This is sponsored content from BlogHer and GE.
Anyone else anxious for warmer temperatures, blue skies….and clothes on the line?
Me! Me! Me! Me!!
But I did put this last few week's cold temperatures to work too.
One of my favorite household chores, if there is such a thing, is laundry – and I’ve been saving energy this way ever since we were married 18 ½ years ago. It’s great for the clothes too, they last so much longer. Believe it or not, we’re still using the towels we got for wedding gifts, and they don’t show much wear at all. I’ll wager they still have another 20 years in them if I keep drying them on the line instead of in the dryer.
And last week, the below zero temperatures were perfect for drying the rugs and jeans quickly over the heater vents.
I like to line dry everything all year long. Only when I fall behind do I put the whites through the dryer. Or those few weeks in the fall and spring when it's too cold to hang things outside, but the heat doesn't kick on enough inside - I've been known to use my dryer then. Like this week. But we're not complaining. I was loving those high 40 degree temps this last couple days! My windows were open!
I'm hopeful for sheets on the line outside by early next week.
This all goes well with the ecomagination Challenge: Powering Your Home that GE is currently hosting. It's an open call for fresh thinking on eco-home technology and innovations that can effectively harness renewable energy for the home. I know I have a lot of creative, clever and efficient readers that have some great ideas to share. Now's the time!
I've been known to call myself the manager of our home, as I often liken the process of running it to the job I had managing a store years ago. So much of what we do as managers of our home is finding ways to make it run more smoothly. This challenge is about sharing those ideas on a larger scale. Make a difference!
Back to my own little part, to keep up with the laundry and be able to dry things on the racks – I do two loads per day (but not on Sunday) I dry shirts on hangers in the laundry, pants on the drying rack in the upstairs bathroom, hand towels and the little boy’s trousers on the mitten drying rack (aka: IKEA kitchen towel drying rack – and those dry on there swell too), and I have another mitten drying rack in the form of a cord hanging from the ceiling that I clip the freshly washed dishrags to.
Another bonus is that it all helps add just a little more moisture into our dry winters and helps us cut the energy on our humidifier.
Love that!
Along with the GE ecomagination Challenge, I also have a giveaway that I know you'll like......
Giveaway Dates: 2/15 - 2/28/2011
Prize: Two $50 GE energy smart LED light bulbs that last 20 years and saves you $85 in energy cost. One given away per week of contest length.
How to win: Share with me what your energy use challenges at home are.
Rules:
- No duplicate comments
- You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
- Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
- Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
- Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
- For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
- This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older
- Winners will be selected via random draw and will be notified by e-mail
- You'll have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
- The official rules are available here: Visit the Official Rules
The small changes we're making at home like unplugging unused appliances, washing clothes in cold water, hanging our sheets on the line and carpooling will make a world of difference in the future.
I use CFL’s in most of my lamps. I turn on the dishwasher when I go to bed, to run it when power costs are lower. I cover up with an electric throw in the evenings and use an electric blanket on my bed, so I can lower the temp in the rest of the house. In the summer, I use a floor fan and ceiling fans to supplement the central air system. I’d love to try this new LED bulb!
ReplyDeleteWe do a lot of yelling: 'Shut the door!!!' and 'Turn off the lights! This place is lit up like a carnival!' We have plastic on windows, rope caulking around window frames, and doors closed to cold areas of the house. And there are lots of afghans scattered around the house so we can snuggle in whenever we feel chilly--save some energy and share the love, all at once.
ReplyDeletebiggest challenges right now...below zero days and leaky windows, leaky water heater....LOL...leaky leaky leaky...we do keep the heat turned down, try and turn out lights, etc, but it is hard on dark winter evenings to not have the place all lit up...lights make it seem cozier and warmer somehow, just keep trying...fun contest, thanks...
ReplyDeleteI leave the curtains/blinds open in order to let in as much natural light as possible instead of using electricity. This works for me becase I live in temperature consistent climate where I rarely have to use heat/air conditioning.
ReplyDeleteour challenges are mostly to do with our daughter's medical condition. it's hard to cut corners and cut current energy costs because she has allergic reactive asthma to a whole slew of allergens. meaning when she's exposed she has an asthma attack. because of that, there are no quick in and out showers or skipping baths, we have to run the humidifier non-stop, we can't open windows so it's either heat or air all year long. airdrying clothes outside isn't an option. we also have a difficult time keeping the temperature setting on the furance so it's suitable for all levels of the house. living in a split level house built in the 70s has a whole lotta heat/air distribution issues. :)
ReplyDeleteI hate having so much garbage, and recycling is not offered in my town...so I try to resue things as much as possible. Any envelopes that mail comes in , I cut it up to use as scrap paper. I also wash out and reuse my ziploc baggies (until they get too gross, of course).
