How Bad Is It...

 

...to leave a charger plugged in when you aren't using it?

I am notorious for doing this. Along with the majority of you I'm sure. But I learned in HGTV magazine, that while it's not a fire or safety hazard to leave your cell phone, laptop or camera charger plugged in, it is a pretty big no no.

So what's the big deal? Count the number of chargers you have in your home. We have an iPad charger, a iPhone charger, and the Bose speaker charger all in the kitchen, We have a laptop charger on the desk and another in my husband's office. We have two iPhone chargers in our bedroom. That's seven chargers in a house with NO kids that have their own devices. Having just those devices plugged in 24/7 adds an extra $25 to my annual electric bill. Not a bank breaker but every dollar should count if you're being smart with your money.

Now consider that there are 130 million homes in the US. According to Paul Scheckel, author of The Homeowner's Energy Handbook, if each one of those houses has 10 chargers, we're collectively wasting billions of watts each year. It takes dozens of power plants spewing out smoke and emitting potentially harmful waste to produce that kind of energy.

Moral of the story: Although it may be a slight inconvenience, unplug your cord every time you are done powering up your device. If that's just too much of a hassle, invest in a power strip that you can quickly switch off whenever you don't need your charger.

How bad is it?

...to unpack your suitcase on your bed?

A: Super bad!!

I get on my husband about this all the time. Grosses me out. Think about all the surfaces those wheels have rolled across. I don't even want to think about what we brought back from the streets of San Fran last week.  Ew. Why is it so bad you wonder? The dirt and grime they pick can easily rub off on your linens. If that's not gross enough, your bag could be harboring the most unwanted guests ever: bedbugs. And if you haven't read my post on bed bugs, you may want to educate yourself now by clicking HERE.

Bottom line - never place your suitcase on a soft surface like a bed or a chair where bugs can scurry under the cushions or sheets. They multiple quickly so keep the suitcase far from the closet too where they can latch onto other clothes.

Best place to unpack is in the garage but that's extremely inconvenient. The next best - a hard surface like the floor in the bathroom or the laundry room. If you do find bugs, have it professionally treated immediately.

How bad is it...

...to reuse a plastic food baggie?

A: Really bad.

Grandma may have done it, but that doesn't make it ok. Even if you rinse it out before reusing it, the bag can still contain bacteria from food and your hands.

"Everytime you reach in, you leave behind germs," says Joan Saige Blake, R.D., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "And once inside the bag, those germs can multiply to levels that could make you sick."

Putting baggies in the dishwasher won't cut it either, since this kind of plastic isn't made to withstand high heat.