WHY DO THIS?

Lower your monthly energy bill and reduce your impact on the environment by unplugging electronics, turning up the refrigerator, and being mindful of your dish cleaning habits in the kitchen.

1. Unplug your vampire electronics. Some electronics never fully turn off, they just go into a hibernation mode. To know if your appliance goes into hibernation mode, read the owner’s manual. Coffee makers and toasters are common kitchen vampires, so be sure to unplug these appliances when you’re not using them.
2. Don’t use the oven as a heater. Only open and close the oven when it’s necessary for your meal. It just makes the oven work harder and wastes energy. When you run a self-clean cycle, only run it after you’ve cooked in the oven. That way, the oven is already hot and you won’t waste energy.
3. Turn up the refrigerator temperature. There’s no reason to have ice pellets in your milk, so raise the temperature so your refrigerator isn’t overworking. Experts say that between 38 and 42 degrees is an optimal setting to keep your items fresh and save energy in the meantime.
4. Skip the pre-rinse and dry cycle on your dishwasher. It takes very little time to dry the dishes by hand, and the pre-rinse cycle is doing more harm than good. If your dishes are especially grimy, rinse them in the sink before placing them in the dishwasher. Only run the dishwasher when it’s full to save energy.
5. When you clean your kitchen, try products you already have in your cabinet! An equal mixture of baking soda and water works well on countertops. To learn more about green cleaning products, read about making Green Cleaning Products in the Blog category "IT IS EASY BEING GREEN"..