10 Best Immune System Supplements To Boost Immune System Function

Learn how to boost immunity naturally with immune-boosting herbs, vitamins, best foods and immune system supplements to boost immune system function.

In addition to sanitizing your hands and disinfecting your home during a pandemic, you need to boost another important part of your body to fight germs like viruses and bacteria – your immune system.

How Can I Boost My Immune System?

Our modern diets lack many of the ingredients that boost immune system response, but the internet has made it easier than ever for us to access the immune-boosting herbs and supplements to boost immune system function in adults and children.

Your body’s best defence against germs is a healthy immune system, so immune system supplements and herbs to boost immune system function are an essential part of your pandemic protection kit.

If you suffer from an immune system disorder or have a compromised immune system, and are asking yourself, “What can I take to boost immune system response during this pandemic?” this article will introduce you to the best supplements to boost immune system response.

With access to all the best supplements for immune system online, there’s no reason why you can’t consume the best immune-boosting foods and best vitamins to strengthen immune system response.

10 Best Immune System Supplements To Boost Immune System Function

Wondering what to eat to boost immune system function? In this article, we list the best immune booster supplements and herbs to boost immune system function, so you can learn how to increase natural immunity.

Whether you’re looking for an immune booster for kids or the best immune booster supplements for adults, you’ll learn how to increase immune system function with the best immune-boosting foods, immune-boosting vitamins and immune-boosting herbs.

1. PuraTHRIVE® Micelle Liposomal Vitamin C

Unlock the power of oral Vitamin C with PuraTHRIVE’s patented Micelle Liposomal delivery technology for 140x better absorption.

The new Gold Standard Vitamin C offers unparalleled bioavailability, can enhance and support healthy immune function and supports healthy aging, skin elasticity, hair and nail appearance.

PuraTHRIVE® Micelle Liposomal Vitamin C uses a revolutionary 100% unique process to administer Vitamin C quickly and efficiently. This patented delivery system allows Vitamin C to pass through the digestive system safely and target the cells that need it most.

The Vitamin C is encapsulated into tiny, nano-sized micelles which are further enveloped into liposomes – essentially healthy fat cells. The protective liposomes shield the tiny Vitamin C micelles from the hostile environment and absorption barriers found in the human gut.

As the liposomes travel through the digestive system, they slowly peel away in a controlled manner. The micelles are gradually released and eventually, the buffered Vitamin C is deposited near the gut lining where it can be fully absorbed.

Click here to order PuraTHRIVE® Micelle Liposomal Vitamin C

2. Immune Defence Zinc Lozenges with Rosehip & Acerola

Immune Defence supports your immune system by providing you with a daily dose of zinc and vitamins A, C and E. These soothing, aniseed flavour lozenges dissolve quickly on the tongue, bathing the back of the throat in Zinc ions.

Whether you’re fighting off a cold, going through a stressful time or just want to keep your immune system in fighting form, Immune Defence helps provide your body with critical immune-boosting nutrients and can help you look after your immune system during times of stress.

As well as zinc, Immune Defence also contains Rosehip, a source of Vitamin C, A and E, and Acerola, a natural source of Vitamins C and A, all of which contribute to the normal function of the immune system.

Support your body’s resistance to highly infectious cold and flu viruses and help fortify your body’s natural immunity defences with regular use of Immune Defence zinc lozenges.

Studies have shown that zinc lozenges may help to reduce the duration of cold symptoms by up to 50 per cent. By ensuring your body has sufficient amounts of zinc and vitamins, you’re giving yourself the best possible chance of staving off seasonal illness.

The elderly are particularly prone to zinc deficiency, meaning their immune systems are at higher risk. Immune Defence zinc lozenges are suitable for adults and children over the age of 12, so you can protect the health and wellbeing of your whole family.

Click here to order Immune Defence Zinc Lozenges with Rosehip & Acerola

3. Garden of Life mykind Organics Elderberry Plant-Based Immune Gummy

Elderberry is a dark purple berry from European elder trees containing antioxidants. It is considered to be an antiviral with many immunity-boosting benefits and believed to relieve colds and fight the flu.

Delicious immune system support gummy with organic black Elderberry, Echinacea, zinc and vitamin C. Organic Black Elderberry and Echinacea has been used for centuries in traditional herbal remedies.


Made with Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified real fruit, no animal gelatin, no artificial dyes, added sweeteners or chemicals, the Elderberry Immune Gummy contains no gelatin and no refined sugar. Great for the entire family.

4. Vive Organic Immunity Boost

The Vive Organic Immunity Boost Wellness Shot is one of the best immune booster drinks available. It contains fresh ingredients like organic ginger, elderberry, turmeric root and Echinacea, cold-pressed in a concentrated shot to keep your body battle ready

This immunity drink is one of the best natural supplements for immune system function as it contains a high concentration of ginger and turmeric root to kick start immunity, as well as black pepper and Echinacea with a delicious flavour of pineapple and ginger.


Vive Organic’s Immunity Boost Original is an immune booster shot created by a team of holistic specialists with strongest, most effective combinations of organic leaves, ginger root, elderberry, roots, flowers, grasses, fruits, and veggies.

If you’re looking for drinks to boost immune system function, Vive Organic’s power-packed blend of ginger root, fruits and echinacea is the ultimate immune system strengthener. It beats having to make your own ginger immunity shot at home.

If you have a weak immune system and want to know how to strengthen immune system function, take 1 to 3 Vive Organic Immunity Boost Shots daily for that Vive immunity boost and detox.

5. Children’s Immune Boosters – Best Immune Booster Supplements For Kids

As a parent, your child’s health is very important to you. During flu season, and even before, it makes sense to give your children the best immune booster supplements for kids.

VitalVits Liquid Vitamins for Kids is a gluten-free and sugar-free children’s immune system booster that provides the best immune system support formulated especially for your little ones.

Fortified with iron and children’s multivitamins like calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and Vitamin A and C, this great-tasting children’s immune supplement provides the nutrients necessary for building and maintaining a strong immune system during important growing up years.


With a 4-year shelf life, great taste and liquid formula, this is the best immune booster for toddlers, as it makes it easier and faster for your kids to get all the necessary vitamins for children’s immune system either with a meal or alone.

So if you’ve been looking for a natural immune booster for toddlers, you’ll find that VitalVits Liquid Vitamins for Kids is the best immune booster for kids because it provides the best immune support for kids’ immune systems.

Note:  When choosing an immune system booster for kids, always consult your pediatrician before you choose immune booster supplements for toddlers.

Looking to boost baby’s immune system function naturally? Zarbee’s Naturals Baby Immune Support is a safe and effective infant immune booster supplement is the best immune support for toddlers as it is specifically designed to meet the needs of growing infants and toddlers, age 2 months and up.

These multivitamin and immune support drops contain no artificial flavors, dyes, drugs, alcohol, or gluten, and provides a natural immune booster for toddlers with vitamins A, C, D, E plus zinc, the best vitamins for immune system support.


