AHAM's Blog

Follow These Tips for an Organized Refrigerator

Keeping a clean and organized refrigerator can be a lot harder than it seems, especially if there are several people living under the same roof, with each person having their own foods, drinks, condiments and leftovers.

Here are some tips found in a recent article from Fox News:

• Clean out your fridge before going to the grocery store. Amy Brady, a professional organizer from TheClutterConsultants.com suggests moving items with closer expiration dates towards the front and later expiration dates towards the back ... just like a grocery store!

• Use the refrigerator the way it was intended. Refrigerators were designed to keep food fresh in specific areas. “Deli meat and cheeses should be stored in the meat/deli tray because that's usually the coldest spot in your refrigerator,” Kuper points out. “Vegetables should be stored in the crisper drawer because it's designed to seal tightly to keep in humidity. The door of your refrigerator is best for storing jarred foods that can withstand frequent exposure to room temperature air.”

• Assess the situation. “Start with the top and work your way down,” says Donna Smallin Kuper, author of How to Declutter and Make Money Now. “Be sure to open and unwrap everything to see what you have. Check expiration dates and throw out anything that is clearly bad or questionable.”

• Turntables. Brady and Kuper are both fans of storing things like condiments, leftovers, or large drink containers on Lazy Susans, or turntables. They make things easier to find and prevent them from getting shoved or lost in the back of the fridge.

For more tips on how to keep your refrigerator organized, click here to read the rest of the article. What are some of your tips? Tell us!

New Study Finds Air Conditioning Has Reduced Premature Deaths By 80 percent Since 1960

Anyone who has experienced summer without air conditioning knows how uncomfortable it can be, and many of us have probably heard stories from our parents and grandparents about how difficult life was when few people – if anyone – had the luxury of cooled air. However, according to a new study, life before air conditioning became commonplace was also deadlier.

The Washington Post has an interesting article highlighting a new study conducted jointly by Tulane University, Carnegie Mellon University, the National Bureau of Economic Research and MIT analyzed U.S. heat-related deaths between 1900 and 2004, and found that after 1960 (before which air conditioning was not commonplace), there were on average 600 premature deaths each year on days in which temperatures rose above 90 degrees – one-sixth as many as would have occurred under pre-1960 conditions. By 2004, 85 percent of American homes had air conditioning.

According to the Washington Post:

            “It’s all due to air conditioning,” said MIT environmental economics professor Michael   Greenstone, one of the paper’s co-authors, adding that factors including increased          electrification and health-care access did not affect heat-related mortality.

                The likelihood of a premature death on an extremely hot day between 1929 and 1959 was          2.5 percent, the academics found, dropping to less than 0.5 percent after 1960. The paper,           which is under review at an academic journal, compared days on which temperatures                exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit with days when they ranged between 60 and 69 degrees        Fahrenheit.

The article goes on to discuss that in developing countries, such as India, very few people have air conditioning and as more people enter the middle class, they will be able to afford air conditioning.

In the article, Indian Institute of Technology professor Ambuj Sagar, states, “To me, if there is any policy relevance of this study, it is that the developing countries, in their drive for a comfortable life (which will also help adapt to hotter temperatures) are following the same pathway that their industrialized-country counterparts because they don’t have any other pathway available.”

As more continue to enjoy the benefits of air conditioning, there will be continued focus on energy efficiency, which manufacturers of portable room air conditioners have worked on diligently over the years. For example, in 1990, the average room air conditioner consumed 862 KWH/Hr and by 2011 that had decreased to 644 KWH/Hr – over a 25 percent reduction! Additional information on the increased efficiency of home appliances can be found in AHAM’s Trends in Energy Efficiency.

McGuire: Engaging Volunteers Ensures Success

In the January edition of ASAE’s magazine Associations Now, AHAM President and ASAE Board of Directors Chair Joe McGuire discusses the importance of volunteer leadership in his column titled “From Where I Sit: Engaging Leaders.”

McGuire writes, “In my organization, I always judge the success of a Committee or Board meeting by the amount and depth of volunteer discussion during the meeting. If volunteers are engaged, this very likely means the agenda topics are succinctly briefed, relevant, and important to the volunteers.”

He notes that a recent example of this collaboration occurred in November when the ASAE board and volunteer leadership team focused its attention on two important issues: mobile communications and the impact of tax reform on tax-exempt organizations that is being debated by Congress.

