Microwave usage tips

- Avoid operating on an empty microwave

- Use round containers instead of rectangular or square ones. This helps in even cooking

- Microwaves perform better (in terms of efficient cooking) in case of flat base containers

- Use few smaller containers instead of one large container for re-heating food

Electricity saving tips - At Home - Washing Machine

- Try to use washing machine only when it is fully loaded

- If clothes are soaked for sometime before washing, then the washing machine can perform same task in somewhat lesser time. This can cut down the detergent cost also.

- If feasible, use sunlight to dry clothes instead of using the dryer

- If you're using semi-automatic washing machine and using spin shower, then ensure that the water pressure is optimally adjusted. Having water supply at full force would only waste more water. In most of the semi-automatic models, if water is falling in wash-tub also along with dryer, then it is actually wastage (unless you plan to re-use that water for next set of clothes)

- Avoid opening lid of the dryer when in use. Actually, when we open the lid & dryer's timer is still on; the electricity is being wasted. The motor is consuming electricity, but the brakes applied by the lid are just holding the dryer from spinning. It would be much better to turn off the timer (or the entire machine)

Electricity saving tips - At home - AC

- You don't really need the AC at 16 degrees throughout the night. Use an appropriate temperature judiciously. Normally a 25-27 degree setting can suffice. 

- Regular service of AC can save lots of energy as well as electricity bill.

- Using appropriate curtains can also help your AC perform faster & more efficiently.

- If buying a new device like AC or refrigerator, look for star rating on the product.

Electricity saving tips - At home - Refrigerator

- Adjust your refrigerator setting as per the requirement. For e.g., during a normal day, you won't really need to have your refrigerator set at minimum temperature. So select a moderate setting. Minimum setting might be applied on the days when you've some guests visiting your home & there may be frequent demand for cool thirst quenchers.

- Keep multiple water bottles in refrigerator. This way, you won't need to refill water bottles frequently. Refilling, then can be done once in a day. For e.g., if I can manage with just three water bottles, I keep five of them; and refill all of them in the night. This way, the electricity needed for cooling water bottles is required only during night; and since at that time the refrigerator is not being operated by anyone; it happens efficiently.

- Don't keep hot or warm food in refrigerator. Allow the food to come to room temperature first. This would help the compressor in efficient cooling & lesser energy consumption.

- Keep sufficient distance between back of your refrigerator & the wall.

- Whenever going out for some days, empty your refrigerator & switch it off. However, you must ensure that absolutely nothing remains in the refrigerator otherwise you will have to deal with whole lot of mess upon returning.

- If you've kids at home, then you would need to be extra vigilant to ensure that the refrigerator door doesn't stay open. Besides, opening the door every now & then would also reduce the performance & increase the power consumption.

Happy Holi - Dry Holi

Holi is just around the corner & Rang Panchami at the next, so here are some things to keep in mind from environment point of view:

- Remeber the need of the hour (& every other hour in the queue): Save water.

- If you can, then go for Dry Holi. Indore has come up with an even better version: Tilak Holi.

- If you must use water, then try to keep the water wastage at a minimum.

- While kids are playing holi, be there to keep a vigil. That is not just important from safety point of view, it will put a little cap on amount of water being waste as well.

- If feasible, then arrange a gathering at some common place for playing Holi. This would significantly reduce the amount of water consumed.

- Go for herbal colours. Amount of water used to get rid of herbal colours is quite less than chemical colours.

- In case you are too reluctant to go out and purchase herbal colours, you can prepare some at home also.

- Apply lots of oil / moisturiser before going out to play colours.

- Wear full sleeve clothes, put on a cap or bandana also.

- If travelling then keep car windows closed.

- Avoid using two wheelers.

Electricity saving Tips - At Office

- Change your laptop's display setting for an optimum brightness; with full brightness the electricity consumption increases, hence the battery drains out quickly & need to recharge it increases. Same thoughts apply to mobile phones as well as your computer's monitor

- Switch off your monitor while leaving workplace

- Similarly, if you're listening to songs on your system, ensure to close the application (or put the currently playing song on pause) if you've to move away from the system for a while. The idea is minimum amount of hardware should be in use (preferably zero), when the user is not around

- If possible, preferably shut down your PC when leaving office

- Instead of keeping your laptop connected to main power supply continuously, do it only when required

- Same concept applies to charging your mobile phones also

- Whenever not using, shut down the PC or laptop; instead of putting it in sleep mode

- If you've to come to office on a holiday, then avoid bringing up the central air conditioning system (if feasible)

- Similarly, on a holiday, switch on the lights of only your area. I've seen people switching the lights on of entire hall, even during daytime

- Instead of using automatic hand dryer or paper towel in washrooms, go traditional - bring and use your own handkerchief

- Avoid lift, use stairs. Good for health also & might reduce medical bills as well :)

Water saving tricks

Well, there are plenty of tricks available; here a few that I found interesting (& use them myself):

- Take 1 or 2 plastic bottles (that are to be thrown as garbage), put cap on them tightly & throw them in flush. That way the amount of water to be used with each flush would reduce significantly. Experiment with no. of bottles suitable for your flush

- Use bucket for bathing instead of shower

- If you must use shower, then use the 3-minute rule: i.e. the shower should be in use for maximum 3 minutes. Water should not be wasted while you're applying soap / shampoo etc. If you feel that 3 minutes is too small duration for you then figure out the minimum time suitable for yourself (but keep in mind, lower the time used, lesser would be the water wasted)

- If you intend to use bathtub, then fill water only upto 1/3rd level

- Keep the taps closed while shaving / brushing your teeth. Open them only when you actually need water

- Don’t throw away the water after washing vegetables & clothes; use it in the garden

- Use washing machine / dishwasher only when they're loaded to full capacity. This would help with your electricity bill also

- Similarly, if you're changing water from your aquarium, use the old water for your plants

- Use bucket for cleaning your vehicle (i.e. don't wash your car/bike using hosepipe). Use body covers for car so that you won't need to wash the car daily

- Go for rain water harvesting or water recharging in your home (very very efficient way of sav
ing water). I know this because I live in a place where water is scarce; and after I got this system installed at my home 3 years back, I haven't faced any water shortage

- Teach kids about the importance of saving water. Kids could be very effective sources of wasting as well as saving water :)

Self Care - Constipation

This has been long pending. Many people have asked me if I've any tips related to constipation. So, here is a small list; compiled from various sources (including grandma's tips).

First, some of the common causes of constipation:
- Irregular eating habits
- Lack of physical exerices
- Inadequate water intake
- Lack of roughage in meals
- Regualr intake of spicy food, junk food
- Mental tension

Now, some techniques to help in constipation:

- Increase your water intake

- Increase roughage in your meals

- Have at least 2 glasses of lukewarm water in the morning; then walk for few minutes

- Soak a teaspoon cumin seeds in water for 10-12 hours; boil the water, strain it & drink (when it becomes lukewarm) in the night before going to bed

- Drinking hot milk with honey in night also helps

- Isabgol husk can also be taken with warm milk / water before bedtime

- Grapes also help in constipation. Alternatively, soak few kishmish (golden raisins) for few hours; later chew them and drink the water in which those were soaked

- Have Amla (Goose Berry) during its season to get rid of constipation