Many of us enjoy the luxury of a dishwasher, and with all the features the new models provide, we can benefit even more from this convenient appliance. The most recent energy saving dishwashers have been proven to use less water and energy than doing the dishes by hand, which has contradicted long standing popular belief. Now that you know it can not only save you time, but money as well, you can get the most out of this appliance guilt free. Here are just a few tips to maximize the results, and increase your dishwashers efficiency. 1) To be sure you are saving the maximum amount of energy possible, only run the dishwasher when it is completely full. Running half empty cycles is wasteful, and eats up hot water and energy. Make sure you also consult your wash program options, often there is an economy setting, or one at low temperatures. Use this setting as often as possible, for dishes that don’t have much caked grime. The pots and pans setting will be the highest temperature, so do a separate load for those more stubborn dishes. 2) Empty the drain often to prevent water build up and odors. If you open the dishwasher after a cycle and there is water accumulated on the bottom, you likely have a clogged drain. Leaving food and grime in the filter can result in puddles and odor, which will leave you with smelly dishes as well. You can also purchase a detergent attachment that latches on to the rack inside the machine, which helps keep glasses shining and eliminates odor. Decomposing food will be heated, almost “cooked”, when the dishwasher is running, which can exaggerate strong odors like garlic. Clean the filter regularly to avoid this. 3) Maximize your dishwasher’s cleaning ability by doing occasional maintenance. For example, if your dishes aren’t coming out spotless, check the spray arm for clogged holes. If there are deposits or build up blocking the holes, the powerful jets won’t clean your dishes as efficiently. You can open the dishwasher and remove this spray arm manually for cleaning; poke the holes with a toothpick to be sure they are all unobstructed. If you have leaking problems regarding the door, have the gasket checked or replaced. The rubber seal that surrounds the door could be broken or defective, which is dangerous and will be wasting energy. If your glasses are cloudy, you can try soaking them in vinegar to remove the hard water deposits, and use more detergent in your cycle. If your dishes have streaks, this is also because of hard water, which is all determined by the area in which you live. To correct this, you can try adding in a “rinse aid” product to help minimize the affects of the water quality. For tough grime on pots and pants, pre soak the dishes with a dryer sheet in warm water, this will help loosen up the caked on crease, and make the dishwasher’s job a lot easier.     Post contributed by Holly Adams who writes for Coupon Croc. Save on household appliances with a Currys discount code.     Read more »

Today I read an article predicting food prices in the UK would double by 2030. Now that is quite a while away, but thinking about the prices of certain food even in the past ten years, I come to realise that the cost of living, even now, is very expensive. This fact, coupled with current economic situation means that people are trying to save money wherever they can.  So let’s look at the Kitchen, with its continually working white goods and subsequent high energy consumption as a place where we might be able to save some cash! Looking at our fridges, washing machines, dishwashers and cookers to see the best way to save money on each individual item is a good place to begin. Over the past 5 years there has been an incredible advancement in white goods energy efficiency, which means when looking for washing machines or fridges you should not only think about the short term cost. This is particularly the case with goods that are left on all the time, because they account for a large portion of your overall electricity bill. Fridges You fridge is one of the hardest working electric items in your home, along with the alarm clock and freezer it is left on all the time.  In fact, it is thought along with the freezer it can account for nearing 25% of your bill! If you purchase an energy efficient fridge they use around 30% of the energy of fridges over 5 years old, this will save you lots on the bills. You also need to make sure you defrost your fridge and freezer regularly, this helps keep a constant temperature. Washing Machines Of course like fridges, new energy efficient washing machines will help you trim down the utility bills.  But there are a number of other ways to save energy and money too.  If you always make sure you wash at as low a temperature as you can and never wash single items or on half loads, this will help save money. To save on the heating bill, there are a number of cold fill washing machines available too. Dishwashers There is still a lot of confusion out there regarding dishwashers v hand washing and which is more efficient. In recent years it has become increasingly apparent that dishwashers are more efficient than hand washing based on a full dishwasher load. This is because of newer cold fill options, saving on hot water.  New highly efficient dishwashers also use less water than hand washing, with several bowels needed to equate to one dishwasher load. Cookers The cooker is used most days in every household. Therefore it is important to make sure you are getting the very best out of it.  From a new purchase point of view it is now best to get a duel fuel cooker. These usually have a gas hob and electric oven, which gives you the best of both worlds in terms of energy cost and efficiency. There are actually a couple of cooking tips that can help you increase the efficiency of your oven too. Firstly, don’t keep checking your food; you can lose up to a 5th of the heat every time you open the oven door. Secondly I recommend a steamer, as you are using the same heat source to cook a number of meals. Each one of these energy (and subsequently money) saving tips by themselves will not add up to much.  But a change in habits and combination of these tactics can equate to savings in the hundreds of pounds over the course of the year. Matthew Graham is a Copywriter who thinks there is plenty of money to be saved on white goods such as washing machines and fridges   Read more »

