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Energy Saving Tips for Your Home, While You’re Away

It is the time of year when many families are packing their bags and heading out for a week or so to enjoy their family vacation. While away on vacation, I’m sure one of the last things on anyone’s mind is, “Are we conserving energy at home right now?”. However, perhaps that thought should cross their mind. I mean, why waste, and pay for, electricity that you are not even using? To help make sure you are not wasting energy at home while you are away this vacation, here are several energy saving tips from Bounce Energy, to make sure you are saving as much energy and money as possible.

7 Energy Efficiency Tips for Your Home While on Your Vacation

Energy Efficiency for Home

Vacations are a time when you can relax a bit, forget about the little stresses of life, and spend some quality time with your families. However, people are often in such a hurry to pack and get out of town, they forget to prepare their home so that their electricity usage goes down while they are away.

You might be thinking, “No one is home playing video games or running the air conditioner, so we’ll automatically use less energy!” Well, just because your house is empty of people, that doesn’t mean that the appliances and lights have stopped sucking electricity from the grid. Thankfully, homeowners can save a significant amount of money by practicing a few simple energy saving tips to keep their electricity usage down while on vacation.

1) Heating and Cooling

With everyone out of the home for a few days, there is no reason to keep the heater or central air running, unless pets will be left at the house. Even with a pet or two in the home, you shouldn’t set the thermostat for 72 when there is no one there to enjoy it. Instead, during the hot summer months, the thermostat can either be set for 90 or turned off completely.

The winter is a little more tricky. The thermostat should be set around 50 degrees to keep appliances and pipes from freezing. The worst way to end a vacation is to come home to a flooded basement or frozen dishwasher.

For every degree a thermostat is raised during the summer, a homeowner will save 2-3 percent on his or her electricity bill. If a thermostat usually set for a steady temperature of 72 degrees is raised to 90, then, at a minimum, this will result in a 32% savings on the electric bill for that period of time. If the home has a programmable thermostat that can be adjusted by date, then it can be set to change the temperature the day of arrival, so the family will come home to a comfortable household.

The only caveat to this is in the case of pets. If your family is going on a vacation of several weeks, your animals should either be boarded or an arrangement should be made with a friend to care for the animals daily, including feeding, watering, and walking (if necessary). If the pets are left in the home, then the temperature should not be set so high or low that it will cause them unnecessary discomfort. Your veterinarian will be able to advise a homeowner what household temperature will keep the pets safe while conserving energy.

2) Water Heater

The water heater is one of those appliances that people don’t think about on a regular basis. It sits in a out-of-the-way part of the house (usually the basement or attic) heating your water, and you only remember it when the water runs cold during a long shower. It’s also easy to forget about when leaving on a vacation.

Before heading to the airport, shut off the circuit breaker to the water heater. If you have a gas heater, turn the gas valve off to be safe. Upon returning home, the hot water tap should be allowed to run before the power and gas are turned on to make sure the water tank isn’t empty. It can damage the unit if the tank is heated without any water in it.

If you go on a winter vacation, you should leave the water heater on at the lowest possible (or “vacation” setting) to keep the water from freezing in the lines and tank.

3) Electronics and Appliances

Even with the home empty and the television and major appliances turned off, they are still using electricity. We call them “energy vampires.” Before the family leaves, someone should walk around the home and unplug every unnecessary appliance and electronic. This doesn’t just include the television, lamps, and entertainment center. Small electronics like electric razors, coffee pots, digital clocks, and cell phone chargers all drain energy when plugged in. Nothing needs to be moved, simply unplugged. This not only saves energy, but also eliminates a possible fire hazard if there would be a power surge while no one is home.

4) Automatic Lights

People don’t want their houses to look unoccupied while on vacation, because it’s easy for burglars to spot. Many times, the easiest thing to do is leave a light or two on inside to keep it lit during the evening hours. This could be a lamp in the living room or even a larger light that may provide light for the entire dining room. While this is a good safety idea, it’s an unnecessary waste of energy with the invention of automatic light devices. These devices place the lights on a timer, so at a specific time of the day certain lights will turn on and off, as needed. It gives the illusion of being home and prevents wasted energy by keeping lights off during the day.

The automatic timers range from as little as $10 to $30 for an average unit. They can also be used to turn on a radio to add sound as a further deterrent to burglars.

If you don’t have an automatic light timer, just ask a friend to visit the home every couple of days to turn on a light at night and turn it off during the day. This is an easy task, especially if they are already visiting to help with pets or plants.

5) Blinds and Curtains

Saving energy doesn’t always require using or not using something electrical. Most windows in a home have either blinds or curtains. Usually, they are used to let light in or keep light out, but when on vacation, they can be a useful way to conserve heat energy.