This infant immune booster supplement also contains powerful natural ingredients like dark honey, elderberry, and agave. As the best immune booster for toddlers, Zarbee’s Naturals Baby Immune Support Supplement includes a special dispensing oral syringe, so you can easily measure dosages to administer the syrup.

Note:  When looking to boost baby’s immune system, always consult your pediatrician before you choose an infant immune booster for babies or toddlers.

6. Herb Pharm Rapid Immune Boost

Looking for the most powerful immune-boosting herbs to give you a rapid immune boost? The Herb Pharm Rapid Immune Boost liquid herbal formula is expertly formulated with the best herbs for immune system support.


This gluten-free and non-GMO herbal immune supplement contains some of the best herbs to boost immune system response such as Black Elderberry, Echinacea, Ginger, Goldenseal, Horseradish, Osha, Spilanthes, Yarrow, Wild Indigo and Yerba Santa.

Each herb in Herb Pharm’s top-selling immune system support formula is individually extracted to ensure a broad spectrum of therapeutic plant compounds, making it one of the best immune support supplements.

7. Dr Price’s Immunity Booster Powder

Fortified with immune-boosting vitamins such as natural Vitamin C powder, zinc and chromium, Dr Price’s Immunity Booster Powder is a Vitamin C immune booster supplement comes in convenient to-go packets that you can take anywhere.

Unlike many other supplements, Dr Price’s Immunity Booster also contains a unique blend of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) which comprise the building blocks for immune system cells to respond rapidly to invaders.


As you age, your digestive system can become weaker which makes it tougher to digest and absorb supplements and vitamins for immune system support.

Dr Price’s Immunity Booster Powder contains no unnecessary fillers and additives like most pills, tablets and capsules, so your body doesn’t have to work as hard to break them down and benefit from their use.

This Non-GMO, gluten-free, immune support formula is 100% naturally sweetened with Stevia leaf extract and the powdered water-soluble formula mixes with liquid easily for fast and easy absorption, making it one of the best immune health supplements for older people.

8. Homoeopathic Immune Booster With Echinacea Goldenseal

The Liquid Immune Booster with Echinacea Goldenseal is a homoeopathic immune supplement that combines seven powerhouse herbs to build immune system function, including two types of Echinacea, Nature’s most potent natural immunity defender.

These herbs are Echinacea Purpurea Root, Oregon Grape Root, Echinacea Angustifolia Root, Goldenseal Root, Astragalus Root, Lomatium Root and Usnea Lichen.

This herbal blend can help reduce the duration of the common cold and also decreases the chances of catching a cold by over 50%. Several studies have also shown that Echinacea and Goldenseal can help decrease airway inflammation and expand air passages.


This natural immune booster supplement is the #1 immune and cold weather formula and one of the best things to boost the immune system naturally during an outbreak.

It supports and helps activate your body’s natural defences by boosting white blood cell (WBC) activity and stimulates immune system naturally. WBCs are the first immune system cells to recognize pathogens and fight off infection.

This Immune Booster is in the liquid form, making it one of the best home remedies to boost immune system function in older people because the body is able to absorb it better, faster, and at higher amounts than a capsule or pill. It also works for those with a fear of swallowing pills or difficulty absorbing nutrients.

The Liquid Immune Booster is one of the best immune system support supplements to improve your health from the inside because it supports your eyes, nose, respiratory and immune system for year-round wellness. It also comes with a 100% money-back guarantee.

Note: This product is not suitable for those with overly sensitive autoimmune condition profiles or to be taken continuously for more than 3 weeks at a time.

9. Tulua Turmeric Ginger Probiotic Shots – Turmeric Immunity Shot

Looking for a turmeric immunity shot with probiotics to help immune system function? Tulua Turmeric Ginger Probiotic Shots give you turmeric’s immune system benefits with natural immune-boosting foods like ginger and probiotics that support digestive and immune health and reduce inflammation.

Formulated with the patented, award-winning branded probiotic, GanedenBC30, and 1 billion CFU Bacillus coagulans to support digestive and immune function, this immune system booster shot is packed into easy little bottles that require refrigeration upon arrival.


Because this organic immune booster contains cold-pressed pineapple, ginger juice, lemon and turmeric juices, with probiotics, refreshing coconut water and black pepper, it is the best immune supplement containing foods that boost your immune system.

Tulua Turmeric Ginger Probiotic Shots are certified organic, kosher, non-GMO, preservative-free, and contain no added sugar or sweeteners. Another turmeric immunity supplement to boost immune system function is Herbalife Immune Booster.

10. Ayurvedic Immunity Boosters

Looking for ayurvedic immunity boosters to increase immunity? Here are two of the best immune booster supplements to build immune system function.

This ayurvedic medicine to boost immune system function is a 100% natural and herbal remedy to build a strong immune system. This immune system booster for kids can be given to children who get frequent sinus and throat infections.

It works for problems like asthma, chronic cough, inflamed liver, and frequent urinary tract infections in women. With regular use, this natural immune booster can boost immunity by reducing free radicals in the body.


It contains grape seed extract, bovine colostrums extract, bhumi amla (Indian gooseberry) and Amalaki, all products to boost immune system function. Take 1 or 2 immune system booster pills twice a day, with plain water, after meals.

If you prefer vegan ayurvedic immunity boosters, Banyan Botanicals Immune Health Now is the best immune system booster to boost your immune system.

This non-GMO, sustainably sourced, vegan, organic herbal immune booster supplement is one of the best immune boosters for adults and contains a powdered mix of herbs for lungs, respiratory and immune system support.


This herbal powerhouse supplement supports immune system function by bolstering the body’s natural defences with potent herbs like turmeric, amla, neem, cardamom, cinnamon, as well as herbs for lungs like vasaka, tulsi, pippali, and ginger that work synergistically to warm, nourish, and strengthen a healthy respiratory tract.

As one of the best natural remedies to boost immune system function, you can take it regularly or you need more support. Combine ½ teaspoon of this herbal mixture with 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup and blend together to make a paste. Take directly from the spoon or add to warm water and drink as a tea. Take it 2 or 3 times daily after meals.

Note: This product is not to be used during pregnancy. If you are nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition, please consult with your health care practitioner prior to the use of this product.

More Natural Ways To Boost Your Immune System

Stop Touching Your Face Hypnosis

Want to know how to stop touching your face so you can increase your resistance to disease and boost your wellbeing? Studies suggest that people touch their face as often as 16 to 23 times per hour.

Every time you touch your face, there is the potential for bacteria and viruses to be transferred to the areas around your eyes, nose, and mouth, where they can infect you and cause disease.

Of course, just because you transfer bacteria or viruses to your face doesn’t automatically mean you will become unwell. That’s what your immune system is for: to detect and fight off these pathogens.

But at times of increased risk – when pathogens are present in high numbers, or when a novel pathogen arises – our immune system needs all the help it can get.

Do you often find yourself touching your face unnecessarily? Are you worried that it may be increasing your risk of infection?

Touching your face is a subconscious habit, so it’s almost impossible to break using conscious strategies. That’s why hypnosis is such a valuable tool.

Hypnosis works directly with your subconscious to acknowledge your habit of touching your face and redirect it towards new, healthier habits.

