How to "Go Green" With Your Home

With all the attention that global warming is receiving these days, everyone is looking to make the world a better and safer place to live. There are many ways to "go green" and in such a large city as Houston, Texas, this may be even more important. There are many ways to cut back on the harmful emissions and Houston families can do many of these right in and around their homes to reduce waste and save energy.
Reducing water usage is a terrific way to go green in Houston. By simply replacing your old showerhead with one that has a lower flow and is energy efficient, an incredible 280 gallons of water a month can be saved by a family of four. A misconception with these showerheads is that they will reduce the amount of water pressure in the shower but that is not true. You will not only enjoy your shower just as much as you used to but you will enjoy it more knowing that you are doing good for the planet, and saving on your water bill!
It only makes sense that buying greenery and placing it inside and outside your home will promote "going green."
Residents in Houston and the rest of the state of Texas are lucky in the way that there are many beautiful plants, shrubs, and flowers that are native to Texas and are easy to grow and maintain. By placing some of this greenery inside the home it will help to remove irritants such as formaldehyde and benzene. Buy planting flowers and plants in your garden that are native to Houston in your outdoor landscaping, you will be helping the environment by not using so much fertilizer or pesticides. Some wonderful plants that are native to Texas are: pigeonberry, red columbine, betony, fall obedient plant, scarlet sage, and black-eyed susan.
Besides planting Texas-native plants, there are other ways to "go green" with your landscaping as well. Placing solar powered lights in the patio or garden area will provide a fabulous way of displaying your gorgeous landscaping and it will also help cut the energy costs and omit any wires that could detract from the beautiful space. When tending to your lawn and garden, opt for a lawn mower with a reel, instead of a power mower. These are much easier to use than they once were and they will also save on energy. If you really do prefer power mowers, there are many battery-operated models available that will also help preserve energy and save the earth.
Batteries such as those that are used for cell phones, digital cameras, and video cameras, are very harmful to the environment. Houston has actually illegal to throw out these types of batteries and have set up many different programs for recycling them. In addition to batteries, there are also many Houston community programs that will recycle the entire device once they are no longer being used.
Reducing the amount of electricity used within the home is another great way to "go green" in Houston. There are now compact fluorescent light bulbs that are more effective than regular light bulbs. These light bulbs will last ten times longer, saving you some money on the electricity bill as well as protecting the earth's energy. Using a laptop rather than a personal computer will also help cut the amount of energy used as they use significantly less power. Freezer and refrigerator temperatures should also be adjusted to minimize energy output. A refrigerator temperature should be set to 37 degrees Fahrenheit, and the freezer temperature no lower than zero degrees Fahrenheit.
Eliminating paper waste is another step in making Houston a greener city. When printing something off a computer, make sure that the printer is set to print on both sides of the page and when you mistakenly print something, flip the paper around and use the other side to print your next document.
For more home tips visit http://www.houstonproperties.com/houston-real-estate-resources.html
Paige Martin is a member of the prestigious Martha Turner Properties' Circle of Excellence, an award given to honor the company's top producers. Paige is a member of the Houston Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. Her website features over 500 pages of Houston real estate information and details on over 40,000 properties and all [http://www.houstonproperties.com/houston-townhomes.html]Townhomes in Houston for sale as well, as details on [http://www.findhoustonhome.com/memorial.html]Memorial Houston Texas homes for sale. Paige Martin, Realtor, Martha Turner Properties.
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