ReplyDeleteMy challenge is the heating bill. I keep the heat between 63-65 (and in the MN winter that can be chilly) but my bill is still outrageous for a 2 bedroom apartment. I'm very good about keeping doors closed, etc. (No kids) but no matter I seem to do I can't make a difference. It's frustrating!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to hear about the LED lights. I've heard really good things about them. :)
I wash clothes in cold water. I usually hang clothes to dry and the kids help by turning lights off when not being used.
ReplyDeleteMCantu1019@aol.com
I recycle whatever the transfer station will take. I line dry (or rack dry) my clothes as often as possible. I turn off the lights in any room I'm not using -- but I guess I should light some candles since someone drove by early on a dark winter's night and thought I had gone upstairs to get ready for bed so he decided that he and his girlfriend wouldn't bother me. Darn.
ReplyDeleteWe've addressed the challenge of phantom loads head on. Our TV and its peripherals are all plugged into a power strip that only gets turned on for the few hours we watch at night. Small appliances with a light or a small transformer on the cord remain unplugged until needed. Sometimes, I'll run-through just to make sure something hasn't been left plugged in accidentally. Using less power makes me feel good, both $-wise and environment-wise.
ReplyDeleteWe turn down the heat at night in winter! Thanks!
ReplyDeletekmassmanATgmailDOTcom
We reuse a lot of stuff- hand me down clothes, etc. And we recycle. And compost.
ReplyDeleteOur challenge is keeping our electric bill down and driving less.
Hi, one of our problems was air blowing through our patio doors on windy days so we put in new energy efficient patio doors recently. We also use a programmable thermostat and timers on our lights to save energy.
ReplyDeletemaddiemb {at} comcast (dot) net
Tweet link: http://twitter.com/#!/shala_darkstone/status/39316052525596673
ReplyDeletemaddiemb {at} comcast (dot) net
We unplug recharger cords when not in use.
ReplyDeleterhoneygtn at yahoo dot com
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/rhoneygee/status/39594319761383424
ReplyDeleterhoneygtn at yahoo dot com
we wash in cold and hang too...unplug and insulate with weatherstripping
ReplyDeleteWe are trying to get our electric bill costs down so we try to make sure everything is off when we leave a room. We are also replacing our bulbs with EF bulbs as the other ones go out so it’s not so expensive!
ReplyDeletehebert024 at aoldot com
Our problem: having the most energy efficient appliances. We live in an apartment so we can’t buy and replace them. So I make them as efficient as possible. I use only cold water in the washer. Clean the lint filter and the back of the dryer regularly. We open the curtains wide on sunny days for light and close heavy curtains to keep cold out.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest challenge is that the inefficient windows need to be replaced and it's going to take a while to save up for that.
ReplyDeleteTweet:
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/clc408/status/40038200533581824
My energy challenge is my teen daughter! She doesn’t turn stuff off… lights, tv, stereo, chargers, water…. the only thing that’s seemed to help with tv/stereo is that if she leaves it on and leaves the room, it’s OFF for the rest of the night! She doesn’t like that, and is a bit better about turning off, but so far to go! You'd think, since she's doing a class project on saving water that she'd bring it home, but no luck so far!
ReplyDeletesksweeps (at) earthlink (dot) net
My energy challenge is three kids who won't turn off a light or shut the door!! I am queenesperfect at yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI unplug appliances, use curly lightbulbs, keep the thermostat low, use a heat pump, recycle and repurpose. However, it wasn’t until I found a triple window leaking cold air that I was able to lower our out-of-control heating bill. I covered the windows in plastic, and the bill dropped dramatically. I’m still amazed at how much money and warmth one sheet of plastic managed to save.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win even more energy savings!
Tweeted you!
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/Ida_Sessions/status/40878355624632320
We have a problem remembering to turn off everything we're not using... lights, power strips, etc.. but we're trying to be conscious!
ReplyDeleteOur energy use challenge is our house itself - we own an 1883 Eastlake Victorian and i refuse to rip out the original windows.
ReplyDeleteky2here at msn dot com
And here is my tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/ky2here1/status/41329320672755713
ReplyDeleteky2here at msn dot com
My challenge is getting my to compost everything that can be composted. I am always taking stuff out of the trash that could be composted
ReplyDeletes8r8l33 at yahoo dot com
tweeted
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/#!/s8r8l33/status/41381706187546625
My biggest energy use challenge is getting everyone else to shut things off and unplug stuff when it's not in use. I usually remember to do it, but I'm constantly having to remind everyone else.
