Having too much moisture inside of your home can not only cause environmental issues from mildew to wood rot, but too much moisture in your home can have a negative impact on your health as well. Here are a few tips that can help you keep the moisture levels from getting out of control in your home.

Grow Plants That Absorb Moisture and Humidity

Pots Planters & More advises that one really easy way to eliminate excess moisture within your home is to add water-loving plants around your home. Plants such as reed palm, Boston fern, peace lily, tillandsia, English Ivy, and more will help to eliminate all of that extra moisture by absorbing it. These plants are ideal for assisting with too much moisture in your home as they can survive without direct sunlight nor do they need to be rooted which is perfect for indoors.

Make Sure Your Home Is Properly Insulated

Insulating your home is not just necessary for keeping out the cold weather, but it can also protect against moisture. According to Dan Gardner Drywall, proper insulation in the exterior of your home helps control moisture by providing a barrier between the outside and your home. You want to make sure that all of your walls, windows, or anywhere there could possibly be any openings are thoroughly covered so as to keep the moisture from making its way inside of your home.

Limit the Creation of Humidity

While you can run a dehumidifier in your home in order to help you eliminate the excess moisture quickly, one of the easiest ways to protect your home against moisture is to not create it in the first place. Try to avoid doing things in your home that would lead to moisture buildup. When the weather is humid, taking a steaming hot shower can produce an excessive amount of moisture, especially if you do not use the vent fan. The same goes for boiling water or doing anything that produces lots of moisture when the weather is already humid.

In order to keep the moisture levels down in your home, you should take a proactive approach if possible. However, doing things such as adding a dehumidifier as well as certain types of plants can help you get the moisture levels down to where they should be. Having moisture-loving plants around your home is a great way to help reduce moisture while adding a nice aesthetic, providing you with the right amount of oxygen, eliminating pollutants and more.

Protect your home by keeping it clean! Click here to shop our household vegan cleaning products.

One of the best ways you can keep your roof in tip-top shape is by ensuring that your gutters are working properly. If you would like to clean your gutters in an environmentally friendly way, here are some tips that can help you do so with ease.

1. Roll Up Your Sleeves

Although this might be one of the more time-consuming ways to clean your gutters, cleaning them by hand is one of the best ways to do so without the use of harsh chemicals. When it comes to removing black streaks, algae and other debris, you can get the job done with the help of a scrub brush, non-toxic solutions and a little elbow grease. When choosing this method, be prepared to scrub for quite a while or even break up the project into two days.

2. When to Clean Gutters

Typically, your gutters will need to be cleaned in the spring and fall since this is usually when leaves and pollen are falling. However, if you have lots of trees on your property or there has been a storm, you will probably have to clean your gutters more frequently. The goal is to keep your gutters clean so they may do their job properly. Therefore, you should clean them as needed to keep them flowing well.

3. Finishing Up

After you have finished soaking and scrubbing away all of the build-up and removed the debris, it is time to give everything a good washing off. You should make sure to store your ladder so it doesn't get in the way of the rest of your cleaning efforts. Once you have put away your supplies, it is a good idea to cover up any flowers or other areas of your lawn that you want to protect.

There are lots of non-toxic cleaners you can purchase and recipes you can make yourself that can help you get your gutters nice and clean. Pressure washing is also a good way to rid your gutters of all of the gunk and leaves without having to use bleach or other harsh agents. Regardless of what method you use to clean your gutters, the best way to keep them clean is to perform regular maintenance throughout the year. This helps to prevent your gutters from getting extremely clogged and dirty which makes cleaning them much easier every time.

For great eco-friendly house cleaning solutions, try some of our house cleaning products!

Giving your home a facelift can not only enhance its beauty, but it can increase its value as well. However, when it comes to renovating your home, in most cases you will have lots of leftover materials that you will need to get rid of. One of the best things you can do to help yourself, as well as the environment, is to recycle the leftover materials.

