Go Green this Spring: In the Laundry & the Kitchen
Going Green at home can sound like a big task! However, there are easy ways to help your home become more energy-efficient. The laundry room and the kitchen are some of the busiest energy consumption rooms in the house. Here are a few tips to help your laundry and kitchen become Green this Spring!
The Kitchen:
1. Avoid preheating when possible.
2. Often we preheat for longer than necessary. Unless the recipe is more precise, turn the oven on when you place food inside and take advantage of all the heat.
3. Use lids on pots and pans. You'll capture the heat and enable yourself to use a lower setting
4. Use the correct sized burner.
5. Larger burners used for smaller pots or pans will throw off as much heat as it uses.
6. Invest in a convection or toaster oven.
7. Convection and toaster ovens use less energy than heating in an oven or microwave (and it's much healthier than nuking your food).
8. Plan your meals and defrost ahead of time.
9. You'll save energy when you avoid defrosting in the oven, stove top or microwave. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
The Laundry:
1. Maintain your machine. As with dishwashers, regular maintenance is important to extend the life of your appliance.
2. Keep the lint filter clean. Empty it after each use and wash it regularly. Warm soapy water 2-3 times a year will prevent the build-up of oils, soaps or dryer sheet films that will clog your filter and reduce your dryer's efficiency.
3. Don't overload the dryer. Too many clothes reduce the dryer's efficiency by taking longer to dry.
4. Don't over-dry clothing. Use a moisture sensor or test the clothing yourself and set the machine to the shortest drying cycle.
5. Dry separately. Heavy materials, such as towels or jeans, should be dried separately from lightweight clothing, which will dry faster on their own.
6. Ensure proper ventilation. Most energy-saving tips tell you to prevent drafts but few tell you to watch for proper ventilation. Poor ventilation can cause overheating and lower the machine's efficiency, as well as increase the air temperature in your home and cause an increase in your air conditioning consumption.
7. Dry loads back-to-back. A large part of the energy use of dryers is in getting them hot. Drying loads back-to-back will minimize the need for reheating after cooling.