Lower the blinds and close the curtains when leaving for vacation. This simple act will keep heat from coming in during the summer and letting heat out during the winter. If the furnace is on and set to a lower temperature, lowering the shades and closing the curtains helps to slow the rising or lowering of the temperature in the home.

6) Refrigerators

The refrigerator is the electronic equivalent of a V-8 gas hog, sucking electricity like a chrome-covered high-performance engine. An extended vacation gives you the opportunity to get rid of the food in the fridge, clean it a bit, and unplug it. If the house is vacant for only a few days, it’s not worth the trouble to unplug the device, as much of the food will still be good upon return, but extended stays are a different story.

Before leaving, the homeowner should unload the food and clean out the refrigerator thoroughly, leaving the doors open to air out. Also, placing a box of baking soda in the freezer and refrigerator will draw in the moisture and help prevent mold growth. Taking the refrigerator offline will save a significant amount of energy while nobody is home.

As an alternative to turning off the refrigerator, the refrigerator temperature can be set around 42 degrees and the freezer around 5 degrees. This is enough to keep everything cold and frozen, but still save energy over the vacation period. As a precaution, it is a good idea to clean out the refrigerator of any leftovers, raw vegetables, and other perishables, and keep only new foods that won’t spoil while the house is empty.

7) Save Money and Stress on Vacation

Vacations can cost a significant amount of money for a family, even with all of the fun you’ll have together. It’s nice to know that, by practicing these tips and tricks, you can save money on electric bill by drastically decreasing your electricity while you’re out of the house. When recovering from the cost of a vacation, every little bit helps. Bon voyage!

 

Sanitizing Your Hotel Room

It is summertime, which for many families means family vacation time. Unless you happen to be visiting friends or family members and staying at their home for your vacation, chances are good you will be spending a portion of your time in either hotel or motel rooms. This can be an uncomfortable situation for some people, especially when it comes down to the overall cleanliness of the room they are staying in. One way you can put your mind at ease, is to take it upon yourself to sanitize the room. This article from How To Clean Stuff.net, gives you several tips on how to do just that.

How to Sanitize a Hotel Room

Maybe you have seen the news reports and undercover investigations where the investigator shines a black light around a supposedly clean hotel room and discovers germs, bacteria and sometimes even worse lingering inside it. This has happened even at some of the most upscale hotel chains. In order to avoid a hotel room nightmare – or at least a preventable illness – follow the steps below.

Inspect your room before unpacking.

Remember, no one should have to spend the night in a room that has obviously, whether intentionally or not, been overlooked by housekeeping services. If your room is found to be unsatisfactory, you are well within your right to ask for a new one. So, as soon as you enter your room, take about ten minutes to have a look around.

Check the floor, bedding and furniture for any stains, hairs, crumbs and debris. Take notice of any insects or any food or waste that could attract them. Then check the bathroom for the same thing, as well as for mold, mildew or leaking water. Check the toilet and bathtub or shower for cleanliness and make sure all toiletry items – soaps, shampoos, shower caps – are sealed and not left over from a previous guest.

Lastly, look at the air conditioner and heat vents as well as the access panel to the bathroom fan. Make sure there are no strange smells or dust and debris around the ducts that could aggravate any allergies or otherwise inhibit your breathing. This could make for a very uncomfortable stay.

If you asked for a nonsmoking room, check for any smoking paraphernalia, such as an ash tray.

Also note if there is a stale cigarette smell in the room. IT is possible that you have been given a smoking room by mistake or that the previous guest decided to smoke in the room anyway.

If you find anything that alarms you, alert the front desk to your concerns immediately and offer to point out the issues in person. Most likely the attendant will be more than willing to work with you to remedy the problem. If not, request to speak to a manager. If this still gets you nowhere, consider staying at a different hotel and writing a stern letter to the president of the company when you get home.

Sanitize and Sterilize!

Even if your hotel room passes the initial inspection, or perhaps your second room in your hotel does, you have no reason to believe that this hotel room is completely sterilized and spotless. Thus, you should still take the following advice into accord to protect your health.

Be wary of small but commonly used items.

Things such as the phone, television remote control, light switch, door and drawer handles and telephone are small enough that they can be missed by hotel cleaning staff, yet touched enough by guests that they can be teeming with germs. Best to bring along a travel-sized pack of antibacterial wipes and clean the surfaces of these items before you use them. Or, alternately, you can cover each device with a clean, resealable plastic bag that you bring from home. Well, with the possible exception of the light switch.

Ditch the bedspread:

Unlike the sheets, the bedspread in your hotel room may not be washed after every guest, mainly because it is a bulky and a pain for the staff members to carry in and out of the room and it takes up a lot of space in the washing machine. If your hotel bed has a comforter or bedspread on it, you may want to toss it aside and place it on the floor or in a chair. Then either cover up with the sheets alone or use your own blanket that you have brought from home.

