Get the Most Out of Your Household Appliances
Looking for some tips on how to green your appliances? Follows these steps for the different areas of your house, to help the Earth… And your wallet.
- Surprisingly, washing dishes by hand uses more water than using a dishwasher.
- So whenever you can, always try and use the dishwasher.
- If you’re looking for a new dishwasher, any Energy Star dishwasher typically uses 1/3 less water than less energy-efficient models.
- Scraping your dishes off, rather than rinsing them can save up to 20 gallons of water.
- Always fill your dishwasher to capacity, to get the most out of each load.
Stove & Oven
- Always have fuel-burning appliances checked by a trained professional, especially if they will be used regularly. Regular maintenance is key to keeping this equipment running.
- Using a burner that matches your pot size will cut down on unnecessary heat loss.
- Make sure the oven door is always closed while cooking to prevent heat from escaping.
- Both ovens and electric cook tops retain heat and take longer to cool down. Get the most out of the heat by turning these appliances off early when cooking food.
- Electric glass cooktops and induction cooktops are easier to use and can be more energy efficient.
- Always check to make sure the doors on your fridge are properly closed. Nothing’s worse than spoiled food and a warm refrigerator.
- Older refrigerators use enough electricity to light a house for 4 months—if you have an older fridge, it may be time to consider an Energy Star model.
- A great rule is to keep your fridge at 35 degrees, and your freezer at a frosty 0 degrees.
- Try and position your refrigerator out of direct sunlight and away from the stove. Refrigerators work best when you keep them in a cool place.
- Like most household appliances, wait until you have a full load of laundry before running the machine.
- Pre-soak soiled clothes in hot water to eliminate unnecessary stress on the heating mechanism of the washer.
- Don’t go overboard on that detergent! Use the recommended amount for the most effective wash.
- Lightweight clothes dry much quicker, so dry those heavyweight clothes in a separate load.
- Adding wet clothes to a load that is already partially dry adds significant time to the drying cycle, so if you’re trying to save on utility bills from running the dryer, you’ll want to avoid this.
- Use that residual heat (like the oven!) to your advantage. Do multiple loads in a row to put less stress on the dryer.
- If the sun is shining, put it to good use. Pick up a clothes-line and let your clothes dry outside. Even on a cloudy day, an indoor drying rack will suffice.
- Check the lint filter and dryer exhaust on a regular basis to make sure your machine is in tip-top shape.
When it comes to appliances, the latest and greatest Energy Star certified products will treat you the best. As long as you do your research, you should be able to find something that meets your needs. If you have all new appliances and are looking for a new home with these updates, it’s best to start with speaking with a member of our Housing Buzz Team. For more information on buying a home, please feel free to contact us today.