It’s Earth Day. A day created for us to help us to remember that we only get one planet to live on and if we don’t take care of it, we’ll have no place to live.
Many of us are trying to live a more sustainable, eco friendly lifestyle. One of the best places to start making changes is in our kitchens. Here are some tips on reducing your carbon footprint and making your kitchen a little healthier.
- Make sure your fridge is set at 36 – 38 degrees. You will likely need to purchase a refrigerator thermometer to gauge this properly.
- If possible don’t place your fridge close to a stove or sunny window where it will be warmer, causing the compressor to turn on more frequently using more energy.
- Check the seals on your fridge. Place a dollar bill the door and close it. If you can slide the bill out easily, the seal may be too loose, letting cool air leak out. Clean them regularly with vinegar to cut down on the gunk and replace them if needed.
- Pull out your fridge and vacuum your refrigerator coils. The more dust that sits on the coils, the less efficient it is at cooling. Use a brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to clean it.
- Keep your fridge 3/4 full to help it operate at maximum efficiency. Any more full and air can’t circulate well. But if your fridge is half empty, it has to work harder to cool.
- The next time you buy a fridge, make sure it’s Energy Star certified. Look for the yellow sticker on the model you want when you go shopping. And the less popular style of refrigerator that has the freezer in a drawer on the bottom is 10-25% more efficient than side by sides.
- Use glass to store leftovers. Not only will you avoid nasty chemicals like BPA, plus glass also gets colder – helping your fridge conserve energy.
- Another way to reduce energy usage is to eat more raw foods.