ReplyDeleteTweeted http://twitter.com/#!/kittycardero/status/41803197878243328
ReplyDeleteOur latest thing is that we unplug everything that we aren't using at the moment.
ReplyDeleteEveything get's washed in cold water, water heater is turned down as low as it can go (and still make our water warm), we don't own a dishwasher so I do dishes by hand once a day. Line dry everything. We have huge windows that face the sun in the morning AND the afternoon so IF it's sunny our curtains are open to help naturally heat the house. Storm doors and low e windows. We only use the TV for 1 hour a day and everything is unplugged unless it's needed!
ReplyDeleteWe compost, reduce, reuse, reuse again, and recycle! We also reduce heat in winter and unplug items we dont use regularly. I also limit hot water use. OUr biggest energy problem is the a/c in the scorching summer. It HAS to be on.
ReplyDeleteChallenge would be to get my son to quit using as much water and electricity and the draft windows we have
ReplyDeleteI need a more energy efficient dishwasher, and my refrigerator is old enough that it probably is not as good as it could be. But the first thing I want to get is one of the new power strips that will leave items like the DVR on while turning off the other electronics plugged into it. I have been replacing my light bulbs as they burn out, and most of them now are CFL bulbs. About the only ones left are the high ceiling ones and a few smaller wattage ones that haven't had appropriate CFL replacements up to now.
ReplyDeletecgclynsg0 @ gmail dot com
my energy use challenges at home are old appliances. our washer and dryer are very old and not very efficient.
ReplyDeletesusansmoaks at gmail dot com
We have leaky windows that we have put plastic sheeting over for the winter-we have also installed power strips to prevent "vampire" energy loss. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOur biggest challenge is hot water usage. We lowered the hot water heater temp a few degrees to save money
ReplyDeleteardy22 at earthlink dot net
tweet
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/#!/Ardy22/status/42297147068125184
ardy22 at earthlink dot net
My biggest challenge is air seeping through the windows and doors that are too thin or not sealed well enough.
ReplyDeletelazybones344 at gmail dot com
We conserve what we can when we can:)
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a clothes line any more but I miss it. I've been bundling up around here to save energy . gl all on this awesome useful giveaway.
I tweeted here: http://twitter.com/#!/FotoMacro/status/42330138532261888
ReplyDeleteAngie
14earth at gmail dot com
Shut off lights when you leave a room, use daylight rather than turning on lights at all when possible, wash all your laundry in cold water when possible , line dry your
ReplyDeleteclothing when possible, set your thermostat high in the summer and low in the winter,
use energy efficient appliances and light bulbs, unplug things that are not in use, etc. We do all of these things and wish the whole planet did! Our power bill is still high to me, but to other people its insanely low. I wish I could afford solar panels for my roof!
Scott
nynekats at gmail dot com
tweet
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/#!/RePurrPussed/status/42332315220840448
Scott
nynekats at gmail dot com
keeping house costs to a minimum is important when one is unemployed.
ReplyDeleteI turn the thermostat down to save on fuel & $$! And I turn it lower when we are not home.
Thanks for the giveaway!
email in blogger profile.
tweet: http://twitter.com/js22222222/statuses/42339246526308354
ReplyDeleteemail in blogger profile.
We switched our lightbulbs, added some energy saving drapes. Using our energy efficient sauna has reduced our water heating costs because everyone used cooler water after steaming in the sauna. We have reduced our heating costs by turning down the thermostat and using a portable heater that costs only 8 cents an hour to run-this move has cut our heating costs by half.
ReplyDeleteA programmable thermostat is great. Keeps temp down when you're asleep or away & warms up when you need it. Thanks for the contest.
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/slehan/status/42372041730564096
ReplyDeleteMy biggest problem is getting the kids to turn off the lights when they leave the room.
ReplyDeletedonna444444@yahoo.com
We turn down the heat and constantly try to turn off the lights when they aren't in use.
ReplyDeleteDiane Baum
esldiane@gmail.com
My biggest challenge is my husband. He can't turn a light or a TV off, despite loudly proclaiming to the world what an environmentalist he is. I've given up - I just turn them off whenever he leaves a room.
ReplyDeleteEmail address is in blogger profile
I tweeted http://twitter.com/bsw529/status/42388071278313472
ReplyDeleteEmail address is in blogger profile
hang the clothes! turn off lights, heat the hot water with the wood boiler...love it! (Our electric bill goes down in the winter!!) -J
ReplyDelete