In recent years a majority of people have adapted to the trend of using air purifiers in their homes. While this may seem like a fairly new invention, the truth is that air purifiers have been around for more than 200 years. While the concept is not a new one, their purpose in today’s society has morphed from their first usage as protective masks for firemen to filter the air they were breathing during fires. This breakthrough in air ventilation allowed firemen to protect their lungs while on the job. Today, while similar devices are still utilized for this purpose, air purifiers are more commonly known for filtering air pollution out of home and office environments. These pollutants come from a variety of sources, a smoky stove, pet hair and dander and dust are some of the most common. Although many people use air purifiers for better air quality, not many people know how this purification actually works. While there are many models of air purifiers, there are actually only three basic types: filters, ionizing purifiers and ozone generators. Although the goal of each air purifier is ultimately the same, the method that each uses to accomplish this varies. The Basic Filter System The basic filter system is one that works in conjunction with the heating and cooling system found in your home. The filter is made of various fibrous materials like foam, fiberglass, cotton and synthetic fibers. The fibers are woven into a very tight net. The goal of the net is to trap the larger pollutant particles so that they do not pass through the system’s air ducts into the atmosphere. These types of filters generally fit into a separate housing for the heating and cooling system. The Ionizing Purifier Another type of purifier is the ionizing purifier. The ionizing purifier works on a magnet principle due to the two metal plates; one positive and one negative. The two plates create a small, yet powerful, electrical field that converts the usually neutral charge of the air particles to either negative or positive which then causes them to be attracted to either of the plates. This traps the particles and the ones that do escape the plates are then attracted to each other and become too heavy to remain airborne. Once these particles become too heavy, they simply fall to the ground and can be removed with the rest of the dust and debris. The Ozone Generator The last type of purifier is the Ozone generator. The ozone generator works somewhat in the same way that the ionic purifier works, although the concept is different. With the ozone generator the oxygen particles found in the air are converted into ozone and released back into the air. The theory is that by releasing ozone into the air it disinfects and deodorizes that air, rather than trying to trap the pollutant particles. Now that you have a basic understanding of how each works, you can make an informed decision about what type of purifier is right for you and your family. With something as vital as air, you want to be sure to be breathing the freshest and least polluted type possible for optimum health. Heather Murphy is a contributing writer for AirPurifierGuide.org, a site offering Honeywell air purifiers and many other eco-friendly, high quality air purification systems for home or office environments.   Read more »

The dishwasher is now a common appliance in most homes as it is a fantastic time saving devise. Hand powered dishwashers were first introduced as early as the 1800s but it wasn’t until the 1940s when electric versions came onto the market. According to research they are actually more efficient then washing by hand. They use less water, less detergent and energy then doing the dishes in the sink. But what actually happens when the on button is pressed? The basic idea is that the dishwasher will pull in cold water from the mains and heat it up to a high temperature – in fact a lot higher than it would be if washed by hand. This water is mixed with detergent and sprayed at the dishes while the dirty water is pumped away. The dishes are then rinsed with fresh water and rinse aid before pumping that out of the machine. The dishes are then dried by using either heat or simply allowing them to air dry. Every dishwasher has a selection of cycles that the user can choose between; these will vary the length of the wash, the heat of the water and the drying temperature. Once the door is shut and the setting chosen a small computer in the machine will then determine the length and heat of the cycle with the dishwasher working automatically. A series of sensors in the machine tests the heat of the water, the level of water inside the unit and some even have sensors which can tell how dirty the run off is. All of which allow the machine to clean dishes with no input from the user. It is also worth noting that although a dishwasher is completely watertight it never actually completely fills with liquid instead a small tray at the bottom of the machine is filled with water and mixed with the detergent. It is in this tray that the heating elements are located and these then warm up the water to the required temperature. A pump then gets the water to the jets where it is then sprayed over the dishes to wash them. The power of this also moves the arms where the jet sprays are located round so that it gets to the whole machine. When the wash is done the pump once again gets to work by getting the water out of the machine which usually goes straight out of the waste pipe or sometimes it will go into the sink in the kitchen. The heating element is then used to heat the air in the dishwasher so that everything dries, but the dishes can be left to air dry in a bid to save energy. Once this cycle has finished the sensors in the machine will automatically shut off and the dishwasher can then be emptied. As long as the dishwasher has been properly filled and a quality detergent and machine used then there should be spotlessly cleaned dishes after every wash. However, carrying out a few simple tricks like rinsing dishes off should help the machine along. For more information on dishwashers please visit Miele.co.uk.   Read more »

Your worst nightmare is having a party where the drinks suck or stop flowing all together. Don’t fall into that trap. Instead, consider adding a Margaritaville Fiji Blender (DM2000) to your entertaining equipment. With the Margaritaville Fiji blender, you have the power of a professional bar tender in your grasp. What Does The Margaritaville Fiji Have To Offer The Fiji has four automated settings for ease of use along with manual controls to blend your drinks to the ideal consistency for your guests. If that weren’t enough, the Fiji (DM 2000) comes pre-programmed with four settings straight from the box so you will easily make margaritas, slides, smoothies and daiquiris. The Margaritaville Fiji blender features a spacious ice reservoir so you never have to stop the drinks from flowing throughout the evening. In fact, the Margaritaville Fiji Blender can prepare between two and three pitchers of your famous frozen drinks in a single mixing. Need to make sno cones for the children? Not a problem because the Margaritaville Fiji can also do that. If you are considering the Fiji, then you already know that it is a professional grade piece of bar tending equipment. The Fiji features a lot of steel, plenty of nickel “bling”, and a glass blending jar. Is The Fiji (DM 2000) Is Worth A Little Extra? I admit that the Fiji (DM 2000) frozen drink machine costs a bit more. Retail is normally around $500 dollars, but mega outlets such as Amazon offer the Fiji Margaritaville Blender for much less. Really, the decision to pay extra for a professional grade blender depends upon how you intend to use it.  If you only entertain occasionally, you can get by with an off the shelf consumer blender. So, you are going to have to decide whether or not to invest in professional bar tending equipment if you are considering taking your entertainment game up to the next level. The Fiji Is A Mid Sized Solution For The Active Entertainer The Fiji Blender is not for everyone. But, if you need to sling a lot of drinks fast, you certainly need to consider the Fiji (DM 2000) in your list of candidates. Margaritaville blenders are difficult to compare with off the shelf blenders primarily because the other margarita makers do not have the motor strength to quickly crush and blend ice to the consistency of this restaurant quality machine. This line of margarita makers can deliver when needed.   Read more »

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