Home Organizing & Cleaning Tips, Hints

We are all feeling the pinch of the economy and looking for ways to be able to have our cake and eat it too. There are several ways that we can save on expenses around our home, help the environment and relieve a lot of stress on our wallets.

1. Use table scraps to help fertilize your gardens (flower beds or vegetable gardens)
2. Stop using the dryer (except for emergencies) go back to line drying your clothes and sheets. They smell better and save on gas or electric.
3. Green clean your home; most cleaning agents have vinegar, ammonia, baking soda, borax, salt, lemon juice in them. Funny, those are the same things that grandma and great-grandma used to use!
4. Insulate the hot water heater.
5. Don't use a dishwasher, hand wash dishes. It takes less time and energy.
6. Install sink aerators
7. Use water saver faucets, toilets and shower heads.
8. Plug all of your appliances into energy saver power strips. Turn them off when not in use so the currant ceases and you save on energy costs.
9. Wash your clothes in cold water
10. A wring washing machine uses less water and power to run, than an electric or gas washer.
11. Check your home for air leakage, such as weather stripping, caulking, insulation etc.
12. Use a programmable thermostat and set it according to what the temperature will be outside and when someone is home or gone.
13. Use LCD or halogen light bulbs to help give off more light with less energy use.
14. Plant trees to help to shade your home and keep the sun off of the roof in the summer (overheating your home and using more AC), to save on energy consumption.
15. Plant buses around your air conditioner in order to keep the heat of the day off of it.
16. Use rags to clean things up, wash floors etc. instead of paper toweling. Then simply wash them when they are dirty.
17. Don't waste money on aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Use the stretch covers to cover bowls. Shower caps work best for 9x13 pans and roasters.
18. If you have a freezer besides the one in your refrigerator, simply fill the freezer in the refrigerator with the food that you will use in one weeks time. It will save on opening and closing the freezer door and wasting energy.
19. Leave your saucepans lids on things that you are heating for supper. It will conserve energy because they will heat faster and hold the heat longer.
20. Check all the washers etc. for in faucets to make sure that there isn't any leakage and water dripping. Don't forget the outside faucets.
21. Have a home energy check done for your home.
22. Take a paper bag lunch to work  and have a picnic outside, instead of eating out or the company cafeteria.
23. Get rid of all of your credit cards except one for emergencies.
24. Eliminate the premium channels if you have direct tv or cable.
25. Tape movies that you don't have time to watch for nights when there is 'nothing' on TV.
26. Carpool to work, to the store, shopping, taking the kids to events etc.
27. Purchase used books instead of new and sell your old ones or trade them in and get credit towards your next purchase.
28. Refinance a 30 year mortgage for a 15 year mortgage.
29. Wait three days for any major purchase over $100, if you still want it or need it and can afford it, then make the purchase.
30. Throw all of your change in a jar for emergency use only. If you don't have an emergency, add it to your savings account at the end of the year, make an extra payment on something that you owe on or to add it to any major purchase that you may have to make.
31. Use battery operated clocks instead of electric.
32. Use your electric or gas appliances during 'off-peak' times. Check with your utility company to see what times these are. Energy cost is lower.
33. Use the size of a quarter as a guide for shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, dish soap and anything that you use a pump supplier or squeeze bottle for.
34. Use a washcloth dipped in fabric softener and wrung out as a fabric softener sheet in your dryer. It will last for 4-6 dryer fills, depending upon the items and softener used.
35. Set your refrigerator to 40 degrees and your freezers to 0 degrees.
36. Lower your water heater to 120 degrees.
37. Use less detergent in your washer.
38. Use baking soda as a laundry detergent instead of laundry soap.
39. Take showers instead of baths.
40. Insulate your basement. You lose up to 33% of your energy through your walls, according to the Department on Energy.

Try these little tips and hints to help you make it through the energy crisis and live a little more comfortably.

Jan Hayner offers tips and hints on organizing your home and cleaning shortcuts to give you time to enjoy life at her website www.organizing your life the easy way.com