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8 Easy Ways To Make Your Laundry “Green”

8 Easy Ways To Make Your Laundry “Green”

I think many of us would agree that we like the air clean, the water clear, and the trees green. Having an eco-friendly mindset is becoming more and more popular, and if you agree with the cause, what better place to start (or continue) taking care of the environment than at home? Here are a few ways to make your home eco-friendly, save water, and cut back on energy costs—by using two common household appliances, the washer, and dryer! The Washing Machine 1. Change the temperature  Source: The Big Think According to Real Simple, about 90% of the energy used by laundry machines is spent just heating up water. The solution is easy: try out your machine’s ‘cold wash’ option! 2. Wash full loads only It’s no secret that the more loads of laundry you do, the more water and energy you end up using. If you can consolidate or skip your weekly laundry loads in any way, you’ll be well on your way to eco-friendliness. Try keeping your loads to around three a week: separated into darks, lights, and delicates. 3. Upgrade your machine  Source: GE Appliances If your current one works fine, then there’s no pressing need to replace it right away. However, if you’re looking for a new washer, be sure to check out some energy-efficient models—according to TreeHugger, “switching to an Energy Star-qualified front-loading machine can save as much as 7,000 gallons of water per year.” That’s a lot of water! 4. Switch to natural products Source: iHerb Be kind to the environment by choosing natural detergents and stain removers. Natural products are “usually plant-based,...
Here’s Why Your Washing Machine’s Spin Cycle is Not Working

Here’s Why Your Washing Machine’s Spin Cycle is Not Working

When your washing machine isn’t working, it can mean a lot of dirty clothes piling up all over the house or reverting to washing by hand and drying on the clothesline. Typically, people do their laundry once every week to keep clothes clean, fresh, and in rotation. When a washing machine breaks down, however, it can cause this entire routine to be thrown out of balance. Fixing problems with your washing machine require a certain amount of knowledge in order to do things correctly. When a washer’s spin cycle won’t work, there are typically a few reasons behind the problem. To begin, you must start by finding out what your washer is supposed to be doing based on the cycle settings. From here, you can see when or where the problem occurs: before the spin cycle or during. First Steps: Making Your Diagnosis Before you can find your solution, you must begin by diagnosing the washer problem. There are a few ways to check and see what’s wrong yourself before calling the professionals to come out. From here, the repair (if one is needed) will be a breeze. Check for an Imbalance: Typically with larger loads, if your washer is unbalanced, it can cause the spin cycle to stop working. This usually happens when the majority of the clothes get stuck to one side of the tub. In some cases, the tub will pitch noisily before stopping completely. Once you distribute the clothes evenly, the spin cycle should reactivate. Check Your Home’s Circuit Panel: If a circuit breaker has tripped, it may be the cause behind your non-functioning spin...
4 Appliances That You Should Fix Instead of Replace in a Rental Home

4 Appliances That You Should Fix Instead of Replace in a Rental Home

Whether you’re a homeowner renting out an apartment, a property manager preparing for an open house, or a tenant who broke something and is trying not to get in trouble, this article may have some information that you can use. When it comes to appliances, more often than not, people notice that a machine starts making funny noises or stops working to it’s full capacity and they decide to just give up on it and buy a new one. What most people don’t know is that often times, many appliances can be fixed or restored and can not only save you a lot of time, energy, and money, but can also do the environment a favor and do quite a bit of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Here are a few of the main appliances that you should think about getting fixed before you replace them. Washing Machines Whether you have a front load or top load, washing machines are known to cause a little bit of trouble after a few years, especially if you’re not performing its proper routine maintenance. The most common problem that people have with their washing machine is an issue with the draining system. Whether you have a drain issue or another problem with your washing machine, see if you can give it fixed before you give it the boot. Dryers When it comes to your dryer, you’re most likely going to encounter an issue with your dryer vent. After you find yourself frustrated with your user’s manual, trying to Google DIY dryer fixes, or struggling to follow instructions of professionals on YouTube videos, you...
An Easy Guide to Reducing Waste in Your Home

An Easy Guide to Reducing Waste in Your Home

Use Mason Jars for Storage Mason jars are a great and attractive way to store food and other things. They are dependable and versatile and can store virtually anything.  Give Away Instead of Throw Away This rule can apply to clothing, furniture, books, appliances and so much more. Just because you don’t want it anymore, doesn’t mean that it can’t still be used by someone else. If you don’t want something anymore, try your best to find it a new home before you throw it out. Repurpose Old Things Give it a whole new life! Repurposing old things plays a huge part in reducing waste in your home. Pinterest is a great site with tons of fun resources on how to repurpose old things. Don’t throw it out! Use Reusable Bags When it comes to shopping, traveling, or just storing things in your house- use reusable bags. This will not only limit your waste a great deal, but it’ll save you a few bucks a month too. Repair Instead of Replace This rule is specifically for appliances and electronics. People tend to throw machines out before even analyzing what is wrong with it. Not only is this wasteful, but it is often a huge waste of money. Before replacing an old appliance or electronic, call an appliance repairman and see if it can be fixed first. Use Rechargeable Batteries Buy a few rechargeable batteries at the beginning of the year and they can be good for up to two whole years. This cuts down on waste majorly and also cuts down on annoying, inconvenient trips to the store when...
Help! My Front Load Washer Smells, & I Don’t Know What to Do About It!

Help! My Front Load Washer Smells, & I Don’t Know What to Do About It!

Do you have a front load washer? Have you noticed that over time your washer will begin to smell terrible and you have no idea why? Why Is This Happening? Here’s why. First of all, the smell that you smell is coming from the rubber that is in the front of the inside of your front load washer. The reason that it begins to smell after a while is because there is moisture that develops from being sealed so tightly all of the time. Over time, this moisture turns into mold, which then creates a foul smell. If not fixed quickly, this smell can eventually ruin your entire washer and you know how costly those can be to replace. How Do I Keep It From Happening? There are a few things that you can do to keep your washer from smelling. After every use, make sure that you leave the door open for a little while. This will allow the moisture to clear out and the water to evaporate, greatly reducing the chance of mold. Another thing you can do to maintain dryness and prevent mold is to wipe the rubber in your front load washer with a towel after the last use of the day. Remove finished loads as soon as the washer stops. Not doing so builds up mildew and mold. Using cotton swabs, clean out the rubber seal with water and vinegar on a semi-regular basis. If you do these things on a consistent basis, you will have a great smelling and great operating washer! What Are Other Things That I Should Know About My Front...