*If the comforter has a removable cover on it, chances are that it is washed regularly. Removable covers are considerably less obtrusive and are fairly easy to throw in the washing machine.

Don’t use refillable water glasses

Many new reports have shown that these water glasses are not properly cleaned and sterilized in between guests. Sometimes they are just given a quick scrub in the bathroom sink and then placed back on the counter as if they were new. There is no way to tell if this is the case at your hotel, short of shadowing the housekeeping staff. Instead of taking your chances, bring your own glass that you know is clean or use a disposable plastic cup.

Keep your hands germ free

Whenever you touch a surface in your room that may be of questionable cleanliness either wash your hands with hot water and soap or use a bottle of hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer is available in travel sizes at most grocery stores and drug stores so it is no big deal to throw a bottle or two in your handbag or suitcase.

Make sure your feet stay off the floor

Sure, you may want to make yourself at home, by never walk around your hotel room barefoot. It is doubtful that the cleaning staff shampoos and sterilizes the carpet between guests. Instead, wear socks or slippers at all times. And consider wearing flip flops or shower shoes in the bathroom for similar reasons.

Voice your opinion

Odds are that you are more likely to have cleanliness issues if you stay at a lower-class hotel than a higher class one. However, no matter where you are staying, you are entitled to a certain standard of health and sanitation. Don’t be afraid to speak up if there is a problem. Better to be known as a nagging guest than to later wind up sick or even hospitalized.

Family-Friendly, Summertime Activities in Denver

With school now over for the summer, many parents may be looking for family-friendly activities to enjoy in the Denver area. Luckily, there more than enough options in and around the Denver Metro area, for just about any interest you or your family may have. Here is an article from Denver.org, which is filled with a number of family-fun zoo’s, museums, and other great attractions!

Kid-Friendly Denver

Kids are often tough to please – but they’ll be grinning from ear to ear whenever they’re in The Mile High City, thanks to Denver’s wide array of kid-friendly attractions. Interactive museums, incredible zoos and aquariums, wide open parks – they’re all guaranteed to please even the grouchiest young ones. Writer (and mom) Lori Midson gives you the lowdown on some of her favorites.

CITY PARK, DENVER ZOO, DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE

City Park is expansive greenway boasting tennis courts, picnicking areas, playgrounds, lakes for paddling and a spectacular summer concert series.

At the eastern edge of the park sits Denver Zoo, (2300 Steele St.) where education comes alive! More than 4,300 animals await to inspire awe in your family at Denver’s most popular cultural attraction. See elephants swim, orangutans swing and hear lions roar while enjoying up-close animal experiences that provide moving connections to wildlife.

Just adjacent to the zoo is the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (2001 Colorado Blvd.), a spectacular interactive museum that explores fossils and dinosaurs, the mysteries of space at Gates Planetarium (it’s out of this world!), Egyptian mummies, the riddles of the human body, and a slew of other hands-on exhibits. The newly expanded Discovery Zone has dozens of hands-on activities for kids of all ages.

 

Featured Things To Do

PLATTE RIVER VALLEY, CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF DENVER

The Platte River Valley, in the heart of the city, boasts a cornucopia of family-friendly attractions and entertainments.

At the intriguing Children’s Museum of Denver (2121 Children’s Museum Dr.), infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers can spend hours roaming through scads of educational playscapes, including a miniature “Community Market,” which allows kids to take on the roles of shopper, cashier and shopkeeper. Families will find several more thematic play areas that run the gamut from woodworking and scientific laboratories to animal exhibits and a fire station that teaches safety precautions.

Nearby, Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park (2000 Elitch Cir.) offers exhilarating adventures galore with 53 rides, including the heart-pounding Mind Eraser, a twisted-steel rollercoaster that spins, dives, drops, rolls and races along the tracks. There is also a 10-acre swimming area, that offers slippery slides, crashing waves and lazy rivers.

Just a short walk away is the Downtown Aquarium (700 Water St.), a seaworthy spectacle of kaleidoscopic fish coupled with reptile, bird and tiger habitats. Here, amid the astounding marine life, kids can feed the stingrays, swim with the sharks, pan for gold, become a marine biologist for a day, or even spend the night in the aquarium.

While you’re in the Platte River Valley, hop aboard the Platte Valley Trolley (700 Water St.), an open-air streetcar that resembles the trolley on the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood TV show. The narrated tours provide a fascinating historical account of Denver from its Gold Rush days to the present.

DENVER ART MUSEUM

100 W. 4th Ave. Pkwy.
The Denver Art Museum offers a Just for Fun Family Center complete with games, creative, make-it-yourself craft areas and dress-up costumes. On weekends, kids can pick up a family backpack, a portable bag brimming with all sorts of artsy, educational activities.

