Ever since Ryan was born my husband and I have made more of an effort to use eco-friendly products. We think it is important, not only for the environment, but for the health and well-being of our family. There are lots of things you can do in your own home to become greener and cleaner. Here are my ten tips:
- Compost! If you compost you compost you can minimize the amount of trash. We have a small kitchen composter for small food scraps. We also have a tumbling composter in the backyard for nearly everything else.
- Rain Barrel – Putting a rain barrel outside to collect rain water is a great way to cut down on water usage when watering your garden. You simply attach it to your rain gutter and it comes in different styles and colors to match your house.
- Garden – Growing your own vegetables not only saves money but also ensures quality food free of chemicals. We have grown tomatoes, red and green peppers, rhubarb, basil and squash. These are great to freeze and eat all year long.
- Cloth Diapers – Using cloth cuts down on the amount of waste going to the landfills. It also saves you money and protects your baby’s bottom from chemicals. Using cloth is a lot easier than it used to be. They are just like disposable, but super soft and you can throw them in the wash.
- All Natural Cleaning Supplies – We use natural dish soap, detergent, hand soap, shampoo, lotion, baby products and even deodorant. We feel safe using these, especially on our baby.
- Organic Produce – Make your home greener by purchasing organic foods that are free of pesticides and GMOs. We purchase organic fruit, cereal, milk, yogurt, chips, peanut butter….pretty much anything we can find.
- Buy Local – This includes food, clothing and supporting local businesses. Try to buy local whenever you can. it helps cut down on product transportation costs along with supporting your community. We are part of a local vegetable share where we get a box of local organic vegetables each week.
- Reusing Products – My husband likes to make toys for our son with household products. For example, he will fill a tupperware container with macaroni to be used as a music maker. You can cut up old T-shirts to use as washcloths, cleaning rags or even diaper wipes. T-shirts can also easily be made into baby onesies.
- Push Lawnmower – It’s not your grandpa’s push mower! They have come a long way since then. We have a non-motorized mower that doesn’t use gas or electricity. We are keeping the environment clean! My husband even “wears” our son while mowing.
- Reusable Bags – We have canvas bags and produce bags that we take to the grocery store so we don’t have to use their plastic ones. We also have snack bags that have replaced plastic sandwich bags. You can throw those in the washing machine and reuse over and over.
What things do you have to add??? Do you take public transportation or ride your bike? Do you make any of your own cleaning supplies? We don’t, but it’s a good idea! Maybe we will 
There’s always something you can do to improve and make your lives greener and cleaner!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Mrs. Meyer’s blogging program, making me eligible to get a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.