What's your #1 green home tip?
by 
AmorousLilith
ANSWERS: 15
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Turn the lights off yo...
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Recycle all the biodegradable kitchen refuse into a bin. Makes awesome fertilizer for the garden
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dont run the water while washing dishes, or brushing your teeth. just turn it on when you need it
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Wash your hands and do the dishes over a plastic tub, and use the waste water to water your garden or lawn. No, small amounts of dish detergent won't hurt the plants.
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recycle clothes and household items by donating to thrift stores and also shop there i don't NEVER buy new things, but if i need a white blouse (for example) i'll look at the thrift store first
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Save water by not showering! Also, dump all biodegradable trash in your front yard to create a compost pile! Great for planting. Use the crappy scented candle you didnt like but you got last Christmas instead of lights. Who doesnt want their house to smell like salmon? Dont flush the toilet more than once a day at the VERY most. More flushes means more water. Plus your salmon candle will drown out the smell. Unplug everything when you leave for work in the morning. Whats more convenient then having to crawl under your desk and bend your body to the left while facing up so you can squeeze your pinky in to hit the power strip button to turn it on? Also, wash dishes by hand. Its more fun to stare at them while they slowly pile up in the sink for days on end anyway.
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GROW YOUR OWN!
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Caulk and weatherstrip your home.
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The #1......composting. You keep items out of landfills and make a great fertilizer for your garden.
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Don't buy more of a house than you need. The savings in heating/cooling and electricity will be quite significant.
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I stopped using abrasive chemicals for cleaning, lemon vinegar baking soda all do wonderful jobs and are non toxic! I also use biodegradable Charlies soap for laundry and cleaning
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When using the dishwasher, open the door for the dishes to dry. Air drying saves a ton of energy.
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Turn things off when you're not using it. Lights, water and gas. Use the vacation setting on your hot water heater when gone more than a day.
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The biggest use of energy in the average home is the hair dryer, followed by a clothesdryer. So if you are already airdrying you hair, get a clothesline and use it. I paid $80.00 for a collapsable umbrella type clothesline and $2.00 for a bag of concrete to set it in the ground. I use it most of the year. I may not be able to use it for the next couple of months, because we are into the rainy season, but I use it every clear day. I save $10 - $15 a month by using it.
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perform an energy audit on your home and then implement the energy efficiency improvement recommendations suggested by the auditor. most local public utility companies now offer FREE home energy audits to their customers. some things they might recommend are replacing old windows with energy-efficient, low-e, double-paned ones, replacing old doors including sliding glass doors, caulking/weatherstripping, replacing old insulation with new insulation with a higher r-factor, installing blown-in insulation to stop leaks in the building envelope, using radiant barrier technology, etc. or do a home energy audit yourself: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/energy_audits/index.cfm/mytopic=11170
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