5 Little things you can do to have a big Impact on the Earth

5 Little things you can do to have a big Impact on the Earth

Going green is getting easier every day and the little changes you make have the biggest impact on protecting our Earth.

Here are 5 simple tips you can implement starting today.

Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs. A programmable thermostat is the greenest way to go. A programmable thermostat allows you to go a few more degrees up or down when the house is empty. Purchase one that allows you to set individuals times for each day of the week. You can come home to a perfect temperature without burning useless energy all day and will save you money on your energy bills.

Save energy by unplugging appliances, computers and lamps when you're not using them. Purchase a programmable timer that allows you to control the times for each day and program timer for the individual appliance or unit. If there are several electronics in the same area plug into a strip bar, then into a timer to automatically go off at night and turn on in the morning. If you don’t want to mess around with a timer and power strips, the all-in-one Smart Strip smart power strip is the answer. It has the ability to sense when appliances are off and cuts phantom loads and it is intelligent enough to know when to turn back on.

Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to wash clothes goes to heating the water. Washing in cold water will decrease your electrical and gas bill. Wash only full loads to cut down on wasted energy and money.

Use a drying rack or clothesline to cut down dryer time. If you must use a dryer hang up items in your laundry room that will dry quickly, and dry the rest to slight dampness. Get rid of those toxic dryer sheets and opt for Dryer Ball; they actually work! I have been using them for 8 months and I don’t dry without them. The trick is to not over dry your clothes as this will lead to static.

Clean your home with environmentally green products. Get rid of all cleaning products including dishwasher soap that involve ingredients you can’t pronounce and understand. Unhealthy toxins not only linger in your home for months causing respiratory problems they have the ability to cause illness and change the molecular structure of your DNA! Opt for simple cleaning solutions with ingredients you can pronounce and are familiar with such as vinegar, lemon oil, oil of oregano and vegetable oil. According to Seventh Generation if every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of 100 oz 2x ultra petroleum-based liquid laundry detergent with our 100 oz 2x ultra vegetable-based product, we could save 460,000 barrels of  oil, enough to heat and cool 27,000 U.S. homes for a year! You can make an environmental difference.

If you are watching your pennies (and who isn't) make your own kitchen and bathroom cleaner. Purchase some water bottles with a spray nozzle fill half with water add strained lemon juice, vinegar and grapefruit seed extract. Use your cleaner in the kitchen, laundry room and bathroom. To clean toilets add a bit of baking soda and vinegar in the bowel, allow to fizz, wait 5 minutes and then clean. Baking soda can be used to polish stainless steel, sinks, toilets and bathtubs. You will love the smell of a naturally cleaned home.

Earth day is April 22, 2009. Don’t miss BIG GREEN LIES, from Fine Living Network and Seventh Generation. Wednesday, April 22, at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fine Living Network (check local listings)
Check out Big Green Lies Teaser on Seventh Generation's website.
Coupons are also available for green products.

How will you celebrate Earth Day? Please email me with your ideas on how you are giving back to Mother Earth!

For more Earth friendly and cost saving ideas visit Build Your Own Earth Aid Kit https://earthaidkit.com/

Seventh Generation Free and Clear Glass-Cleaner
Tree photo courtsey of adigitaldreamer.com

Karen Langston Nutrition and Functional Medicine and Wellness Specialist
www.IAmWorthIt2.com* Karen@iamworthit2.com
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