Tip of the Day: How to cut your dry-cleaning costs

My latest bill from the cleaner (right) showed a $1.50 per-item hike for pants and sweaters. It turns out that the cost of wire hangers is largely to blame for the new price. Considering how much laundry my family can generate, I've decided to look for some ways to cut my clothes-cleaning costs.

When I worked as a sportswriter, I used to steam up hotel bathrooms and hang my shirts in there to dewrinkle them.
But I'm not on the road anymore. What's more, notes Chris Allsbrooks, a textile analyst at the Dry Cleaning & Laundry Institute. "Hanging clothes in the bathroom to remove wrinkles doesn't work as well as it once did, since American bathrooms have gotten much larger."

High-tech appliances might be a viable way to cut my costs. But our tests of steam-equipped washers and dryers have shown that these machines are unlikely to replace dry cleaners anytime soon.

However, we did get good results when we checked out the Whirlpool Fabric Freshener, $215, a couple of years ago. This appliance uses a pop-up steam chamber the size of a large garment bag to remove wrinkles and odors from clothes. We filled it with several rumpled dress shirts and other cotton items steeped in cigarette smoke and a cooking concoction of cumin, garlic, and clove. After we added the recommended amount of distilled water and waited about 40 minutes, the shirts emerged relatively wrinkle free, and the load smelled laundry fresh. Whirlpool is offering all shoppers a $40 discount on this device; use the code BZZ40 if you buy off the Fabric Freshener Web site.

A more labor-intensive approach to get my clothes clean for less would be to wash and iron them myself. These tips for effective ironing should make the task easier. Our report on irons reveals a number of capable models starting at $40 that combined performance and ease of use.

Another reason to consider the DIY route is that you can eliminate harsh chemicals; most American dry cleaners use the cleaning solvent perchloroethylene, or perc, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Perc has been linked to liver and kidney damage in animals and nerve damage in humans and is considered a carcinogen. Last year, California began a phaseout of perc in dry cleaning that should conclude by 2023. Read "A Perc You Can Do Without" for more information.

Choosing clothes designed to be wrinkle free could also help me cut down on dry-cleaning expenses. Our tests of permanent-press dress shirts revealed some good performers.

So I'll have to make some simple changes to look spiffy while being thrifty, but they should be worth it. Share your own ways to cut cleaning bills by leaving a comment below or on our laundry and cleaning forum.—Gian Trotta

Essential Information: "Making Laundry Less of a Chore" offers ways to clean your wardrobe.

Tip of the Day: Time- and money-saving steps for a better Thanksgiving

Now that Halloween and Election Day have come and gone, it's time to think about your Thanksgiving Day feast. Proper planning and innovative cooking appliances can help you save time and even money for the November 27 celebration. (Note to pigskin fans: The Tennessee Titans play the Detroit Lions in the first NFL game this Thanksgiving, the Seattle Seahawks take on the Dallas Cowboys in the second gridiron throwdown, and the Arizona Cardinals visit the Philadelphia Eagles in the nightcap.)

Your first step in planning this holiday meal is to get a head count so that you don't buy too much food. When working up a menu, include a few room-temperature dishes so your range and cooktop aren't overloaded on Thanksgiving Day; also prepare then freeze baked goods like cookies, pound cakes, and other desserts that freeze well.

Before you shop, check for advertised specials, hunt online for coupons, and if you prefer a fresh turkey, order it in advance. And don't be ashamed to ask guests to bring a favorite dish—some folks enjoy sharing their family favorites.

If you need to replace your range, consider one with convection, an oven fan that forces warm around and speeds up cooking for some foods. (Convection ovens cost about $150 more than standard models.)

With some convection ovens you can trim about 25 percent off roasting time. That's fast, but even faster appliances are on the market. In our recent turkey cook-off, an Electrolux Wave-Touch smoothtop convection range served up a 13-pound bird in 98 minutes and the TurboChef Speedcook double-wall oven did it in just 42 minutes; a conventional oven takes about 3 hours. Both turkeys were nicely browned, crispy outside, and juicy inside. Fast cooking doesn't come cheap—the Electrolux costs $2,000; the TurboChef, nearly $8,000. (See video, right.)

As you map out your holiday gathering, consider these tips from the National Turkey Federation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Shopping for a turkey
Choose the right-size bird. Figure on 1 pound of turkey per person if you're buying a whole bird and want some leftovers—that's a 15-pound turkey for a 15-person gathering.

Consider buying only a turkey breast. This could be a good move if you're hosting a small gathering and/or you eat only white meat. If you want leftovers, you'll need 3/4 pound per guest for a bone-in breast or 1/2 pound per person for boneless. (These are uncooked weights.) You could also ask your butcher to halve a whole fresh turkey; roast one half for Thanksgiving and freeze the other.

