5 Ways To Be Green At Home -- The Bedroom

I'm starting a new series called "5 Ways To Be Green At Home".  Each posting will include suggestions for a different room/area of the house.  They are by no means the only ways, but the first five ways that come to mind.  For the most part, the suggestions don't require much effort and may be things that you're already doing and you don't realize it.

When talking about green living, the bedroom probably doesn't immediately come to mind.  The following are ideas that will be good for the environment and good for your bank account.

1.  Install insulated curtains on the windows.  Be sure to open them when it's sunny in the winter to help warm the room.  And close them in the hot part of the day during the summer to help keep the room cool.  This will reduce the amount of supplemental heating/cooling required to maintain a comfortable temperature.

2. Replace your electronic alarm clock with a small battery powered travel alarm clock.  Use rechargeable batteries in it.  This will cut down on the amount of electricity used, especially if you have more than one alarm clock in the room.  I've had the same battery powered clock for over 10 years and have only had to change the battery once or twice.

  

3.  Contrary to what your mother said, don't make your bed right when you wake up.  According to the Environment, Health, and Safety Online website, it's actually better to leave it to air. In your mattress live dust mites, that thrive on warm, moist conditions.  Your body exerts a lot of heat and moisture (sweat) while sleeping.  So when you get up, throw back the covers and let your bed cool and allow moisture to evaporate.  This is great news for us lazy people.  For all you others, go ahead and make your bed after you get out of the shower or get dressed.

4.  When you're sleeping, use a fan (ceiling fan, box fan, fan on stand) or heating blanket for localized temperature control.  This is much more energy efficient than adjusting the thermostat which will heat/cool the entire house even when you're only using the bedroom.

 5.  The bedroom is usually where we get dressed and store our clothing.  In the closet, it is important not to hang clothing too tightly together.  This will reduce the air flow in the closet and between the articles of clothing.  Air flow is important to keep items smelling and looking freshly cleaned.  Perform an annual review of your closet and wardrobe and get rid of items that haven't been worn in the last year.  This will free up storage space and make it easier to find the items that you wear regularly.  Keep in mind that clothing doesn't have to be laundered after every wear.  Some items, such as jeans, sweatshirts, sweaters, blazers, can be worn a few times before washing.  This will extend the lifetime of the clothing and have a positive impact on your laundering routine.