Saving the planet and reducing your energy consumption starts at home. There are many small steps you can take to create a cleaner earth and reduce your carbon footprint, and there are also financial and aesthetic incentives to do so as well. Making your home eco-friendly also lowers your energy bills and adds natural beauty to your home. Included in this guide are actions we can all take to maintain more environmentally friendly homes, from resource conservation to indoor plants.
How to Make Your Home More Environmentally Friendly
Not only do environmentally friendly efforts help the planet, but they’re good for your wallet, too. Green upgrades lower your utility bills because they’re designed to help you use less energy. On top of that, some tax credits may apply. Click here to see the tax credits and rebates for the state of Texas.
Here are seven easy steps you can take at home to make your environment cleaner, greener, and healthier for the planet.
1. Replace your traditional light bulbs. Instead of using traditional light bulbs, replace the bulbs in your house with LEDs or CFLs. These types of bulbs last longer and save energy.
2. Create an indoor garden. Having plants indoors improves air quality because they absorb environmental pollutants. Plus, they make great decor pieces and really bring a space to life. Talk about having a green home!
3. Buy energy-efficient appliances. When it’s time to update your appliances, be sure the ones you purchase have the Energy Star certification sticker. These are specially designed to use less energy.
4. Start composting. Put your organic food waste in a compost bin, and use the resulting soil to grow your garden. This helps reduce landfill use, too.
5. Use environmentally friendly, non-toxic cleaning products. Harsh chemicals are bad for the environment, and you can even make your own safe cleaning product with baking soda.
6. Let natural light in. Open the shutters and curtains, and let that natural light in to brighten your home. On sunny days, there’s no need to turn on the lights.
7. Be energy-conscious. Take shorter showers. Unplug chargers and electronics that aren’t in use — standby mode is a major energy suck. Turn off the AC or heater when you’re not home. Turn off lights when you’re not in the room.
As you can see, many environmentally friendly tactics are super simple and don’t dramatically impact your lifestyle. It can even be a fun opportunity to involve the whole family in what they can do to help the planet. One of the easiest places to start is with an indoor garden, and we’ve gathered all the information you need to pick the best plants. Keep scrolling to learn more before you head to Lowes!
Best Indoor Plants For Your Home
Ready to test your green thumb on a few indoor plants to greenify your home? Plants are more than just something to look at, in fact, they offer plenty of useful benefits! For example, indoor plants reduce carbon dioxide, add humidity, absorb sound, and can even assist with stress relief and creative thinking. Not to mention the natural beauty they bring to your decor, who knew plants could improve your quality of life so much!? Here are some of the best options along with their benefits!
Bulbous Plants
Some of the most beautiful plants grow from bulbs. Generally, the plants return to bulbs and hibernate for part of the year, then return for the following season. Growing indoors can greatly shorten this time of hibernation. Types of bulbous plants include:
- Amaryllis
- Beach Spider Lily
- Belladonna Lily
- Caladium
- Calla Lily
- False Shamrock
Climbing Plants
Climbing plants are one of the most versatile types of houseplant. You can buy or construct all sorts of apparatuses for them to climb, or even train them to take on a shape. Just make sure your plant has some type of structure to climb, or it will flow flatly over the ground. Some options for climbing plants are:
- Arrowhead
- Creeping Fig
- Golden Pothos
- Heartleaf
Flowering Plants
Though all houseplants are lovely in their own way, there’s nothing like flowers for classic beauty. All of the varieties below are good options for flowering indoor plants:
- African Violet
- Begonia
- Bromeliad
- Hibiscus
- Orchid
- Poinsettia
Hanging Baskets
Create interesting focal points in your home by hanging plants in a basket from the ceiling. To draw the eye up for extra drama, choose an oversized plant. Just make sure your ceiling can hold the weight. In addition, plan to remove the plant for watering so it doesn’t drip. The following plants do well in baskets:
- Spider Plant
- Rat’s Tail
- Wandering Jew
Indoor Palms
To add some tropical flair to your home, look no further than your local nursery. Palms are happy indoors in low light, though some species enjoy being outside in the summer. Simply mist with water often and reduce watering in the winter. Here are some varieties of indoor palms:
- Areca Palm
- European Fan
- Parlor Palm
- Pygmy Date
- Sentry Palm
Indoor Trees
A strategically placed indoor tree can be a true showstopper. Create a majestic look in your entry or office with one of the species below. Or try bonsai, the Japanese art of growing trees in a container. Here are some trees you might try:
- Dragon Tree
- Fiddle Leaf Fig
- Rubber Plant
- Umbrella Tree
- Weeping Fig
Succulents
Trendy succulents are everywhere in home decor these days — and with good reason. These hardy desert plants can survive with very little water, making them extremely easy houseplants. The following succulents are common indoors:
- Aloe Vera
- Christmas Cheer
- Coral Cactus
- Jade Plant
- Jelly Beans
- Mother-In-Law’s Tongue
If you start an indoor garden we would love to see it, be sure to tag us at #StressFreeMove on any social platform!
Ameritex Movers: Eco-Friendly Houston Movers
It’s the little things that make all the difference, and Ameritex has an eco-friendly moving process that reduces waste production. By recycling boxes and using reusable moving quilts, we do our part to eliminate unnecessary waste while closely protecting your possessions. For more information on how we can help you start planning your move today, call us at (713) 484-6683 or fill out the form for a free moving quote.