Look for product dating. Federal regulations don't require dating on the turkey, but some stores or processors list it. "Sell-by" means you should buy the turkey before the date. "Best if used by" and "use by" give you the last date recommended for getting the most flavor and quality, though this isn't a purchase or safety date. If you'll cook a fresh turkey, pick it up from the store only a day or two before cooking.

Pass on fresh prestuffed turkeys. You can get sick if a turkey hasn't been properly handled and the stuffing isn't fully cooked. The USDA suggests buying only frozen prestuffed turkeys that bear a USDA or state inspection mark.

Storing and thawing the bird
Place a fresh turkey in a pan. The pan will catch juices and keep your refrigerator clean.

Thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator. This method is safest. Keep the bird in its original wrapping and also place it in a pan to catch liquids. Allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds. You can also thaw a turkey in cold water or in the microwave. But if you microwave it, you have to cook it right away. Follow the USDA's instructions for proper thawing.

Tip of the Day: Take the work and injury out of fall cleanup

As I lay in bed last Sunday morning recovering from a day spent removing my air conditioners, my colleague Steven H. Saltzman had already started on his fall yard cleanup and wasted no time blogging about it.

Don't feel guilty if you've yet to start your own seasonal cleanup. In this case, procrastination is not a bad thing--use the time to review our best lawn-care products.

Plus, you'll be able to heed this expert advice from the Consumer Reports Health blog to avoid raking-related and other injuries. And follow these tips from Silvana Fix, D.P.T., a doctor of physical therapy with Spine and Sports Rehab in Fairfield, Connecticut.

• Before you start working, "a brisk walk for about 10 minutes is a good general warm-up," says Fix. To stretch your back, "Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend backward five to 10 times before returning to a full upright position," says Fix.

For your quadriceps, bend your right leg, grab the ankle with your right hand, and gently pull your leg toward your buttocks. Hold that for a count of 10 or 20. Repeat with your left leg. Be sure you're near a wall or tree and on flat ground so you can maintain your balance.

Fix also recommends this easy chest-and-shoulder stretch: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, clasp your hands behind your back and gently bring your hands away from your back. Hold for a count of 10 and repeat two or three times.

• When you rake, "Keep your wrists in a neutral position, with no bending. A rake that has a bent or side-mounted handle can help here," says Fix. She adds that good body mechanics are important: "Place one foot ahead of the other, keep your back straight, and rake the leaves while taking small steps backward and keeping your arms close to our body."

As you work, avoid stooping or bending forward, twisting your back, and overreaching with your arms, and keep your feet planted firmly in one place on the ground, according to Fix, who notes that you should stretch again when you're done and consult a medical professional if you pain lingers.—Gian Trotta

Essential information: Remember, it's important to get rid of leaves, especially under your deck. Piles of leaves are an open invitation to mice, which can carry Lyme disease and hantavirus, and other pests to set up warm winter homes. Our fall lawn-and-yard checklist will help your yard looks its best next spring. Autumn is an especially effective time to fertilize some lawns. Don't hesitate to fall back on mechanical help to get the job done, including the latest leaf-bagging lawn tractors, cordless and gas-powered leaf blowers, and string trimmers.

The leaves on the trees are falling . . .

I just got back in from an early-morning walk with my 17-week-old dog, and one thing's clear here in my Northern New Jersey hometown: Fall-cleanup season has begun in earnest the last couple of days. The weather has been terrific recently, mild days with more of a late-summer everything-is-in-bloom upbeat feel than a winter-is-coming, let's-pack-it-in-for-the-season dread.

This morning, the brass dial thermometer on my deck reads a bracing 41°F; that's not too bad for October 18, but the leaves have taken the autumn chill of the last 48 hours as a sign to release their tree-bound grip and cascade toward the suburban lawns.

For me and countless others, the sudden shift to full-on fall will interrupt our regularly scheduled lineup of relaxing weekend programming and force us to grab rake, mower, leaf blower, collection receptacle, and myriad essential gear as we gather countless leaves from all the ash, locust, maple, sycamore, and oak trees around us.

Fall cleanup is not a terrible hassle for me, and I dig the vibrant splashes of seasonal color, but I am always looking for ways to make the job go faster and more efficiently. (The sooner it's done tomorrow, for instance, the earlier my twins and I can go for a bike ride.) Fortunately, a colleague of mine prepared this "Tip of the Day: Make faster work of leaf removal" last fall. I followed some of the DIY advice then and I'll use it again in the coming weeks. You should, too.

Good luck, all you leaf wranglers out there. If you have some can't-miss suggestions for ways to deal with leaves, add a comment below.—Steven H. Saltzman

Essential information: Read these other smart moves for fall cleanup. And if you're in the market for a new leaf blower, check out our ratings-based report before you buy.