WINGS OVER THE ROCKIES AIR & SPACE MUSEUM

7711 E. Academy Blvd. #1
At the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, more than 40 planes and riveting space-oriented displays occupy the sprawling space, an aviation wonderland that allows families to get up close and personal with giant bombers, fighter jets, antique planes and a search-and-rescue helicopter. The museum always has seasonal exhibits, and on the second Saturday of each month, kids can experience the electrifying buzz of climbing into the planes’ cockpits.

DINOSAUR RIDGE

16831 W. Alameda Pkwy., Morrison
While you’re not going to come across any living, breathing dinosaurs while you’re here in Denver – they’re still extinct, the last we checked – you will have ample opportunity to learn about these long-gone Colorado residents. At Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison (near Red Rocks Amphitheatre) you can touch the bones of Allosaurus and Stegosaurus at the site where important dinosaur discoveries were made in the late 1800s. See how Iguanadons walked by viewing real dinosaur footprints forever preserved in the sandstone.

MORRISON NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

501 Colorado 8, Morrison
Get a glimpse of early dinosaur discoveries from Colorado, including fossils from the first Stegosaurus and Apatosaurus ever found. Located 25 minutes west of Downtown Denver, the 3,000-square-foot Morrison Natural History Museum offers a relaxed environment that is perfect for kids of all ages to explore rocks and fossils. The exhibits and guides connect visitors with the ancient story of the Front Range. Recent local excavations have yielded famous baby dinosaur footprints that were featured in Smithsonian magazine and media outlets around the world.

THE BUTTERFLY PAVILION

6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster
Located in Westminster, a 15-minute drive from downtown Denver, the Butterfly Pavilion is the perfect indoor refuge in which to interact with live invertebrates fluttering around a lush rainforest, or to hold Rosie, a Chilean Rose Hair tarantula, in the palm of your hand-if you dare. The Wings Over the Tropics conservatory, home to more than 1,200 flitting butterflies, moths and skippers, shipped from farms as far away as Kenya and Ecuador, makes for an exhilarating wander through the toasty conservatory, awash with lush green plants. Stop by the Shrunk! exhibit, an interactive play area buzzing with insects and giant robotic scorpions and carpenter ants that move. Inspect the information charts, and you’ll learn that beetles comprise one-fifth of all living things on Earth. Who knew?

FUN CITY FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

9670 W. Coal Mine Ave., Littleton
This Littleton spot is a kid’s dream come true, with Laser Tag, bowling, miniature golf and a “Foam Factory” all under one roof. Whether you are looking for a place to hold a birthday party or just have a fun day out, Fun City won’t disappoint.

FREE/CHEAP ACTIVITIES

There’s no shortage of fun-filled, free – and nearly free – family activities in Denver.

On the first Tuesday of every month, the Children’s Museum of Denver (2121 Children’s Museum Dr.) hosts complimentary guided story hours and playtimes, from 4 p.m.-8 p.m.

The Denver Art Museum (100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy.) is always free for children age six and younger, and free for all on the first Saturday of each month.

The Tattered Cover Bookstore (1628 16th St.), arguably the top independent bookseller in the country, hosts hundreds of free children’s events throughout the year, including lectures, book release parties and author appearances.

Denver is an undisputed sports paradise, and while tickets to the major sporting events don’t come cheap, in-the-know baseball fanatics purchase Colorado Rockies baseball ROCKPILE seats, which cost just $4 for adults and $1 for kids age 12 and under.

Denver International Airport, Among the Greenest in the U.S.

Denver International Airport, the largest airport in The United States, also just so happens to be one of the greenest in the nation as well. According to this article from Urbanful, DIA, ranks as one of the top six greenest airports in the entire country! Check out this article and see what makes DIA, so green.

Inside America’s greenest airports

green-airports-feat

The Nickel Tour: These are the most innovative and environmentally friendly airports around the U.S.

Not only is flying usually the most expensive part of traveling, it also has the highest impact on the environment. Airports themselves have been stepping up their eco-game by instituting sustainable initiatives from green building practices and energy reduction programs, to better waste management, recycling, and resource conservation. Check out what some of our “greener” airports have been up to.

green-airport-SD

San Diego International Airport (SNA) is now home to the world’s first LEEDPlatinum (the highest environmental certification possible) certified commercial airport terminal.

San Diego was the first US airport to adopt a formal sustainability policy back in 2008. In 2012, the oceanside airport, became the first in the U.S. to install LEDs on its runways, guard lights, and airfield signs.

