How to keep your house cool and the dirtiest partof your home and so much more

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[00:00:25] Eric Goranson: Maybe it got a little bit of chicken juice, splashed on it, whatever. Guess what? That is one of the nastiest things. And when was the last time you cleaned? That sponge some people and outrun it through their dishwasher to sanitize it. But really watching that is one of the dirtiest places around. So make sure you're taking those.

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[00:01:05] Eric Goranson: Thanks for joining us today. We have a lot of things to talk about today. Well, today, since we are cruising through into summertime, and it's gonna be a hot summer, I think anywhere here in the United States, I wanted to share about some of my tips and tricks on keeping your house cool. Now, many people live in a climate where it's not that big a deal, or you've got a great H V A C system that keeps your house.

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[00:01:53] Eric Goranson: First we jump into that head to, uh, for more information around, around the house, you can head over to around the house online.com. Make sure you follow us [00:02:00] on social media, on Facebook, which is around the House Show. And while you're over on Facebook, if you are a purveyor of that. Make sure you hit us up over there at Around the House Nation.

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[00:02:28] Eric Goranson: When you're not at home, you basically do what? Do what you can do to keep those sun rays from coming in. You know, if you've got opaque curtains that will, uh, you know, block the sun without trapping in heat, that's a good one too. You know, those are all things, if you've got low e windows, which are newer windows that are required, many areas, that does help filter out that heat radiation that comes through and that will help you.

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[00:03:23] Eric Goranson: So here's another one here too. And this is one that you've gotta be careful with. And I talked about it on the TV show a little bit. But for instance, uh, my house is in the shade all the time, so I don't get direct sun. But if you've got a white house and you turn around and paint it black, guess what?

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[00:03:59] Eric Goranson: Is [00:04:00] good. Now, if you've got Central Air, here is something that I've used. I put in a brand new H V A C system in a couple years ago. It works awesome, but you know, you only have 30 or so degrees where that thing works, you know, flawlessly. And when it gets so hot, it can overheat the entire system where it won't keep up.

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[00:04:52] Eric Goranson: If you have really clean. Water with no mineral content. That's gonna create buildup, then this will work. But what I've [00:05:00] done is I took one of those, I went down to Lowe's and bought one of their misters that goes on the end of a hose, and I put that near my H V A C unit. Here's the thing, those misters work really well to keep you cool because that misted water transfers heat.

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[00:05:39] Eric Goranson: When in doubt, contact your H V A C professional. But these units are meant to be outside, so if you've got a little water going, it's not gonna herded a few times a year. I wouldn't do it every day, but it's one of those things if you want to get it into, you know, hyper charge for a day or two. Many times you'll be fine doing it that way.

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[00:06:15] Eric Goranson: That's a big one. So another trick too is if you've got that heat wave coming up, put in a fresh air filter, you want the most airflow. You can get. And if you've got one of those like Merv 13 really heavy duty air filters, maybe going to a lighter air filter for a couple days for a heat wave might move air a little bit more.

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[00:07:02] Eric Goranson: Your body feels humidity at the same as it does temperature. This is why when you walk into a home and you go, wow, it's 70 degrees, it is cool in here. That is because it is 70 degrees and probably a low dew point. If you walk into a house and it's 70 in high humidity, you don't get that same feeling. You go, wow, it's warm in here.

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[00:07:49] Eric Goranson: So that's another good one as well. Make sure you're controlling humidity. I would like to see it in the summertime under 50%. That's gonna work out pretty well and do that. Another [00:08:00] trick too is if you've got an older home and you've got incandescent or those ugly, compact, fluorescent, the curly cube bulbs, swap those things out to LEDs.

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[00:08:34] Eric Goranson: You want it to run counterclockwise at high speed. So make sure you're going the right way. And then be a little, you know, particular when you pick out a new ceiling fan, those new energy star rated fans are 10 to 20% or more, more efficient than the standard fans, which means it's using less energy, less heat, and it will lower your energy bills as well.

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[00:09:27] Eric Goranson: But if you do use them a lot and use 'em too much, you're now grabbing that air. From outside and dragging it in. If stir the heat of the day might not be the best time to do that. All right. More tips to keep you cool just as soon as around the house returns.