Protect the Environment

While home remodels can look amazing when it is all said and done, things can be quite a mess during the construction phase. Not only can debris and materials get tossed everywhere, but if you are not careful, you may find your lawn ruined by the machinery. One of the first things you can do is protect your plants and flowers with a lightweight plastic so as to keep debris from falling on them. As for the equipment, make sure the crew is using protection mats to drive over and are not driving directly on your grass.

Get Creative

If you have leftover materials, such as planks of wood or extra tiles, these are materials that you might be able to repurpose if you put your imagination to it. Maybe you have been wanting a new coffee table or just need a piece of artwork for a nook in your living room. You'd be surprised at just how useful your leftover materials can be and what beautiful pieces you can create.

Plan Removal Process Before Renovating

According to Lynch Bros Roofing, an itemized estimate can help you with the planning process for your renovation and actually prevent you from having to deal with large amounts of waste after the project is completed. Making an outline of everything that you will need can help you have a better idea of how much materials you will have leftover.

Recycling Centers

If you have run out of ideas or just do not want to deal with the leftover materials, you can always have them taken to a recycling center in your town, according to Ace Recycling & Disposal. Also, when changing out old fixtures and appliances, rather than sitting them out for the garbage man to pick up, donate them as they can be reused in another project.

Whether you incorporate your leftover materials into another design, or you donate them, never just toss materials in the trash if you can help it. Not only does recycling help to eliminate greenhouse gases, but it is also a more cost-effective way to build as well.

If you want to be environmentally friendly when cleaning up after your home renovation or otherwise, try some of our all-natural household cleaners!

• Homeowners can save energy by making their basement more efficient.
• Change out light bulbs for more energy-efficient ones, and remember to turn them off when not in use.
• Install an in-line duct fan to boost the basement’s airflow and work with thermostat to turn off fan when temperature is reach.
• Repair any holes or cracks in walls that give air a way to escape.
• Caulking around window frames or replacing them with ones that keep out the draft better can help improve efficiency.

This is slightly more of a Public Service Announcement than an article, but I have got to tell you to CLEAN OUT YOUR DRYER RIGHT NOW. 

A few months back, my dryer (which is not old, yet it's not old) stopped working. It would tumble the clothes for hours and the laundry was still always damp. I didn't pay much attention to it because like always, I was doing a dozen other things at the same time. I finally said something to my husband about it and thought out loud that I should probably start looking at new dryers. He suggested we clean off the inside and maybe the sensors were dirty or something.

So I took my bottle of MamaSuds All-Purpose Cleaner and sprayed the inside of the drum and the inside of the door and wiped it all down. I did this twice for good measure. I then took a different rag and sprayed it with isopropyl alcohol and wiped everything down again. I then took the vacuum and sucked the lint out of the trap that gets caught on the edges. I noticed that there was still quite a bit of lint way down in that space where the lint trap goes. (Sorry ladies + gents but I don't know the technical terms for these parts!).

I asked the tiniest person in my house to try and reach down and grab the lint and she took one look at the lint and fled the scene. Great. Now what?! I located an old wire hanger and got a giant wad of lint out. I couldn't believe it!

I Facetimed my mom to show her what the heck came out of my dryer and she suggested going behind the dryer and sticking the vacuum hose into the vent. OH. MY. GOODNESS. So gross. So much lint. 

 

And now my dryer works just fine. Luckily, the dryer's safety features were working and since the dryer wasn't getting any air into it, it wasn't letting the heating mechanism on. Whew!

I put on my calendar every 3 months to clean the dryer out, you should do the same! 

Smaller homes are charming, cozy and beautifully simplistic. However, they can be challenging when you wish to comfortably fit all of your stuff into them, especially if you're trying to do it in a way that feels tidy and organized. Fortunately, there are numerous storage solutions for small homes that don’t require building a pricey addition or buying a larger house. In fact, you can usually utilize the space and furniture you already have. Here are three ways you can maximize the storage space in your little house.

Garage Storage

If your small home has a garage, then you’re probably already using the space for storage. Bicycles, tools, gardening equipment and eco-friendly cleaning supplies are just a few things people store in this area, but how well-organized is your garage? You can reap the benefits of an overhead garage storage system for even more storage space. By adding such a system, you can maximize the storage space in your garage and stop feeling as though you're drowning in clutter.