Sustainable features include a 3.3-megawatt solar array, low-flow water fixtures that save the airport approximately 4 million gallons of water annually, drought-tolerant landscaping, energy-efficient and natural lighting (daylight-harvesting lights automatically turn down when natural light is brighter), reflective roofs, and non-toxic interior construction materials and paints.

green-airport-LA

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) focuses sustainable efforts on conservation. The airport has 307 acres of sand dunes voluntarily set aside as a nature preserve. Native plants and animals, including the delicate El Segundo Blue Butterfly (among the first insects put on the federal endangered species list back in 1976), are thriving again as part of this restoration project. LAX created this habitat, the largest remaining coastal dune area in Southern California, with a goal of preserving the coastal buckwheat plant, which is the only source of food for the El Segundo Blue Butterfly.

green-airport-Ind

Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is the granddaddy of green airports. In 2011, IND was the first airport in the U.S. to win LEED® certification for an entire terminal campus. Now, the airport is home to the largest airport-based solar farm on the planet. It is able to supply enough energy to power 3,200 homes. When fully completed by the end of the year, the IND solar farm will encompass more than 150 acres, with more than 76,000 solar panels, and generate more than 31 million kilowatt hours.

green-airports-Chi

Not only does Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) have a wetlands restoration program, electric vehicle charging stations, green fleet vehicles, and anaeroponic garden for use by its restaurants, it now has the first major on-airport apiary (bee yard) in the U.S.

In 2011, the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) installed an apiary of 28 beehives at O’Hare, and this year it expanded to 75. With more than 1 million bees, it’s the largest apiary at any airport in the world. In the first year, the ORD bees produced 1,200 pounds of honey which is sold at the O’Hare farmer’s market in Terminal 3 and at retailers like Whole Foods. The work is done in partnership with an employment program offering valuable job experience to ex-offenders and disadvantaged people.

green-airport-Den

As one of the nation’s newest airports, Denver International Airport (DIA) was built with sustainability in mind. DIA uses natural day-lighting, a comprehensive deicing fluid collection and recycling system, pre-conditioned air supplied to aircraft parked at gates to reduce emissions, and a hydrant system for fuel deliveries to reduce the potential for spills and excessive fuel truck traffic. Denver Airport’s fourth solar array is now online, bringing the airport’s total solar generating capacity to 10 megawatts, or 16 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. That’s enough electricity to power about 2,600 typical Denver-area homes each year.

And now the airport is partnering with one of its newest restaurants, Root Down, to pilot the airport’s first commercial composting program in the concourse area. The restaurant will collect all of its organic and compostable materials which will be collected daily and taken to an off-site facility. Their hope is to get additional tenants to embrace this and other programs to reduce their overall environmental impact.

green-airport-SF

We’d be remiss to leave San Francisco International Airport  (SFO) off the list. Unsurprisingly, they have a LEED Gold certified terminal, a greenhouse gas emissions reduction program, solar panels, are increasing their use of clean fuels or electric vehicles, planted 2,020 trees of over 15 different species, resulting in an estimated 121 metric tons of carbon sequestration per year, and have one of the largest recycling and composting programs in the county in which 75% of the solid waste is getting recycled.

But they also have goats.

Every year hundreds of goats are used to graze on brush as part of the airport’s unique —and environmentally friendly—approach to fire prevention. The airport owns 180-acres of undeveloped, protected land which is home to two endangered species—the San Francisco garter snake and the California red-legged frog. Since machines can’t be used, goats spend two weeks each spring munching away a firebreak on the west side of the airport to protect nearby homes from potential fires.

Images courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

How Clean Are Commercial Flights?

With the recent Ebola virus crisis, concerns about health and safety on commercial flights have increased. Let’s face it, when you’re 30,000 feet in the air, and major cities appear as random clusters of light; the cleanliness of your plane is the last thing you want to worry about. Unfortunately, many of these worries may be warranted. This article from The Wall Street Journal, discusses the cleaning regulations (or lack thereof) of many commercial airlines. My advice, load up on Vitamin C and hand sanitizer before your next flight!

 

The Trouble With Keeping Commercial Flights Clean

With the Ebola Crisis in the Background, Standards for Disinfecting Planes Vary Based on Time, Class

The Ebola crisis and heightened concerns about the risk of spreading disease during air travel have focused concern on what airlines do to keep planes clean.

It’s a murky area without clear regulatory standards. The Federal Aviation Administration says it doesn’t regulate or inspect cleaning and referred a reporter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which says it has nothing to do with aircraft cleanliness. OSHA suggested contacting the FAA. The FAA then suggested the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA says it inspects food and water safety on commercial aircraft only.

Airlines say they set their own standards without regulators and give voluminous instructions to contractors. They use chemicals approved by aircraft manufacturers and conduct their own quality-control inspections.

