🧺 Avoiding costs

The washing machine's filter

Most washing machines have a small hatch at the front, usually in a bottom corner. Behind it sits a hose to drain excess water, and a filter you can unscrew. The filter catches lint, buttons and whatever was left in pockets. Clean it at least once a year — a clogged filter makes the machine run longer and use more electricity, and it's often the reason clothes smell bad even straight out of the wash.

The dryer's filters

Most tumble dryers have a lint filter that should be emptied after every load, and many have more filters around the heat exchanger. When lint piles up, the dryer has to run much longer to dry the same load. That drives the electricity bill up, and eventually the machine can break. Lint is also very flammable, so this filter is worth the minute it takes to empty.

Furniture against cold walls

If your sofa or bed sits right against an exterior wall, mold can form behind it over time. Then you may end up replacing the bed and fixing the wall. A gap of a few centimeters lets the air circulate, and the problem disappears.

Ice in the freezer

Thick ice in the freezer forces it to work harder to stay cold, and the power draw climbs. Defrost it once the ice is about five millimeters thick.