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[00:10:23] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to The Round the House Show. Now if you wanna find out more about my videos that I've been doing out there, it's part of my round. The House Northwest. Doesn't matter where you're are. Head over to YouTube. Look at Fox 12, Oregon. And then finally around the House playlist tab, and you'll see our, uh, about 60 videos we've got up there of home improvement projects, new products.

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[00:11:04] Eric Goranson: Part of it is if you've got a hot house, it's really hard. So there's some tips to do if you're out mattress shopping. One of the easiest ones is look for one of the cooling mattresses. Here's what happens when you sleep on a mattress, and this is where it's key if that body temperature, if your body temperature changes and.

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[00:11:48] Eric Goranson: That will help a ton on trying to get sleep. So that combined with some really good light sheets could be a key right there. Now, one trick that I've done, and this was just an old school way [00:12:00] of doing it. Back in the day when I didn't have AC and I lived in a hot area, I would take my blanket, I would take my sheets, I would throw 'em in the freezer or fridge for a bit before bed and cool 'em off.

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[00:12:32] Eric Goranson: Now, one of the tricks that I do when I don't have AC is really trying to use the temperature outside. Sometimes in certain areas, depending on the heat, it can get 65 degrees, 60 degrees at night. Open up the basement windows. Open up the top ones. Get some convection flow. Turn on the bath fans. Turn on the kitchen fan.

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[00:13:14] Eric Goranson: So using that convection power of your house, of getting the hot air out and the cool air in at the bottom will help. So that's something to do that can save you some money too, cuz that really, except for maybe running the bath fan is free. And that's a key, you know, they say to set the thermostat five or more degrees higher when you're away from home.

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[00:14:00] Eric Goranson: Cool. So I'm a little bit farther ahead. If my AC is not keeping up, I'm trying to get that as cold as I can in the morning and then later in the day when it's trying to keep up, it will do a better job of getting me starter five or two degrees cooler in the morning. That could end up being five or 10 degrees, you know, better at night.

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[00:14:39] Eric Goranson: That's the tough part. Sometimes that can be a real problem. And so some of these are really cool. Now, some of the ones I've seen out there, there have been a lot of different ice box fan kind of swamp cooler type solutions out there. Yeah, they kind of work. They'll drop a few degrees. But the [00:15:00] problem is you can cause a bigger problem with humidity cuz you're adding all that humidity to the house.

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[00:15:27] Eric Goranson: And then really the last one I have on this one today is gonna be to do as much cooking as you can outside that oven in your kitchen. That cooktop is not your friend as far as heat that is warming up that room five to 10 degrees easily, and now you're fighting that you're pan to heat and you're pain to cool.

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[00:16:11] Eric Goranson: You are fighting it and giving all that heat load at the same time. So that is something to do. Think about where you're pulling that heat when you're putting it into the house. And you might be, uh, surprised if you can move that cooking to a different part of the day or outside. You'll be much. More comfortable.

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[00:16:49] Eric Goranson: So make sure that you're watching them and keeping an eye on making sure that things are doing well. All right, well, if you're ready, I'm ready. Let's talk about some of the grossest place in your [00:17:00] house with the most bacteria. And the dirtiest stuff that you're probably not even thinking about. And I found a study from the National Science Foundation in their germ study, which is fascinating.

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[00:17:40] Eric Goranson: You know that towel that's been sitting there all week and nah, that's just got nasty stuff growing on it. Maybe it got a little bit of chicken juice, splashed on it, whatever. Guess what, that is one of the nastiest things. And when was the last time you cleaned that sponge? Some people I out run it through their dishwasher to sanitize it, but really [00:18:00] watching that is one of the dirtiest places around.

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[00:18:24] Eric Goranson: If that towel's been sitting there for a week in the kitchen, I bet that thing is nasty. And that means you could be spreading contamination across the entire kitchen. All right, we come back. We got so much more about some of the dirtiest places in your home, just as soon as a route in the house returns.

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[00:19:16] Eric Goranson: If you don't have ac now we're talking about the dirtiest places in your home that you're not aware of. What is the title of the Germiest Places? What's got the Most Bacteria hanging around in your party? Let's talk about that. Before went to break, we were talking about kitchen rags, towels, and sponges.

