Live Green in Every Room of Your Home
posted by TrueNorth Risk Management on Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Living green, building green and surrounding yourself with earth-friendly products minimizes the negative impact you have on the natural world. At the same time, you are creating a healthy environment for yourself and your family. By abiding by green principles, not only are you keeping your family from getting sick, you are also looking out for Mother Nature's limited resources. Here are some recommendations for living green in every room of your home:
Earth-Friendly Tips for Your Home
- Remove old carpeting and heavy curtains that are caked in years of dust.
- Professionally clean ductwork and forced-air heaters regularly to remove grime, dirt, and soot.
- Install natural linoleum, cork, ceramic tile or recycled rubber instead of vinyl flooring. Vinyl gives off toxic chemicals.
- Install cabinets that are made of coat pressed woods with a low-VOC sealant instead of particle board or plywood cabinets. These materials can give off formaldehyde, which is bad for your health.
- Choose low-VOC natural latex paints for interior walls.
- Install a solar-powered water heater.
- Increase insulation in your attic, walls, and flooring.
- Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) throughout your house to significantly reduce your electricity bill and the amount of energy used.
- Keep your heat low. For every degree that you turn your thermostat below 70, you can save 320 pounds of greenhouse gasses (natural gas heat) or 236 pounds of electric heat.
- Install Energy Star appliances certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Use recycled, chlorine-free toilet paper, facial tissues and petrochemical-free cosmetics.
- Use baking soda, vinegar, and tea tree oil to disinfect your bathroom as opposed to traditional cleaning products made with harsh chemicals.
- Turn off the water when brushing your teeth and only turn it back on to rinse.
- Line dry your clothes instead of drying them in the dryer.
- Growing native plants in your garden are much friendlier on the environment since they have evolved to survive in the climate in which you live. These plants do not need much help to grow and require less than half the amount of water to survive as compared to non-native plants.
How You Can Go Green with TrueNorth
Discuss going green with one of our agents today - and make sure your home insurance bill reflects the strides your family is making to protect the environment. Find out more about TrueNorth's many home insurance options by visiting www.iTrueNorth.com or contacting us directly at 319-364-5193.
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In addition to helpful weekly guidance on home and auto, TrueNorth provides a number of insurance options to protect your family from risk. For information on a home or auto quote, visit www.iTrueNorth.com or call us at (319) 739-1277. We'd like nothing more than to help safeguard the things that matter most to you.
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