A traveler walked through New Delhi's international airport Aug. 26.ENLARGE
A traveler walked through New Delhi’s international airport Aug. 26. GETTY IMAGES

With more than two billion people flying every year, “commercial air transport is potentially an efficient means for spreading communicable disease widely by surface contact and proximity to infected people,” the World Health Organization cautions in itsGuide to Hygiene and Sanitation in Aviation. Much of the risk comes from being in close contact with an infected person. But contaminated surfaces on airplanes also can spread disease.

Some airlines are reluctant to discuss how much cleansing airliners get. Typically, planes get a once-over straightening-up between flights and usually a more thorough cleaning overnight or between long international flights. Periodically planes get scrubbed from nose to tail when they undergo major maintenance work.

Workers wearing protective masks sat at the international airport in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Aug. 12.ENLARGE
Workers wearing protective masks sat at the international airport in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Aug. 12.REUTERS

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines say their aircraft that fly into and out of hot spot zones such as western Africa, where several countries are under the threat of the Ebola virus, get a thorough cleaning with disinfecting solution per guidelines issued by the WHO. Because of the Ebola threat, United increased its cleaning regimen on aircraft flying between Houston and Lagos, Nigeria, on the WHO’s recommendation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also issued guidelines for protecting crew members and reporting ill passengers. Airlines say they are complying.

Medical studies have shown that air travelers face higher rates of infection: One study pegged the increased risk of catching a cold at 20%. Much of the danger comes from the people within two rows around you.

Health officials waited to screen passengers at the arrivals hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Aug. 4 in Lagos, Nigeria.ENLARGE
Health officials waited to screen passengers at the arrivals hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Aug. 4 in Lagos, Nigeria. ASSOCIATED PRESS

But viruses and bacteria can live for hours on some surfaces. Some viral particles have been found to be active up to a day in certain places. Tray tables can be contaminated. Seat-back pockets, which get stuffed with used tissues, soiled napkins, dirty diapers and trash, can be particularly scuzzy. It’s also difficult to know which germs are lurking in an airline’s pillows and blankets, which sometimes don’t get sent to the laundry until the end of a day’s flights.

How clean the airplane appears can go a long way toward making fliers happy. “We see in data that customers enjoy a flight more when the airplane is clean,” Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant says. “And we certainly hear it when it’s not so tidy.”

Carriers don’t report what they spend for cleaning, but some have said they reduced costs in that area when pinched economically. They have also mentioned boosting spending on cleaning during economic recovery after customer complaints about dirty airplanes. Two years after emerging from bankruptcy reorganization, United said it would do “deep cleanings” on planes several times a year, instead of once every 18 months, after increased customer cleanliness complaints.

Singapore Airlines spokesman James Bradbury-Boyd says a crew of up to 12 contract workers spends about 40 minutes cleaning a Boeing 777-300 during a typical stopover in Houston. Floors get vacuumed, sheets are changed in crew rest areas, and toilets, waste bins, galley floors and wine chillers are washed. Pillows, headrest covers and blankets get changed out.

But while airlines know a visible mess alienates passengers, the more serious cleaning is the cleaning you can’t see. Most airlines say there’s not enough time between domestic flights to clean out seat-back pockets or wipe down tray tables—that happens in overnight cleanings.

Sometimes first-class seats get better cleaning. Delta and United say they wipe down first-class tray tables and windows between flights. Coach tray tables and windows don’t get cleaned until overnight.

A Nepalese health worker inspected an arriving passenger with an infrared thermometer for signs of fever, one of the symptoms of Ebola, at a health desk at the international airport in Katmandu, Nepal on Aug. 20.ENLARGE
A Nepalese health worker inspected an arriving passenger with an infrared thermometer for signs of fever, one of the symptoms of Ebola, at a health desk at the international airport in Katmandu, Nepal on Aug. 20. GETTY IMAGES

And there are small variations in how airlines clean. United, Delta and American Airlines say bathrooms and galleys get cleaned with disinfectant during overnight cleanings and after long international flights. But that’s not always the case for passenger tray tables. United uses general-purpose cleaners on them; Delta uses disinfectant. American says its normal procedure is to clean, then disinfect, but that may soon change.

In 2010, Delta spent a year testing disinfectant products for cleaning and for availability world-wide before settling on one standard following its merger with Northwest Airlines. (A Delta spokesman wouldn’t reveal which product it uses.) Use of disinfectants can be tricky, since some can corrode metals and cause damage to materials in aircraft interiors.

Mike Mayer, United’s senior manager of aircraft appearance, says the airline believes all-purpose cleaners like Formula 409 and Fantastik clean better than disinfectants in seating areas.

For domestic flights, the “turn time” between flights often dictates what kind of cleaning the airplane gets, Mr. Mayer says. On quick turns, workers remove visible trash from seat-back pockets. On standard turns, cleaning crews actually go through and clean the seat-back pockets out. And if there are bigger problems, flights will get delayed. “If someone vomited on a seat, we are going to take the delay and clean it up,” Mr. Mayer says.

