Ready to make your home a healthier place for your family while also
helping the environment? Take our 30-Day Healthy Home Challenge, and we
promise big results with little effort (or cost). Make the commitment
to take one action a day to rid your home of toxins, save energy, and
reduce waste, and at the end of one month you'll have a healthy haven
for yourself and your family.
Day 1: Filter Your Water.
Instead of purchasing expensive and wasteful bottled water, invest
in a filter. Choices run the gamut, from economical carbon filter
pitchers that you store in your fridge (starting at $15) to whole-house
filters (filterwater.com). Then pour that clean water into a reusable,
toxin-free bottle like those from Sigg or Kleen Kanteen, and go about your day well hydrated.
Day 2: Green Your Dry Cleaner.
For starters, try to avoid buying clothing that requires dry
cleaning. For those duds that just can’t be laundered any other way, go
to a green dry cleaner—one that avoids perchloroethylene (PCE), a
highly toxic cleaning fluid. Find a green cleaner near you with this EPA document, or by searching greenearthcleaning.com.
Day 3: Move Your Thermostat Two Degrees.
Installing a programmable thermostat is one of the simplest and most
effective ways to decrease energy use. By automatically adjusting your
home’s temperature, you’re able to save money whether you’re at home or
not. Once it's installed, decide what you think your comfortable
temperature is and change it by two degrees. For every two degrees you
raise your cooling system temperature or lower your heating
temperature, you save 6–8 percent in energy costs.
Day 4: Replace Lights.
Replace your light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs, which last six to
10 times longer than incandescent and require much less energy. While
you’re at it, add sensors to your outdoor lights, ensuring that the
lights are only coming on when you need them to—and not when you’re
gone in the middle of the day. Solar powered outdoor lights are also a
good option, especially for gardens or pathways.
Day 5: Reduce Your Flow.
Your shower can still be luxurious, yet eco-friendly, once you
install a low-flow showerhead, which saves a family of four nearly
20,000 gallons of water a year. Shorten the shower to five minutes or
less (set a timer), and the same family of four will save another
20,000 gallons of water!
Day 6: Green Clean.
Simplify your cleaning with vinegar and baking soda. Combine a 50/50
mixture of vinegar and water for bathroom cleaning and for cleaning
floors, windows, and glass. For soap scum or for kitchen sinks, just
sprinkle on a little baking soda, scrub with a damp sponge, and voilà—a
clean home without chemicals!
Day 7: Add Houseplants.
Clean your air—naturally and beautifully—by adding houseplants. In Healthy Child, Healthy World
(Penguin, 2009), author Christopher Gavigan lists the best houseplants
for a healthy home. Favorites include the spider plant, philodendron,
gerbera daisy, and the rubber plant. Check with your local garden
center, however, to ensure that any houseplants you choose are safe for
your family (some plants are toxic to pets and people).
Day 8: Vacuum, Wisely.
June Cleaver was onto something with her obsessive vacuuming—turns
out it's the key to a clean, allergen-free home. Don't worry, we won't
put you on her every 15-minute plan, though. Just vacuum at least once
a week with a HEPA vacuum, and you'll capture even the smallest
particles of dust and dander.
Day 9: Add Herbs.
Add a little flavor and color to your life with a windowsill herb
garden. Kids will enjoy watching the growth and snipping off fresh
herbs for dinner or to make sachets, and you’ll get a dose of health
benefits. Some culinary standouts: thyme, rosemary, basil, and lavender.
Day 10: Drive Less.
Ditch your car at the door and hoof it, carpool, or use public
transportation. You’ll either get a bit of fresh air, or get to know
those in your community, while reducing your carbon footprint. Can’t
leave the car? Consolidate your trips. In It's Easy Being Green
(Gibbs-Smith, 2006), author Crissy Trask explains that driving two
fewer days each week can save the average person about 143 gallons of
gasoline and keep 2,778 pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere each year.
Day 11: Have a Vegetarian Day.
At least once a week, go without meat. Raising cattle requires as
much as 5,000 gallons of water per pound of meat. Veggies, by
comparison, require approximately 20 gallons of water per pound. In his
book The Food Revolution
(Conari Press, 2001), John Robbins points out that more than half of
all water, one-third of fossil fuels, and 87 percent of agricultural
land (in the U.S.) is devoted to raising animals for food. By reducing
your meat consumption, or making it a side dish as opposed to the main
course, you’ll be reducing your environmental impact and also adding
more veggies to your diet.
Day 12: Recycle E-waste.
E-waste or electronic waste also is commonly defined as “any broken
or unwanted electrical or electronic device.” Instead of tossing your
old or broken electronics into the trash, find a company or
organization that can recycle it or dispose of it properly. The EPA
provides a list of manufacturers and retailers who offer take-back, mail-in, or trade-in programs.
Day 13: Bathroom Recycle.
Much of the “garbage” in the bathroom is recyclable—empty toilet
paper rolls, empty shampoo bottles, and even some toothbrushes. Add a
recycling bin to your bathroom; you'll be more inclined to recycle if
it's easy to do.
Day 14: Replace Old Vinyl.
Vinyl shower curtains smell, well, toxic—and they are. Replace your
vinyl curtains with more durable, and attractive, organic hemp or
cotton. Hemp is naturally resistant to mildew, making bathroom clean-up
a whole lot easier (and certainly less gross).
Day 15: Divert the Flow.