Tip of the Day: Cut your heating bill, boost the value of your home

Combining no- and low-cost weatherizing tactics with government and utility incentives can help raise or at least maintain the value of your home and slash your energy bills. You'll also help protect the environment.

Several energy-saving projects can reduce your heating bills this winter, according to our calculations. For instance, insulating the attic or basement is typically inexpensive and easy to do yourself. Adding attic insulation can lower your heating costs from 5 to 30 percent, according to a U.S. Department of Energy study.

Another simple measure you can implement right now is to drop the temperature setting on your household thermostat(s). For every degree you lower the temperature, you can save about 3 percent on your heating costs. Also consider lowering the setting 5° to 10°F when no one is home and at night.

Weatherizing you home can save you up to 30 percent on heating. And tests performed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the DOE showed that an aggressive weatherization program at your house can provide a 33.5 percent decrease in natural-gas consumption for space heating.

What's more, every dollar you shave off your energy bills with such home improvements can add more than $20 to the resale value of your home, according to a study by the Appraisal Institute. And a recent study by Seattle-based GreenWorks Realty showed that energy-efficient homes spend 18 percent less time on the market and sell for up to 37 percent more per square foot than conventional homes. (Consumer Reports has been leading the way on home-energy savings for decades, as detailed in "How to Cut Your Fuel Bill," from our August 1941 issue. As you'll see in this free PDF download—How to cut your fuel bill 1941.pdf—what's old is new.)

"We call efficiency the 'first fuel' that a homeowner consumes," says Suzanne Watson, policy director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. "Once you get that flowing, it cuts down your use of expensive secondary fossil fuels."

Seal holes
Cracks and crevices at all levels of your home allow expensive heated air to escape from your home; in an older house, those nooks and crannies can be the equivalent of a 2-square-foot hole in the side of the house. (Picture that.) But, estimates the DOE, proper weatherization alone can cut energy bills by at least 30 percent. Some utility companies provide free energy audits to pinpoint problem areas at your home; you can also find certified professionals in your area through the Residential Energy Services Network.

If you want to do the work yourself, look for dirty insulation, a sign of air movement that reveals other gaps you must fill. Also install precut foam pads to insulate electrical outlets, an often-overlooked source of cold-air infiltration and make sure you insulate holes in floors where heating and water pipes emerge. If you have steam radiators, place foil-faced insulation behind them to reflect heat back into the room. If your doors and windows are structurally sound there is no need to replace them. But you should replace any worn weather-stripping around doors and windows to cut drafts, which can make you feel colder and cause you to raise your thermostat setting.

"Add Insulation to Lower Your Heating Bills" and "Stay Warm Without Getting Fleeced" offer additional DIY ways to seal gaps.

Tip of the Day: Use a lead test kit to identify problems at your home

Lead paint is an obvious health risk and could even impact a pending home sale. If you are concerned about lead paint, buying a lead-paint test kit ($8 to $30) could be a good start.

A while back, Consumer Reports Senior Editor Ed Perratore had his circa-1950 Cape Cod home checked for lead by a certified lead-paint inspector, who used an x-ray fluorescence device to detect lead under multiple coats of paint.

Deborah Wallace, a senior project leader in our Technical Division, then marked the spots where the inspector detected lead levels exceeding 1.0 milligram per square centimeter, the level at which the federal government requires abatement in public housing. Later, under Wallace's supervision, Perratore tried seven home test kits on those spots and rated the instructions of each kit and how easy the kits were to use.

Every kit indicated lead was present at the marked spots. We then tested the kits in our laboratories by adding lead to latex paint and applying it to glass substrates. All of the kits successfully detected the lead; the video (right) shows which ones best combined accuracy with ease of use. For more details, read our September 2008 ratings-based report, which also includes coverage of radon test kits. (Ratings of lead test kits and radon tests kits are available to subscribers.)

Perratore was happy to learn that lead paint was only in limited areas of his home, even though his house was built 28 years before the federal government banned lead paint in 1978. "As it all turned out, only three exterior doors and their frames tested positive, and we want to replace them anyway," Perratore notes, adding that a basement stairway also tested positive, something he can easily stabilize. Everywhere else tested negative, including the bedrooms, the windowsills, the closets, and the playroom where his kids played for years.

"My kids have made it well into their teen years with no harmful effects from lead," he notes.—Gian Trotta

Essential information: If the results you get from a lead test kit indicate action levels inside or outside your home, get a quantitative analysis by hiring a certified lead-hazard assessor to determine the extent of the problem or sending samples to a certified lab. For more information, visit this page at the EPA Web site. And learn more ways to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals, especially during projects at your home.

Tip of the Day: Fertilize your lawn this fall

After months of planting, fertilizing, mowing, and other chores, you might be ready to take a break from all the yard work.