With all flights, the bathrooms and galleys get cleaned and supplies get restocked. Workers are asked to remove trash, wipe crumbs off seats, put all armrests down and clean up large spills. Airplanes aren’t vacuumed until overnight cleaning.

A quick early-morning trip full of business travelers may arrive virtually spotless. Long international flights? Way worse. “After eight or 10 hours in the air, the amount of trash is really amazing,” Mr. Mayer said.

Most customer feedback on long-haul flights involves messy lavatories, Mr. Mayer said. On domestic trips, seat-back pocket trash is “probably one of the top pet peeves,” he said. On a tight turn, cleaners just don’t have time to clean it all out.

Every 35 to 55 days, depending on the aircraft type, United planes get a “deep cleaning” that includes washing the ceilings and sidewalls and the seat-bottom cushions. American says it does its version of deep cleaning—washing seat cushions and cleaning carpets and floors, lavatories, bins, tray tables—every 30 days. Delta said its planes get a deep cleaning every 90 to 100 days when jets get regular maintenance work.

Make Your Summer Travels Green

The summertime is a great time to plan a little family get away. Kids are out of school, the weather is (hopefully) beautiful, and there are are a few holidays which mean long weekends. However, getting away from the everyday routine, doesn’t mean having to get away from your sustainable lifestyle. Before you plan your next family vaca, give this article from Seventh Generation, a read. The article gives some tips on how to have a more sustainable summer vacation.

 

Sustainable Summer Travel

Travel can be a balm to the soul, opening us up in ways that we could never imagine. Thanks to modern air travel, we can venture around the globe, absorbing other cultures and broadening our worlds. But travel can also be incredibly damaging to the environment. The carbon footprint of air travel is huge, and traveling to environmentally delicate locales can put those places at risk. For instance, coral reefs around the world are being destroyed, in part because of a careless tourism industry.

So should we eschew travel altogether? Should we give up the chance to toss a penny into Rome’s Trevi Fountain, to marvel at the edge of the Grand Canyon, or to feel the warm waters of the Caribbean on our feet?

Luckily, there are ways to make our travel more environmentally friendly. Here are a few of them:

Buy carbon offsets: Travelers can purchase carbon offset credits, which allow people to make up for their carbon emissions by investing in programs that reduce carbon emissions. Check out websites such as Conservation.org and CarbonFund.org to learn more.

Stay in a hotel that has a good “green” track record: Anyone who’s stayed in a hotel remembers the ubiquitous signs imploring guests to save water by using their towels more than once. But these days, hotels are taking more significant steps to reduce their environmental impact. For example, Kimpton Hotels Chain has implemented dozens of eco-friendly standards and policies through its EarthCare program, which are listed in detail on its website. Travelocity.com maintains a list of green travel partners, such as the California Area Green Business Program and New Hampshire Sustainable Lodging program, which help travelers find hotels and other lodging with green certification and programs.

Choose environmentally friendly locales: Aruba’s tourism board recently announced that the island is “on track to becoming the world’s first sustainable energy economy and achieving the goal of running on 100 percent sustainable energy by 2020.” And Costa Rica is regarded as a pioneer in environmental protection, according to the World Bank. Sustainable Travel International says, “Sustainable destinations reinvest the profits from their tourism activities in environmental conservation and historic restoration and preservation.” Visit sustainabletravel.org to read more about which destinations are working to improve sustainability.

Rent a hybrid car: Next time you’re trying to decide between the sedan and the SUV at the rental car desk, why not choose a more eco-friendly ride instead? Ask the car rental company about their hybrid options.

Embark on some eco-travel: Give back on your next global jaunt by choosing an eco-volunteer opportunity. Lots of organizations exist to help travelers find trips where they can contribute to sustainable projects. For example GoEco has projects that send travelers to help out at a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa, work at a center for underprivileged children in Guatemala, or pitch in at a refugee health clinic in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Preparing Your Home For Vacation

It’s that time of year when many families are planning their vacation. Before leaving for your vacation, there are a few things you should do to keep your things safe and lower your utility bills. In this article from USA Today, they give you some tips on how to prep your home before you leave for vacation. Hopefully these tips will help put your mind at ease and allow you to truly enjoy your time off.

Prep your home for your vacation absence

A vacation requires preparation, including arranging flights, reserving hotel rooms and finding things to do.

It also involves preparing your home for your absence.

No matter how long you’ll be gone, whether a few days or several months, here are steps you can take to make your house safer and lower your utility bills. Short-term absences generally mean one week or less.

