Many of us can’t wait for winter. Who wouldn’t want to make snowmen, go ice skating, sledding and skiing? We are also looking forward to the holiday season, giving us more reasons to celebrate. But there is one challenging thing about winter. Our plan of living an eco-friendly lifestyle becomes a more complicated task.
During winter, we crank up our indoor temperature to keep ourselves warm. We also tend to produce more wastes for celebrating the holiday season. What can one do to make sure we stay comfortable during winter while keeping the environment in mind?
Warm up Your Home the Eco-Friendly Way
Ensuring we have a comfortable indoor temperature is a must during winter. But heating up your home and warming up your bath make use of an incredibly large amount of water and energy. The good news is, there are ways you can efficiently heat up your home this winter.
Start by maintaining your chimney. Have a professional clean it for you to remove heavy creosote buildup. A poorly maintained fireplace won’t work as efficiently as it is supposed to.
You can also consider installing a wood-burning insert in your fireplace. Upgrading your appliance is a good way to reduce the amount of pollution it gives off. You can find one that complements your style, reduce the cost of your heating, and enjoy bigger savings in the long run.
If you are willing to invest, then geothermal heating is an eco-friendly and efficient way to heat up your home. This is installed underneath the earth’s surface to heat up the air inside the house. It takes less energy and time to accomplish its tasks and can even boost the value of your property.
Replace Old Light Bulbs
If you still have old incandescent around the house, it is about time that you replace them. LEDs and fluorescent light bulbs are a lot more eco-friendly and energy-efficient. Every penny you spend on these is worth it since these last longer than ordinary light bulbs.
The same goes for your Christmas lights. If you intend to celebrate the holidays by adorning your home with decorative lights, make sure to choose LEDs. You get to light up your and environment-friendly way and enjoy bigger savings in the process.
Mind Your Wastes
Winter comes with the season of giving. This means lots of gifts, tons of food, and lots of bright lights keeping houses lively. With this comes the enormous amount of wastes generated.
As much as possible, only cook enough food for your family and your guests. If there are any leftovers, delight guests by packing them extras on their way home. As for your own leftovers, choose to cook new dishes with leftovers, donate them to the needy or send them to your community compost.
If you intend on buying gifts, choose gifts that reusable, organic, and do not require batteries. If you must gift an appliance, choose one that is energy-efficient. Get creative when it comes to your gift-wrapping game and recycle materials hanging around inside your home.
Observe Green Cleaning Practices
Winter is not an excuse to skip home upkeep. When cleaning your house this cold season, skip the chemical cleaners, and use green cleaning products instead. This way, you no longer need to expose your family to harmful chemicals used in artificial cleaners.
Turn old t-shirts into dust rags. If you must buy paper towels, choose the biodegradable ones. Pay extra attention to commonly touched surfaces when disinfecting the house. Apply the same principle when making your home smell good.
It can be a challenge to keep a house environment-friendly during winter. We are constantly using more energy to keep the house warm, clean, and well-lit. Most of us are guilty of racking up wastes while celebrating the holidays. But with a few tweaks, we can observe winter while observing a sustainable lifestyle. Choose to go green no matter the season and you can also enjoy bigger savings, better health, and a sense of purpose.
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