But you shouldn't. Fertilizing your yard during the fall can be essential to maintaining a healthy lawn, especially if you have cool-season turfgrasses like bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass.

"Autumn is the optimum growth period," says Martin Petrovic, Ph.D., a turf expert in the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University. "The temperatures favor a balanced growth of roots and shoots, so the nutrients in the fertilizer have the best chance of doing their job." Petrovic recommends two fall applications based on the acronym SON, for September, October, and November: Do the first feeding in late September to early October, the second in November, around your final mow of the season.

Another helpful fertilizing mnemonic is "up, down, all around." That indicates the action of the three main ingredients in lawn fertilizer. Nitrogen promotes growth and greening ("up"), phosphorous aids root development ("down"), and potassium fortifies the grass against disease, cold, insects, and the like ("all around").

The numbers on a fertilizer bag, in N-P-K order, indicate the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, respectively, on a weight basis. For example, a 100-pound bag labeled 20-0-0 has 20 pounds of nitrogen but no phosphorus or potassium.

"Unfortunately, there's no magic formula for fall fertilizer," says Petrovic. You'll likely see 20-5-15 mix sold at home and garden centers, but the only sure way to determine your lawn needs is to test the soil. Private labs and cooperative extensions perform the service, including specific nutrient recommendations in their report.

Fertilizer bags should also indicate the nitrogen's release characteristic. Slow-release fertilizers contain water-insoluble nitrogen, making them suitable for early-fall applications. Later in the season, a water-soluble fast-release fertilizer is necessary, says Petrovic.

Recommendations for lawn fertilizers are usually given in actual nitrogen over a given area. As a general rule, you should apply no more than 1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn if it's thin and weedy. "If the turf looks dense, you don't need to put down as much nitrogen," says Petrovic.

It's always better to use too little fertilizer rather than too much, since nitrogen and phosphorous not absorbed by your lawn can get washed into storm drains and watersheds. Known as nutrient pollution, this phenomenon is particularly problematic in coastal regions with loose, sandy soil. For more information, download the Environmental Protection Agency's June 2008 "Sowing the Seeds for Healthy Waterways" report.

Use the Purdue University Turf Fertilizer Calculator to figure out how much fertilizer you'll need based on the nitrogen concentration. Also, be sure to calibrate your drop spreader to make sure you don't overfertilize. And remember that using your mower's mulch setting can reduce fertilizer needs by a third since the soil-enriching nitrogen from decomposing clippings promote turf growth naturally.

Take care of your yard this fall, and you'll have less lawn maintenance to deal with come spring.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: See our fall lawn-and-yard checklist for advice on trees and shrubs, flowers and gardens, and how to use herbicides safely.

Tip of the Day: Buy a reliable vacuum

A reader recently posted the following comment on our vacuums forum: "And quite simply a product that works great but doesn't last can hardly be considered a so called Best Buy."

That person was right, of course. Vacuums can be expensive, so you want one that lasts for years. Warranties aren't the answer. The majority of the upright and canister vacuums we've tested offer a one-year limited warranty that covers defects in materials or workmanship but doesn't include routine repairs.

Some vacuums come with a longer warranty, but wouldn't you rather have a one-year-warranty model that never breaks than a five-year-warranty appliance that you have to haul to the repair shop once or twice a year?

That's where our brand-reliability data for uprights and canisters (available to subscribers) will help you make a wise choice when you buy a new vacuum. This information, from the Annual Product Reliability Survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, is based on the experiences of 135,000 readers who bought a vacuum in the past five years.

Based on this large sample of readers, we know that, in general, canister models have been more repair-prone than uprights, and that Kirby has been among the more reliable brands of upright vacuums. Eureka and Kenmore have also been reliable brands and offer the best combination of performance and price, earning these uprights Best Buy status. Some of the recently tested Hoover uprights offer good performance at an attractive price, but other brands were more reliable.

When you're standing in a store where dozens of different models are on display, shopping for a vacuum can be daunting. You have to not only choose among all the different types but also consider myriad features and the manufacturers' hype, not to mention staying within your budget. It would help if you could test-drive the vacs, but often you can't.

To find the best vacuum for your home, consider how a model did in our latest tests and select a brand with a good repair history to improve your odds of getting a vacuum that will last.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Before you head to the store, watch our exclusive video buying guide for vacuums (above).

Tip of the Day: Avoid accidents when grilling

Lots of us cook on a gas or charcoal- or wood-burning grill during summertime entertaining. Apparently some of us are spending too much time talking about our golf games, the presidential race, or a recipe for a killer dry rub instead of paying attention to the fire—more than 5,000 people went to the emergency room for grilling-related injuries in 2007, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Burns were the most common injury.

