The kitchen is one room in a house where people spend a majority of their time. This is because people love to eat, and there’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal.

If you practice living an eco-lifestyle you want to make sure that your kitchen is both clean and green. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend an exorbitant amount of money on new bamboo flooring or energy efficient appliances. It means making simple changes that you can afford to live with.

Get Green and Clean

It doesn’t take a lot of your own green money to have a green kitchen. Here are a few things you can do to:

1. Use your dishwasher

Think about it: when you hand wash your dishes you have a continuous stream of water going. That can add up, especially if you do it every time you have dishes. But if you run your dishwasher once every few days, and turn off the heat-drying option to save energy, you will reduce your overall water use.

2. Don’t throw grease and oil down the drain

Not only can this clog your drains, but this can make it difficult for sewage treatment facilities to clean. Or if you’re creative enough, you can make fuel from your used grease like the students from UCF!

3. Recycle

From cans of beans and ketchup containers to milk jugs and glass jars, there are literally hundreds of things you can recycle in the kitchen.

You can either use a separate recycling bin for these products, or place them in individual bags so you can carry them easily to the curbside or to the nearest recycling center. Don’t forget that you can recycle old steel appliances as well.

4. Compost

You can compost many things besides throwing them away in the trash. You can make your own compost pile at home, or purchase a composter, like the ones listed at LowImpactLiving.com. And if you’re an avid coffee drinker, check out our blog post on How to Recycle Your Used Coffee Grinds.

5. Grow your own food

Instead of buying expensive groceries that are processed and wrapped in excess packaging, how about growing your own food! If you have a yard you should plant a few of your favorite fruits, vegetables and herbs.

If you live in an apartment or townhouse in the city and don’t have a yard, start an indoor garden. Here’s a great article from Apartment Living that shows you how to do this.

6. Switch to CFLs

Above your stove, over your sink and on your overhead lighting, switch to using compact fluorescent bulbs instead of regular light bulbs. CFLs last up to 10 times longer than regular bulbs, which mean they leave a smaller carbon footprint.

7. Use proper cookware

Use glass and ceramic baking dishes because they require less heat than other types of dishes. Also, use non-stick pans without Teflon because Teflon is made from chemicals that are harmful to humans, and use metal utensils instead of plastic ones so they can be recycled.

8. Use green cleaners

After cooking you always need to clean up. What you spray on your counters and in your oven could leave harmful residue that could be absorbed by your food. Always use non-toxic organic sprays, soap, dishwasher detergent and more when cleaning your kitchen.

9. Reuse your water

Most people drain the excess water from boiling vegetables and spaghetti noodles right into the sink. Instead of doing this keep the water in a container, let it cool down and then use it to water your indoor and outdoor plants.

10. Purchase biodegradable trash bags

If you can’t find biodegradable bags, at least purchase recycled bags like those from Seventh Generation.

For more information on greening your life you can check out our How to Green Your Bathroom, 10 Ways to Make Your Work Area Green and How to Go Green in Your Dorm Room blog posts.