7 painless changes you can make for a green home

When it comes to making eco-friendly changes these are the little ones that really add up to make a difference from the experts at Practically Green. By Alexandra Zissu of practicallygreen.com

Swap Household Cleaners

Switching to green cleaners reduces air pollution both indoors and out, minimizing exposure to both asthma and allergy triggers as well as chemicals that can be harmful to your health. Look for plant-based products from companies that have a complete list of ingredients on their labels.

See More: New Uses for Recyclable Items

Go Meatless on Mondays

Having pasta or a vegetarian soup on Mondays might not seem like a big deal, but adding one meat-free meal per week (for a family of four) has the same impact as driving a hybrid car. Raising livestock produces a large amount of greenhouse gases, so cutting back, even one night per week, makes a big difference.

Shop for Sustainably-Raised Meat

While sustainable isn't a term certified by the USDA like organic is, it generally means that the animal was given ample room to roam, and wasn't treated with hormones or antibiotics. Look for labels like free-range and organic as well as no-hormone and no-antibiotic.

See More: New Uses for Compostable Items

Upgrade Your Insulation

Adding insulation to prevent leaky ducts, walls, windows, and doors can improve your home's energy draw by 20 to 30 percent. If totally redoing your insulation isn't in your budget, try thermal shades, which block the sun in the summer and retain heat in the winter, or even something as low tech as a draft guard on your outside doors.

Leave Your Shoes at the Door

Think of removing your shoes when you enter a home as the equivalent of washing your hands. First, it couldn't be easier. And second, it prevents the outside gunk like car exhaust, chemicals, and pesticides from being tracked all over your home.

See More: 8 Eco-Friendly Laundry Tips

Microwave Glass, Never Plastic

Heating plastics can cause leaching into food and many contain hormone-disrupting compounds (not just the much maligned versions made with bisphenol-A or BPA). Plastics that are labeled "microwave-safe" can simply withstand a higher temperature before losing their shape. So when popping anything in the microwave, opt for glass or microwave-safe ceramics.

Don't Dump, Donate

By some estimates, for every item of clothing donated, 27 pounds of carbon emissions are reduced based on the fact that you don't another item being produced while one is headed to the landfill. Take items to a thrift store, a charity that accepts donations, or list them on Freecycle.org.

Read the Rest: 3 More Changes You Can Make for a Green Home

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