Save Money While You Do Your Spring Cleaning

Now is the time we start to tackle those household projects that we kept putting off during the winter. Its Spring Cleaning time! While you're dusting, repainting and sprucing up the house, why not follow these easy tips at the same time. You'll incrementally help the environment while making your home more livable.

-- Dust your electronics (TV, CD/DVD player, computer) then unplug them when not in use. Your electronics still pull electricity even when turned off.

-- Wash and Dry full loads of clothes with cold water.

-- After you clean the tub and shower curtain/door, install flow restriction shower heads and faucets.

-- Flush out water heater sediment and set the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees. Better yet, replace your tank water heater with a tankless water heater.

-- Vacuum the refrigerator's coils

-- Trim the shrubs around the air conditioner unit, then call a certified technician to give your HVAC a tune up.

-- Clean or replace the HVAC filter. Set the thermostat to 75 degrees when you're home and 85 when no one is home.

-- Dust the curtains and blinds, then during the hot summer days, close south facing blinds and curtains.

-- Dust light bulbs and shades and more light will come through. Think about replacing incandescent bulbs with compact florescent lamps or start looking into LEDs.