20 ways to REALLY reduce your summer utility bills

Not sure about hand washing rather than dishwasher. I use my dishwasher with a couple of caveats:  1) I don't rinse. That's right. DON'T rinse.  A few things get left in the sink for awhile and get rinsed second-hand when we wash our hands, etc. but otherwise goes right in.  2) Stuff it full. I work pretty hard to shuffle things around, use the sides creatively, prop up a big mixing bowl with small plates under it. I have things squeezed into every crevice. And yes, it comes out clean. This is not a special dishwasher; I've always done this with every one I've owned. One thing to keep in mind is that a dishwasher sometimes needs to be cleaned out. That drain thingy in the bottom might occasionally need to be removed and wiped free of debris.

Increasing thermal mass is interesting. Doesn't work here in the south. More stuff means more places for the the mildew to hide. I'm looking at you, closets! We do open windows all night with a box fan venting out, then close in the morning. But when hot wet summer actually hits hard, we turn on the mini split. Also, we learned the hard way that our mini-split works better when it is on before the house gets too hot. Wait too long and it just can't catch up.

If you have an old toilet ( manufactured before 1992) buy a new one as the standard changed that year to max 1.6 gallons per flush, rather than the older 3 or more gallons per flush. Even better get a Water Sense one, max 1.28 gallons per flush.

Sandy

Mike Harari wrote:

Cara, do you deal with any mold issues due to humidity? My father in law was raised in Miami with no AC, but their house was made completely of concrete block (interior walls as well).

Mike, sorry I missed this question before. Sometimes in the summer, if it's particularly rainy, we do get a "bloom"  of something-mildew? on our antique furniture, and I admit that fabric stored away in closets and not used  for a long while, will get musty smelling, but people with AC often have mold growing within the system, and leaks of which they're unaware until too late.
I figure I can wipe off the bloom and just wash and hang, or if not too musty, simply hang the  material in the sun and the smell goes away. Every climate has its challenges!