Green at Home

Decrease Your Carbon Footprint by Living Simple with a Small House

Today small houses are beginning to get more and more popular.  In fact, there are many companies out there that specifically make and promote small homes.  There is a reason that these houses are beginning to be quite popular.  One reason is that they can help you to decrease the carbon footprint that you have.  With a small house you won't need much energy to build it and you won't need to use a lot of energy in the house either.  It provides a simple way of living that you can enjoy and a variety of excellent benefits. Save Big Money One of the big benefits of going with a small house is the ability to save big money.  When you live in a small house it gives you the ability to save energy, which translates into saving money as well.  Some of these houses that are being made can be 50 square feet to 500 square feet and the price is reasonable.  You'll pay from $15,000 - $40,000 for one of these homes.  Their design is such that every single inch of the house is used in an effective manner.  They are very clean and they are also very energy efficient. Enjoy ...

Clothes Lines and Line Drying Benefits

If you are concerned about the environment and how you can make a difference, there are many things that you can do today to reduce your carbon footprint and to help save the environment.  One thing that is easy to do is to start using clothes lines to line dry your clothes instead of using a dryer.  This is one thing that many people never even think of these days.  Unfortunately most households in the United States don't line dry clothing for a variety of reasons.  This can include no room for a clothesline, inability to have one because of a neighborhood association, and more.  If you really want to work on saving energy and improving the environment, this is something that you should definitely give a try. The Benefits There are definitely a variety of great benefits that you can enjoy when you decide to use a clothes line to line dry your clothing.  One of the main benefits is that it is cheaper than purchasing a clothes dryer.  Clothes lines are not that expensive to purchase, especially when you consider what you'll pay for a dryer.  Not only will save you on the dryer, but you'll save on energy.  You ...

Eco-Friendly Rodent Control

In most instances, rodents like rats and mice are pests, not pets, which you will agree with.  So, you use commercially available rodenticide to kill off the critters and prevent the spread of rodent-borne diseases like typhus. On the downside, the collateral damage upon the environment, your pets and your health often will not justify the use of these rat poisons.  For example, your cats and dogs can develop fatal health problems once they ingest the rat poison.  Plus, rodenticides pose deadly threats to aquatic environments and may even end up in your drinking water!  It’s a good thing then that there are eco-friendly and cost-friendly rodent measures you can adopt. Fill In the Gaps Rodents are very good at squeezing their lithe bodies through the smallest of cracks.  In fact, just a quarter of an inch hole in a wall will allow countless mice access to your kitchen and, from there, your house!  Thus, it is very important to fill in the gaps in your house especially those at floor levels.  For brick homes, you have to ensure that the expansion joints are well-covered with sealant.  Or you can also use crumpled chicken wire as well as steel/copper wool that will allow ...

Moving Junk

People love to collect junk.  This is so true.  Maybe some people collect more junk than others, but be honest, we all collect some type of junk.  It is some natural inclination we have to make sure every piece of junk on the earth has a home whether we need it or not.  Stopping the junk habit is a realization you come to when you decide to move.  Nobody wants to move junk, but what do you do with it? Why We Collect Junk There are many reasons why people collect junk.  For many of us we are simply afraid to throw something out because we may need it one day.  Seriously, though, if you have not used something in years then you probably never will.  Stopping the junk starts with being able to let go. Sometimes we collect junk for sentimental reasons.  This type of junk may be more difficult to part with.  If you have this type of junk then find a way to put it to use or find somewhere to store it.  Just remember when you are moving you have to move it all, too. Sometimes just the idea of taking all our junk along when we move can be ...

Bottled Water Is Bad for the Environment

Many people don’t trust the water that comes out of their tap, and so instead of drinking it, they spend hundreds of dollars a year on bottled water.  Sure, it costs money to drink the water that comes out of the tap, but that’s only a few extra cents on your water bill.  If you drink tap water instead of bottled water, you will save hundreds of dollars a year (depending on how many bottles of water you drink, of course), and you will save hundreds of plastic or glass bottles from the need to be recycled or, worse, go into landfills. All states have water treatment plants that ensure that your tap water is safe to drink.  The problem is what the water picks up as it goes through the pipes to your home.  Some pipes are old and can deposit rust or bacteria in your drinking water. However, that’s where water purifiers come in.  You can purchase water purifiers that fit onto your faucet, or you can purchase refrigerators that have drinking water receptacles, after first purifying that water with filters.  Pitchers and faucet-mount filters must be changed every 1-3 months…and this will cost you about $100 a year or ...