Stop Touching Your Face is a free hypnosis session that will help you naturally adopt healthier habits that reduce your exposure to potentially harmful pathogens.

Strengthen Your Immune System Hypnosis

Strengthen Your Immune System is an audio hypnosis session which pulls together the latest understandings of mind-body interactions. It will help you to master the art of deep relaxation, which can reduce the effects of stress in your life.

Strengthen Your Immune System will give you precisely targeted suggestions designed to boost the functioning and efficiency of your immune system. And all you need to do is let your conscious mind float away in delicious serenity.

Download Strengthen Your Immune System and support the protective power of your own body. You can listen on your computer or device or via the free app which you can access when you’ve completed your purchase.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this web site is presented for the purpose of educating people. Nothing contained on this web site should be construed nor is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider. Should you have any healthcare-related questions, please call or see your physician or other qualified health care provider promptly. Always consult with your physician or other qualified health care provider before embarking on a new treatment, diet, or fitness program.

This blog contains affiliate links. For more information, read our disclosure.

How To Kill Germs, Bacteria And Viruses In The House Or While Travelling

Learn about coronavirus prevention with a face mask for germs, how to make homemade medical face masks, how to use natural disinfectants like UV light, vinegar and alcohol to kill germs like bacteria and viruses in the house.

Every few years, humankind comes across a pathogen that has the potential to wipe out millions of people. From the plague to the Spanish flu, Ebola, H1N1, SARS, MERS and now the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.

The primary concern that everyone on Earth now faces is how to avoid getting infected with the new COVID-19 coronavirus.

In this article, you’ll learn why you must wear a face mask when you go out, how to make your own DIY protective face mask, how to kill germs on hands and in the home, and how to kill flu germs on surfaces.

Experts are still unsure about the COVID-19 coronavirus mode of transmission but scientists have identified genetic markers of the virus in airborne droplets, many with diameters smaller than one-ten-thousandth of an inch, adding to growing evidence that the novel coronavirus can spread through the air.

Droplets that small, which are expelled by breathing and talking, can remain aloft and be inhaled by others, so it strongly suggests that there is potential for airborne transmission and that current coronavirus precautions may be insufficient to prevent coronavirus transmission.

3 Common Sense Tips To Avoid Catching Germs

In an uncertain and ever-changing world, there are a lot of things that are beyond your control, so it’s better to concern yourself with the things you can control, such as how to avoid germs like bacteria and viruses.

Here are some coronavirus isolation precautions and common sense ways to avoid catching germs:

1. Wear a reusable, washable face mask or plastic face shield for germs

Many airborne pathogens are spread through droplets released by sneezing or coughing. Don’t bet your life on other people caring enough to cover their mouths or noses.

An important coronavirus prevention measure is to wear a protective face mask or scarf to avoid inhaling germ-carrying droplets. According to this article in The Guardian, masks are effective at capturing droplets, which is a main transmission route of coronavirus.

If you’re likely to be in close contact with someone infected, a face mask for germs cuts the chance of the disease being passed on. If you’re showing coronavirus symptoms or have tested positive for the virus, wearing a mask can also protect others.

Will wearing a coronavirus mask help?

Unfortunately, mixed messages from the experts have stigmatized the wearing of masks. According to the Lancet, one important reason to discourage widespread use of face masks is to preserve limited supplies for professional use in health-care settings, which is a valid point when supplies are scarce.

The coronavirus incubation period is somewhere between 2 to 14 days after exposure, according to the CDC. Recent evidence suggests 25% of people infected with the new coronavirus don’t have any symptoms or fall ill, but can still transmit the illness to others.

The latest research on coronavirus mode of transmission shows that coronavirus can be spread not just by sneezes or coughs, but also just by talking, or possibly even just breathing and, under certain conditions, viral droplets could travel as far as 27 feet!

Live coronavirus can also persist in the air in aerosol form and it’s possible that aerosolized coronavirus droplets can hang in the air and potentially infect someone who walks by later.

That’s why community transmission might be reduced if everyone (including infected people who are asymptomatic and contagious) wears face masks.

According to Wired Magazine, when you look at photos of Americans during the 1918 influenza pandemic, one feature stands out above all else: face masks. Fabric, usually white gauze, covers nearly every face.

Across the country, public health experts recommended universal mask-wearing, and some cities ordered residents to wear them under penalty of fine or imprisonment.

Spanish flu in 1918. Police officers in masks.

Experts have proposed that widespread use of face masks is one of the many reasons why China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have controlled outbreaks of coronavirus much more effectively than coronavirus in the US and Europe.

In the US and Europe, the number of coronavirus cases and the coronavirus death toll is now higher than in Asia, an outcome that could possibly have been prevented by taking coronavirus precautions such as wearing a face mask.

According to Tom Inglesby, Director of The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, members of the general public should wear non-medical fabric face masks when going out in public in one additional societal effort to slow the spread of the virus down.

From a practical and societal point of view, surgical or self-made masks, if handled properly, will, at worst, not hurt and may, at best, help. They do not have to be n95 face masks.

These simpler, inexpensive masks may suffice to help to flatten the curve, perhaps a bit, perhaps substantially. Importantly: using them will not take away valuable N95 respirator masks from health care workers.

The CDC now advises that cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the US.

In this video, Surgeon General, Dr Jerome Adams, shares ways to create your own face-covering in a few easy steps.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidelines.

Want to learn how to make a homemade medical face mask or a DIY protective face mask with filter pocket to cover your face when going out?

In the video below, a doctor explains how to make the safest face mask that utilizes a HEPA filter, which is much, much better than a cotton mask.

You can also buy durable injection-moulded DIY face mask frames for health care providers, elderly individuals, and those with the greatest need. Just add your own filter media (numerous options) to build an improvised face mask.

This family 6-pack of face mask frames features two of each size: Large for the average male adult, Medium for the average female adult, and small for children.

Face shields may be preferable to face masks

Plastic shields, which are already a critical piece of protective gear for many hospital workers, maybe a better disease-fighting tool than a mask, for venturing out in public.


Happyshield is a new open-source origami-style face mask designed for fast and cheap mass production. You can make it at home.

If you don’t have access to face masks or face shields, then tie a scarf around your face when you go out. Here are some tips to tie a scarf properly.

When you return home, soak the scarf or face mask in 20% vinegar and wash it in soapy hot water before drying it. Keep a number of scarves or face masks handy so that you have enough for everyday use.

2. Wash your hands frequently with regular soap & water

While most people are making a beeline for the hand sanitizer, they don’t realize that frequent handwashing with regular soap is the best way to prevent the spread of germs.

But does alcohol kill germs? Does rubbing alcohol kill bacteria on the skin, and does alcohol kill flu viruses? Yes, in fact, the CDC advises using a hand sanitizer with at least 70% alcohol if you cannot wash your hands, as it can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands in some situations.


Alcohol can kill viruses, including influenza and coronaviruses, by breaking down the lipid membrane surrounding the virus and inactivating it. However, viruses that lack this envelope, such as norovirus, may not be inactivated by alcohol.

