Yankee Home Improvement - May 2018

HAND-WASHING VS. DISHWASHER ARE YOU WASTING WATER, TIME, AND MONEY?

We’ve all walked into our kitchens, looked at the dishes stacked high in the sink, and asked, “Is it better to throw those in the dishwasher or wash them by

Dishwashers heat water to around 145 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure your dishes are disinfected. Even if the water from your sink could get that hot, you wouldn’t want to stick your hand in it. Which brings us to the science experiment that is your kitchen sponge. Dr. Philip Tierno, a clinical professor in the microbiology and pathology departments at NYU Langone, determined that your kitchen sponge is the single dirtiest item in your house. Soap and water aren’t enough to sanitize your sponge, which is left damp next to your sink after each use. Have you ever noticed that stagnant sponge smell? That’s bacteria growing. And when you wash your dishes by hand, you rub that bacteria all over your plates and silverware. Yum. If you have just a single plate or cup, you obviously don’t want to run them through the dishwasher alone; that would be incredibly wasteful. But the drawbacks of washing by hand are too great to ignore. The best option is to wait until your dishwasher is full, then start up the washing cycle. All your dishes will be clean and disinfected, and you’ll use less water in the process. THE RIGHT DOOR MAKES YOUR HOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT. Older doors, especially wooden ones, become warped with time to the point where no amount of weatherstripping can keep air from slipping through the cracks. In the winter, your heater runs overtime as warm inside air is constantly being sucked out the old front door. And come summer, you’re probably wondering why your house is still hot, even after having the A/C run all day. Installing a new door can tightly seal your entryway, keeping your home well-insulated and saving you a few bucks on energy costs. THE RIGHT DOOR WILL PROTECT YOUR FAMILY. A study from Consumer Report found most home invaders get in not by breaking a window, but by kicking in the front door. Now, unless your door happens to be hollow or held together with duct tape, the door itself won’t likely break. Most doors fail because the door jamb near the lock’s strike plate was slit open. For this reason, your new door needs to have a 1-inch-long deadbolt, a reinforced metal box strike, and three- inch-long mounting screws to beef up the door’s kick-in resistance. At Yankee Home Improvement, we know your front door serves many purposes, and we can help you find the right style to fit your home’s needs. Give us a call at (413) 320-4994, or visit yankeehomeimprovement.com/doors to get a free estimate on your perfect door today. soon, being greeted by a beautiful door when you return home can be nice, and there are other perks you’ll enjoy in the long run.

hand?” The dishwasher would certainly save you some time, but many people believe that washing dishes by hand uses less water and electricity. In reality, however, washing your dishes by hand is one of the worst things you can do for both the planet and your wallet. Dishwashers use less water than washing by hand. A study conducted in Europe found that individuals who wash dishes by hand tend to use 27 gallons of water to clean just 12 place settings. Meanwhile, modern dishwashers only use 6 gallons of water, and Energy Star appliances use as little as 4 gallons during their wash cycle. The Environmental Protection Agency determined that using a dishwasher instead of washing by hand can save 5,000 gallons of water and $40 in utility costs a year.

It’s not just about water! Unless you have incredibly thick dishwashing gloves, you can’t properly clean your dishes by hand.

There’s one part of your home everyone in the family uses every day: the front door. How many times is your door opened and closed throughout the day? After years of constant use, even the best doors break down. Unfortunately, few people stop to consider the state of their door unless there’s a serious problem. Here are three reasons you should think about upgrading your front door. THE RIGHT DOOR CAN INCREASE YOUR PROPERTY VALUE AND CURB APPEAL. While guests certainly see your lawn, it’s the door that they get a close-up view of, and a beautiful new door can really influence prospective buyers. Business Insider estimates homeowners see an ROI of 129 percent when they invest in a new front door. Even if you don’t plan on selling your home anytime

KNOCK KNOCK 3 REASONS YOU CAN’T IGNORE

YOUR DOOR

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