Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

Bedroom Changes

Ceiling Fan
On the middle of the bedroom's ceiling, the couple have installed a fan that helps them save on their heating bills. "Most people don't use ceiling fans in the winter," says Jessica Jensen, "but they should, because hot air rises. So if you run the fan in reverse at a low speed, it will help circulate the hot air." 

Curtain Panels 
Inexpensive cotton thermal drapes (find similar products at gaiam.com) "leverage solar heat by blocking it in the summer and catching it in the winter," says Jensen. "In the summer, you shut your drapes when you go to work in the morning, then open them in the evening. And in the winter you do the opposite. They're great if you have a room with drafty windows and don't want to replace them." 

Bedding 
The duvet cover and the Orange pillowcases from Loop ($20 each, looporganic.com) are made from organic cotton that has been treated with nontoxic, water-based dyes. "Organic cotton is free of synthetic chemicals and is therefore not harmful to the environment," says Jensen.