Read more in the linked column.

Staying Ahead of the Curve with Sustainability

In the November issue of Appliance Design Magazine, AHAM President Joe McGuire pens a column titled, “Ahead of the Curve: Sustainability Standard,” highlighting the first sustainability standard for refrigeration products (7001/CSA SPE 7001/UL 7001-2012) that AHAM and its partners, CSA Standards and UL Environment released in June.

McGuire notes, “The standards are credible and compatible with government and retailer initiatives. In fact, in September AHAM presented its Sustainability program to many leading industry retailers at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) sustainability conference. The reaction was very positive and our work is respected; but it is also clear that AHAM is ahead of the curve with these standards.”

Additionally, he states that AHAM will expand its sustainability program: “Working with testing agencies as partners, AHAM will extend its sustainability brand to the marketplace. AHAM’s program will support companies who wish to have third-party certification to the AHAM/UL/CSA standards. The common rating scale will ensure all appliances certified under the AHAM program are rated uniformly and to the same scale and will offer levels of achievement for those that wish to tout their product’s environmental profile.”

Click here to read the full column.

Breathing Clean Air Made Easier with a Room Air Cleaner

An article in the Dec. 10^th edition of the New York Times, titled “Want to Live Longer? Breath Clean Air,” highlights a new study published in the journal Epidemiology that found a direct correlation between a decrease in air pollution with an increase in life expectancy.

As the article notes, there are other factors which contribute to life expectancy, including income, other health facts and whether or not one smokes.

 The article quoted a Harvard School of Public Health professor who noted that even with declining levels of particulate pollution, continuing to clean the air is still important.   Fortunately, there is one great and practical way you can improve the air quality around you and that’s by using a portable room air cleaner in your home.  Room air cleaners help to filter the air and reduce particulate matter that is circulating in the air.  You can find a complete directory of certified room air cleaners on the AHAM Verifide website.  Look for a room air cleaner that is appropriate for the size of your room and meets the Clear Air Delivery Rate (CADR) for your needs.  All AHAM Verifide room air cleaners will have the AHAM Verifide logo on the product’s package and the CADR rating will be clearly labeled. All products that carry the AHAM Verifide mark are independently tested by a third-party laboratory to ensure that they meet the manufacturers’ claims for removal of tobacco smoke, dust and pollen.  Manufacturers are not required to be a part of the AHAM Verifide program, but doing so demonstrates a commitment to honest ratings and keeping customers’ trust. 

Holiday Cooking Safety Tips

The holidays are fast approaching and many of us will be cooking dinner for family and friends. With all of the stress that comes with preparing large meals, even the most experienced cook can become distracted and within a blink of an eye a fire can spark. That’s what happened recently in Indianapolis when a 32-year-old man left his stove unattended.

To ensure your holiday dinner is successful and safe, follow these simple and important tips:

• Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking.  Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended while cooking. 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.

For more cooking safety tips, download AHAM’s Recipe for Safer Cooking brochure or order several to distribute within your community by clicking here or sending an email to info@aham.org. There is no charge for the brochures, but AHAM does charge a nominal shipping fee if you order more than 250 brochures. AHAM also has brochures on other safety topics, including portable heater safety, clothes dryer safety, and range tipping.

New Appliances Result in Substantial Savings on Consumers' Electricity Bills

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) has released the 2011 Energy Efficiency and Consumption Trends data for major home appliances.  This data, based on 2011 shipments of major appliances, shows the continuing trend of decreased energy consumption. If consumers were to replace their 10-year-old refrigerator, clothes washer and dishwasher of average efficiency with more energy efficient models manufactured in 2011, they would save, on average, $90 per year on their electricity bill.  Upgrading to an ENERGY STAR® unit may offer additional energy savings.  

Energy consumption in refrigerators continued to decline in 2011 with new refrigerators using an average of 452 kWh per year, over 50% less than units made in 1990.  Dishwasher energy consumption is down nearly 51% due to advances in energy efficiency and new technologies such as soil sensors that use only as much water as needed and more stainless steel interiors which help dry dishes faster.  Clothes washer tub volume continues to increase while energy consumption decreases, meaning those who bought new clothes washers in 2011 can fit more clothes in each load while using less energy. Clothes washers show a 75% decrease in energy consumption per unit since 1990, while tub capacity increased by more than 32%. 

