By Catherine Somerville of Sustainable Wallingford.

BELOW is a list of things we can do to green up our way of living.

Some actions are more obviously connected to climate change than others, but if we all do these common sense things, it will make a difference.

1. Hang your washing out to dry. Tumble dryers are hard on your clothes, the environment and your bills.

Weather permitting, hang your clothes outside to reduce pollution, cut your energy bill, get more exercise and extend the life of your clothes.

If space (or aesthetics) is an issue, look for a retractable clothesline which takes up almost no space when not in use.

2. Install a living air filter—houseplants! Some of the most efficient air–cleaning houseplants include spider plants, English ivy, rubber plants, and peace lilies.

Place a few plants in the room where you spend the most time.

3. De-clutter your wardrobe. Donate unwanted items to charity, where they’ll get a second life.

Replace those stinky mothballs with a natural and better–smelling version: stuff a lonely unpaired sock with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and whole cloves and tie it at the end.

4. If putting on a fresh coat of paint, consider the VOC content when choosing your paint. VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, are chemicals that form vapours at room temperature.

Some VOC’s, like the ones in many paints, contribute to smog and indoor air pollution, and can cause a host of short- and long-term health problems.

The good news is that many paint manufacturers have started making low– or no–VOC paints. The bad news is that many of those manufacturers have simply substituted VOC's with other non–VOCs, yet are still toxic chemicals. You just have to read the labels.

5. Instead of continually buying expensive single-use mop pads, invest in a reusable mop. Wash the head in your washing machine, dry, and use again and again.

6. Ditch the paper towels. Save trees, cash and landfill waste. Buy washable cleaning and dusting cloths. Or give what you already have a new life. I.e. old towels, ratty pillowcases, too-small T-shirts, etc. Simply cut your old item into smaller squares, and voila! They go in the washing machine with your laundry for reuse.

7. Ditch the wipes. Most of them are lined with plastic. Facecloths are great for wiping kids sticky hands or surfaces and can be boil washed.