dry faster and ensure that any unpleasant odors vent quickly.
Another common spring activity is lawn care. As warm weather approaches, many homeowners begin applying weed killer and fertilizer to their lawns in the hopes of having a lush, green carpet of grass come summer. Many lawn care products, however, can adversely affect the environment. If it’s a priority for you to green your lawn – and not just to have green grass – it’s possible to find plenty of eco-friendly lawn care products. Websites like www.OMRI.org, the home page of the Organic Materials Review Institute, can provide information on products that are environmentally friendly.
Finally, as you’re undertaking your spring cleaning, keep in mind the need to reduce waste. When you clean out your garage or attic and purge closets, evaluate items before you toss them in the trash. You may find that many of the things you were going to throw away can be donated, sold or recycled – anything to get them out of your house without adding to the waste stream.
