eh2ed #11

COOL IT.

no, really. this is an answer to the question posed by the loverly leanne--how do I "green" my fridge?

these nice people have some suggestions you can read too, but here are the quick-and-easy suggestions

1. check your settings. your fridge should be ~36-39 degrees (food begins to spoil above 40) and your freezer should be at 0-5. (Fahrenheit, folks) Anything cooler and your fridge is working too hard. this may require buying a fridge thermometer, and you may need to check the settings if you ever lose power. manufacturer's settings are often quite a bit lower.

2. unless you absolutely must, DON'T stand in front of the fridge with the door open. Know what you want, go in, get it, shut the door. You waste oodles of energy standing there perusing. [you are SO right, Christal. :) ]

3. keep your fridge and freezer reasonably full. think: 2/3-3/4 full, not packed in like sardines. having cool items filling the space means the fridge doesn't have to work as hard. I mean, think about when you buy your beer cold and stick it in a cooler--the ice lasts longer, right? Same diff.

4. make sure your fridge isn't in front of a "hot spot." if it sits in the sunshine all day, close the shades in front of it--the cooler it is the easier it stays cool. if it's near an oven or dishwasher, try to direct the heat from those appliances away from your fridge if you can. and keep the coils clean, too.

5. and while you're at it, think about what you're actually putting in your fridge. use eco-friendly cleaners inside of it (bleach residue in your food? EW!) and remember that all those non-organic bits of produce are adding some serious chemical residue to it too.