5 Ways to Make Your Kitchen “Green”

Being clean and green is a must at all times.  This is true not only because we need to save money on water and electric bills but because everything that we do will definitely have impact on the environment. Everybody must take action towards conserving our natural resources, and this must start within our very own homes.  To be able to make some positive contribution in this massive eco-friendly campaign, check out the following tips to ensure that you are doing the same thing in your kitchen:

Check your water usage

Be conscious about how much water is being used. Minimize waste water as much as possible. Instead of just opening the tap and let the water drain while washing the dishes, think about using a basin. Empty the basin when the water has become too dirty to be reused. You should know when to reuse the water and identify some other tasks in the house that may require only used water. Create a water drainage system that will enable you to reuse it for watering the plants or washing your car.

Use eco-friendly appliances

Eco-friendly kitchen appliances are the ones which are energy efficient. If you think your kitchen appliances need replacement make sure to purchase those that are energy-efficient. Anyway, you will not have much difficulty in looking for such appliances because a majority of those new appliances being manufactured today already comes with eco-friendly features. Certainly, both online and local stores offer a wide array of options for you to check out which will suit your budget and your preferences.   While the up-front investment may be high, it will help you save on electric bills and of course, the environment.

Replace kitchen lighting

Your kitchen lighting must consist of fluorescent bulbs or CFLs because these are far more energy efficient than those incandescent bulbs. These compact fluorescent lights would definitely fit in any standard sized sockets. You may also consider remodeling your kitchen a bit so that more sunlight can get in your kitchen during daytime and you will no longer have to turn the lights on.

Clean your range hood

You have to make sure that your range hood is regularly cleaned to ensure that it is properly working all the time. Failure to observe proper cleaning and maintenance of your range hood may lead to a hotter kitchen atmosphere. In turn, you will be spending more on your cooling systems.  However, a frequently cleaned range hood will enable it to function properly so you will have lesser cooling costs.

Choose the right pan size

The larger the pan is, the more energy it needs for heating up.  This is why as much as possible you must choose the right size of pan fit for the amount of food that you are about to cook. If you will only be melting your butter, better use microwave oven. Another thing that you must keep in mind is that the pan must also match the size of your burner. This is to ensure that no heat produced is being wasted which may happen only if your pan is too small for your burner.