To avoid grilling accidents and keep yourself out of the ER, follow the advice below, compiled from our own experts, the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association trade group, and the CPSC:

• Check hoses and fittings for gas leaks when you first use your gas grill each year and a couple of times during outdoor-cooking season. Mix a small amount of dishwashing liquid and water in a spray bottle. Spray the soapy solution over connections and along the hose. Turn on the gas at the tank but leave the burners off. Bubbling at connections or along the hose means you need to replace the hose or fittings or possibly tighten a loose connection.
• Always grill outside and never in an enclosed area like the garage. Carbon monoxide could build up and make you sick or even asphyxiate you.
• Empty the grease pan, tray, or receptacle to decrease the risk of fire. Replace it after cleaning.
• Cook in a low-traffic area and away from any combustible surfaces. Sweep up dry brush and leaves. If your home has vinyl siding, be sure to keep a hot grill far away or it can cause the siding to melt and sag.
• Keep young kids and pets away from the grill when you're cooking and even after you're done—a grill can stay hot for up to an hour after you've cooked the last kebab. And never move a hot grill.
• Do not start a charcoal or wood fire with gasoline, and don't add lighter fluid after the fire has started; the flame can follow the fluid to its source—that being the container you're holding in your hand.
• When lighting a gas grill, keep the lid open to prevent gas from building up and causing what the HPBA calls a "flash off."
• Cook with long-handled utensils and flame-retardant mitts.
• Control flare-ups to keep yourself and others from getting burned. On a gas grill, lower the temperature. For a charcoal- or wood-burning model, raise the grid or evenly spread the coals.
• Put out a grease fire with baking soda and have a fire extinguisher on hand. If you don't have a fire extinguisher , use bucket of sand or douse the fire with water from your garden hose.
• Let ashes from a charcoal or a wood-burning grill sit for at least 48 hours before you throw them out.

Tip of the Day: Safely apply herbicides

The best way to keep your lawn free of weeds is to fertilize, water, and mow it properly. You can also make your lawn more resilient to weeds (and drought) by allowing it to grow longer. A healthy lawn will resist weeds without your having to apply chemical herbicides.

But if you're going to use herbicides to deal with broadleaf plantain, crabgrass, dandelions (shown), oxalis, and countless other weeds, you'll need to apply it properly. To identify common lawn weeds, use our interactive guide. Keep in mind that spot application of herbicides will require the use of less chemicals, which could save you money and be better for the environment.

Herbicides are classified according to their use or mode of action:

Nonselective herbicides like Roundup kill all kinds of plants.

Selective herbicides like Ortho Weed-B-Gon Max Weed Killer for Lawns Concentrate kill some plants but not others. In your lawn, selective herbicides kill dicots (which include many common lawn weeds), plants with branching veins in variously shaped leaves.

Postemergent herbicides such as Roundup and Weed-B-Gon kill growing weeds and may be either selective or not.

Preemergent herbicides prevent some weed seeds from even germinating. They are typically used in early spring to prevent crabgrass. Most often these herbicides are combined with a fertilizer, as in Scotts Turf Builder Halts Crabgrass Preventer.

To learn how to safely and properly use granular herbicides and concentrated liquid sprays, read our expert advice.

Tip of the Day: Buy the best washing machine for your home

In our 2007 report on washing machines, some of the top-loading models were only so-so performers. But manufacturers made improvements to their models, as we found in our 2008 washers review.

If you're in the market for a new washing machine, watch our video (right) and read our latest report and buying advice.

Essential information: Follow our washing tips to get your clothes clean, learn about the best laundry detergents, and plan your new laundry room. And don’t forget to check out our new Home Improvement Guide interactive, which provides buying advice and more for appliances, tools, and building materials for every area of your home.

Forum and Function: Readers' solutions to summertime problems

If you find yourself in a bind around the house this holiday weekend—or maybe you just have some spare time—you might want to take a look at the wealth of user-generated information on our forums. You'll find suggested solutions to some summer-specific household issues—or at least get some sympathy from fellow readers.

Summer comfort: Make your air conditioner more dependable and efficient

• Curing noisy air conditioners
• Using an air conditioner with a fan
• Does fan speed affect efficiency?

Outdoor pleasures: Here's what's fueling discussions about grills, an essential summer tool

• Who makes the best gas grill?
• Should you refill or exchange your liquid-propane tanks?
• Natural gas vs. propane: Which fuel is better?

Appliances woes: Higher temperatures take a toll on many appliances. Here are solutions to a few recurring problems

• Dryers: What to do about condensation
• Curing a smelly washer
• Replacing a refrigerator: Which French-door model is best?

And finally, if summer activities have taken a toll on your physique, our best mattresses for bad backs thread might provide some relief.—Gian Trotta

Tip of the Day: How to grill the perfect steak

A recent survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found that 68 percent of U.S. consumers live in a household that grills outdoors. With the Independence Day holiday upon us, many of you will undoubtedly fire up your gas or charcoal grill to prepare a holiday meal for family and friends.

