3 essential tips you should know for a sustainable home
The European Sustainable Development Week happens each year for a week between the end of may and the beginning of june. This event acts as a general call for to encourage sustainable projects but also as a reminder that we should all do our part to help better the environment. Here are 10 essential tips to help you change bad habits into sustainable ones in your own homes. Doing your bit for the environment with smaller actions around the house is just as important!
Heating the house the smart and sustainable way
In winter time, overheating the house can keep you awake at night, preventing you from benefiting from a good night’s sleep. But it’s also extremely bad for the environment and for your energy bills. Don’t push the thermostat over 19 to 20 degrees – the ideal temperature.
For those who can afford investing a little bit more, they are more efficient ways to lower our energy consumption and consequent bills. Double-glazed windows and thermal insulating will do wonders to protect your home from the cold winter months and keep your house fresh in the summer’s heat. If you live up north, sort out your Edinburgh windows to be ready for winter!
Use eco-friendly cleaning products
Cleaning the house doesn’t have to be all about using toxic and nocive detergents. In fact, chemicals found in household cleaning products have been found to increase the risks of lung cancer, so it’s not just bad for the environment. Thankfully, there are some more natural but totally efficient alternatives, such as white vinegar, Marseilles soap (a traditional hard soap originally from the south of France that contains vegetables oils and other natural ingredients), black soap (olive oil based), lemon juice and even baking soda (mix it with a little water and apply on a cloth to start cleaning most surfaces in the house).
Eco-friendly paint on the walls
Eco-paints are an amazing alternative to conventional paints that usually comes with all sorts of toxic ingredients (also leading to very intense headaches if you don’t let enough air into the room!). Eco-paints go even further than paints labelled “non-toxic”. Formulas varies depending on the makers, but they are generally plant-based and water-borne. Look out for products from companies such as Biofa, Auro and Oko.
Compost away and recycle!
Whether you live in a flat or in a house, you can easily find ways to compost without interfering with the way you usually do things in your home. Hidden away in your garden or in a tiny bucket on your kitchen’s balcony, there are many options. All organic waste can be then re-used as fertilizer for your house plants or in the garden.