Others suggest filling unused space with containers of water. They would become frozen and act as a thermal media that in theory would lower run time of freezer. The jury is still out on these ideas. To me seems like an over reaction by people who bought too large a freezer in first place.

Options required --------------------

Since most freezers are relegated to basement they are not an appliance that needs to look pretty. Neither do most consumers feel a necessity for them to have many options. Most are simply regarded as large storage boxes where frozen foods are kept for later usage.

Recently though manufacturers they have been offering a few more options. Things such as frost free, built in alarms, digital temperature displays, push button controls, and quick freeze are now on market. All options on a freezer can serve a purpose but must be offset with possibility of increased complexity. The more complex a device more possibility of it breaking down. Plus, along with complexity usually comes increased cost.

One of more unusual things you will see comes from Haier America. It is a chest style freezer with a pull out drawer at bottom. The upper half is a basic chest freezer for long term storage. The lower half allows quick access via a drawer that slides out. The idea is that drawer section is for items that need to be frozen – but will be used within a few days.

Summing Up -------------------------

Food preferences have changed significantly in last decade. We are eating less beef and more poultry and vegetables. Consequently, consumers now store less than 50 pounds of beef at any time.

Twenty years ago freezers sold would average fifteen to twenty cubic feet. Today most popular size for a freezer is seven to twelve cubic feet. Again a reflection upon fact that more people are consuming fresh foods rather than frozen.

· Household freezers come in either a chest style or an upright style.

· If you are looking for convenience, then upright freezer is for you. Obviously, its design allows you to get to food easily. Simply reaching into an upright requires less flexibility than leaning into a chest freezer.

· Chest freezers tend to be more efficient to operate and consume less electricity.

· Chest freezers are usually manual and will need to be defrosted once per year. Many upright freezers though are self-defrosting.

· If you expect to use freezer for long-term storage a chest is better because they operate at a lower temperature than an upright.

So it is time to finally make that choice of what to buy. Hopefully, some of ideas above will help you make an informed decision. Remember to take a close look at Energuide before purchasing. It offers a lot of information to help with an informed decision. But more on Energuide in future issues.

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Even if it is a low income housing option, you cannot spare home security at cost of a fancy carpet or some other flooring supplies.

Baking soda is an abrasive, milder than commercial cleansers. For scrubbing out sink, bathtub, or shower stall, for getting gunk off outside of my toaster, and projects of that sort, I find it very useful. Using a rag or sponge, pour some baking soda onto it and then add a little water, just enough to form a paste. Then scrub! You can also mix up paste in a small cup or bowl and then throw out what you haven't used by end of that cleaning session. I keep a small container of baking soda handy by sink, in a closed jar so that baking soda doesn't cake. You can also use a salt shaker, as you will probably go through that much baking soda before it gets caked up.

Pots and pans that have something burned on bottom call for sterner measures. I admit that sometimes I just reach for my rarely-used commercial cleanser, but baking soda cleaning method is to shake baking soda all over burned stuff and then let pot sit overnight. You can also add a little water and baking soda to pot, bring it to a boil, and then let it sit.

For stained marble, a paste of baking soda and white vinegar can be effective. For washing windows, put some baking soda on a wet rag or sponge.

Baking soda also has a variety of uses in keeping your body clean too. But enough! This article is about baking soda for cleaning around house.