Category: Appliance
Can You Save Energy on Your Appliances Without Upgrading to New, Energy-Efficient Appliances? (Yes, and we have three hacks to prove it!)
When you search for ways to save money on your energy bills, it’s common to run across the same advice over and over: Upgrade to new, energy-efficient appliances.
Of course, that is good advice. Energy-efficient appliances can make a huge difference in your energy bill. But it’s also a significant expense up front. What if upgrading appliances isn’t in your budget right now? Can you still save energy on the appliances you have now?
Top Home Updates That Can Really Pay Off When You Sell Your Home
The market is currently in favor of sellers, with low-interest rates, rising home prices, and limited inventory. That doesn’t mean, though, that you’re off the hook when it comes to getting your house sale-ready. If you want to get the best asking price (and who wouldn’t?), there are certain updates that will deliver a higher
Dine in Style with an Outdoor Kitchen
Outdoor entertaining has come a long way from a charcoal grill and a picnic table in the backyard. Today, if you can dream it, odds are high that someone can create an outdoor kitchen for you. And if the 33,400 images for “Outdoor kitchens” on Houzz.com are any indication, a lot of people are building
Spiff up Your Home with this Indoor Spring Cleaning Checklist
It might not feel like spring today (Mother Nature, what are you doing?!), but according to the calendar, the first day of spring is March 20. And with or without snow, this time of year is prime time for cleaning out the clutter so we’re ready when the birds are singing, the sun is shining,
Ways to Safeguard Your Home Before Leaving Town
Congratulations! You’re finally going on that long-anticipated and much-deserved vacation. Don’t make the mistake of waiting until the morning you leave to get your house prepped for vacation-mode. Here’s our pre-travel checklist: Unplug and reset the thermostat. Temporarily adjust the thermostat so you’re not wasting energy in an empty house. (A good rule of thumb
5 Warning Signs It’s Time to Clean Your Dryer Vent
When was the last time you thought about your dryer vent? Possibly never, right? It’s not exactly top-of-mind for most people. But it should be. According to the National Fire Protection Association, dryers and washing machines were responsible for more than 16,800 home fires in the U.S. in 2010. 92% of these fires were caused
3 Potential Dangers of the Self-Cleaning Oven Cycle
With all the responsibilities that come with home ownership and home maintenance, hearing the words “self-cleaning” makes your ears prick up, doesn’t it? Compared to the old-fashioned option of elbow grease, the self-cleaning function on your oven is a pretty appealing alternative. But before you hit the start button on the self-cleaning oven cycle, be
A Recipe for Thanksgiving Kitchen Safety
During Thanksgiving, home kitchens become centers of activity and deliciousness. With the oven, the microwave, and every stovetop burner going, the chefs of the household will crank out dish after dish until the Thanksgiving table groans under the weight of it all. There’s always the fear that something will get forgotten in the hubbub, but
Energy Saving Tips for Doing Laundry
If doing laundry feels like a never-ending chore, that’s because it is—the average American family now runs upwards of 400 loads of laundry per year. That’s more than one load a day! Even if you’re not doing quite that much laundry, you don’t have to do the exact math to know that all that energy
Troubleshooting a Hot Tub That Won’t Get Hot
On cold winter days, a soothing soak in a hot tub can be just the thing to warm you up and calm you down. But only if your hot tub is actually … hot. If the water in your hot tub doesn’t live up to its name, a number of common culprits could be at
