5 Easy (and Green) Weekend Projects

We've got some great projects you can do around your house that can remove clutter, lower energy bills, and make your home a little greener. These 5 quick projects can be done as time permits and many only take a few minutes to complete, but can have a great impact for your household.

Project 1-Conserve some H2O and reduce your energy bill
What to do:  Fill a water bottle up with water and rocks, pebble, or marbles, tighten the cap and place in your toilet's water tank.  This will displace some of the water, which means you won't need as much water to flush, thus saving you money on your monthly water bill.

Project 2-Clean vents and replace air filters
What to do: Use a rag to clean all air vents in your house.  Use your vacuum to clean the refrigerator and dryer vents.  Finally, replace your HVAC air filters -we recommend every two to three months or sooner if you live in a place with a high pollen count during spring and summer months, you have pets, or you live in a place with a high level of air pollution or construction work nearby.

Project 3-Check your car's tire pressure
What to do: Look up what the tire pressure level should be for your car (found in the owner's manual).  Check the tire pressure using a pressure gauge when the tires are cool-hot tires can expand when warm giving you a false reading.  Add air if needed.  Tires that are filled with the correct level of air can improve your mileage by approximately 3%, saving you tons of gas.

Project 4-Used rolled up magazines to properly store winter boots
What to do: Roll up old magazines and insert them into the opening of your tall boots to help them keep their shape while in storage.  This is a great recycling project and clutter eliminator all wrapped into one!

Project 5-Recycle paint cans (full or almost empty)
What to do: If you have a relatively full paint can that is just taking up space in your garage, consider donating it to Habitat for Humanity in your area.  They accept lots of different home improvement products-paint, appliances, etc.  If you have little to no paint left in your can-remove the lid and either let dry in the natural sunlight, or add kitty litter, saw dust, or another drying agent.  Earth911 is a terrific site to help find paint and other recycling centers in your area.

(in order of appearance) photos courtesy of happysimpleliving.com, anyhousecleaning.webs.com,  auto.howstuffworks.com, fabulouslythrifty.blogspot.com, earth911.com