As eco-consciousness rises in America, homeowners evaluate the sustainability of their practices. Adequate property maintenance is essential for the health of residents and the efficiency of an investment. Decreasing the environmental degradation associated with home management shrinks an individual’s carbon footprint.
It also aligns with President Biden’s established carbon neutrality goal for America. Limiting individuals’ emissions can enhance climate change prevention measures. When residents work together, we can effectively reduce environmental degradation, conserving Earth’s organic state. Keep reading to learn about different ways you can go green and maintain a clean home.
Ecological Challenges for Residents
Many homeowners have large carbon footprints from non-sustainable energy sourcing and inefficient device usage. When individuals support high emission systems, they contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect. The Earth utilizes an organic process for developing life-sufficient temperatures.
When solar radiation reaches the atmosphere, it creates heat, warms Earth’s surface, reabsorbs additional energy and emits it to space. It is the optimal process for maintaining resource development on the planet. As our emissions increase, it alters the state of the atmosphere and its functionality.
Greenhouse gases overproduce heat and trap excess energy on Earth. The composition-altering features increase the global temperature over time. As the planet warms, the global ecosystem suffers.
High global temperatures increase the evaporation rate in certain regions. The ecological effect causes water displacement, flooding some areas and leaving others in extended droughts. Water inconsistency decreases crop yields, limiting the global food supply, and increases dehydration rates.
Without abundant water supplies, homeowners face limited bathing, irrigation and cleaning access. Residents directly cause water scarcity and ecological degradation by generating toxic runoff. When individuals place synthetic fertilizers and pesticides on their properties, they pollute local water sources.
When it rains, stormwater carries the toxins to the ocean. They promote algal blooms, decreasing local marine oxygen levels and driving certain species towards endangerment. The effects reduce our seafood supply and degrade aquatic ecosystems.
Fortunately, homeowners can engage in sustainable cleaning and home maintenance techniques, limiting atmospheric and surface pollution. Over time, minor alterations can significantly decrease adverse climate change effects. When we work together, meeting the carbon neutrality goal, we can restore Earth’s organic processes.
Ventilation
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems utilize significant quantities of residential energy. The majority of electricity in America derives from fossil fuels, generating greenhouse gas emissions. Ventilation is especially crucial to a homeowner’s health and wellbeing, maintaining clean indoor air quality levels.
Individuals can decrease their HVAC systems emissions while improving the cleanliness of their home air by installing smart thermostats. The devices maintain energy-efficient indoor temperatures and reduce a system’s electricity reliance. Low power consumption rates significantly shrink a resident’s carbon footprint.
The thermostat is programmable and uses motion detection sensors, turning systems off in vacant homes. They also connect to the internet through WiFi, reading real-time weather reports. The system adjusts the set temperature allowing outdoor patterns to regulate indoor air without energy pulling.
Electric Appliances
Homeowners can also install electric cleaning appliances powered by renewable sources. Autonomous vacuums can connect to a localized grid, decreasing their reliance on fossil fuel-derived power. Installing electric devices increases your home’s compatibility with green energy.
Solar-powered devices generate zero emissions when in use. They also significantly reduce one’s utility costs. Fossil fuel energy costs up to 17 cents per kilowatt-hour on average. Solar-derived electricity costs as little as three cents per kilowatt-hour.
Laundry
Some washing machines use up to 26 gallons of water per load. The agitator top-loaders submerge dirty clothes in water, relying on soaking for dirt and stain removal. High water-consuming cleaning devices significantly increase one’s water footprint size.
Homeowners can decrease resource exploitation by installing efficient washing machines. Conventional front-loader systems use nearly seven gallons of water per load. The device effectively cleans garments while conserving natural resources.
Traditional dryers are responsible for about six percent of a home’s energy use. When powered by fossil fuel-derived electricity, they produce a significant quantity of greenhouse gas emissions. Residents can decrease their carbon footprints by investing in energy-efficient devices, hanging dry, or using eco-friendly dry-cleaning services.
Dry-cleaning decreases both water and energy exploitation. Unlike conventional systems, the devices use little to no fluids, limiting laundry-related water scarcity. They also use a heated hydrocarbon solution which is less ecologically destructive.
The services rely on energy-efficient technology, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Homeowners can reduce their pollution generation and utility costs by utilizing dry-cleaners.
Eco-Friendly Cleaners
When individuals inadequately dispose of cleaning products, like dumping a chemical-filled bucket of used water outside, they generate adverse ecological effects. Homeowners can increase the sustainability of cleaning by creating environmentally safe products. Developing cleaning products at home limits chemical use and plastic pollution.
Rather than throwing out a plastic spray bottle or container after it runs out, individuals can purchase reusable materials. In the bottles, residents can combine vinegar, non-phosphorus soap, essential oils and water. The all-purpose cleaner is safe for virtually all uses, from scrubbing a tub to cleaning the refrigerator.
Landscape Maintenance
Residents can reduce runoff-derived pollution by eliminating their synthetic fertilizer and pesticide reliance. Many homeowners use ant and mice limiting pesticides on the lawn and in their gardens. The pests can enter the home, creating structural and cleanliness challenges.
Individuals can increase the sustainability and hygiene of their homes by utilizing eco-friendly pesticide alternatives. Planting chives around your property, especially by your foundation, can keep ants away. Additionally, introducing peppermint plants into your garden and around your home can repel mice.
Sustainable Property Benefits
When homeowners shrink their carbon and water footprints by engaging in sustainable cleaning, they improve the value of their properties. Adding solar and electric appliances to a house can significantly increase its sale price. Energy-efficient homes also sell faster than other properties because of their high customer appeal.
Kara Reynolds is the Editor-in-Chief of Momish Magazine and believes in science, that climate change is real, and is doing her part to keep Mother Earth healthy for the future of her four kids.