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[00:19:51] Eric Goranson: Dishwasher and fridge seals. When was the last time you wiped down the dishwasher seal that had all that food and drippings on it? It's all nasty down there. [00:20:00] Those are also the top locations. Four contamination in your home. You know, if you're seeing a trend here, areas that are frequently damp in contact with hands and food are the most likely place to hide that bacteria.

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[00:20:41] Eric Goranson: Think about it. Use the bathroom. You touch the faucet to turn it on, to wash your hands. And you touch that same dirty faucet handle after you've washed your hands. Yeah, that faucet's a problem. When's the last time you cleaned that? One study recently showed that even soap dispensers can be a perfect environment [00:21:00] because you're hitting them with that dirty hands before you wash 'em.

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[00:21:28] Eric Goranson: So these are things, even bedding, counters and lights. Now we all know that our cell phone and other gadgets that we're touching all day long are the most contacted item we own. Right? Maybe the earbuds. Maybe it's that cell phone. Cell phone case. So there's dozens of studies out there that show cell phones are frequently covered in bacteria.

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[00:22:15] Eric Goranson: So because we hit about it with Covid and I'm still sick of tired and adhering about it, but I'm not gonna get into the frequent hand washing stuff. We've heard that way too much, but those rules do apply. But as far as cleaning those high contact surfaces, like the toilet countertops, sinks in the bathroom and kitchen.

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[00:23:04] Eric Goranson: Because that is one of her favorite things. But you use a lin free cloth and you know, make sure you disinfect it if you don't have one of those, and that will be a good start to really keeping it clean. Now, there are other rooms and stuff in there as well that you need to be careful. Think of the doorknobs in your house and then one of the worst places, your floor, if you walk around your house.

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[00:23:55] Eric Goranson: Um, when he goes around, um, what are in the NSF [00:24:00] International top 10. So scientists swab 30 surfaces in 22 homes, 660 tests at all to come up with gauges of yeast. Mold, coliform, bacteria, you know, which is like salmonella, e coli, stuff like that. Staph germs, like those can create dangerous mesa infections.

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[00:24:45] Eric Goranson: 55% of pet toys in 14%. Also harbored coliform bacteria. And now you wanna let the dog lick your face? I know. Gross, huh? So make sure you hit those, uh, hard toys with soap and water [00:25:00] and soft toys. Just check 'em in the washing machine. Put 'em on a gentle cycle. Let it go. And then faucet handles. We know coffee makers can be rough.

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[00:25:28] Eric Goranson: Yeah, that's a good one. And then, um, you know, the number one, of course we talked about this, but the germiest is that dis sponges and rags. NSF Foundation found out that 70 cent, 77% harbor coliform bacteria, and another 86% contained yeast and mold, 18% contained staph bacteria. So there's a key right there.

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[00:26:12] Eric Goranson: So, uh, even though I installed that a few years ago, it has been a concern of mine. So what I have done is when I'm having. Friends come over, like we had a house filled last weekend for Mother's Day before they come over, I plug it in, I make sure that it's sanitized the house, and I let that go for 24 hours and then I unplug the unit until next time.

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[00:26:54] Eric Goranson: So just make sure you got that. Now, another tip that I want to say, do not go taking your [00:27:00] toilet and pour bleach down it. Do not use bleach on any pure bleach on any hard surfaces like that because toilets, bathtubs sinks, you will etch them. So do not, do not do that because that will make it harder to clean next time.

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[00:27:33] Eric Goranson: I'm gonna talk about some tips to making sure your appliances are running in tip top shape. What are you doing wrong? What are you doing right? Are you maintaining 'em? Are they working great? We're gonna go through some appliance maintenance tips when we come back. And if you wanna hear more information about around the house, head over to around the house online.com.

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[00:28:13] Eric Goranson: I'd love to put it in a future episode of the show around the house. We'll be right back after these important messages. Don't go anywhere. We'll see you on the.

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[00:29:23] Eric Goranson: And we're gonna get, you're rid of some of the myths out there that are wrong, that are completely wrong now that we talked about it in a, in a previous midweek special podcast, but on the radio, you guys didn't hear this and I just want to touch on it, but new dishwashers right now are working better than a 10 or 20 year old dishwasher.

