Top 10 Green Living Tips for your Home

But from a decade of archives, there are clear success stories that show us what tips our readers really need. So in this post, we’ll share our top 10 green living tips, as decided by YOU, our readers!

It’s obvious (and often surprising) which articles are the most popular here on our site, but these articles share a common theme: people are looking for simple ways to improve their home without chemicals and without harming themselves or the environment.

Here are the top 10 green living tips from the Green Living Ideas team:

1. Homemade Drain Cleaner

This is our most popular post of all time, reaching hundreds of thousands of pageviews each year. Apparently, cleaning a drain with chemicals is no longer appealing, and people around the world are using this natural drain cleaning option to help clear clogs in sinks and shower drains.

I’ve used this tip for years, and love the simplicity and the fact that the two main ingredients are in my kitchen at all times. Depending on the type and size of the clog, you may need to use a little ‘elbow grease’ in the form of a plunger, and if it’s really bad, it might take a few tries. But give this natural drain solution a try and see how great homemade drain cleaner can work for you!

2. Naturally Deodorize a Refrigerator

Seems that a lot of people have stinky refrigerators, but now you don’t have to worry about it, because we have a solution to deodorize your fridge naturally.

3. Natural Deodorants and Natural Antiperspirants

Not only are people reducing the number of chemicals inside their home, they are looking to find solutions for natural body care, specifically natural deodorant and natural antiperspirants. This article will give you the many reasons why you might want to stay away from conventional pit products, and gives you a list of natural brands to choose from. My personal favorite natural deodorant is called TLDYEU (The Last Deodorant You’ll Ever Use), and I’ve even made my own homemade deodorant.

4. Tips for Hanging Clothes to Dry Inside

If you’re trying to saving money on your energy bills, ditching the dryer can be a quick solution. Regardless of whether you have a big yard for a clothesline or just a small apartment, there are lots of tips here for how to hang dry your clothes inside more successfully.

5. Clean the Dryer Lint Trap

But if you can’t hang your clothes, you will probably have to use the dryer. And beyond the quick cleaning of the lint, there is a deeper issue to take care of for your dryer: the lint trap.

The vent tubing that comes from your dryer and out will build up with escaped lint over time. Not only is this a huge fire hazard, it’s also a big waste of energy: if the air is not flowing well through the vent, the dryer has to work harder, thereby increasing energy use and wasting your money. Here’s how to clean the dryer lint trap and keep it safer and cheaper to run the dryer!

6. Clean the Dryer Moisture Sensor

Again with the dryer! If you’re using your dryer, it’s important to have a clean trap (see above), but it’s also important to have a moisture sensor that’s working well, so that your automatic settings detect dry or wet clothes. Making sure your dryer moisture sensor is cleaned means that when clothes are dry, the dryer goes off, saving energy and time!

7. Natural Remedies for Poison Oak

Poison Oak is every hiker’s enemy, and if you’ve had a run in with this dastardly plant, there are lots of ways to naturally help with poison oak.

8. Naturally Clean your Hot Water Tank

Did you know you are supposed to clean your hot water tank at least once a year? Of course not, most people do not know this! We only learned about it when we had a clogged water heater and the plumber told us during his visit. Best of all, you can clean your hot water tank naturally with a simple kitchen ingredient (that shows up a few other place on this Top 10 list). Add it to your list of annual home maintenance tasks and ensure a longer life and better efficiency for your water heater.

9. Natural Cleaning Recipes

This comprehensive list of natural cleaning recipes covers all ingredients you’ll need, plus recipes for how to use them, and even some tips for how to improve your skin after all that hard work! If you want to learn a bit more, a few years ago I created a fun infographic about natural cleaning too!

10. Clean the Condenser Coils on your Fridge

There is a dust monster living behind (or underneath) your refrigerator, and you need to tackle it. Removing the dust and debris that builds up is a gross task, but it’s imperative for a longer-running, more efficient fridge. This is doubly important if you have pets at home that shed fuzzies all over. The simple action of cleaning the condenser coils on your refrigerator can improve efficiency 15-20%