Tips for Green Living in Your Apartment
Most of us crave to re-model our properties in India with different concepts. Few of us would like to concentrate on interior design while few others would like to convert the apartment into a healthy place to live in. One of such concepts is turning your home/apartment eco-friendly. Going green does not literally mean permanently renovating your building but to change your lifestyle and have a positive effect all around.
It does not matter if you own the apartment you are staying in or have rented it, you can still create your own eco space living without hampering the design of the house. All you need to do is follow the below simple steps;
Efficient energy use: In order to get a healthy eco-friendly home ambiance, you should make sure that you unplug all the electrical sockets connected to all your electrical appliances when not in use or not use for few hours in a day. Almost all the electrical gadgets in your home make use of the electricity and are turned off when not in use. When you turn off the equipments, they are in a standby mode and consume tons of electricity. This is more than enough to waste tons of electrical energy each day. In order to avoid this, make sure you unplug all the appliances when not in use. You can also use power strips to avoid the wastage of energy. Also make use of natural light and ventilation rather than the artificial one. If any electrical appliances are not in a working condition, recycle it rather than storing it in your room.
Keep a check on your waste: Restricting the production of waste and recycling them is one of the best options. Most apartments in India lack space, hence you need to be creative enough to store the milk crates, newspapers and other objects in your car trunk or under a closet. Avoid storing up of unnecessary items thinking them to be useful sometime later in life. The more you store such items the more you will have to clean up in future.
Efficient computer use: This is one of the most important ideas to save energy and make your place an eco-friendly one. Make sure to turn off and pull the plugs when you are not using your computer. They consume the maximum amount of energy when compared to other appliances. You can also plug your PC connections into a surge protector.
Replace your bulbs: There are arrays of energy efficient bulbs which are available in the market. Swap your old traditional bulbs with compact florescent bulbs like CFLs, LEDs, strip lights and so on. These bulbs save up to 60%-70% electricity and last 10 times longer than the normal bulbs.
Compost the waste: Every household does produce large amount of vegetable and organic residues. In such cases make a compost pit in your garden or your lawn and make a productive use of it for your flower bed or garden. If you lack space, try doing this in your neighbour’s garden or your friend’s garden.
Going green in Bathroom: Make sure you keep your bathroom clean always and avoid the growth of mould. Try the organic cotton shower or the hemp curtain with a nylon liner. This is hygienic than the PVC coated curtain and can be washed frequently to avoid moulding.
Usage of cold water: You can save up to 80% of energy if you wash your clothes in cold water.
Recycling and reusing: This is one of the most effective ways to go green in your surroundings. You need to stop the excessive usage of various appliances and gadgets. Collect all the used cans, electrical items tins and plastic items and recycle them. Avoid using disposable products and opt for recycled products.
Indoor plants: Having potted plants and small lawns inside your home is one of the best ways to produce fresh air. You can either cultivate ornamental plants in pots and place them inside your home or keep plants which do not need much care like bottle planting and so on. Also you can create a small lawn for your pet in your balcony. Proper care and fertilizers to your indoor gardening can make your home ambiance an eco-friendly one.
Cleaning process: Avoid using chemical cleansers all over your home to clean floors, walls, tiles and other places. Instead, use home based cleansers like white vinegar, baking soda, essential oils and so on. Home based natural products are also available in market these days.
Reduce water usage: There are various ways in which you can efficiently use water. (http://www.commonfloor.com/articles/tips-for-an-eco-friendly-bathroom-9012.html). Installing a low flow toilet, an aerator, sink faucet and a shower head can reduce the consumption of excessive water.
Heating and cooling systems: Avoid the usage of the air conditioner during winter; instead make use of the natural air and ventilation. Also switching your room temperature to two degrees can save you a huge amount of money.
Buy organic food rather than purchasing chemical based foods. Also avoid using plastic bags and carry fibre or jute bags.
Henceforth we hope that the above tips are useful to create an eco-friendly ambiance along with a healthy life.
Also read:
Green Building Increases Resale Value
