Do Just One Thing

Here's an easy way to reuse plastic bubble wrap to help save energy at home: Use it in your freezer. Since bubble wrap has pockets of air that help insulate, wrapping items that need to stay frozen helps them stay ice-cold easier, especially if you open the freezer door regularly. Consider wrapping containers of ice cream and frozen meats in bubble wrap, and even laying sheets of it on the freezer shelves. Every time you open the freezer door, the bubble wrap helps keep the food frozen longer, so your freezer doesn't have to work as hard to keep temperatures low. You can also use it in the refrigerator to line shelves that hold beverages to help them keep their chill.

Many homes have their own septic tank, and it's critical to have it regularly maintained. Have it inspected every two to three years, depending on usage. Your septic inspection will show any leaks, cracks or potential problems that can be addressed before a future total breakage or failure. Failing septic tanks aren't just costly to repair, they can also leak pollutants into our waterways, which leads to groundwater contamination. One way to keep your septic tank happy is to never toss items like dental floss, diapers, cigarette butts, paper towels, paint and harmful chemicals down the drain. They can all cause clogs, erosion and other problems.

You may separate your whites from colors when you wash your clothes, but when it comes to drying them, separate according to weight. By drying heavy clothes like jeans, sweaters and thick flannel shirts separately from light fabrics like T-shirts and undergarments, you will be using the least amount of energy. Start by drying a load of light fabrics first; they will dry quickly and warm up the inside of the dryer. Then add the heavier items for a second load. The residual heat from the first load will help speed up that drying process. Since modern dryers have moisture sensors, it will automatically and accurately turn off when the batch of clothes are truly dry and ready to be removed.