Air-conditioner

Details: An air-conditioner accounts for about half of your annual electrical bill, says Tom Hines, energy-efficiency expert at Arizona Public Services. Every degree you turn up the thermostat will save you 2 percent on your cooling costs, according to Salt River Project.

Short-term: Turn up the thermostat to about 85 degrees. Doing so will still protect your plants, furniture and other belongings without running up your energy bill.

Long-term: Again, turn up the thermostat to about 85 degrees. Ask a friend or neighbor you trust to water your plants.

Pool pump

Details: If you have a pool, continue to run the pump so the pool doesn’t develop algae and turn green.

Short-term: Check your pool-pump settings before you leave to make sure they are where you want them to be. If you have a spa, turn off the heat.

Long-term: Do the above. Also, have a neighbor, friend or pool service check the pool periodically to make sure the pump is operating properly.

General plumbing

Details: No one wants to come home from a relaxing vacation to a plumbing leak.

Short-term: Turn off water at the main shut-off valve, unless some household items require it to remain on. Such items may include an ice maker, an automatic sprinkler system that doesn’t have a separate shut-off, and a pool.

Long-term: Do the same. While you’re gone, have a neighbor or friend turn on the water and run the faucets at least once a month. This will help prevent sewer gas from entering the house while you are gone and can keep parts of plumbing fixtures from drying out or cracking. Also, have the friend flush toilets and run the dishwasher.

Water heater

Details: Why run up your electric bill heating water that you’re not going to be there to use?

Short term: Set the temperature on “vacation” mode. Most newer water heaters are equipped with such a setting. The water heater will run occasionally but not nearly as often as it does normally.

Long-term: Set on vacation mode. Linda Stanfield, owner of Benjamin Franklin the Punctual Plumber, recommends not turning it off while you’re gone, but instead flushing it out when you return. One way to do this is to run the water heater until it is empty and let it refill again.

Toilets

Details: Toilets can collect bacteria, which can cause stains.

Short-term: Pour a half cup of chlorine into the bowl (not the tank).

Long-term: Do the same. Have a friend periodically flush the toilets while you are gone.

Lights

Details: A continually dark house, both inside and out, can be a signal to a burglar that no one is home.

Short-term: Turn off all lights except the ones you want as security measures. Put the security lights on variable timers.

Long-term: Do the above. Make sure your security lights are outfitted with CFL bulbs, which save on energy and are long-lasting.

Refrigerator

Details: Don’t come home from your trip to a refrigerator filled with spoiled food.

Short-term: Throw out perishables such as milk that will expire while you’re gone.

Long-term: Clean out the refrigerator; either throw items away or give them to a neighbor. You have two choices. One is to unplug the refrigerator and leave the door open to prevent mildew, odor and mold. The other is to keep the refrigerator running. Don’t let it sit empty, however. Fill it with bottles of water so it will run more efficiently.

Pantry items

Details: Avoid having to call an exterminator after you return by leaving your kitchen and pantry clean.

Short-term: Throw away opened bags and boxes of food (or give to friends).

Long-term: Do the same. Also, check expiration dates of unopened items. Toss or donate unopened boxes of food (or, if you plan to keep them, put them in plastic bags to deter pests.)

Yard

Details: An untrimmed lawn can be a sign to burglars that you are away from home. Depending on how it looks, it also can be considered blight.

Short-term: Mow your lawn and trim shortly before your trip.

Long-term: Arrange for a lawn service to take care of your landscaping while you are away.

Other considerations for any length of vacation

— Small appliances, computers, televisions: Unplug these items.

— Smoke detectors: Make sure they are in working condition.

— Security company: If you have one, notify the company that you will be gone.

— Disposer/drains: Run the disposer. Mix a half cup of vinegar with a cup of water and pour down.

— Newspaper: Put delivery on a vacation hold.

— Leaks: Check for water leaks before you leave. Feel the valves underneath faucets to make sure they aren’t moist. Get any leaks fixed.

— Mail: Contact the U.S. Postal Service to put your mail on hold. If you are going to be gone long term, arrange for your mail to be forwarded.

— Phone: Don’t leave a message that you are out of town.

— Car: If you park your car in the driveway normally and are leaving it while on an extended trip, arrange for a friend or relative to drive it so that it looks like it is being used (and so cobwebs don’t develop, a sure signal that no one is home).

— Banks/credit cards: If you plan to use your credit or debit cards while you’re out of town, specifically out of the country, notify your bank and credit-card company. Provide the dates you will be gone and where you are going. That way, they won’t be surprised — or put a hold on your card — when they see charges from abroad.

— Emergency contact: Leave your contact information with a friend or neighbor. Include the names and contact information for your plumber, electrician, yard service, pool service or other contact should a problem happen while you are away.

— Locks: Make sure all your windows are shut and doors are locked before you leave.