The rule in our household is to leave a room the same way you found it. That means turning off lights that you turned on, closing doors you opened and putting away anything you took out. But there are at least two ways when it is a good idea to actually leave appliances open.
The biggest money saver when it comes to leaving an appliance door open is the dishwasher. After we run the night’s load of dishes, I will open the dishwasher before it gets to the dry cycle. I pull the racks out and let the dishes air dry. In the morning, everything is dry, and I didn’t use any energy to dry them. Of course, you need to be aware of small children getting into things when you leave the dishwasher open. I only do this after the kids are in bed (with a closed gate at the top of the stairs), and as an extra safety precaution, I removed and hand dry any sharp knives.
Another appliance that can save you money when it is left open is your oven. An oven generates a lot of heat, so why waste that heat? When you are done baking and the oven is off, leave the oven door open for a few minutes to warm up your kitchen. Again, be aware of children in the area. Have a strong gate or supervise the children in another room. This is really important. The added savings just isn’t worth any possible injuries.
Finally, the last appliance that saves when left open is the washing machine. This is an indirect savings in the fact that it will help keep your washing machine, and clothes from getting musty. It will also make you less likely to forget and leave a load of laundry in the washer where it will start to grow and require three or four washes to become clean again. Small children can find ways to climb into an open washing machine, so please take precautions if you air out your machine by leaving the door open.
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