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[00:30:05] Eric Goranson: And so you're always gonna have issues once you get above the $500 range. It used to be 300, but now with inflation it's 500. You start to get into decent dishwashers that'll clean things, and it's not a fault of the government, it's not a fault of anything else. That's just what it takes to buy something decent.

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[00:30:48] Eric Goranson: That dishwasher, if it's working correctly, will clean the dishes. One of the biggest mistakes you can make with new dishwashers is to clean the dishes and pre rinse them before you put it in there. That [00:31:00] soap has to be activated. Buy food particles. So make sure you're not pre rinsing dishes before you put 'em in there.

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[00:31:28] Eric Goranson: So that's a key right there. If you have hard water in your home and you are not treating it minerals, things like that, you are going to have dirt to your dishes and you'll reduce the lifespan of your dishwasher, your washing machine, your refrigerator, if it has an ice and water dispenser and your hot water heater and every faucet, shower valve, and any valve in your house that controls water, you are reducing the lifespan of that and the plumbing.

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[00:32:24] Eric Goranson: First off, of course, I want you to get a water test and then treat it, but if you haven't been able to do that or can't afford to do that, here's some of my tips. First off, turn off the gas or or power to your water heater, and I want you to drain that thing every six months to a year. Drain it completely.

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[00:33:04] Eric Goranson: If you have really hard, well water, get that all cleaned out. That will make that more efficient. And it will make it cleaner to run because I have had, I've been on a well that had hard water before. I had to do my 40 gallon water heater every six months, cuz if I waited two years, it was 90% full of sediment and I had no hot water.

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[00:33:47] Eric Goranson: You can fine tune almost every oven out there. The only one that I know that has a problem doing it without having to call service, I think is beta zoni. But just about everybody else out there, you can fine tune your oven with a thermometer. [00:34:00] But here's the thing, if you do that, be prepared. You'll have to relearn those recipes cuz you'll go, oh, I usually bake it at uh, not two hours.

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[00:34:27] Eric Goranson: Because first off, that is the highest risk thing you can do if that ranges on its last leg self-clean. Can tear that thing up. All it takes is for wiring to not be covered right or anything else. And you can burn the range up on the inside pretty easily. So don't do that. And don't do it before you have gas coming over, cuz maybe that next time you go to bake something, you'll notice a little charcoal taste, even though you wiped it out after the self-cleaning function.

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[00:35:17] Eric Goranson: I like the citrus, the acid kills things and then the ice really cleans it up. But one of the things that's nice with the garbage disposal, next time you do it, Make sure you get one that has antimicrobial technology on the inside, cuz that will keep it from smelling bad. So those are my tips to, you can also go out and buy little lemon capsules that have lemon oil in 'em to run through there as well.

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[00:36:02] Eric Goranson: There is a filter that's right in front of the drain, and if you go through, most have it that gets filled up with bobby pins, screws, nails, screwdriver, bits. Trust me, I've done this. Anything that was in your pocket, we'll get caught up in that. If it made it through the, the, uh, the, the filter on the inside of the drum.

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[00:36:42] Eric Goranson: You know, thing in there as well. Refrigerators and freezers. Make sure you get underneath it and behind it and vacuum out all the coils. Do not bounce around and hit the coils cuz you can break them or cause a leak. So just make sure you get down in there close, but don't get all in them. And, uh, if you have to use compressed air, [00:37:00] that will also work on blowing 'em out.

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[00:37:18] Eric Goranson: And I'm a, I'm a guilty conscience on that one too. But there are air filters on some of the new lgs and stuff. Make sure you're changing those, those air filters actually doing a, a good job of, of, uh, taking odors out of things and keeping it so, you know, you're, um, Your bean dip doesn't end up in your ice cubes later, if you know what I mean.

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[00:37:56] Eric Goranson: If you do change it out to a metal one and they're corrugated. And then if [00:38:00] you have the dryer hoses back there that are rubber and not braided, change those out to a braided. That is one of the most common failures in a house. Are those hoses last about five years and then they burst and then you have now have a major insurance claim because you basically took your garden hose and turned it onto the house.

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[00:38:38] Eric Goranson: Are nice, in clean and good to go. All right, everybody have a great rest of the weekend. Enjoy it man. We are cruising up on Memorial Day weekend. We're gonna have some great show coming up next week as well. If you're listening on the radio, catch us on the podcast. Just look for around the House show.

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