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Save Money by Cleaning: Top 3 Tips to Slash Your Home Energy Bill

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Save money by cleaning? With an economy teetering in recession, it's time to rethink when - or if - to use your home's big appliances and systems.

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Now the good news: While we can't do much about a volatile economy, we can control the amount of energy our homes are using.

And there's power and cold cash to be saved in coming clean on your home's major systems and appliances.

While owners' manuals provide the most specific information on maintaining appliances and heating and cooling systems, this list will show you how a little cleaning time can save you a (mildly) shocking amount of energy and money.

1 The Refrigerator

To keep the fridge chilling nicely and efficiently:

-- Clean the coils every three months or so. Accumulated dust and lint can reduce cooling performance - which translates to higher energy usage. Remove the toe grille and vacuum the coils underneath with the hose nozzle; roll away from the wall to clean the coils behind.

-- Regularly pull the refrigerator away from the wall and vacuum or sweep away lingering lint, dust and stray crumbs.

-- Regularly defrost manual-defrost units; don't allow frost to build up more than 1/4 inch. The harder your fridge has to work to keep food chilled, the more energy is required.

2 Heating and Cooling Systems

Regular maintenance, whether by you or a professional, is essential to keeping these systems running at peak performance.

After all, a clean, lubricated properly adjusted furnace can save you up to 5 percent of heating costs. So don't skimp on a service call and monthly maintenance.

-- Vacuum heating vents and ducts (including toe-kick floor heaters) regularly to keep air circulating freely and to save energy.

-- Clean or replace filters as needed. Forced-air heating system filters should be replaced monthly during the heating season, unless they are metallic-mesh electrostatic filters, in which case they should be cleaned.

-- Oil-fired boilers should be professionally cleaned and tuned once a year.

-- Gas-fired heating systems need to be checked every other year.

3 Laundry Room

These tips are designed to save energy and cash without sacrificing clean shirts and socks:

Washing Machine:

-- Set the water heater thermostat at 120 F. Each 10-degree reduction will cut the cost of washing clothes by up to 13 percent.

-- Wash most clothes in warm or cold water - and always select cold for the rinse. (Detergent and bleach work best in warmer water but any temperature rinse will wash away suds.) Use hot water only if absolutely necessary to kill germs or mold and mildew. Switching the washer temperature setting from hot to warm could reduce a load's energy use by half.

-- Read the laundry detergent directions - use only the amount recommended. Over-sudsing makes your machine work harder.

-- Select settings carefully. Delicate clothes don't need as long a wash cycle as the children's dirty play clothes. Over-washing clothes is an energy- and cash drain, and also makes garments wear out faster.

-- Presoak or us the soak cycle when washing heavily soiled garments. You'll avoid two washings and save energy.

Clothes Dryer

-- Make sure your dryer is vented properly. If you vent the exhaust outside, use the straightest and shortest metal duct available. Skip the flexible vinyl duct - it restricts air flow, is easily crushed and may not withstand high temperatures from the dryer.

-- Check the outside dryer exhaust vent periodically to see that it closes tightly. If not, replace it.

-- Clean the lint filter after every load.

-- Dry only full loads as small loads waste energy. Separate clothes and dry similar types together. Lightweight synthetics, for example, dry much more quickly than bath towels and cotton robes.

-- Dry in batches (two or more loads in a row) to take advantage of the already-warm dryer drum.

Other Tips

-- Keep heat-producing appliances like washers, dryers and refrigerators away from your thermostat. The hot air will make your cooling system work harder.

-- Check and clean the dishwasher drain. Solid food build up can clog the drain, causing the dishwasher to use more energy in the wash process.

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