Tips for a Greener Kitchen

Eco-friendliness and frugality come together

The Kitchen is very much the workhorse and powerhouse of the home without a doubt and over the past few years much progress has been made by Manufacturers to get their act together on thinking green. Here's some tips I've gathered.....

Washing Machines

Wherever possible use a 30 degree wash, this means savings on heating the water and water used (40 - 55 gallons on some heavier washes!). Unless the kids have been playing in thick mud and falling around in blackberry bushes, this will suffice.
Always wait until you have enough clothes to do a decent wash - less often, bigger load.

Tumble Dryers

Where possible use a Vent Dryer, the clothes dry quicker. If you have a condensor, recycle the water in the garden.
Always ensure the filter is clean, a dirty one reduces performance and makes the Tumble Dryer strain.
The biggest saving and eco-friendly way of drying your washing is by doing so on a Clothes Line -proper air!!

Refridgeration

If you're buying new, buy 'A' rated or Fridges carrying the ESR (Energy saving recommended) label.
Refridgeration is probably the most expensive and energy consuming item in the house, on 24 hours a day, if it's not running efficiently you're wasting a lot of money and a lot of C)2 is going up as well.
Check the door seals - put a piece of paper in-between the door and door frame, close the door. If the paper slips - you have a leak.

Dishwashers

Like many Appliances, it is always best to use them when they're full. To those with families at home, this isn't a problem, so the obvious here is to only buy a size which suits your needs.
Make sure all working parts are clean and running efficiently.
Do your items really need a pre-wash?
Without a doubt, used wisely, the Dishwasher is by far a better green option than washing by hand, but only in larger and more regular useage - less water used.

Kettles

Always only boil the amount of water you need, this will save £'s over a year.
It doesn't matter if you buy a fast boil or normal boil kettle, both will use the same amount of energy to boil the water.

Other quick tips

Don't throw away food and bags etc. which will break down - throw them on a compost heap (better veg next year!!) - use energy saving light bulbs - fix leaking taps - if washing your dishes by hand, use a bowl - Use eco-friendly Cleaning Products - Cooking with a Microwave Oven is actually more environmentally friendly than the conventional way.

The downfall is that our technology has meant, for us to keep 'even greener' we have to buy new items once every few years.
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All Electrical Appliance Retailers know the score on keeping up with environmental products.
Here's a couple...

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Their futue depends on us as well

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