How to Make Your Kitchen Eco-Friendly
Saving energy in the home can be achieved through a variety of ways, some more well known than others. The kitchen is often a very heavily-used room in a home, and cooking, cleaning and hosting in the kitchen can often require a lot of energy from appliances. Thanks to modern innovations, there are now plenty of ways to increase the efficiency of your home without compromising on its uses. Read on to learn how to make your kitchen eco-friendly.
Dishwashers
Taking care of that mountain of washing up needn’t require a detrimental effect on the environment anymore. Modern dishwashers can use as little as six litres of water for a full cycle, whereas washing the equivalent load by hand could use up to 100 litres. Although it may sound counterintuitive, running your dishwasher at full load is preferable to half load – half load power actually uses more than half the water and energy that a full load does. When buying a new dishwasher, compare efficiency ratings between different models to ensure you get the best possible energy efficiency for your money.
Efficient Fridge Use
The temptation to open the fridge and browse the food in there is something that is commonly experienced, but leaving the fridge door open for long periods can waste considerable energy. The rubber seal around fridge doors can often lose its effectiveness over time, but there is a handy way to test it: simple close the fridge door with a £5 note in between the door and the seal. If you can pull the note out easily, the seal is in need of replacement as it is probably leaking air and therefore wasting energy.
Green Cleaning
Believe it or not, using a wide range of cleaning products like washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets and hand soaps can increase your impact on the environment. By shopping around for specifically eco-friendly cleaning products, you can keep your kitchen sparkling and lessen your environmental impact at the same time. When looking for these cleaning products, make sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that they are suitable for the surfaces in your kitchen. Using the wrong product could risk damaging your surfaces.
Energy Efficient Cooking
Modern ovens have almost completely eliminated the need for preheating, thanks to their lightning-fast heat-up times. These ovens also allow you to decrease or turn off the heat before the dish has finished cooking, as it will cook in the residual heat of the oven for 5-10 minutes. When boiling water or food, make sure that you use appropriate lids for your saucepans – this reduces the time it takes for your food to heat up and also prevents heat being wasted by escaping through gaps between the pan and the lid. Turn Appliances Off
Instead of leaving appliances plugged in or on standby when they are not needed, turn them off at the wall to ensure maximum energy saving. This may not be applicable for all kinds of appliances – for fridges fridges and freezers, standby should be used to prevent food spoiling, but for toasters, blenders, kettles and similar items, turning them off at the wall is the best way to save energy. Even if you are only leaving the house for a short while, turning off the appliances at the wall can help the environment and the savings you make will soon mount up.
Buy Local
Although this may seem like it won’t make much of a difference to your eco-friendly status, buying food and drink from local providers can be a green alternative to buying imported goods. Buy choosing locally produced food, you are not requiring long-distance transport of your goods, thus reducing your impact on the environment.
Reduce Waste
A simple, yet very effective way of running your kitchen in an environmentally friendly manner. Over 7 million tonnes of food is thrown away every year, and of this vast waste, over 50% is still in date and fit for consumption when it is thrown away. As well as being bad for the environment, it also hits your finances too: food waste costs the average household around £470 a year. Wrap food in cling film when it has been opened so it doesn’t spoil, and if there is any uncooked organic waste from kitchen, create a compost bin outside instead of throwing it away. Things like teabags and eggshells make great compost and after a year or so in a well maintained compost bin they can be put to use in your garden. Last but not least, make sure you recycle everything that is permissible to avoid unnecessary landfill usage. Eco Friendly Paint
Water based paints that are made of natural ingredients and devoid of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are the ideal choice for the eco-friendly kitchen. VOCs are dangerous to the environment and health, so eco paints use a tiny amount to ensure the paint keeps its condition. By using these paints, you can help improve the eco-friendly status of your kitchen whilst keeping the colour scheme of your choice.
Eco by Cosentino
As well as the above ways to keep your kitchen eco-friendly, you can also help improve your environmental impact by choosing the correct worktop surface. In particular, Eco by Cosentino is a prime example of how to combine eco-friendly materials with style and functionality. Made from 75% recycled materials, the surface is available in a range of subtle shades to suit any kitchen colour scheme. Touchstone Worktops are proud to stock and supply Eco by Cosentino worktops for our customers, bringing the utmost in quality in every sense of the word.
Here at Touchstone Worktops, our wide range of granite, quartz, marble and natural stone worktops are the ideal addition to your kitchen. Delivered and installed by our expert team, your worktop will be fitted to the highest standard to ensure your kitchen is looking its best at all times. For more information, get in touch with us today and we will be more than happy to help you.