We’ve been talking a lot lately about ways of living sustainably. And that’s no accident! We here at Santa Barbara Stone Masters love sustainable living.
I do my best to practice it in my own life, and we encourage it to all of our employees! And you can bet we make the best efforts to apply principles of sustainability to our restoration work as well.
As such, we know how rewarding it is to know that one is doing all that they can do to impact the earth as little as possible. So here are a few more great tips for living sustainably that you can begin implementing in your life right now:
Unplug Devices When They Aren’t in Use!
Did you know that, even when they are off, many of your electronics draw power when they’re plugged in? Unplugging electronics that aren’t in use is a great way of mitigating your energy use!
Minimize your Junk Mail
Hate junk mail? Us too! Check out Catalog Choice, a 501c(3) dedicated to helping you minimize the amount of junk mail you receive. There’s a little bit of work involved, but it will be completely worth not only receiving less garbage, but also goes a long way towards minimizing the amount of waste you produce!
Adopt New Washing Habits
Next time you hand wash your dishes, fill your sink halfway with soap and water, and wash your dishes in the pool. Set to the side until you’ve hit every dish, and then quickly rinse your dishes of whatever remains! You’ll use much less water than washing each individual dish under a running faucet.
Use environmentally friendly chemicals in your house cleaning! We at SBSM use earth-friendly products for even our tougher jobs; you hardly need toxic chemicals for your house. Did you know that white vinegar and water makes a great alternative to Windex?
Do less laundry! With the exception of your socks, undies, and work out gear, your clothes probably don’t experience much damage day to day. Wear a garment two or three times before throwing it in the pile – you’ll save a ton on water and energy!
Use Timers
I’ll admit – I’m a baby in cold weather. If I have the option of using the heater, I’m going to; and then promptly forget I left it on before departing home for the day! Invest in a thermostat that uses a timer to schedule out when you need the heat on and when you can afford to have it off. You can do this for your sprinklers too! Timers are a great way of making sure you aren’t using more than you need, saving lots of energy and water in the process!
We hope these tips are helping you to lead a more sustainable life. Do you have any great practices you’d like me to know about? Drop us a line!
