Start with the basics, then consider larger improvements to save energy, reduce your use of nonrenewable resources, and conserve water.

• Clean with natural home ingredients such as baking soda for scouring, distilled white vinegar for cutting soap scum and cleaning stains, and vegetable-base soaps.
• Supplement natural light with compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) because they convert most of their energy into light rather than heat, consuming 75 percent less electricity and lasting 10 times as long as incandescent bulbs.
• Fix that drip, or, better yet, replace old faucets with new units that have low-flow aerators. You can save thousands of gallons of water a year.
• Replace vinyl flooring with natural linoleum, which is long-lasting and made with environmentally friendly materials.