If steak is on your menu, follow these expert grilling tips from John Macchia, a senior laboratory technician in the Technical Division of Consumer Reports who studied at the Culinary Institute of America, and watch the video (right). And try our other delicious, easy-to-prepare grilling recipes.

If you’re in the market for a new grill, read our latest report to find the best gas grill for your home. Based on the recent ads we’ve seen, you might be able to get a good deal on a grill at the major home-improvement centers.

6 Steps to a Great Steak
• Use fresh beef that you've just bought or have refrigerated for up to three days. Do not use meat that has been frozen.

• Preheat your gas grill on high for at least 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grates. Remember to keep the lid closed during preheating and as you cook.

• Trim excess fat from the steak. Then season the meat with freshly ground pepper and kosher or coarse salt, using a little more salt than usual since some will drip off during cooking.

• To get steakhouse-quality grill marks, place one end of the steak diagonal to the grates facing left (pointing to 10 o'clock). Then, without flipping the steak, move the end so that it now faces right (pointing to 2 o'clock). Flip the steak and repeat the previous two steps.

• Grill a boneless steak, such as rib-eye or sirloin, 1 to 11/2 inches thick, for 90 seconds for each step if you prefer rare meat. Grill a bone-in steak, like a porterhouse, for 2 minutes per step for rare. Add 30 seconds per step for medium-rare. Cook for 3 minutes per step for medium-well. Remove the steak from the grill.

• A meat thermometer should register 145º F for medium-rare, 160º F for medium, and 165º F for medium-well, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

You might have heard that charring your food can lead to the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. It’s not yet known how much HCAs might increase cancer risk in people, but there are ways to limit your exposure. Read "Don't Char the Meat" for more details.—Steven H. Saltzman

Essential information: Use our Home Improvement Guide interactive to take a room-by-room tour of the top-rated appliances and most cost-effective improvements you can make to your home.

Tip of the Day: Clean your ceiling fans

My approach to housekeeping is akin to the “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a noise?” conundrum: I don’t mind the weekly ritual of cleaning my house, but I do cut corners where I can—if I can’t see the grime, then it doesn’t count.

I’ve often taken this tack when with ceiling fans. From below, I usually don’t notice the dust and grime on my fans. But when I recently climbed a stepladder for a closer look at the one in my bedroom it was clear I had to clean the fan. The dust and grime weren’t overwhelming—yet. So I decided to tackle this simple task before it could turn into a messy ordeal.

When you’re cleaning your ceiling fans, first find out what steps the manufacturer recommends, and then consider our experts’ suggestions below. Remember, clean a fan only after you’ve turned it off and the blades have come to a full stop. And cover the floor (and furniture) beneath the fan with a drop cloth. If the blades are lightweight, handle them with care.

• Use a long-handled, ceiling-fan duster to remove dust. (These special round brushes are sold at hardware stores and home centers.) The blade fits in the inner part of the duster and will clean both sides of the blade at the same time.

• If your fan is equipped with a light, gently dust the fixture (and the bulb, if it’s exposed) with a soft cloth.

• To remove accumulated grime, wash the blades and fan housing with a damp cloth sprayed with an all-purpose cleaner or dipped in a solution of water and mild detergent. (Learn how to make your own household cleaners.)

• Then wipe the blades with a cloth dampened with water to remove detergent residue.

• Finally, dry the blades thoroughly— dampness attracts dust.

Be careful when you’re reaching up to clean the blades if you don’t have a brush. If you need to buy a ladder for this and other household chores, see our review of ladders.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Read our latest report on ceiling fans to choose the right models for your home. And learn how to stay cool without running up your utility bills. Use our Home Improvement Guide interactive to take a room-by-room tour of the top-rated appliances and most cost-effective improvements you can make to your home.

Tip of the Day: Dehumidifiers can keep your home comfortable and prevent mold and mildew

Deploying a dehumidifier in damp areas of your home is an easy way to not only boost your comfort but also to prevent a number of problems, including sickness, mold and mildew growth, and damage to your home and its furnishings.

My own “FOBFU”—find out by fouling up—lesson illustrates why it’s smart to use a dehumidifier. I stored a bunch of camping equipment in my basement, which tended to be very humid. When I went to retrieve a sleeping bag for a camping trip, I found it ruined by the damp environment. I immediately went online to read our recent report on dehumidifiers. It turns out you can get a capable model for about $140 dollars—and perhaps even less if you combine it with a rebate or tax credit by buying an energy-efficient version.

