The world in which we live is a fragile place making it especially important for us to take good care of it. Many people are starting to realize this reality and becoming more environmentally conscious. There is a misconception that living in an eco-friendly home is expensive. It really just requires a conscious awareness of making eco-friendly choices. These choices will be better for the planet and improve the health of the family. Switch to Organic Bathroom and Kitchen Cleaners This is probably one of the easiest eco-friendly home tips to engage in. Getting rid of chemical-laden cleaning products will not only be a better choice for the environment, it will also contribute to the improved health of the family. This is especially true if family members suffer from problems such as allergies, asthma or other respiratory conditions. Look for organic cleaners that are made with safe, natural ingredients to improve the air quality both inside and outside the home. Using eco-friendly cleaners is also much safer for homes with small children and pets that are in constant contact with the surfaces being cleaned. Consider Starting a Composting Pile For those who enjoy growing their own food, compost is an essential gardening item. Although it can be purchased relatively inexpensively at your local garden center, it is still cheaper and more environmentally-friendly to make it at home. Recycling all of the fruit and vegetable scraps will not only make gardeners more aware of what is going into the soil as fertilizer, it will also mean that they are doing their part in reducing the amount of waste the household produces each week. Using something that is literally garbage to make something instead of buy it is a great decision for both gardeners and the planet. Use the Sun to Heat Your Water Another one of the many eco-friendly home tips available is the use of solar water heating systems in the home. The sun offers us plenty of free energy for the taking. This will save money on electricity bills and perhaps more importantly, reduce the amount of coal required by power stations to supply energy. This means that there will be less pollution overall and should be part of any eco-friendly home checklist. Each little change adds up over time to reduce the household’s impact on the world around them. Try Adding Solar Panels Those who are more serious about making eco-friendly home decisions can even use solar energy to completely replace electricity in their homes. This might seem like an expensive investment but will pay itself off within a matter of a few years in climates that receive a minimum of six hours of sunlight most days of the year. Solar panels have gone down in price in recent years as the demand for these types of eco-efficient products has steadily increased. Recycling and repurposing items will help families save money and save landfill space which is becoming scarce in today’s consumerism driven society. Although it may not seem like the eco-friendly efforts are worth much, each small action helps us preserve our fragile environment. Above image source: Flickr/tristanf