April is home and garden month!

What better time to start putting some love into your home and lawn?

You spend most of your time there, but there’s plenty of jobs piling up. Why not use this month to get those jobs done and also make improvements?

Here are a few ideas to help you get the most out of your home and garden this month.

Make your home eco-friendly

Everyone wants to be eco-friendly, but they don’t know how they can do it at home. Surely going green means you need to install large solar panels on your roof?

If that’s your thing, then go for it, but there are other ways you can go green too. The Huffington Post has a few ideas to help you save energy in your home.

Some of the best ideas on the list include the following:

• Using bamboo when you replace your hardwood flooring. It’s just as good as regular wood, but it grows back at a much higher rate than other woods. This means it’s replenished easily, so you can have the wood floors without the guilt.
• Cleaning with vinegar: It’s become more popular in recent years, for good reason. Vinegar is just as good at killing bacteria and mold as the regular household cleaners you can buy. It’s also a pet-friendly weed killer.
• Turn off the faucet: When brushing your teeth, make sure you turn off the faucet. If you just turn it on to rinse your toothbrush, you’ll save more water than you might think.
• Grow houseplants: Having houseplants is a great, easy and attractive way to improve air quality. If you’ve always wanted to improve your gardening skills, now’s the time to learn.

Improve your home’s security

No one wants to think about someone breaking into your home. However, it happens more often than you’d think. This month start putting in some work to make your home more secure than ever. It’s simple to do and can give you peace of mind.

There are some great tips here, including:

• Change your locks: If you’ve recently moved home, remember that there could be keys to your home floating around out there. Remove the worry of someone letting themselves in by changing your locks, so they can’t use them to get in.
• Use a wireless security system: Having a security system is always a good idea. However, did you know burglars will cut the wires on them so they can’t go off? Invest in a wireless system. That way, burglars may be put off before they even try to get in.
• Don’t leave the key in the mailbox: Burglars know that many people still keep a spare key in the mailbox, or under the doormat. That’s the first place they’ll look. If you really want a spare if you find yourself locked out, leave a key with a trusted neighbor, friend or relative.

Create an easy-to-maintain garden

Is your garden neglected? Sick of having to spend most weekends out there, trying to keep it tamed?

Then this month is the month to change all of that.

Here are some tips to make your garden easy to maintain:

Ditch the lawn.

Lawns are beautiful, but they take up a huge amount of resources just to keep them alive. The EPA estimates that up to 60% of a home’s water usage can go into the garden alone. If you’re sick of trying to keep a lawn alive, maybe it’s time to ditch it entirely.

You have several options here.

You can pave over the backyard, meaning it just needs a sweep every now and again. You can also buy an artificial lawn. Artificial grass doesn’t need watering, mowing, or much maintenance after at all. Instead, you just need to keep it free of debris and you’ll have a beautiful lawn all year round.

• Use native plants: Look up what plants are native to your area. By changing out your plants to those that naturally grow in your area, you’ll instantly save yourself time in keeping them thriving in your garden.
• Grow your own food: Want to use your garden for good? Then try growing your own vegetable garden. There is a whole host of benefits to doing so. These include creating better-tasting dishes, reducing your impact on the planet, and saving money on your groceries.

Have yourself a spring clean

Of course, it’s now Spring, so why not start Spring cleaning?

It’s not as hard as you may think.

Here’s some help to get you started:

• Pick one area at a time to start cleaning. If you think about the whole house, you’re likely to become overwhelmed. Find a problem area, such as a cupboard under the stairs, or those clothes hanging in your closet you haven’t worn for years, and tackle that.
• Paper towels are great, but they’re also bad for the environment. Instead, pick up some microfiber cloths. They’re inexpensive, and when they’re wet they’re great at picking up dirt and grime. Throw them in the washing machine, and they’re ready to go again. Try them for cleaning your windows, you’ll be amazed at how much dirt they can pick up.
• Take a tip from monks, who set a timer for 20 minutes and clean their surroundings. They do what they can, and when those 20 minutes are up they stop. Yes, even if the job isn’t finished. You can use this tip too while Spring cleaning. Set the timer, and get as much done as you can. Once that timer goes off, stop. It stops you from getting burned out and leaving half finished piles of junk around the house because you’re too tired to deal with them.

Inspired?

Great! Now’s the time to get your home cleaned, spruced up, and ready for the coming year.

You’ll love spending time in your home and garden if you invest some TLC into them now.