Unfortunately, hand sanitizers don’t eliminate all types of germs, so don’t depend on them too much. Natural hand sanitizers made with ingredients such as essential oils and aloe, while good for your skin, cannot guarantee that they kill all germs and viruses.

Hand sanitizer dangers include alcohol poisoning from swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers, so don’t use hand sanitizer for kids as they’re likely to put their hands in their mouths. Also, avoid products that contain triclosan.

Instead, help your child understand the importance of covering their mouths and handwashing to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses with the children’s book, Germs Are Not for Sharing.


3. Disinfect frequently-touched surfaces daily

According to this article in the BBC, viruses like COVID-19 can be spread in tiny droplets released from the nose and mouth of an infected person as they cough.

Some studies on other coronaviruses, including SARS and MERS, found they can survive on metal, glass and plastic for as long as 9 days unless they are properly disinfected. Some can even hang around for up to 28 days in low temperatures.

According to the CDC, disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces daily is key in preventing COVID-19’s spread.

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How To Kill Bacteria And Viruses In The House

Want to know what kills viruses, how to kill flu viruses, and how to kill coronavirus on surfaces? There are many natural and eco-friendly ways to kill germs and viruses in the home by making use of natural disinfectants.

If you want to learn what kills germs and bacteria, what kills the flu virus, and how to kill the flu virus in houses, read on.

Use UV Light To Kill Germs

Does ultraviolet (UV) light kill germs? Yes, far-UVC germ-killing light kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria, including dangerous viruses like MRSA, H1N1 and Ebola, as well as drug-resistant bacteria within just a few seconds.

How does UV light kill germs? On the UV light spectrum, there are UV-A, B, and C lights, but UV-C is the light that kills germs.

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is a disinfection method that uses short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) light to kill or inactivate microorganisms by destroying nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions.

UVGI is already used in a variety of applications, such as food, air, and water purification. In fact, the medical and scientific community already know how to get rid of germs in the air with UV light and regularly use UV light to sterilize hospital rooms and labs.

In hospitals, UV-light-emitting robots zap operating rooms of all pathogens, and Boeing designed a prototype for a self-cleaning aeroplane bathroom that uses UV light to disinfect after each use.

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Scientific studies such as the paper, Far-UVC Light: A new tool to control the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases, have shown that far-UVC light efficiently inactivates flu viruses with about the same efficiency as conventional germicidal UV light and can be a very efficient virus killer.

According to the review article, Can UV Light Fight the Spread of Influenza? far-UVC light may offer a low-cost solution to eradicating airborne viruses in indoor public spaces.

Far-UVC light has a very limited range and cannot penetrate through the outer dead-cell layer of human skin or the tear layer in the eye, so it’s not a human health hazard. But because viruses and bacteria are much smaller than human cells, far-UVC light can reach their DNA and kill them.

So if you want to know how to kill germs in the air, Far-UVC lights are the best natural germ killer as they are relatively inexpensive and are likely to be effective against all airborne microbes, even newly emerging strains.

This UV germ killer light can kill germs on practically any surface, even on porous surfaces. Today, you can buy a number of portable UV sanitizing devices that claim to kill 99.9 per cent of bacteria and viruses. Here are some of them:

1. VANELC UV-Light Sanitizer Wand

If you want a germ-killing light device to kill viruses on surfaces, get the VANELC UV-Light Sanitizer Wand, a portable handheld Ultraviolet Disinfection Lamp that can kill can kill 99.99% harmful pathogens.

Just turn on the UV light and sweep the UV light wand across the surface or stuff you desire to clean. It makes the environment safe and clean in 9 seconds without damaging any surface, makes non-toxic, no residue, no odor, no secondary pollution.


The ultraviolet light wand comes with compact design and lightweight super convenient to store it in a backpack or suitcase for use while traveling and outings. Keep in mind that people, pets and plant can’t be exposed to the UV-C light for a long time, especially the eyes and skin.

2. UV Germicidal Lamps

Want to know how to get rid of germs in your house? Install an all-purpose UVC clean lamp in every room. You can use it to sterilize the bedroom, quilt, pillow, bath towel, bathroom, toilet, kitchen, HVAC duct, and more.

The UV Germicidal Lamp is available as a Compact 25W UVC Light Bulb or a 6W UV Linear Germicidal Lamp.


Note:  This device emits UVC light, not far-UVC light, and is harmful to people, pets and plants, so you must remove people, pets and plants from the room when this lamp is on. Also, turn off the bulb before approaching the room, do not look at the bulb when it is on and do not expose your eyes and skin to the UVC light.

3. UV Air Purifiers

There are a number of HEPA air purifiers that also use UV light to sanitize the air entering a room. Most of them are designed to kill airborne viruses and germs such as influenza, staph, rhinovirus, provide cleaner air and reduce household odors caused by bacteria, pets, and cooking fumes.


Here are some of the best HEPA air purifiers that use UV to kill disease-causing germs:

4. HoMedics UV-Clean Portable Sanitizer

The HoMedics UV-Clean Portable Sanitizer uses powerful UV-C LED technology to keep your most frequently used items clean and sanitized while at home or on the go with.

You can keep it in your purse, backpack, suitcase, gym bag, or diaper bag and use it to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses 10 times faster than any other sanitizer.


With 4 UV-C Germicidal LED’s at 18 cycles per charge, it completely surrounds your belongings for sanitizing and disinfecting both sides of your item in just 1 minute with rechargeable LED’s that last for thousands of uses.

The HoMedics UV-Clean Portable Sanitizer is designed to fit a variety of items such as keys, jewelry, eyeglasses, remotes, makeup brushes, and is a vacation and travel essential or great for use at home or the office.

5. HoMedics UV-Clean Phone Sanitizer

The HoMedics UV-Clean Phone Sanitizer will keep your phone clean by utilizing UV-C LED sanitizing technology. Transport it in your purse, backpack, suitcase or gym bag to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.

With 2 rechargeable LED’s that last for thousands of uses, the UV-C Germicidal LED’s at 70 cycles per charge completely surrounds your phone for optimal sanitizing in just 30 seconds per side.


The lighting position ensures maximum coverage and effectiveness and has an advanced safety lock to prevent UV exposure.

The HoMedics UV-Clean Phone Sanitizer is designed to fit a variety of phone sizes including larger models like Google Pixel 3. Carry it on vacation or use at home or the office.

6. UV Light Sanitizer UV Sterilizer Box

The UV Light Sanitizer UV Sterilizer Box is a UV-C clean sterilizer and dryer capable of accommodating 12 baby bottles. It can also be used for CPAP, toys, clothes, toothbrushes, beauty tools, tableware and phones.


This UV Light Sanitizer is a do-it-all machine intended to be used in household, kitchen, hotels, care centers, beauty salons and kindergartens for baby products, adult and child’s intimate clothing, beauty tools, tableware and mobile phones.

Use Vinegar Instead Of Bleach

Does vinegar kill germs? The answer is yes! Vinegar can kill germs such as bacteria, viruses and yeast. Research has shown it can be effective against some bacteria and viruses, including the flu. However, it does not kill dangerous bacteria like staphylococcus.

