We've
all come across a myth or urban legend.
Fortunately, most of us know how tospot a tall tale when it crosses our path,
usually because it just sounds down
right crazy. But what do you do when the myth actually sounds plausible?
MYTH 1
Microwaves emit radiation that can harm you: FALSE
This is easily the most popular of all the
appliance myths. Most of us can probably remember being scolded by our mothers
for standing too close to the microwave while it is running. Reason being if
you stood too close, the radiation from the microwave would get you too!
Microwaves do use radiation to cook. But here's the
good news - it's only harmful if you experience direct contact, meaning you'd
actually have to get inside the microwave, close the door and set yourself to
cook.
Since most of us have enough sense not climb inside
the microwave, there's no need to fear the mighty microwave. The only way
microwave radiation can escape is if there is a leak in the door seal. Knowing
this, you need to keep your microwave properly maintained and never try to repair
it yourself.
MYTH 2
Dishwashers completely fill with water when operating: FALSE
Repair technicians should be familiar with this
myth as many homeowners express concern about opening their dishwasher during
the wash cycle for fear that gallons of water will pour out like a waterfall
onto their kitchen floor.
While this myth does actually sound quite
plausible, again, it's totally false. Only the bottom of the dishwasher tub
(below the level of the door) fills with water. A pump-driven impeller, located
in the bottom of the dishwasher tub, pushes water through tiny jet-holes
located in spray arms that rotate during the wash and rinse cycles, spraying
water on everything inside the dishwasher.
So, the next time you need to open your dishwasher
mid-cycle, don't hesitate! The most you'll get is a bit of steam in your face.
MYTH 3
Dishes need to be "pre-rinsed" before being washed in a
dishwasher: FALSE
Debunking this myth should make household
chore-doers very happy. As ridiculous as it sounds to rinse a dish before
putting it in the dishwasher, just to be rinsed again, there are thousands of
kitchen dwellers devoted to removing every trace of food from their dinnerware
before placing it in the dishwasher.
News flash… you can eliminate the dreaded "pre-rinse"
because it does not help your dishwasher get your dishes and cutlery any
cleaner. Pre-rinsing can actually harm your dishes because the concentration of
alkaline in the dishwasher detergent becomes way higher than normal. After all,
detergent is made to clean stuck-on grease and grime, so without bits of food
to attack, the alkaline level, now higher than normal, attacks your dishes,
making them appear cloudy, scratched and in some cases, etched. Let's be
realistic though, don't leave a half-eaten sandwich on your plate and put in
the dishwasher.
MYTH 4
Appliances don't use power while in stand-by mode: FALSE
You're not alone if you think that appliances in
"stand-by" mode don't use power. You'd be surprised how much energy a
"sleeping" appliance can consume. Almost all home appliances and
electronics continue to consume power when in "stand-by".
Check out these stand-by power consumption rates:
- Microwave oven: up to 6
watts per hour
- Ranges: up to 4.1 watts
per hour
- Telephone: up to 5 watts
per hour
In some cases, appliances in stand-by mode can
consume as much as 15-30 watts per hour - that's a lot of power usage day after
day, week after week.
You can reduce or eliminate excess power
consumption, do your part to save the environment, and save yourself some money
by simply powering down your appliances completely or unplugging them when
they're not in use.
MYTH 5
Washing dishes by hand uses less water than a dishwasher: FALSE
Here's a real classic to close off our top five
myths list. Many homeowners believe they're helping the environment and
reducing their water bill by washing dishes the old-fashioned way rather than
using a dishwasher. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Modern dishwashers use, on average, 1-1.5 kilowatt
hours of energy and 3.7 gallons of water (an amount equal to one full kitchen
sink). Take into consideration how many full sinks you use to wash a pile of
dishes and the amount of water you use for rinsing the dishes and it's easy to
see how wrong this myth is. Washing by hand consumes much more water than using
your dishwasher, especially when you consider that washing dishes by hand is a
daily affair whereas you may only run your dishwasher every 2 or 3 days.
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