Complete historical tables of energy efficiency and consumption trends data are available through AHAM.  Click here for a direct link to purchase the 2011 Energy Efficiency and Consumption Trends data, or you may visit AHAM’s website at www.aham.org.  

Evolutions in Kitchen and Appliance Design

Kitchen and appliance design and functionality has evolved from the days of the Frigidaire and Monsanto “kitchens of the future” as shown in these two films from the 1950s. 

In this month’s Interior Design magazine, Jill Notini, AHAM’s VP of Communications and Marketing talks about kitchen design.  Click here to read the article, and see some exciting new products!

Notini says, "We are seeing a convergence of function, technology, and aesthetic design. Appliances still cool, cook, or clean food, but now there is integration of other features framed in modern design."

Manufacturers are designing appliances that can provide other functions and make life easier for busy consumers. For example, refrigerators are now coming equipped with built-in LCD screens so people can download apps that provide recipes, news and weather.

Additionally, as smart appliances become more widely available and connected to a smart electrical grid, they will become more energy efficient.

“Manufacturers have improved efficiency by leaps and bounds, and are now incorporating advanced technologies that go beyond traditional energy savings and provide enormous consumer benefit,” Notini says.

You don’t have to wait too long to experience these new features and designs.  The kitchen of the future is here now.  Let us know what you think about kitchen design.    How would you change your current kitchen?  What kind of appliances would you select?

August Shipments of AHAM 6 Appliances Increase by .80 Percent from One Year Ago

For the fourth consecutive month, data released by AHAM showed that shipments of the “AHAM 6” major appliances in the U.S. increased compared to the same month last year. The AHAM 6 includes clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ovens and ranges. According to the August 2012 AHAM factory shipment report, shipments were .80 percent higher than August 2011.  Year to date shipments of AHAM 6 appliances are down 3.20 percent over the same period last year.

Get this data directly from AHAM each month by subscribing to the monthly factory shipment reports. Visit the AHAM Store to purchase a one-year subscription. Each monthly report includes the number of shipments for cooking (ranges and ovens), home laundry (washers and dryers), kitchen clean up (dishwashers, disposals and compactors), food preservation (refrigerators and freezers) and home comfort appliances (room air conditioners and dehumidifiers). Subscriptions are based on the calendar year.

Additionally, AHAM has a five-year data series available, which includes the factory shipment report for the current year as well as from 2007-2010.   AHAM also maintains shipment data by state, and even by county.  This data is often helpful to utilities in demand forecasting.   AHAM’s latest energy trend data should be released soon as well.

For additional economic data, visit the Wall Street Journal’s Market Data page.  Information on U.S. employment statistics and occupational data can be found on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. 

Back to School Gives Parents Opportunity to Get Kids Involved in the Kitchen, Teach Cooking Safety

It’s back to school time and that means parents will begin hearing their kids’ cries of “What’s for dinner?” and “When are we eating?” as soon as they arrive home from work. With everyone in the household busy and seemingly running on separate calendars, it’s important for parents to be able to prepare dinner with as little stress as possible and even get the kids involved in the cooking.

A recent article in U.S. News and World Reports provides some good tips for parents to make their families healthy meals. Some of the tips include:

• Encourage your kids to get down and dirty in the cooking process. It's exciting for them to eat food they prepared themselves. If you have several children, cook with each of them individually to impart cooking skills and knowledge about healthy eating.

• Have a family cook-off where each member is challenged to come up with something delicious and healthy using only a limited number of ingredients. Award prizes for the most creative, most colorful, and most interesting dishes.

It’s also important to teach your children how to cook safely. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), unattended cooking was by far the leading cause of cooking fires in 2005-2009.  Here are a few safety tips from AHAM’s “Recipe for Safer Cooking” brochure:

• Wear short of close-fitting sleeves. Loose clothing can catch fire.
• Clean cooking surfaces to prevent food and grease build-up.
• Slide a pan lid over flames to smother a grease or oil fire, then turn off the heat and leave the lid in place until the pan cools. Never carry the pan outside.
• Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Make sure you have the right type and training.
• Keep a working smoke detector in your home and test it monthly.

To download a copy of the entire brochure, click here. If you wish to order 250 or more copies of “Recipe for Safer Cooking” or “Protect Against Range Tipping,” click here.  Nominal shipping charges apply.