Vinegar is also biodegradable and can also be used as a safer alternative to bleach for some applications, such as cleaning. Concentrated (20-30%) vinegar has been widely used to replace many harmful and expensive commercial cleaning products.


You can use vinegar to kill flu germs on fabric, so if you want a homemade counter cleaner that kills germs, 20% industrial strength white vinegar is the perfect natural disinfectant for cleaning and laundry.

Does Rubbing Alcohol Kill Germs?

Does rubbing alcohol kill germs? Yes, rubbing alcohol naturally kills bacteria and viruses, but experts don’t recommend using it to disinfect your home.

Although the CDC advises using an alcohol solution with at least 70% alcohol for disinfecting surfaces, the alcohol evaporates too quickly, and items really need to be submerged in isopropyl alcohol for 10 minutes to do its thing.

Remember, that alcohol is highly flammable and storing a lot of it or using it too liberally can create a fire hazard. Also, remember not to mix these cleaning products.

Do not mix these cleaning products (Source)

Now that you know how to get rid of germs in the house, and more specifically, how to kill flu germs without using harmful chemicals, use these common-sense tips and best germ-killer technologies to stay safe at home and when you travel.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this web site is presented for the purpose of educating people. Nothing contained on this web site should be construed nor is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider. Should you have any healthcare-related questions, please call or see your physician or other qualified health care provider promptly. Always consult with your physician or other qualified health care provider before embarking on a new treatment, diet, or fitness program.

This blog contains affiliate links. For more information, read our disclosure.

Emergency Preparedness Kit: Your Lifeline When Disaster Hits

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The most important part of off-grid living and emergency preparedness is having an alternate power source with the ability to recharge batteries.

During an emergency situation or a disaster, it is very helpful to have an extra supply of survival materials. These may include, first aid kits, medicines, food and water, and even money.

It is also ideal to have enough supplies for the next seventy-two hours, equivalent to three days, while other members of the family, rescuers or emergency responders are focusing their attention to people with urgent necessities.

Whatever the nature of the emergency situation, it is best to keep an emergency kit always. The items that are present in an emergency kit are easily available.

The Significance of An Emergency Kit

An emergency kit can contain essential items used on a particular occasion and for emergency purposes.

Travellers normally carry an emergency kit that contains money, first-aid kit, flashlight and batteries, candles, waterproof matches, can opener, canned and packed food and potable water.

An emergency kit can also be prepared in homes by homeowners. It could contain the basic necessities, tools and equipment that can be used in times of emergency or calamity.

An emergency kit can be composed of a storage bag containing the basic entities. It may also contain first aid kit, essential equipment that can be used in calamities or during dark periods and communication devices. The size of the kit may vary depending on the number of items that can be stored.


An emergency kit is very important in times of calamities where people are confined in their houses for a few days or staying in an evacuation centre.

You should prepare the emergency kit for a minimum of three days. It should also be stored safely and securely. An emergency kit is significant for the survival of a person, a group of persons or a family in times of disasters.

An emergency kit is similar to a survival kit. Perhaps, the two are interchangeable terms although military operations prefer to call the items packed and stored for emergency uses as survival kits.

Meanwhile, campers use the term bug-out bags for emergency kits or survival kits. Homeowners may prefer to name the collection of items for emergency uses as an emergency kit.

An emergency kit can be customized according to the needs of the users. It may include more than just the basic necessities. However, the things that can be stored should be essential and usable.

To be prepared in times of disasters is a helpful attitude to have. Preparing the emergency kit is one of the helpful ways to overcome the challenges in a survival situation. Aside from the emergency kit, individuals may also have to make an emergency plan.

An emergency preparedness plan can be made for an individual or for the family. It helps a person or a family the proper things to do in case of an emergency. Making an emergency plan may just take less than an hour.

The occurrence of disasters has definitely soared to an alarmingly high frequency. With unexpected destruction caused by a variety of different hazards and ever-occurring emergency situations, it is highly imperative to own a number of essential tools that ensure safety.

Without these tools, tackling emergencies can prove to be quite a challenge. You may be thinking about buying extra supplies that are hard to find. But no, much of the materials found in an emergency kit are the typical home supplies.

The issue is how you can put all these common household supplies into a useful emergency kit. There are basically three things you need to consider when preparing and putting up an emergency kit. Consider a basic emergency kit, extra emergency supplies and an emergency car kit.

Also include duplicates of your house and car keys, cash bills, coins for calling payphones and a copy of your emergency preparedness plan.

Emergency Kit Basics:

Come up with a compact storage or a convenient-to-carry bag for these emergency kit supplies. Store it in places where it is easily accessible.

Since some of the supplies are perishable like water, medicine and food, make sure to maintain and keep your supplies updated.

You could opt for preserved or canned foods or even dehydrated meals such as Mountain House Classic Bucket meals.


If you have pets and animals you need to store a minimum of 30 to 90 days of stored food and water for each pet, special medications, toys, and the ability to handle pet waste if the pet cannot go outside for 90+ days.

A back up of your basic emergency kit is the extra supplies. These include:

An emergency car kit may include some of the supplies in the basic emergency kits, but with the addition of shovel or snowbrush, road map, anti-freezing agents, rope, flares and fire extinguishers.


If you have babies you might want to stock up on baby formula, medicines or prescription for family members with disabilities.

Also stock up on extra clothing, underwear and spare shoes for at least 2 weeks and a manual non-electric portable washing machine. To repair torn clothing, also pack a sewing basket and accessories. Install water-saving showerheads to save water in the long term.

Place a home fire extinguisher in every room and install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in every room on all floors, as well as an external fire suppression system.

Store enough tarp and plastic sheeting for temporary repair of roof, windows, and siding from storm damage and large-head nails and wood strips to attach them.

You could build a hardened saferoom for protection from tornadoes, extreme weather, and crime and an air filtration system capable of providing positive pressure in a safe room area, with spare filters.

Keep a 72-hrs emergency preparedness kit for 4 persons and have enough cash, gold or silver and anything you can barter on hand.


Download and print recipes for the food you store. Buy maps of the surrounding area, waterproof map cases, a compass, protractor, rulers, grid squares, alcohol-erase markers, pencils, grease pencils etc.

Alternative Energy Systems:

You might want to have a generator that has the capacity to power your electronics, freezer and refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.

Use LED lights as far as possible as they consume less battery power. If you want a diesel generator or a biofuel generator, you’ll also need to store enough fuel to power it for at least 2 weeks.

Depending on your location and what sort of renewable power sources you have access to, you can also opt for different types of renewable energy kits that are capable of running all critical devices indefinitely, such as:

Ensure you have a solar power inverter, spare parts, and the manuals for all these generators as well as computer manuals and backup discs for your laptops so you can fix them yourself.


You might also want to download Kindle books for like ARRL’s Small Antennas for Small Spaces.

All your computers and sensitive electronic equipment should be connected to Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), and it’s a good idea to have items like spare extension cords.

