The Home Know-It-All

Freezer Buying Guide

Did you know that the average life span of a freezer is 20 years? That's a major commitment! So when you buy a new freezer, you want to be sure you find the one that meets all of your needs and criteria. Here are a few things you should keep in mind before you buy a new freezer.

Emphasize Efficiency
Here at the Home Know-It-All, we find ourselves recommending ENERGY STAR qualified appliances often, for a variety of applications. This one is no different! An ENERGY STAR qualified freezer can save you up to 40 percent of the energy used by a freezer from only 10 years ago, and uses 10 percent less energy than a new, non-ENERGY STAR qualified model.

Choose the Chest
Upright freezers, though they take up less floor space, are somewhat less efficient than chest freezers. Here's why: heat rises and cold falls. Chest freezers, when opened, don't leave the cold anywhere to fall to, but opening an upright freezer allows more cold air to escape, reducing efficiency.

Select Your Size
Be realistic when choosing the size of your freezer—saving an extra five percent on your purchase price by buying the next bigger model isn't necessarily a better deal. Bigger units use more energy, and space left empty inside a freezer is a major energy drain. Typically, a family of four shouldn't need larger than a 10-cubic-foot model. 

Decide About Defrosting
A freezer with manual defrost can provide big energy savings compared to one with automatic defrosting. But with manual defrost, you have to remember to do it, and defrosting does require a little time and effort. ENERGY STAR suggests not letting more than a quarter of an inch of frost build up inside your freezer before defrosting. Visit Green Energy Efficient Homes for more freezer purchasing and energy saving advice.

Until next time, 
The Home Know-It-All

 

 

Caring for Cloth Grocery Bags

Reusable cloth grocery bags are a great way to help drastically reduce the number of plastic "disposable" grocery bags that end up in landfills. Those plastic bags, which are made from nonrenewable petrochemicals, can take more than 1,000 years to decompose! Though cloth grocery bags are more environmentally friendly, their longer life spans mean they can become moldy or messy with frequent reuse. Here are some tips on storing and cleaning your cloth bags, including how to remember to use them each time you go to the store. 

Storing
Cloth grocery bags are reasonably inexpensive and don't take up much room, so my wife and I both keep several in our cars—then there's no way we can leave home without them. Storing these bags near your grocery list can be helpful too. After a while, you'll instinctively reach for the bags when you grab the list. To find a broad selection of reusable cloth grocery bags in styles and patterns you'll be proud to carry with you, visit reusit.com. Keeping plenty of these good looking and eco-friendly alternatives around will make it easy to remember to use them. 

Cleaning
Some grocery items can be messy, especially meat, produce, and frozen food. Watch out for any leaks or drips on your reusable bags that could cause mold or contaminate other foods. Even if your bags look clean, washing them every few uses is a good idea. After all, they carry the food that will end up on your plate! Many reusable cloth bags can be thrown in the washing machine alongside your clothes. Bags with plastic inserts in the bottom for rigidity should be hand washed. Because cloth bags can be made from a variety of materials, including hemp, bamboo, and burlap, check the bags for any washing instructions. When in doubt, hand wash bags in hot, soapy water and let them air dry. 

Until next time,
The Home Know-It-All 

Happy New Year!