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So how are you making your home more eco friendly?

9 replies

mamadiva · 10/08/2008 22:42

I really want to start being a bit more eco friendly and was wondering if anyone can give me tips about what you do?

I've stopped using carrier bags, walk almost everywhere if not I use publio transport and use eco cleaning products. Although my DS does wear disposable nappies but he's 2YO so not much point switching now I reckon.

I would like to start using more natural cleaning products like vinegar and newspaper for glass etc. Does anyone else know of any good cleaning methods using household things?

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Collision · 10/08/2008 22:44

energy saving lightbulbs

walking more

no to carrier bags

bicarb for cleaning

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Flibbertyjibbet · 10/08/2008 22:49

I ditched most cleaning products and use a scrubbing brush for the bath, rough cloths (line dried old terry nappies are good!) for windows, damp cloth for dusting.
No need for that overpriced ecover stuff in my house!
For mopping the kitchen floor I use white vinegar in the mop bucket.

I do still take plastic carrier bags from the shops that still give them out as it saves me buying bin bags.

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mamadiva · 10/08/2008 22:59

Oh and ditto the energy lightbulbs except 3 which I can't use as they are dimmer switches.

I was thinking about buying big wheelie bin bags and just putting things straight in there rather than using several smaller ones.

Thanks for that about the vinegar on the floors and the bi carb thing too. At the moment I use too many cleaning things what with polish, washing up liquid, soap powder, bleach, toilet cleaner etc. There's far too many.

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Mamazon · 10/08/2008 23:01

by being so skint i only use what is necessary and follow every top tip imaginable to conserve energy.
it's more financially driven than enviornmental but it all results in the same.

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KatyMac · 10/08/2008 23:02

But if you buy an ordinary light switch they are very easy to swop over

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notcitrus · 11/08/2008 18:30

Insulation for the loft, and cavity walls if you've got them.

Any draughts coming in your house? Windows not fitting right? Cold air coming through the letterbox? Worth fixing those before winter - insulation tape and letterbox covers are cheap.

Check taps aren't dripping. Thermostatic valves on all radiators so you can turn off/down heat in rooms you aren't in. Consider if your boiler is so old and inefficient that a new condensing one might be an idea.

Dishwasher on eco 50 degree setting which means it doesn't blow-dry, unless it's jam-packed when I use the auto setting (55 or 60 deg, and blowdries the dishes).

Washing machine - mainly use Ecover but mainly because my gynaecologist recommended it. Usually wash at 40, 30 if smallish load and not too dirty. Although think a regular hotter load might be an idea to avoid mould buildup as it's horrible to clean off.

Have enough plastic bags hanging around to keep me going for decades - only skanky ones in bins get replaced.

Have piles of hand-me-down reusable nappies from familybabies 1+2, and they're less hassle than I thought, so might be worth getting some second-hand to try on your 2YO? Even if you only used then half the time it could save a lot over the next year.

Hardly drive the car, so have 2 friends on the insurance too so it gets moved at least once a fortnight.

As you can tell I'm driven as much by cost as by wanting to be eco-friendly - although stuff like getting eco paint, holidaying by train, and ensuring junk goes on Freecycle or to recycling points are slighlty more costly than the less-eco option. Although train travel is so much more civilised than airports, so I don't mind paying a little more.

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bythepowerofgreyskull · 11/08/2008 18:34

most of what notcitrus said.
recycle most things - put out half a black bin bag every fortnight.
Invest in a cagool so that walking/cycling isn't weather related.

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Flibbertyjibbet · 12/08/2008 14:24

Socks, slippers, and fleece throws.
We hardly had the heating on last winter! The children seem to keep warm regardless of how few clothes they may have on (I'm not cruel, they just seem to strip off as soon as they are dressed), dp and I wore socks and/or slippers indoors and when we finally got 5 mins to sit on the sette we put a fleece throw over our knees.

Oh and hot water bottles. A bedroom can be pretty cold but if the bed is warm you won't notice.

Am currently knitting some cute slippers for this winter

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scattercushion · 12/08/2008 15:03

water hogs/hippos to go in the toilet cistern(s) - you can get them free from the water company. Just got them myself after our direct debit for water has DOUBLED

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