Housekeeping and Home Organization

Dryer Green

By Admin on March 7th, 2010

Dryer Green

Are you interested in making your home more energy-efficient? How about saving some money in the long run? Well, here are a few items that you should consider replacing in your home, especially if you've had them in place over 10 years.

1. Bathroom Sink Faucet - Did you know that a dripping bathroom sink faucet can waste as much as 3,000 gallons per year? If the faucet was purchased and installed before 1994, it can flow at a rate of 3 to 7 gallons per minute. Current federal law requires that all new faucets have a flow rate no more than 2.2 gallons per minute.
2. Toilet - Older toilets can use as much as 7 gallons per flush. Redesigned toilets can use 1.6 gallons or less per flush.
3. Showerhead - Newer showerheads are designed to produce large water droplets at a high velocity providing the sensation of high water flow. Some of the newer showerheads also allow you to adjust the flow from the current 2.5 gallons per minute to less than 2 gallons per minute.
4. Refrigerator - Newer refrigerators have high-efficiency compressors, thicker insulation and more precise temperature controls. When replacing a refrigerator, be sure and look for an Energy Star label which means it meets strict energy-efficient standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
5. Cooktop - Cooktops are one of the least energy-efficient appliances in the home. Gas burners with standing pilots can use more than double the energy in one year than gas burners with electric ignition.
6. Dishwasher - Today's dishwashers are much more energy efficient than older models as they usually conserve time, water as well as energy.
7. Washer and Dryer - There are dramatic savings to be realized with new washers and dryers with the Energy Star rating. You can expect to save up to $550 over the appliance's lifetime. Front loading washers use the least water and electricity. New dryers have moisture senors in them which shut off the machine when the clothes are dry.
8. Windows - Newer, more efficiently sealed windows can help you cut your energy bill by as much as 15 percent. You have the choice of double or triple pane windows which reduce heat flow and prevent condensation.
9. Water Heater - New tankless water heaters can save you up to $500 in operating costs. Or, you can opt for a solar heating system will save you anywhere from 50 to 80 percent in energy costs.
10. Heating and Air Conditioning - If you've had your heating and air conditioning system more than 12 to 15 years, then it's probably time to start thinking about a replacement system. Energy Star certified systems can probably save you anywhere from 20 to 30 percent on heating and cooling costs.

Replacing all of these items at one time is cost prohibitive, but you should start reviewing the list and gradually replace the oldest appliances as soon as you can afford it. It will ultimately bring you long term savings and make you a much happier consumer.

Donna is an accountant with a large corporation and has many interests in her life including music and reading as well as collecting contemporary art glass marbles. She is also learning to build websites. Check out her latest website related to children's music boxes at http://www.childrensmusicboxes.org.

How much more expensive is green dry cleaning?

I have some sweaters I need cleaned, and thought I'd try the environmentally friendly cleaners. Does anyone know what the prices are generally like, compared to regular dry cleaning?

What do you mean by "green dry cleaning"? Generally, that refers to a cleaner using a solvent other than perchloroethylene (perc). Some use a hydrocarbon solvent, some use a silicon-based solvent and others use a liquid carbon dioxide solvent. The prices may be a little higher due to the higher costs involved in using the "green solvents" including a substantial investment in new equipment in order to use the newer, "greener" solvents

Planted Bag Dryer Green-It-Yourself Project

OXO Salad Spinner The OXO GOOD GRIPS Salad Spinner family is growing! The Little Salad & Herb Spinner, a small version of our big Spinner, is perfect for drying salad for two, herbs or berries. The Little Spinner features our patented pump mechanism that makes it easy to spin salad by simply pressing the soft knob. Our patented brake lets you stop the basket to unload it, and a non-slip ring keeps the bowl steady o...

OXO Good Grips Green Salad Spinner $29.95 Spinning salad is an excellent way to disperse all ingredients, and the best mixed salads are usually the most appreciated. Fun to operate, the spinner uses a hand pump mechanism to begin spinning the contents in the basket, and a non-slip ring on the base keeps it steady on the counter top. The basket and the bowl can be used separately, and the lid comes apart easily for cleaning. Once the salad...

LunchSkins Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags Set - 3 Pack Help reduce the 20 million single-use plastic sandwich bags that go into U.S. landfills daily by using the LunchSkins Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags Set. Before first use, each bag should be turned inside-out, washed, and completely dried. The colors will fade and the fabric will soften with repeated use and multiple washings. You can personalize each LunchSkins bag by using a permanent marker o...

GS6000 Orange UltraChrome GS Ink Cartridge - 950 mL $240.00 Inspired by our passion for extreme color gamut and photographic print quality, Epson UltraChrome® GS ink technology introduces eight individual colors – including an all-new Orange and Green. Developed exclusively by Epson, UltraChrome GS ink technology eliminates the need for external dryers and air purification systems.And not only have we dramatically reduced harmful VOC’s, but we...

GS6000 Magenta UltraChrome GS Ink Cartridge - 950 mL $240.00 Inspired by our passion for extreme color gamut and photographic print quality, Epson UltraChrome® GS ink technology introduces eight individual colors – including an all-new Orange and Green. Developed exclusively by Epson, UltraChrome GS ink technology eliminates the need for external dryers and air purification systems.And not only have we dramatically reduced harmful VOC’s, but we...

GS6000 Light Magenta UltraChrome GS Ink Cartridge - 950 mL $240.00 Inspired by our passion for extreme color gamut and photographic print quality, Epson UltraChrome® GS ink technology introduces eight individual colors – including an all-new Orange and Green. Developed exclusively by Epson, UltraChrome GS ink technology eliminates the need for external dryers and air purification systems.And not only have we dramatically reduced harmful VOC’s, but we...

Malawi Green Dryer Mouth Tea, 3.52 Oz Discovery Packet $9.00 Green Tea...

Kenya Black Dryer Mouth Black Tea 6 oz A hybrid between leafy tea and and CTC - tea, traditional to Kenya. this results in a rough and leafy tea. The cup is incredibly rich with light touches of malt yet very fresh and smooth to the finish....

4-Pack Vibe-Away Anti-Slip Pads $12.49 Vibe-Away is a 100 crumb rubber pad, made from recycled tires and designed to reduce the transfer of vibration that occurs in most typical woodworking tools and stationary equipment. It is a shock absorption pad that is used to reduce sound, vibrations, and pulsating of router tables, scroll saws, table saws and other benchtop or stationary machines. Originally designed to reduce sound, vibration...

Mini Countertop Spin Dryer Clothes Spin Dryer Portable Clothes Dryer $95.00 Works in only 2-3 minutes 2.2 lb capacity for dry laundry (about 1-2 pairs of jeans per load) 1600 rpm spin speed Portable, only weighs 11 lbs Compact, measures 13.5" x 13.5" x 15" Very quiet Perfect for use with our Wonderwash 110V, uses 82W Important: please note that this is a spin dryer, not a regular tumble dryer. It extracts much more water from the clothes than a regular washing ma...

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