The best way to save water in the bathroom is to install low-flow
toilets and water fixtures. If a new toilet isn’t in the cards, put
some sand or pebbles in a plastic water bottle to weigh it down, fill
the bottle with water, and put the bottle in the toilet tank. (This is
in place of the old wisdom of using a brick, which can disintegrate.)
The bottle will displace enough water to save roughly one-half to one
gallon per flush.
Day 16: Launder Better.
Only wash clothes that are truly dirty, and only wash full loads of
laundry. Ultimately, this should create less work for you and help you
conserve water and energy. While you’re at it, switch to a greener
laundry detergent—not only one with fewer chemicals, but one that is
more concentrated and ideally sold with less packaging. Use your dryer
less by installing a light drying rack in your home or line-drying
outside during warmer months.
Day 17: Take Off Your Shoes.
We wear our shoes on dirty sidewalks, streets, and yards. Why track
the dirt back into our clean homes? One of the simplest things you can
do to keep your home clean (and reduce the amount of time you spend
vacuuming and sweeping) is to remove your shoes when you get home. Put
a pair of slippers by the door and you’ll learn to make this a new
ritual, helping you unwind when you step inside.
Day 18: No More Disposables.
Make a note of everything you throw away in a day, and research
whether reusable alternatives are available. You may be surprised at
all the trash you can keep out of the landfill—and all the money you
save—by switching to reusable sandwich bags, napkins, diapers, and even
feminie hygeine products.
Day 19: Compost.
One of the easiest ways to reduce your trash is to start composting.
You can purchase a kitchen counter composter for immediate scraps, and
a larger garden composter for your yard. Most non-meat food scraps are
compostable, including coffee grinds, peels, and seeds. Not only will
you be reducing the amount of garbage you send to the landfill, you’ll
have a free source of nutrients for your yard and garden.
Day 20: Go Tankless.
No, we don't mean you should rip off your shirt (though who
are we to stop you?). We’re talking about your water heater. By
switching to a tankless water heater, you’ll save energy because the
water is heated on-demand instead of sitting in a large tank, sapping
energy to stay warm. Tankless water heaters start at few hundred
dollars and are relatively easy to install. If that's out of your
budget, buy a water tank blanket to prevent heat loss—and save 4–9
percent in water heating costs.
Day 21: Decrease Standby Power.
Standby power is the energy used to power electrical appliances when
they’re idle. Televisions, microwaves, printers, coffeemakers—you name
it. If it has a light on when it’s off, it is using power. The easiest
way to switch off these “vampires” is to plug multiple devices into one
power strip, enabling you to turn off the entire strip when not in use.
Day 22: Test Your Air.
Unfortunately, two of the most harmful (and deadly) pollutants in
our homes—radon and carbon monoxide—are odorless and colorless. Radon
test kits and carbon monoxide detectors are available at hardware
stores or online.
Day 23: Eat Local for a Week.
Support your local farmers and merchants by eating only food grown
within 100 miles of your home for one week—even when you eat out. Visit
your farmer’s market or co-op for produce and other goods, including
eggs, herbs, and flowers (or look into joining a CSA).
Find local sources of honey, grains, milk, and meat. It’s fun to know
where your food comes from, and rewarding to know you’re giving back to
your community.
Day 24: Go Off-Peak.
Run such appliances as your washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher
during off-peak hours, typically from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. to help ease the
pressure on power grids. Some utility companies, like Portland General
Electric (PGE), also offer special programs and discounts for residents
who primarily move their energy use to off-peak hours.
Day 25: Install Drip Hoses.
Instead of watering your outdoor plants from the top down, install
dripper hoses beneath your garden beds and you’ll not only save water
by watering your plants more efficiently, you’ll also make your plants
happier because more water will be going to the roots—where they need
it—instead of the leaves, where it just evaporates in the warm air.
Day 26: Reduce Your Paper Trail.
Reuse scrap paper and old bills and statements before you recycle
them—or use a paper shredder to turn them into packing materials.
Instead of sending out paper invitations, send electronic invites. When
you do need to use paper, choose recycled.
Day 27: Turn Off the Water.
Many of us are guilty of leaving the water on while we brush our
teeth, but this mindless act can waste three gallons of water in just
two minutes! Whenever you're not actively using the water coming from
the faucet, such as while shaving or scrubbing dishes, turn it off. Try
this for a month and look for the difference on your next water bill.
Day 28: Lights are for Nighttime.
Institute a "lights at night only" rule in your household. Use
natural light or step outside during the day to get your vitamin D fix
and save energy. And if you forget and turn on a light in the morning?
Don't worry—your kids will correct you soon enough.
Day 29: Eliminate Junk Mail.
To remove your name from the bulk of marketing lists, register with the Direct Marketing Association. To stop all of those unwanted catalogs (really, how many Victoria's Secret catalogs does one household need?) register at catalogchoice.com.
Day 30: Turn Off the TV.
Go a week with no TV. Once you get over the withdrawal symptoms, you
might find that you want to get rid of it for good—you and your family
will read more books, talk more, and get outside in the evenings.
You'll lower your monthly electric and cable bills while improving your
health and your relationships—and you may be surprised how little you
miss the television when it's gone.
Ahh, day 30. You made it! The challenge now will be to incorporate each of the changes you made over the course of the last month into your daily routine. Start by revisiting each day and seeing if you’ve stuck to each healthy tip. Remember it can take several months for something to become a habit, so stay committed, stay positive, and keep an eye out for ways you can live a bit more green—leaving you with more green, too.
Melissa Williams is a writer, yoga instructor, mom, and
contributing editor to Mindful Mama whose commitment to the environment is winning out over her constant desire to print out emails.