Most dehumidifiers have features such as a built-in timer, which can be useful in some situations, and a hose-attachment point to drain the water, eliminating your having to empty a reservoir. One model even comes with a pump and plastic tubing that sends the collected water out a window or up to a slop sink or other high drain. Other factors to consider when buying a dehumidifier include energy use, noise, performance in brownout conditions, and the ability to automatically restart after a power blackout.

I’ve learned my lesson. My new dehumidifier is now humming away down the basement, keeping my camping gear in good shape.—Gian Trotta

Essential information: Learn how to alleviate other basement-moisture problems. To keep the rest of your home comfortable this summer, read “How to Keep Your Cool” and our latest reports on room air conditioners and ceiling fans.

Q&A: Which direction should the blades on my ceiling fan rotate?

My ceiling fan has a switch that reverses the direction the blades rotate. How do I know which direction to run the fan during warm- and cold-weather months?

During warm weather, you should run the fan so that the breeze blows downward. This wind-chill effect—the same cool breeze you feel when you roll down the window in a moving car—will cool you.

Many ceiling-fan manufacturers and various Web sites out there suggest that you run the ceiling fan so that it blows in the opposite direction—upward—when the weather is cold and the heat is on in your home. The idea is that the fan mixes the warm air collecting at the ceiling and moves it back down to the perimeter of room, creating a higher average room temperature and less need for heat. (All of the ceiling fans we recently tested have a switch that you flip to reverse the motion of the blade.)

 

But in our past tests, we found that the draft caused by the fan can have a chilling effect on people in a room—and lead to higher thermostat settings and more energy use. So we recommend that you not bother to reverse the motion of your fan—just leave it off during heating season. Note that there might be some situations where reverse operation would be be beneficial, such as in a room with a wood stove running or a very high vaulted ceiling.

If you’re looking to lower your energy bills during cooling season, use ceiling fans and turn off your air conditioning or turn up the temperature on your A/C a few degrees and let the fan go to work. Remember that ceiling fans cool you and not the space you’re in, so turn them off when you leave the room for an extended time so as to not waste electricity.

When shopping for a ceiling fan, you’ll find old-style models that conjure memories of Bogart and Bergman in Casablanca and versions that are modern twists on an invention that first appeared in the U.S. in the 1860s. In our latest report on ceiling fans, we found that while the pricier fans did have fancier finishes, they didn’t necessarily provide better performance. What’s more, most fans performed similarly in our air-movement tests.

Essential information: See our advice on staying cool this summer without cranking up the A/C, and share your tips for keeping comfortable, in our forums.

Tip of the Day: Test your soil

Experts recommend that you test the soil in your lawn every three years to determine whether your yard has gone “sour” or “sweet”—industry parlance, respectively, for lower (heavily acidic) and higher (heavily alkaline) pH levels.

But our tests of six home-use soil-test kits found them returning inaccurate or inconsistent results. Instead of using a home test kit, have your soil analyzed by a lawn service, a private lab, or your local cooperative extension services, whose tests cost as little as $15 apiece. You’ll find state-by-state listings of cooperative extension services on this page from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Read “Test the Soil” (available to subscribers) and watch the video (right) for more details on soil testing and some ways to adjust the pH level of your soil.—Gian Trotta

Essential information: Read "7 Steps to a Better Lawn" for more details on making your yard look its best. You’ll find additional ways to improve your outdoor spaces in our Complete Lawn & Yard Guide.

Protect Your Investment: Buy quality paints

We recently reported that the price of exterior paints and stains is up a few dollars per gallon on average from last year. An article on the Web site ICIS, which covers the chemical industry, revealed similar findings. “Skyrocketing fuel costs have led to price hikes for many of the petrochemicals that go into paint, such as vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), which is used in much of the architectural paint produced in the US,” the story read.

But the story also noted that big-box retailers, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Wal-Mart, are preventing manufacturers from passing on those added costs to consumers. That’s good news if you’re about to tackle a painting project. In our latest report on interior paints, Behr (sold at Home Depot), Valspar (Lowe’s), and Kilz (Wal-Mart) rank among the top performers and are competitively priced.

The exterior finishes from the big-box stores are also less expensive than many of the other brands. But since some of these paints have been reformulated, we’re retesting them and don’t have final test results.

As we reported in our June 2008 story “Scrimping Doesn't Pay,” the Valspar Ultra Premium Satin ($24 per gallon) and the Valspar Ultra Premium Semi-gloss ($24) exterior paints are less expensive than the California 2010 ($38) and Kelly-Moore Acry-Shield ($32) finishes that we rated just above them. We have completed only one year of testing on Behr Premium Plus and Ultra exterior paints. While they are doing well so far, it’s too early to say how they will last in our long-term testing.

