Tag: Home Care

Household Products Database

Assortment of means for cleaning isolated

What’s under your kitchen sink, in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room? The Household Products Database is an online resource from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and it will help you learn more about what’s in these products, about potential health effects, and about safety and handling. The Database can be accessed at: https://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/

By:  Nora Rhoades

Household Products Database

What’s under your kitchen sink, in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room? The Household Products Database is an online resource from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and it will help you learn more about what’s in these products, about potential health effects, and about safety and handling. The Database can be accessed at: https://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/

By:  Nora Rhoades

Test Your Home for Radon

Winter is an ideal time for Kansas residents to test their homes for indoor radon gas concentrations, either for the first time or to make sure an installed radon mitigation system is adequately controlling indoor radon levels. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends actively reducing radon levels in homes when they are confirmed at or above 4 picocuries of radon per liter of air (pCi/L).

Radon is a natural, tasteless, odorless, colorless, radioactive gas produced from the decay of uranium found in nearly all soils. Radon gas moves from the ground under and around your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Current data indicates that one in four houses in Kansas may have elevated levels. In some counties this rate may be higher.

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. Given the increased potential for lung cancer the radon hazard brings, Kansans should be asking themselves, “Have we tested our home for radon yet?”

Visit the Post Rock District’s website, http://www.postrock.k-state.edu/home-family/home-care/, to access radon information and resources. You can purchase a low-cost radon test kit from any Post Rock District Office.

By:  Nora Rhoades

 

Is Clutter a Problem?

Do you say, “This house is a mess” more than three times a week? Do you… move something every time you want to sit down? have piles of paper all over the house? have closets and drawers that are brimming? spend lots of time looking for things? Do you frequently hear family member say, “I can’t find it”? Do you tire of being the family’s chief picker-upper? Does this sound like you? If so, it is time to take control of the clutter at your house. Checkout the K-State Research and Extension resource to help you Cut the Clutter and Get Organized.

By: Nora Rhoades

12 Tips to Save Energy Dollars

Saving energy and money go hand-in-hand. The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) has identified 12 simple ways consumers can save both. For more energy saving information, visit energysaver.gov or energystar.gov.

  • Air Dry – Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle.
  • Turn It Off – Use timers and motion detectors to turn off lights. Unplug TV entertainment systems when travelling (use power strips for easy on/off switching), and don’t leave your computer and monitor on needlessly.
  • Don’t Get Burned with Hot Water – Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120F. Water heaters are the second highest source of home energy use.
  • Fill It Up, Please – Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
  • Keep ‘Em Clean – Check furnace, heat pump, and AC filters once a month, replace regularly. Dirty filters can increase energy costs and damage equipment.
  • Get a Check Up – Get your heating system checked once a year. A licensed professional will make sure that your system is operating efficiently and safely.
  • Stop the Breeze – Caulk and weather-strip around drafty doors and windows.
  • Get an Audit – Your utility company may offer free energy audits that can identify expensive energy losses in your basement, unfinished rooms, attics and leaky ductwork. Sealing your ducts can give big savings on energy bills.
  • Take a Walk – Circle your home with an easy-to-use spray foam insulation. Look for openings and gaps around pipes, chimneys, lights, windows, and brick and cement work.
  • Get with the Program – Install a programmable thermostat which automatically adjusts the temperature during the day or at night, keeping you from forgetting as you dash off to work. This can save you up to $100 a year.
  • Stay Bright – As “old-school” incandescent light bulbs burn out, replace them with new, light emitting diode bulbs (LEDs) and save about $90 a year in electricity costs. You pay more up-front, but shop around, prices are dropping. They use up to 25% less energy and can last up to twelve times longer.
  • Be a Star – Look for products and appliances that have earned the ENERGY STAR label. They meet strict new energy efficiency criteria that will reduce your utility bills and help the environment. For example, an ENERGY STAR clothes washer uses about 40% less water and 25% less energy than standard models.

By:  Nora Rhoades

Stain Removal

Nora Rhoades Family and Youth Development Agent nrhoades@ksu.edu
Nora Rhoades
Family and Youth
Development Agent
nrhoades@ksu.edu

Do you have a stain you are struggling to remove? Check out these resources for recommended stain removal strategies.

By:  Nora Rhoades