Cleaning for Energy Savings

With the warm weather finally arriving, many people are doing their spring cleaning.  This can involve washing windows, waxing wood, or scrubbing light fixtures. Given these activities require time in nearly every room of the house, it is a great opportunity to do something to save energy and money while taking care of other chores.     

Put these items on your To-Do List:

• Check and clean air conditioning filters monthly and replace as needed.
• Inspect and/or install weather stripping on all doors and windows
• Inspect the windows when you clean them - Repair broken or cracked glass and putty older windows; check to see that windows close properly and window locks pull sashes together.
• Washing the doors, Make sure they close properly; repair or replace
  non-working doorknobs, latches and striker plates.
• If you have a fireplace, be sure it is fitted with a tight sealing damper and
  close it as it won’t be in use the next six months.  (If the fireplace is used very infrequently, use a chimney block to eliminate heat/cooling loss)
• Clean the air ducts now if you didn’t when winter was beginning.
• Clean ceiling fans and reverse them to move air downward for cooling.
• Note about the Refrigerator: Many claim that cleaning the coils saves energy, while other sources are skeptical. Cleaning is always a good maintenance practice but for energy purposes, check the temperature setting when you clean: 36° F and 42° F for the fridge and  5° F and +6° F for the freezer.

As you clean, chose cleaning products that are safe for the environment; for
suggestions, visit www.willcountygreen.com.  There is a page on under the Green Guide tab, called Cleaning Alternatives that offers a list of ingredients to avoid and alternative suggestions for nearly every cleaning job. 

If you find there are products you no longer need, remember the next Household
Hazardous Waste and Electronics Collection offered by Will County will be in
Crete on Saturday, April 27. Please tell your neighbors, friends, and
co-workers!