To stock up on cheap, spare mobile phones, buy certified pre-owned Gazelle-certified Smartphones.  Also, get extra charging cords and spare batteries for your cell phones. Input all the numbers from your emergency preparedness contact list into each of the cell phones.

You will also require basic defensive firearms with adequate ammunition supply, spare parts and cleaning gear as well as repair manuals.

Communication Equipment:

Here’s some more communication equipment you might want to get:


First-Aid & Medical Supplies:

As far as medical preparedness goes, unless you are a trained doctor or paramedic, you should never do medical procedures that you haven’t trained for, as you can easily end up killing people if you get it wrong.

Having said that, you should definitely be prepared to deal with minor medical issues, and your first-aid and medical kit should be well-stocked with everything you could possibly require.

In case of an emergency, you don’t want yourself or your family to suffer because of the small medical essentials that you could have easily bought.

So what things should you have in your first-aid and medical kit? Here are some you might want to check off your emergency preparedness checklist.


Cooking & Kitchen Equipment:

Here’s a list of items you might want to include in your kitchen and food supplies:


Now, that you know how to put up an emergency kit, waste no time and start gathering those supplies. Your emergency kit could be your family’s only lifeline during a disaster.

Mini First-Aid Kit: Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak Review

Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links. For more information, read our disclosure.

The Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak is a comprehensive mini first-aid kit that contains everything needed for an emergency. This adventure medical kit was designed by Doug Ritter who is a popular survival expert.

This survival first aid kit contains all the tools and supplies you need to survive during unexpected stay outdoors. The survival medical kit also contains a sheath and knife. With this ultralight first aid kit, you can improvise shelter, navigate, and make fire, fish and more.

All the Adventure first aid kit contents are packed in a resealable and waterproof bag which easily fits into the pants pocket. It is an ultralight medical kit and only weighs 5 ounces.

Features Of The Adventure Medical First Aid Kit

  • Lightweight: This is a lightweight kit that can be carried easily from one place to another.
  • Signalling: This medical kit is designed exclusively for the pocket survival pack. The signal mirror can be visible for over 20 miles.
  • Instructions: The AMK first aid kit comes with an easy to understand but detailed and practical information. Some of the information includes starting fires, building, travel and how the items can be used.
  • Durable: It is a long-lasting kit and pak designed for many years of use. It is made from the durable LEXAN polycarbonate and retro-reflective aiming.

Pros:

  • Waterproof survival gear
  • Nice look
  • Easy to access
  • Compact and lightweight first aid kit

Cons:

  • Small first aid kit
  • Space is limited

Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak Reviews

One of the recent reviews of this emergency first aid kit said, “I bought this kit and I really love the quality. The kit contains everything I need for my outdoor activities. The kit is nice and lovely. I highly recommend it.”

The Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak is highly rated on the market. This can be attributed to the high quality and customer satisfaction with this medical first aid kit.

Click here to buy this mini first-aid kit


Images are © Amazon.com

Emergency Preparedness Planning: How To Prepare Your Family For An Emergency

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Emergency preparedness and emergency planning are the kinds of tasks that few people consider when they think of family safety planning.

But, thanks to global warming, war, natural disasters and terrorism, no one is truly safe from the possibility of a disaster occurring in their neighbourhood. And most people are totally unprepared to deal with an emergency should one occur in their city or town.

Few of us even know the emergency preparedness definition, understand the importance of emergency preparedness, or know what is an emergency preparedness plan.

Those familiar with emergency preparedness and emergency planning will know that these terms refer to how prepared people are to respond to an emergency situation.

An emergency could come in the form of a natural disaster such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, which are unpredictable. It could be a terror attack, burglary, or home invasion, which again is unpredictable.

It could be a preventable accident such as a gas explosion, electricity accident, fire, or even a financial or economical disaster, such as a money crisis or power outage.

How many people do you know who have been through some sort of emergency preparedness training? Perhaps your family has attended a family emergency planning seminar or family emergency response training.

You may have read all the emergency preparedness books and emergency preparedness guides you could get your hands on, and may even have earned an emergency preparedness merit badge in your school days.

You might have installed the most high-tech security and burglar alarm system in your house. You could have a large storage house of canned goods, in case of an outage or crisis, and you may have the most complete emergency kit ever.

But if you don’t have a home emergency preparedness plan for when that dreaded day comes, it will all be to no avail.

Have you been asked these questions before?

  • What’s inside your fridge right now?
  • Is your dog food or cat food edible by humans?
  • Do you have an emergency meeting place for your family?
  • Who’s going to get your kids from school, in case you don’t make it?
  • What’s in your emergency preparedness backpack?

If you find these questions somewhat intimidating, privacy intruding, and uncomfortable to answer, that’s no surprise because most people don’t really have a satisfactory answer to any of them.

These are just some of the questions that you will answer when you create an emergency preparedness plan with your family.

Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to prepare your family in case of a worst-case scenario. Remember, when you plan for an emergency, you must consider all possible threats, calamities and disasters.

Home-related emergencies may include the most common – electrical or fire accidents, physical accidents such as falling downstairs, gas leak explosions, earthquakes, typhoons and even burglars.

Remember, that emergency preparedness and emergency planning are not just buzzwords, but a practical and realistic way to prepare your family for emergency situations.

The degree of devastation and havoc created by natural disasters can be shocking. High-speed winds, torrential downpours and severe floods are some of the possible events that can cause widespread destruction and loss of life.

Emergency preparedness planning refers to a set of activities or a list of reminders that will familiarize every member of the family with what they need do in case of an emergency.

It actually just takes less than an hour for you to formulate an emergency plan, have it printed and give each member of the family a copy. So, gather your folks around and get started with your emergency preparedness planning right now.

Emergency Preparedness Checklist

It is always a wise decision to prepare your home for the possibility of a natural disaster occurring.  Here’s an emergency preparedness checklist to use in case you’re faced with such a situation.

  • Emergency Contacts

The first step is to make an emergency preparedness chart and put it into a binder with all relevant documents and a list of contacts to emergency units like the police, 911, fire department, hospital, clinic and technicians, in case of electrical appliance accidents.

It’s a good idea to put your emergency preparedness binder near the telephone or in a place where a telephone conversion is commonly held so that every member of the family can access the numbers easily when required.

Make sure you create a speed dial for numbers like 911 on all your family mobile phones and landlines. Another important element in your emergency preparedness plan is a list of contacts living outside your city or State.

In case of a regional disaster, such as a hurricane or earthquake, it may be difficult to stay connected using local lines. Ensure that everyone in the family shares the same list of contacts.

  • Emergency Exits

The most important emergency planning rule is to clearly lay out the emergency exits in case of a home invasion or a natural disaster. This means identifying the fire exit route of your house and having everyone memorize it.

Note that a fire exit is not only intended as an escape from a fire in the building, but also for disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, flooding and even burglaries and home invasions.

First, make sure that every member of the family is present. Then start discussing the plan around the safe exits of the house. Show everyone the locations of the floor drains, gas valves, water pipes, electrical boxes and fire extinguishers.

