At the beginning of my sustainable living journey, I realized that our homes—where so much of our time is spent—are full of products we use on a weekly basis that have a substantial impact on our world and the environment, often without even realizing what’s in them. Over the years, I’ve experimented with a variety of eco-friendly products, and the changes in my life have been impressive. Today, I want to share some of my favourite eco-friendly products for the home that have helped reduce my carbon footprint while creating a healthier space.

A Guide from My Experience

Here are a few practices tagged along with some eco-friendly products for the home:

1. Reusable Kitchen Products: A Simple Yet Effective Change

The first among them was in my kitchen, where I decided to make some improvements. I replaced low-quality single-use paper towels with washable towels made from bamboo or organic cotton fabric. By any chance, do you know that Americans consume 13 billion pounds of paper towels annually? As for me, the most useful and amazing cleaning accessory is the Swedish dishcloth – it is soft, very effective in terms of soaking up spillages, lasts for months, and you will need only one of such cloths instead of 17 paper rolls.

Likewise, I swapped plastic wrap with beeswax wraps. These are made from cotton, beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin and are thus biodegradable and can be composted. The bonus? They come in handy while wrapping sandwiches, covering dishes, or even retaining the freshness of fruits, and they can last for approximately one year if well taken care of.

2. Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products: Clean Home, Clear Conscience

The next big challenge that I found was with cleaning products. Conventional cleaning products contain high concentrations of substances that are toxic to the environment as well as to human beings. After some research, I discovered that there are organic green cleaning products such as Seventh Generation, Ecover, and Mrs. Meyers that are just as effective as regular cleaning products. One of my innovations was applying multi-surface cleaners based on vinegar, essential oils, and bio-degradable surfactants.

A new research in US-EPA revealed that indoor air is 2-5 times more polluted than the outdoor environment as a result of using chemical cleaning materials. Choosing to use environmentally friendly cleaning materials has significantly enhanced the quality of air inside the house.

3. Energy-Efficient Appliances: Lower Bills, Lower Footprint

I bought energy-conserving appliances at one time, and that was a wise decision in the long run. I first focused on purchasing a new Energy Star refrigerator and a washing machine to replace the old appliances I had. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that ENERGY STAR-labelled appliances use 10-50% less energy than other appliances.

After the change I had my electricity bills reduced by as much as 20 percent in the first year of using the new kind of bulbs. In addition, these appliances are made to last longer and perform better than their older models and this means resources are saved through less repair and replacement.

4. Sustainable Bedding and Furniture: Comfort with a Conscience

Obviously, I never thought much about how having different options in furniture and bedding could be such a big deal until I started researching sustainability. My research brought me to brands such as Avocado, which stores its mattresses from certified organic latex, wool, and cotton with no added toxic chemicals. I changed pillows, bed sheets, and blankets with Coyuchi, which is made of organic cotton and is GOTS-certified.

Another area that I am conscious of is furniture. I started looking for equipment made from recycled wood or wood that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. VivaTerra and West Elm companies, for example, have some great designs in this category. This change will make sure that no new trees are well, cut down for my furniture,

5. Solar-Powered and Energy-Efficient Lighting: Lighting the Way Green

I also saw that there was plenty of room for improvement in lighting. It did not take much thought to get rid of all the incandescent bulbs and replace them with LEDs, which use at least 75% less energy and last 25 times longer. The Department of Energy says that if all homes in the United States replaced one conventional incandescent bulb with an ENERGY STAR-certified light-emitting diode, it would eliminate as many greenhouse gas emissions as 800,000 cars annually.

In the past year, I have used solar-powered lamps in the garden. Not only do they give off a nice light while beautifying the space, but they do not use any energy at all. I’ve also been looking at others, such as indoor solar-powered lights, which are fantastic in areas with a lot of sunlight.

6. Low-Flow Fixtures and Water-Saving Devices: Every Drop Counts

Water management is considered of great importance since I discovered that an average family wastes about 180 gallons of water per week due to leakage. The first modifications I made were something as the low flow showerheads and faucet aerators – they save nearly 30% of water without diminishing the pressure. I also fitted a dual flush toilet that has reduced on water usage in the house to a large extent.

To me, this wasn’t a big change from having to take a shower and using the shower head, but it was also a change of mode of thinking about how to save water in order to cut the costs of electricity used to heat water. A win-win, right?

7. Composting Bins: Turning Waste into Wealth

Composting was the last practice that I adopted into my environment-friendly practices in the home. My first action was to get a small kitchen compost bin in which I dispose all the organic waste that I generate. After it reaches full capacity, it then is emptied into larger outdoor compost tumbler.

It is estimated that food wastes and yard waste alone currently account to more than 30 percent of the total waste that people dispose. Recycling of these inputs assist in cutting the quantity of wastes that are dumped in the landfills and delivers a natural fertiliser which cuts costs for the garden while enhancing the health of plants.

Also Read: Top 10 Eco-Friendly Cleaning Product Brands

Final Thoughts: Start Small, Think Big

You do not have to be overwhelmed when you decide to start using the right products for your home. My advice, then, is to take it one step at a time, begin with changes within the household such as avoiding disposable cutleries, looking for energy star rated appliances among others. This is not a misleading statement as this journey usually makes us lower our carbon footprint and improve our overall well-being while in many instances being cheaper in the long run.

If you are ready for that initial move, why not start with a move as basic as a reusable kitchen towel or get cleaning materials that are friendly to the environment? I assure you your home, neighbourhood, city, country, and the whole globe will be grateful to you!

Also Read: Beginner’s Guide To A Zero-Waste Kitchen: 6 Easy And Uncommon Tips