The household water heater should be set no lower than 130 degrees. Any lower can cause bacteria to grow in water tank and then circulated to the whole house. The temperature of the water coming out of the kitchen sink should be around 120 degrees. The water inside the dishwasher will be higher, to about 140 degrees. Most dishwashers have a heating element that heats the water to a higher level.

If the water is too cold inside the dishwasher, the dishes will not get as clean as they should be. This will result in having to wash the dishes again. This is waste water and electricity. Set the temperature of the water heater near 130.

Cleaning the lint trap in the clothes dryer is very important and should be done after every load of clothes. Equally important is to ensure the vent from the clothes dryer to the outside is clean with no obstructions and not too long. With a clean lint trap and vent, the clothes dryer runs more efficiently and clothes dry faster.  This also puts less stress on the motor and other dryer components. If the lint trap or vent are not properly maintained and cleaned, the dryer can experience drying problems and sometimes cause a fire.

It is also a good practice to have a professional disassemble the dryer every couple years to vacuum and de-lint the inner parts. It is also recommended that the vent from the clothes dryer to the outside of the home be inspected yearly & cleaned if needed.

Along with drying the clothes faster, you will save money on the electric or gas bill. The fewer times that the dryer runs and the less time used to dry each load will extend its life and reduce repair costs.  It’s the best of both worlds, saving money and time.

Do you know what is in your dishwasher detergent? Manufacturers of dish washer detergents add phosphates to their detergents to clean the extra food left on by the regular wash cycles. But what happens to the phosphate after the dishes come out of the dishwasher?

After the water that has been used to wash dishes, enters the main stream water to be cleaned, they act as food for algae. The excess of the phosphates over feeds the algae. The algae grows and causes the oxygen in the water to be depleted. With no oxygen in the water fish and plant life die in the water.

If you keep washing your dishes in hard water, you will be buying new dishes in a higher frequency. Hard water is, well, hard on dishes. Throwing away dishes isn’t just hard on the environment, it is rough on the wallet too.