Spring Green-ing

Spring is on its way, when the thoughts of home owners turn to spring cleaning, and making the home more eco-friendly. The following are some quick tips to get the process started.

• Change out your existing lightbulbs in favour of energy-efficient bulbs. This is a small change that is not only eco-friendly, but will save you money on your hydro bill.
• To conserve water, install low-flow showerheads, water-displacement devices in your toilet tanks, and try to run dishwashers and washing machines only when they are full.
• When choosing products for your spring cleaning project, search for one of the many lines of biodegradable products on the market to use.
• While you're cleaning, it is a good idea to check around doors and windows for possible leaks, and seal them. A simple seal with caulking or weatherstripping can conserve a lot of energy, and potentially save you even more on your monthly bills.
• Consider registering to receive and pay your bills online. Online billing and banking saves paper, and more and more banks and companies are starting to charge fees for paper billing.
• Spring cleaning can often include getting rid of things around the house that are no longer needed. Try to reduce the amount of superfluous belongings that are being thrown away by doing a little bit of research. Several things can be donated to local charitable organizations, recycled, or even sold.