Business Post Contributor
Climate change is a real thing and, as a result, everyone from big corporations to the smaller guys is looking for new and better ways to save energy.
But businesses have money and budgets for this. As consumers, we don’t have a lot of money to spend on energy-saving devices and tools.
So, what can we do in our homes to conserve energy that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? A lot, according to Aisha Pandor of SweepSouth. Below are five tips that Pandor recommends to have a more sustainable home.
Use the sun
Not for solar power, no. Although that is a great idea, it can be exceptionally costly. Use the sun to dry your laundry. Instead of switching on the tumble dryer or any other electrical drying device, hang your washing on the line if you have one.
If you live in an apartment with a balcony, make use of this space to dry your laundry during the day. If not, invest in a clothes rail that you can put in the sunniest spot in your home and dry your clothes on it instead. Or you could just drape it across chairs and furniture.
Use cold water to wash your laundry
Sticking with the laundry theme, use cold water to do your washing. Warm water requires a geyser, which uses electricity. A lot of washing powders and other laundry detergents need cooler temperatures to work well, anyway. Heat is also not good for many fabrics. Stick with cold water and not only will your clothes be happy and last longer, but you will save on electricity, too.
Change your air filter on your air conditioning
Air conditioning in itself is not very energy efficient, but if you must, ensure that it’s running smoothly. Check the filters and replace them on a regular basis. Filters get dirty over time, making airflow more difficult and resulting in the unit using more energy to cool down your home. Also, ensure that there are no faults on the system that prevents it from operating properly.
Use eco products
You don’t have to spend loads of money on environmentally-friendly cleaning products for your home. You could even make your own. Natural ingredients such as bicarbonate of soda, white vinegar, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar are all used in homemade cleaning products.
Bicarb, for instance, helps to remove musty odours from carpets, while lemon juice mixed with bicarb makes a great paste to get rid of mildew in your bathroom basin’s sealant. White vinegar is a cleaning marvel, doing anything from making ageing and yellowed white linen pillowcases look brighter again, to removing stains from coffee and teacups. You can look some ideas up on the internet about which natural ingredients will work best for your needs.
Use these tips in your home going forward, and you will be able to proudly say that you have put measures in place to be more environmentally friendly.
