Six items every home should have

Cleaning products To keep your home safe while you clean, look for natural cleaners that use citrus, enzymes, or oxygen instead of harsh chemicals.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Cleaning products

To keep your home safe while you clean, look for natural cleaners that use citrus, enzymes, or oxygen instead of harsh chemicals.An air filter

Did you know that the air inside your home can be 2 to 5 times as polluted as the air outdoors? Fumes from cleaning products and appliances along with mold can become concentrated inside, especially with the windows closed. To help clean the air in your home, invest in an air purifier with a HEPA filter and activated charcoal that will remove not only allergens but dangerous odours as well.A water filter

While most of us are lucky enough to have easy access to treated water, there are still germs that make their way through the water treatment system and into our homes. Fortunately, dangerous elements like lead and chlorine as well as bacteria and other organic compounds can easily be filtered out at the tap. Look for a water filter system that uses both reverse osmosis and activated carbon for the safest possible water.A compost bin

Reducing waste is one of the most important goals of going green, and composting is an easy way to cut down on your trash haul. All you need is a compost bin and some kitchen scraps to get started. If you don’t have access to outdoor space, look for smaller bins designed for indoors or find an industrial compost site in your area that accepts household waste.Green lighting

Efficient light bulbs aren’t just a good investment for the environment – they can also help reduce your home electric bill. Because it uses 75% less energy than a standard bulb, a single compact fluorescent bulb can save you up to $40 over its lifetime. The initial cost for LED lights, CFLs, and other high-efficiency light bulbs will be offset by the energy you save.Low flow plumbing fixtures

Conserving water is easy when you have low flow fixtures. While most showerheads will have a rate of 2.5 gallons a minute or more, low flow options can go as low as 1.5 without sacrificing water pressure. A family of four can save hundreds of gallons a month!