It never hurts to be wary of the environment while cleaning your house or performing daily chores. Here are some reminders/suggestions:
- Line-dry your laundry. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean line-drying laundry is out of the question. All you need is a drying rack and an empty space, and you will be good to go. Guest rooms work, but the ideal place is an attic (if it’s easily accessible) because it tends to be drier than the rest of your home.
- Avoid paper products when cleaning. Instead of using paper towels, use real towels and/or sponges. You might want to buy a separate new set of towels and make your old set your new cleaning rags! Also, when cleaning, don’t rinse your sponge under the faucet to get it clean; fill a bucket of water to get the job done multiple times.
- Start counting your trash bags. Say what? This point has to do with that R: Reduce. Take a count of the number of trash bags you use per month, and see if you can get this number down. To do this you can make use of your other Rs, recycling and reusing. Make a goal for getting your numbers down as low as possible. In the future, this may start being a recommendation for those who would like to save money. Some places, like Merrimack, New Hampshire, are talking about regulating trash by charging per bag of trash thrown away. This method would generate more money for the city and also encourage homeowners to reduce their waste.
- Choose the broom over the vacuum. Sometimes the vacuum seems like the easiest way to get rid of a mess, but using a broom will save electricity and help you burn a few extra calories.
