5 best green websites for homeowners

You can’t leave the house without being smacked by something “green,” and we’re not talking about what grows in your front lawn.

That doesn’t mean, though, that all products and services marked green are equally earth-friendly. After all, there’s no federal standard a product or book or food must reach in order to give itself a “green” label.

So how can you sort through the spin and pick what’s really authentic? We’ve done the work for you by going through everything green. Here are five sites that are good for Mother Earth – and for you.

The Lean Green Family

Leah Ingram was ecstatic about finding her dream house, but she knew that her family of four – including two teenagers – would need to cut back so they could afford the higher mortgage payment. She quickly discovered that she could do both her budget and the planet good by going green. Her blog, The Lean Green Family, which aims to help others be green as well as frugal, tackles everything from composting to grocery shopping to winter heating bills in a funny, personal and enlightening way. It’s like talking to the green best friend you don’t have – yet. She also runs a separate Green Boot Camp blog that’s a 52-week step-by-step program to follow if you’re going green from scratch.

U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Consumer’s Guide

Don’t let the government-stamped title scare. The Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Consumer’s Guide site is chock full of information on how to make your home more energy efficient. The content ranges from practical advice (should you turn off your computer at night to save energy?) to money-saving tips (how to do a home energy audit – or where to hire someone to do it for you) to links to consumer publications put out by the Department of Energy on alternative energy sources. If you’re looking into greening your office, there’s a business channel, plus information on more eco-friendly (and less gas-dependent) transportation.

Care2.com

Want to break the harsh chemical cleaner habit? Figure out which beauty products are free of toxins? Pick the best green materials for redecorating your home? Care2.com, which opened its web doors to the green community in 1998, has all the information you’ll need in a practical, usable format. Among the most popular features are green “recipes” for household cleaners that will help you green up your routine and save money at the same time. You can also ask Annie B. Bond, who was recently named a top environmental leader by Body & Soul Magazine, your burning green questions – like how to find toxin-free shoe polish. It’s great if you have pets, too – there’s an entire channel dedicated to your four-legged (or two-finned) friends. Want to go the extra mile? Meet like-minded green folks by joining care2.com’s social network.

Gardens Alive

Switching from traditional gardening techniques to organic isn’t easy, especially when you’re used to spraying any critters and adding nutrients to the soil through harsh chemicals. Gardens Alive can makes that transition smoother. It sells organic products, but that’s not exactly why we’re recommending it (though it does make organic garden shopping easy). The real gem is the Garden’s Alive library. These pages give plant- and season-specific advice. Also, check out archived Q&As with Mike McGrath, the former editor-in-chief of Organic Gardening and current host of You Bet Your Garden, a nationally syndicated public radio show. The Q&As are sorted alphabetically by topic. You can also ask McGrath your question, find out more information about his lively weekly show, and listen online.

Energy Star

Energy Star is a government program run by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy that tests major appliances for energy efficiency, and labels the top performers with its star of approval. That’s fine and dandy, but it’s the Energy Star website we love. It lists a lot of product information, and provides a wealth of green information, including how to keep your appliances running efficiently, how to measure your home’s energy efficiency and even recommendations on building an Energy Star home if you’re starting from the ground up. A kids’ area of the site teaches your youngsters how to go green from the get-go. If you’re buying new appliances, you can also use the Energy Star site to see if your purchase is eligible for a state or federal loan or rebate.