Living green means making choices in our day-to-day lives that enhance, rather than just reduce, the impact we have on the environment. Whether it’s recycling, making your own household-cleaning products or buying energy-efficient appliances, a few small changes in your everyday life can help make a world of difference.

Below are tips from Frigidaire on how to maximize your home appliances and help protect the environment. If you have additional tips to share, click here to pass on your planet-saving pointers and register for your chance to win a green laundry room makeover.

Using new ENERGY STAR rated appliances in your home can result in potential savings of $400 per year due to the reduced use of energy and water.

Wash full loads of laundry to make your machine more efficient.

Use cold water whenever possible since 90 percent of the energy used for washing clothes comes from heating the water.

Try drying one load of clothes after another – the heat from the first load helps dry the second one faster.

Be sure to use the moisture sensor option on your dryer. It automatically shuts off the machine when your clothes are dry.

Give your laundry room a green makeover by installing bamboo flooring, which generates 30 percent more oxygen than other plants. Also, invest in non-toxic paints and countertops made of recycled material.

To learn more about the Frigidaire Affinity and other energy-efficient washers and dryers, visit http://www.frigidaire.com/products/laundry.asp.

When you buy a new energy-efficient refrigerator, resist the temptation to move the old one into the basement or garage. If you do, you won’t realize any of the energy or cost savings!

Keep your refrigerator out of direct sunlight and in as cool of a location as possible. A 10-degree increase in temperature can result in 20 percent higher energy consumption.

Try to minimize the number of times you open the refrigerator door by deciding what you want beforehand. Every time you open the door, you increase energy consumption by 10 percent.

Your freezer works best when it is filled to capacity. If necessary, place covered plastic water-filled containers in your freezer. For maximum efficiency, buy the model that will fit your needs. To find out what refrigerator best fits your family’s needs, go to http://www.frigidaire.com/products/refrigerators.asp.

Dishwashers today don’t require pre-rinsing of dishes before loading. In fact, skip this step and you'll save as much as 20 gallons per load, or 6,500 gallons per year.

Fill your dishwasher to full capacity to maximize the energy used to run it.

Stay away from the heat-dry, rinse-hold and pre-rinse features and try the air-dry option instead.

For more information on energy-efficient dishwashers, visit http://www.frigidaire.com/products/dishwashers.asp.

What do you do to “Live Green”? Tell us and your tip may be featured on this page.