Under the Bed

The only things under most people’s beds are dust bunnies and the occasional dirty sock. However, the vast untapped space under-the-bed is also a great place for storage. Some bed frames are constructed with built-in storage, but if that isn't the type you own, you can still utilize the space underneath it. Many small house owners opt to put risers on the legs of the bed to raise it a few inches off the ground. This maximizes the storage space beneath the bed and even frees up enough room to place plastic storage bins or compact shelving units underneath.

Shelves

Some of the most underutilized areas in houses of all sizes are the surfaces of the walls. Adding shelves to your small house will give you additional storage space. Storing things on the walls means you’ll have more free space on the ground and on other surfaces like tables and countertops. Free-standing bookshelves are a great option, but floating shelves make the room look bigger. In small rooms like bathrooms or laundry rooms, triangular corner shelves are perfect.

Even little houses have big storage potential. By cleverly reimagining the space you already have, you can create new storage areas without breaking the bank. You can start off by adding a garage storage system, floating shelves, and under-the-bed storage, but there are many more exciting storage hacks for clever homeowners who love their small houses.

Here’s another article you might like: Alternative Ways to Naturally Heat Your House This Winter

Warm weather in the spring or summer can make your home feel like a tropical paradise. Yet, when it gets too hot to go outside, you may want to spend as much time indoors as possible in the cooler air with your friends and family. However, outside elements may interfere with your relaxation. There

Termites can wreak havoc on your property. Once a colony is formed, the worker termites can live up to two years, and the queen could live at least 10 years. During this time, they'll reproduce exponentially, quickly becoming an almost uncontrollable nuisance. To prevent it from getting this far, here are four ways to get rid of termites without using harmful chemicals.

Use Beneficial Nematodes

Beneficial nematodes are microscopic and can easily be applied to your property with a spray bottle, hose sprayer or irrigation system. These parasites seek out insects, infect and kill them, reproduce inside of them, then eat them from the inside out. Then they move on to the next victim. This might sound like a barbaric way for termites to die, but it's effective, and it's safe for humans and pets. However, this is useful for prevention but not the best way to get rid of termites that have invaded your house already.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a substance made from naturally occurring silica. It's safe to use because it's non-toxic and non-poisonous, although if inhaled, it can cause irritation. Food-grade DE can lessen irritation if you or your children or pets accidentally inhale it. DE works by drying termites out. It penetrates the exoskeletons of the pests and dries them out within 12 to 24 hours. Keep in mind that DE can only be used in dry conditions. The second it gets moist, even a tiny bit, it becomes ineffective. As soon as you see the signs of an infestation, consider using DE.

Remove Infested Food Sources

When you become aware of termite colonies on your property, getting rid of the infested food source is one of the first ways to begin fighting them. In order to remove termites without using chemicals, tree removal may be necessary. This could also mean chopping down and/or hollow burning trees, bushes, plants or anything else they may be infesting. Failure to remove a termite infested tree could prove dangerous if it falls. When the termites lose their source of food and shelter, they will quickly leave to more accommodating locations.

Extreme Heat

For infestations in your home, heat treatments can be extremely effective. Drywood termites, like bed bugs, can't survive extremely hot temperatures. At 115°F, four hours of exposure kills drywood termites. The hotter the temperature, the less time it takes to kill them. At 130°F, they'll die within six minutes. This treatment only works on drywood termites. If you are unsure what type of termite you are dealing with, contact a pest control agency for help.

Termites are a nuisance. It's important to routinely check for signs of an infestation and get rid of them before they do costly damage to your property. Using the four steps above will help to get rid of your termite problem while keeping your family safe. Good luck getting rid of these pests!

Keep your house clean and natural with these vegan cleaning products!

Keeping your home organized doesn't have to be a challenge. However, it's easier to stay inside and work on home improvement projects when it's nasty outside. Try the tips below to make life easier all year long and keep yourself occupied on cold winter days.