Sydney Henderson - AHAM Consumer Blog

Shopping Ideas to Fight Indoor Air Pollutants

When planning to do your holiday shopping – both for gifts and for decorations, it’s important to consider any allergy sufferers on your list. That’s because many allergens associated with yuletide can quickly turn celebrations into sneezin’ season.

Before you deck the halls with decorations, remember this: artificial trees and ornaments tend to build up with dust and mold that can result in allergic reactions. Fortunately, a portable CADR-certified (cealn air delivery rate) air cleaner can help remove dust and other allergens from the air.

It is also important to clean your ornaments before putting them onto your tree and to store them properly when the time comes to pack them back up.

Live evergreen trees brought into the home may be carrying mold or pollen from ragweed and/or other plants on them. Before you bring the tree inside, use a leaf blower to remove the concentration of pollens from the branches. Finally, wipe the trunk with a diluted bleach solution to help remove any mold.

Meanwhile, the following holiday shopping list can help you meet the needs of allergy and asthma sufferers.

Allergy and Asthma Gift List

A CADR-certified portable air cleaner
A dehumidifier
Replacement air filters for heating, cooling and air cleaning systems
My House is Killing Me, a book by Jeffrey C. May
A subscription to allergy publications, such as Coping with Allergies and Allergy and Asthma Health
Pet shampoos with dander sealing capapbilities
Micro-lined, two-ply vacuum cleaner bags that are designed to prevent dust from blowing back into the air
Hypoallergenic mattress and pillow covers
Allergen carpet treatment
Hypoallergenic laundry detergent formulated to fight dust and other allergens

For more information on certified room air cleaners, visit www.ahamverifide.org.

Appliances Need Routine Maintenance, Too

Appliances, even small ones, are an investment and need to be properly maintained just like an automobile. Failure to do so can shorten the lifespan of the appliance and it can become a serious safety issue.

According to a recent article on FoxNews.com, coffee machines should be cleaned regularly. “’It’s just like a car. Just because you have a $100,000 Mercedes doesn’t mean you don’t have to change the oil and check the brakes and tires,’ says Scott Kopin, president of the National Appliance Service Association. For espresso machines, Kopin recommends for daily use, clean out all removable parts every day and run a plain-water rinse cycle (e.g., without coffee) to push hot water through all the valves to flush out residue.??

Additionally, it is important to remember to properly maintain your clothes dryer to maintain performance and enhance safety. AHAM recommends the following:

Be sure you can feel air flowing out of the vent to the outdoors when the air is on
Inspect the venting system behind the dryer and replace any pieces that are damaged or crushed
Clean the lint filter after each load
Periodically clean the back of the dyer where lint can be trapped

These tips and others can be found in AHAM’s clothes dryer safety brochure, which you may order by clicking here. There is no charge for orders of less than 250 copies, and a nominal shipping charge for larger orders.

AHAM to Educate Utility Community on Smart Appliances at EPRI Conference

On December 1, AHAM’s Kevin Messner, Vice President, Policy & Government Relations, will participate along with several representatives from the utility industry in a panel discussion on the Smart Grid and smart appliances at an Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) workshop on demand-response (DR) ready technologies being held at AEP, a major utility, in Columbus, OH.

The goals of the workshop are to:

Understand diverse stakeholder perspectives
Define consensus Demand Response-ready attributes
Envision the roadmap for market availability of Demand Response-ready products

Mr. Messner will discuss how the home appliance industry is developing “smart?? technology that will revolutionize the way we think about doing laundry, washing dishes and keeping our food refrigerated, and how manufacturers are working closer with the utility companies to bring these devices into your home.

Thanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips

Thanksgiving dinner is the most anticipated meal of the year for Americans and an ideal opportunity for cooks to show off their culinary expertise. However, Thanksgiving is also considered the peak day for preventable cooking fires.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking fires are the top cause of home fires and are three times as likely to occur on Thanksgiving Day compared to any other day of the year. Americans will roast, bake, brine, grill and even deep fry more than 45 million turkeys on November 24.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) offer these simple cooking safety tips to help keep you safe in the kitchen, regardless of your cooking style!

Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended. If you must leave the kitchen briefly, carry an oven mitt with you as a reminder that something is cooking.

Do not try to hold your child in one arm while cooking with the other. Holding a child while cooking is an invitation for a burn. Keep the cooking area clear of clutter and keep your child out of the kitchen while you’re cooking.

Keep your range top free of clutter. Don’t overload a range top with too many pots and pans. Trying to cook all dishes at once could cause grease to accidentally spill onto a range top and cause a fire. Only cook with as many pots and pans as there are burners. Also, never use the oven cavity for storage.

Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it. Make sure the fire extinguisher is rated for grease fires and electrical fires and read the directions carefully. The acronym P.A.S.S. can help make sure you use it properly.
- Pull the pin; Aim the spray nozzle low at the base of the fire; Squeeze the nozzle to spray the contents; Sweep back and forth as you spray the base of the fire.

Keep smoke alarms connected while cooking. It can be tempting to disable smoke detectors, especially if they are triggered easily. However, smoke alarms can save lives. Make sure smoke alarms are installed and working.

Never put a glass casserole or lid on the stove or over a burner. If the glass gets hot and explodes, it will send shards of glass in all directions, which can result in severe injury.

Be extremely cautious if using a turkey fryer. Turkey fryers are not safety-certify because they pose a number of distinct safety concerns, including burn and fire hazards. If you do decide to use a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving, be extremely cautious and read all the safety tips on www.ul.com/consumers.

Visit the CPSC’s Twitter page for more tips on holiday safety at http://twitter.com/OnSafety

Follow These Portable Heater Safety Tips During Winter Months

As the weather cools, many families turn to portable heaters to warm their bedrooms and living rooms. When used properly, these heaters do a great job at providing warmth. However, each year a number of unnecessary fires occur because the heater’s instructions were not properly followed. For example, according to this recent news story, the Phoenix Fire Department responds to up to 40 house fires each winter caused by portable heaters.

To keep you safe and warm, AHAM recommends the following safety tips:

Read the manufacturer’s instructions and warning labels before using your portable electric heater.
DO NOT leave operating heater unattended and always unplug heater when not in use.
DO NOT use your heater with a power strip or extension cord. Overheating of a power strip or extension cord could result in a fire.
String out cords on top of area rugs or carpeting. Placing anything, including furniture, on top of the cord may damage it.
Keep combustible materials, such as furniture, pillows, bedding, papers, clothes and curtains at least three feet from the front of the heater and away from the sides and rear. DO NOT block heater’s air intake or exhaust source.

To view more safety tips, visit AHAM’s Heater Safety website. Additionally, you may order copies of AHAM’s Portable Electric Heater Safety brochure by clicking here. Copies are available in both English and Spanish. AHAM also has a variety of other fire safety brochures, including clothes dryer safety and Recipe for Safe Cooking. There is no shipping charge for orders of 250 or less. A nominal shipping fee is charged for larger orders.

Washers and Dryers: Now More Energy Efficient and with More Options

One hundred years ago, doing the laundry was an all-day affair and it often was back-breaking work for those who had to do it. As technology advanced, manufacturers designed washers and dryers that took much of the sweat out of wash day and left people with a lot more time to do other things. More recently, washers and dryers have gone “high-tech?? and are far more energy efficient than they were 20 years ago.

As this recent Washington Post article points out, washers and dryers have became the “trophy appliances?? for many Americans: “By 2000, the power laundry room had joined the kitchen as another place for trophy appliances. Consumers who needed to replace old washers embraced the innovations, despite the higher price, realizing long-term savings from lower utility and water bills, better cleaning and improved fabric care. The streamlined washing machines had growing numbers of special cycles and options. You could buy a coordinating dryer that used moisture sensors to dry clothes that came out already less wet from HE washers.?? Furthermore, manufacturers are developing “smart?? washers and dryers that could be connected to the Smart Grid and communicate with the utility company to operate during off-peak hours.

By purchasing an ENERGY STAR washer, you could save over $135 per year on your utility bills. In fact, in 1990, the average consumption for a washer was 2.67 kilowatt hours (kWh) per cycle and one manufactured in 2010 consumes only .66 kWh per cycle – a 75 percent decrease! Click here to find ENERGY STAR qualified washers. Additionally, you may be eligible for a rebate for an energy efficient model.

Know when to use a Microwave or Conventional Oven: A message from the USDA’s “Cook it Safe” Campaign

Busy parents appreciate how hectic the after-five routine can be, especially when hungry mouths are staring at you and wondering when dinner will be served. Many Americans’ freezers are stocked with trusted meals sure to put a smile on any kid’s face. While the shortest distance between the freezer and the table may be the microwave oven, not all frozen foods can be cooked in the microwave. The package instructions specify which type of appliance will cook your family’s favorite frozen meal safely and deliciously.