Exit doors are usually found in the kitchen, but what if the emergency took place in the kitchen? In that case, would the main door be a better option for an exit? How about in each room? Do the kids have assigned routes to emergency exits?

Discuss all these possibilities with your family so you get an idea of how everyone sees it. For all you know, they may point out important details that never crossed your mind.

  • Safe Meeting Place

The second thing to consider in your emergency preparedness plan is a safe meeting place for your family. When you leave your loved ones at home, how will you contact them in case of emergencies? Where will you meet and who will they call?

It could be your favorite restaurant or it may be a good idea to appoint a relative living nearby as your destination of refuge. You could deal with it on a case-by-case basis.

For example, during a fire accident, determine which house or place of refuge your family members will be staying in temporarily. If there’s an incoming hurricane, recommend that your family members evacuate to a friend or relative in a nearby city or state.

Assign a person who will pick up your kids when you can’t make it and make sure they have a list of health conditions of all your family members, especially a record of allergies. Make a list of your neighbors’ contact numbers and the emergency services in your area.

Don’t forget to brief every family member about this designated safe place where all plan to meet, just in case not everyone is present during an emergency.

Finally, give everyone a family photo or individual photos of all your family members to keep with them at all times. This can be extremely helpful when a family member is missing.

Pets are family members too, so your emergency preparedness plan should include emergency preparedness for pets. Unfortunately, they’re not allowed in evacuation and resettlement areas, so you may have to leave them in a veterinary clinic or with a relative.

  • Secure Doors and Windows

To begin with, you will need to make certain alterations to all the doors and windows at your home. You might want to replace a window with one that is sturdier and install an impact-resistant window.

This can decrease the possibility of your window breaking to little pieces of glass if a tornado hits the area. Another practical idea would be to install impact-resistant shutters to cover the openings in the window.

This would prevent flying debris from entering the house through cracks in the window panes, which could be dangerous for anyone in the vicinity.

Your entrance doors must have a security lock, with an inch-long bolt, and a minimum of three hinges. This will anchor the door frames to the wall so that the door stays intact.

If you have sliding glass doors that are delicate and get damaged easily, you may want to consider replacing them, especially if you live in an area prone to hurricanes or tornadoes.

Doors constructed with plastic glazing, laminated glass or a combination of both are impact-resistant and can be used as a replacement for sliding glass doors.

  • Preparing the Lot

There are a number of things you must do in case of a hurricane warning. Rid your property of tree limbs and dead, weak trees. If your home is in an area that is likely to get flooded, it’s best to evacuate it before the onset of the hurricane.

If this is not the case, you must purchase the essential 72-hour kits to prepare for the possibility of being stuck in your house for days at a stretch.


  • Stocking Food and Water

When a hurricane or storm forces you to hunker down for days because leaving home is dangerous, your emergency preparedness supply is likely to dwindle if the storm continues for too long.

It’s important to stock adequate food and water in your 72-hrs Emergency Preparedness Kit, to provide your family with the nourishment they need to survive the storm.

That’s why you need to stock up on water and food supplies that will last a minimum of 72 hours. Other essentials include:

Don’t forget to include other personal items of need, such as extra keys for your car and house, medications, diapers and baby formula.

Listen to the weather reports on your emergency solar portable radio to prepare for any dangerous situations you and your family may encounter. If you have a clear idea of what to expect, you’ll be able to plan properly.


The most important thing is to stay calm. Panic-attacks will not help you think clearly when implementing your emergency preparedness plan. As a final thought, teach your family how to be responsive and manage stress during critical moments.

Always check, keep, maintain, and update your emergency preparedness supplies. You could be storing expired food in your emergency preparedness kit so make sure you constantly check the expiration dates.

To avoid spoilage of food in your emergency kits, make a schedule or calendar of maintenance where you can list the expiry dates of the items and set a reminder on your mobile device to consume the canned foods in your emergency before they expire.

  • Emergency Preparedness For Kids

Call your children’s school and ask about their emergency plan. Remember that children could become stressed during a disaster. Kids are typically afraid of seeing people injured and may be afraid of being alone.

Keep your children calm and assure them that everything will be alright. Teaching emergency preparedness for kids will give them the guidance and confidence they need to think on their feet and cope with unfamiliar situations.

Encourage your kids to get their Cub Scout emergency preparedness pin or Boy Scouts merit badge for emergency preparedness.

Help them fill out their emergency preparedness merit badge workbook and go over their emergency preparedness merit badge answers with them, so they’re mentally prepared if disaster strikes.

Another fun way of preparing kids for an emergency is to introduce them to these emergency preparedness games for kids. You can also watch emergency preparedness videos on YouTube or subscribe to updates from emergency preparedness websites.

If possible, get your entire family to do a free FEMA Emergency Preparedness Course online, so they understand:

  • What is emergency preparedness?
  • Why is emergency preparedness important?
  • The principles of emergency preparedness &
  • Emergency preparedness requirements in different situations

Who knows, one of your kids may even go on to get an emergency preparedness job as an emergency preparedness coordinator or go into emergency preparedness consulting.

These emergency preparedness training courses and emergency preparedness tips may not prove to be adequate in all situations, so add more rules as and when you see fit.

Remember that emergency preparedness plans can help you mitigate the risks and ill-effects of a disaster and keep your family safe from harm.

Note: It is very rare for home insurance policies to cover damages caused by either flooding or natural disasters without specific add-ons. After the above preparations have been made, review your homeowner’s insurance policy to ensure you are covered prior to any severe weather indications.

Renewable Energy: Green Energy Solutions For Your Off-Grid Home

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Are you looking for green energy solutions to power your off-grid home? You don’t have to be an energy consultant to understand the many benefits of renewable energy or green energy.

So, what is renewable energy and why are renewable energy sources better for the environment? Why use renewable energy sources?

The definition of renewable energy is “energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power.” This source of energy is not likely to run out, inasmuch as the sun is likely to stop shining.

How do renewable energy sources affect the environment? Firstly, renewable energy sources don’t cause global warming, which is caused by burning fossil fuels, which are non-renewable energy sources.

Another benefit of renewable energy is that it can be decentralized, that is, it can be produced locally. You can turn whatever is available locally – wind, solar, tidal energy, hydroelectric (water energy), geothermal energy or biomass energy – into electrical energy to power your off-grid home.

That’s why it is so easy to power an off-grid home with green energy.

How much energy comes from renewable sources?

How much energy is produced by renewable energy sources today? In 2018, renewable energy sources accounted for about 11% of total U.S. energy consumption and about 17% of electricity generation.

While Iceland generates 100% of its electricity from hydroelectric and geothermal sources, 28% of Denmark’s electricity comes from wind, and the government plans to increase this to 50% by 2020.

Any new homes built in California after 2020 will have to be at least partially solar-powered, Google now sources 100% of its energy from renewable sources like solar and wind, and Tesla plans to install solar panels on 1100 houses in South Australia, creating the world’s largest virtual solar plant.

What are renewable energy sources?

There are many types of alternative energy available that are an excellent substitute for fossil fuels that cause global warming. But most people have a lot of questions about renewable energy sources.

