Making your home eco-friendly

Make Your Home Eco-Friendly

It's hard to understand the need for conserving water when the rain is crashing down around us daily. Conserving water is an annual habit however, covering all seasons. Having shorter showers and adopting a low-flow shower-head, can make a long-term difference to water consumption.

Catching the rain in a tank or barrels will provide water for the garden and may be required for the toilet or laundry in times of drought. There are new water tanks available that fill like a giant pillow and can be hidden beneath a deck.

When it comes time to buy new appliances, choosing dishwashers and washing machine that use less water will also make a difference over time.

Cleaning around the home can be made less damaging to the environment by choosing non-toxic cleaning products. Making your own from the old basics of vinegar and baking soda is an enlightening experience. It was common practice in our ancestors’ day and still works just as well now, without television advertising! Check out the new range of cleaning products awarded the Environmental Choice Accreditation, B_E_E Products, Beauty Engineered forever. With cheeky names and quirky nostalgic advertising, B_E_E products have made an impact on the world of cleaning.

Lowering toxins in the home is a goal for every New Zealander, and that includes making the right choices when undertaking renovations. Low toxicity paints, natural oils and varnishes must be considered, along with choosing sustainable, locally grown timbers.

There’s nothing quite like the joy of finding a treasure in a second hand shop to add to the style and beauty of your home. Eclectic is not only interesting, it’s also eco-friendly.

Try an old fashioned approach to cleaning around the home:

• Sprinkle baking soda on your carpet before vacuuming to eliminate food and pet odors.
• After emptying the garbage, sprinkle some baking soda on the bottom of the garbage can; this will neutralize the food odors.
• Baking soda causes dirt and grease to dissolve in water, so it is very effective in cleaning kitchen counter tops, refrigerators, and stove tops. And sprinkled on a sponge or dishrag, baking soda forms a mildly abrasive scouring powder.