The USDA and partners have just kicked off the “Cook It Safe?? campaign, urges consumers to take the time to read package instructions and properly cook pre-packaged meals, whether or not they are microwaveable. Prevent foodborne illness due to undercooking frozen or other pre-packaged meals with these four simple tips:

1.) Read and follow all of the package cooking instructions

2.) Know When to Use a Microwave or Conventional Oven

3.) Know Your Microwave Wattage before Microwaving Food

4.) Always Use a Food Thermometer to Ensure a Safe Internal Temperature

It is important to use the cooking appliance that the manufacturer recommends on the food package instructions, whether the instructions call for cooking in a conventional oven, convection oven, toaster oven, or microwave. Package cooking instructions are calibrated for a specific type of appliance and may not be applicable to all ovens. Some frozen foods may appear to be fully cooked but actually consist of raw, uncooked product, and it may be tempting to cook these foods quickly in a microwave, they must be cooked according to manufacturer’s instructions.

After cooking in any type of appliance, always use a food thermometer to be sure the product has reached the recommended safe temperature to help prevent any risk of foodborne illness.

The USDA has created a several fun videos demonstrating these tips. Check back at the International Food Information Council’s blog and @IFICMedia on Twitter for more information on health, nutrition and food safety.

New Appliances Now More Efficient Than Ever

For most consumers, when it comes to replacing appliances, one of their primary concerns is how much it will cost to operate them. Over the past several decades, appliance manufacturers have developed technologies that have drastically reduced appliance energy consumption, which has resulted in lower electricity bills for consumers. For example, in 1991, an average dishwasher consumed 2.67 kilowatt hours (kWh) per cycle and in 2010, the average consumption for a dishwasher is 1.37 kWh – a 45 percent decrease. In 1990, a typical household refrigerator consumed 916 kWh per year, and by 2010 that had decreased to 462 kWh per year – that’s nearly a 50 percent decrease! Based on the national average electricity prices, that means replacing a refrigerator from 1990 with a new unit of average efficiency will save your household over $100 per year!

Purchasing an ENERGY STAR unit will save even more energy and utility costs. Use the ENERGY STAR calculator to determine how much money you will save by replacing your refrigerator. Also, look at the rebate calculator to see what is available in your zip code. These rebates can help offset the initial purchase price of a new unit. There may even be a bounty available in your area for turning in an older working unit. See AHAM’s database of verified refrigerators to check on the energy usage of the latest models.

A recent article from NewJersey.com provides a good overview of the ENERGY STAR program and how you can cut your utility bills when you make your next appliance purchase.

AHAM PARTICIPATES IN U.S.-CHINA CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY SUMMIT

WASHINGTON, DC (October 13, 2011) — Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) President Joseph M. McGuire will participate in the 4th biennial United States-China Consumer Product Safety Summit being held in Washington, DC, October 13-14, 2011. The Summit is being held in partnership with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ).

McGuire will participate in a panel discussion titled “Global Best Practices in Product Design?? on Thursday, October 13 along with Mr. Mark Kumagai, Director of Electrical Engineering, CPSC; and Ms. Kitty Pilarz, Senior Director, Mattel Product Safety, Fisher-Price.

McGuire’s presentation will stress that, “AHAM members are continually working to improve their products and processes. Their focus on product safety is ongoing, ingrained and evolving. Through AHAM, the manufacturers work together to improve safety standards to ensure they keep pace with technology, consumer trends and innovation.??

The Summit focuses on Building a Culture of Consumer Product Safety in China, and will include keynote addresses from the U.S. CPSC’s Chairman Inez Tenenbaum and China’s AQSIQ’s, Vice Minister Sun Dawei.

More information about the Summit can be found here. It is also being streamed live and may be viewed here. The “Global Best Practices in Product Design?? panel will begin at 2:00 pm, Eastern. For more information, contact Jill Notini at (202) 872-5955 ext. 318.

AHAM’s Latest Energy Data Released

AHAM has just released the 2010 update to its Trends in Energy Efficiency. This data details industry average capacity, energy efficiency and consumption trends in clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers and room air conditioners from 1990-2010. It also provides an initial data point from 1980. This PDF trends table may be purchased and downloaded by clicking here. The data shows that Refrigerators shipped in 2010, offered a 10 percent decrease in the industry’s average energy consumption. Energy efficiency increases for other products are contained in this new data release.

AHAM also offers Major Appliance Historical Trends, which provides data includes imports, exports and domestically produced units; History of Dollar Value Report provides estimated annual Major Home Appliance Industry Domestic Dollar Sales; and Distributor Sales by State data including a listing of Major Appliance shipments by product distributed to each state. Visit AHAM’s store here.

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