They usually want to know, are renewable energy sources reliable? Are renewable energy sources cheaper and more cost-effective? Can renewable energy sources replace fossil fuels?

How many renewable energy sources are there? What are some renewable energy sources examples and how do they compare to each other?

Here are the main forms of renewable energy, along with the advantages of using each one.

Solar Energy Solutions

Passive solar building design uses the inherent properties of building materials to absorb the sun’s heat during the day and keep the home warm at night. These construction methods have been used by many civilizations since ancient times.

Passive solar heating and passive cooling — approaches known as natural conditioning — provide comfort throughout the year by reducing, or eliminating, the need for fossil fuel.

Yet, while heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved.

In his book, The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling, Dan Chiras, brings those principles up to date for a new generation of solar enthusiasts.

Active solar energy solutions like solar hot water systems use a fluid like water to absorb the heat, while photovoltaic (PV) solar panels convert sunlight into usable direct current electricity and are currently installed in over 100 countries.

What are solar energy’s advantages and disadvantages? The benefit of solar energy is that it is in abundant supply and will not run out for millions of years. All we have to do is find more efficient ways to harvest it.

The disadvantage of solar energy is that our current photovoltaic systems don’t convert energy efficiently enough to be considered a feasible energy alternative.

How efficient are renewable energy sources such as solar power systems? Not as much as we would like, unfortunately.

Solar Energy Facts: Roughly 16% of the sunlight that hits the photovoltaic cell is converted into usable energy.


However, there are new breakthroughs happening all the time in the field of solar energy. For example, electrical engineer Aaswath Raman, at the University of California in LA, invented a device that can harness energy from a dark night sky to power an LED, which is immediately practical for lighting and off-grid sensors.

The primary advantage of solar energy is that it is free, and with more efficient models already in production, solar power may become the world’s primary energy source in the future.

Wind Energy

Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing sources of electricity in the entire world. Here are some wind energy facts.

In 2013, the 168 million megawatts of energy that wind turbines produced resulted in the elimination of 95.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. As of the end of 2014, the United States wind power capacity was at 65,879 megawatts.

There are many advantages of wind energy as wind turbines do not pollute or contaminate the surrounding area on which they are built. Wind turbines can be located offshore and some countries use wind farms to supply up to 20% of their electricity needs.

Despite these compelling wind power facts, it does have some disadvantages as wind turbines have been blamed for killing birds that fly into them and they can only generate power in windy areas.

Wind Turbine Facts: A single wind turbine can produce enough energy to power 500 households.

Wind turbine companies now produce small wind turbines or home wind turbine kits and wind turbine generators to generate wind power for homes in remote areas or for those who want to experience off-grid living.

If you live in a place where solar and wind energy are both plentiful, you can get a Hybrid Wind Solar Power DIY Off-Grid Kit for power generation around the clock.


It can be used to power your RV’s, cabins, boats, backup power generation, remote power needs, or around the home such as sheds, barns, and outbuildings.

Hydro Energy Systems

Hydro energy is water energy generated by the movement of water, whether it is falling or flowing down a river. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the term hydropower has referred to generating electricity using water.

Flowing water was used in ancient water mills to power various machines, from saws to cranes and lifts. Today you can get a portable micro-hydro generator kit like the WaterLily 12V to generate power from rivers and charge day or night in any weather.

This water turbine kit is perfect for RVers, boaters, campers, hunters, cabin owners and ideal for base camps, emergency prepping and off-grid living.

Hydropower is an efficient and renewable source of power. However, the building of a dam and reservoir can flood catchment areas, resulting in harmful effects on the environment and displacing thousands of people who live there.

Careful consideration is often given to this before a reservoir system is actually built. Micro-hydro power systems don’t have the disadvantages of mega hydropower dams. You can find a micro-hydro generator for sale online.

Portable water turbine kits like the Pelton Water Wheel or the WaterLily 12V can be used in hilly or mountainous areas to generate energy from small rivers and streams.


Biofuels & Biomass Energy

As one of the primary types of renewable energy used all around the world, biofuels are a sustainable energy resource. They are made from biomass, which is biological material from living or once-living organisms. This includes traditional “fossil fuels” such as gasoline.

However, more readily available biological materials, such as wood, corn, hemp and a wide variety of different species of trees can be used to create biofuels. These biomass energy sources can be grown and harvested, making them a sustainable energy resource.

But, burning biomass for energy does have disadvantages as some of them can release toxic fumes when burned, contributing to air pollution. Also, burning biofuels is not a zero-carbon activity and contributes to global warming because of the CO2 released.

If you do plan to use biofuels, like ethanol, in your off-grid home, you can get the eco-friendly Ignis Ventless Bio Ethanol Fireplace Burner. It doesn’t produce any smoke, soot or dangerous gases, has no chimney, no gas or electric lines and is easy to maintain.


Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is generated by tapping into the thermal energy or heat at the Earth’s core. This energy is harvested by drilling deep into the ground, then pumping in a heat transfer fluid such as water or steam.

The energy that is transferred up to the surface is converted into usable power. Water-based systems are the most effective, but also have the potential to cause contamination in the nearby water table. This means that great care must be taken to not damage the local water supply.

In the book, DIY: How to Make Cheap Air Conditioning Earth Tubes: Do It Yourself Homemade Air Conditioner, you’ll learn how to use earth tubes (or earth-air tubes) – underground tubes that use geothermal energy – to cool or heat temper the air for your home.

It works like cheap air conditioning because you can build it yourself for several hundred dollars and it is free to run (no electricity needed). Being completely passive, this is a sustainable technology based on designs that are 3,000 years old and still used today around the world to cool homes.

If you live in an area where a volcanic activity or geothermal springs are present, you should get these books on using Geothermal Energy for the home.

The continuous growth in sustainable energy technology has made energy source alternatives increasingly viable options.


With such positive results and far less impact on the environment, sustainable energy sources are our best energy option when it comes to a long-term energy supply.

How much do renewable energy sources cost? 

Are renewable energy sources expensive? In the past, installing solar energy systems used to be extremely expensive because of the cost of photovoltaic cells and also complicated because consumers couldn’t figure out the solar energy marketplace.

Over the last decade, the cost of installing solar energy systems has fallen by 70% and solar energy companies are educating and guiding consumers through the process, making solar energy an incredibly lucrative long-term investment.

For budget-conscious consumers, used solar panels are a great way to save money.

But if spending tens of thousands of dollars on a standard solar panel system is not for you and if you want to be “energy independent” and have the fridge, oven and AC on for just a fraction of your usual monthly spend, check out this simple 3D solar array.

This disaster-proof, recession-proof, drought-proof “backyard power plant” is so simple that you don’t have to be an electrician to build it and it requires no maintenance.

Even better, it doesn’t take up a lot of space because its ingenious vertical design means that it needs only 5% of the surface used in conventional solar panel systems.

This device is the cheapest, easiest way to effortlessly make your own personal power plant and have a perpetual source of cheap green electricity for anything heading your way. And the best part: you won’t need to rely on the power grid anymore.

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