But remember that you should take the long view by choosing quality over price when buying paint. If you hire a contractor, then labor costs will add another reason to choose a longer-lasting finish. A finish that lasts for a decade will cost you less than a cheaper one that fails after five years. So use our advice and refer to our Ratings to find the best paints for your needs.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Ratings of full reports on interior paints and exterior paints and stains are available to subscribers. And learn how to dispose of leftover paint.

 

Tip of the Day: Should you hire a lawn-care service?

If you’re a desk jockey like me, the prospect of getting out in the sun and fresh air to do a few hours of yard work each week might be appealing. I often look forward to tending to my property and the work (and workout) it brings—even if the mowing, weeding, raking, debris blowing, fertilizing, watering, planting, edging, trimming, and sweeping sometimes elicit more exhaustion than exhilaration. I also don’t mind the hundreds of dollars in savings I’ve reaped each of the last eight years through my DIY yard care.

But if you’re tired of tending to your property—and apparently many of you are: Americans spent more than $44 billion in 2006 on professional lawn and landscape services—you might be considering hiring one of the national lawn-care companies.

Find out if companies like Lawn Doctor and Scotts are worth it in “Lawn-Care Services: How They Stack Up.” You’ll find more details on the companies in our companion comparison story (available to subscribers).—Steven H. Saltzman

Essential information: See our lawn and yard guide for more expert advice for your property as well as our mowers and tractors page for the latest reports on this and other outdoor power equipment. And learn what type of work other Americans do at their own home in our survey.

Tip of the Day: Use a string trimmer to manicure your yard

A string trimmer picks up where your lawn mower or tractor can’t reach, providing the finishing touches as it eliminates grass and weeds around trees and flower beds, along your driveway, and other areas of your property.

If parts of your yard are starting to look a little woolly, it could be time for you to buy a string trimmer. The long Memorial Day weekend means you might find some deals in stores (string trimmers cost about $20 for entry-level electric models and up to $250 for commercial-grade gasoline units), plus you should have a few extra hours to make your outdoor areas look their best.

Keep these points in mind when you’re shopping for a new model, and see our string trimmer product page for more information, including our latest test information and Ratings (available to subscribers).

Consider your landscape. Straight-shaft trimmers can reach beneath shrubs more easily than curved-shaft models. They're also easier to handle for taller users and are less likely to spatter you with clippings. Curved-shaft trimmers trade a straight shaft's longer reach for easier maneuvering and, often, less weight.

Check the specs. Most gas-powered trimmers run on 87-octane regular, though some brands recommend 89-octane fuel for models with higher engine compression.

Most manufacturers also tell you which size replacement line fits your trimmer. Using other than the specified size can result in poor line feeding from the line spool at the cutting head. Line that's too thin can compromise cutting performance in heavier grass and weeds, while line that's too thick can be too aggressive resulting in an uneven and ragged cut.

Mind the gap. Tall grass and weeds can slow or stall a trimmer by wrapping around the top of its cutting head, especially if there's a gap between it and the mounting for the grass-debris guard. Models with a small gap or a protective sleeve around the shaft avoided that problem and did well in tall grass.

Give it the once-over. Check the balance of the trimmer by adjusting the front handle for a comfortable reach and holding the trimmer in the cutting position with both hands. Its weight should feel evenly distributed from top to bottom or slightly heavier at the top. Also be sure the controls work smoothly and are easy to reach. If you're left-handed, see that any gas trimmer you're considering has a deflector to aim hot exhaust gases rearward; most have it.

Essential information: Read about how Consumer Reports tests string trimmers.

Tip of the Day: Shopping advice for gas grills

While many Americans with grills use their outdoor cooker year-round, with Memorial Day about a week away, high grilling season is about to start. If you're ready to buy a new gas grill, use our shopping tips below and buying advice and watch our video (right) before you head to the store. (Find out what grills other people are buying and what grilling topics are hot in our grills forum.)

Size it up. Match the grill's cooking area to the number of people generally around your table. Remember, manufacturers might include warming racks in their measurements of cooking area. Our measurements are based on the main cooking area and how much food it will hold. Next factor in how much space the grill will take up on your patio or deck. Some of the large grills we've tested are 6 feet wide.

Look over the menu. A basic grill is fine for cooking hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, kabobs, chicken pieces, and vegetables, but if you regularly cook whole chickens, turkeys, or large roasts, look for a model with a rotisserie burner.

Bring a magnet. Many grills are made of a mix of grades of stainless steel. Our tests have found that 300-series stainless is less likely to rust than cheaper, 400-series stainless. Magnets will usually stick to cheaper grades, so bring a magnet with you to test the metal.

Think safety. The more stable the grill, the better. When shopping, gently push the grill from several angles to see if it tips. Check the cart, firebox, lid, and shelves for sharp corners and edges. Grip the handle. Your knuckles or fingers shouldn't be too close to the lid or your hand could get burned during use.

Essential information: Also read our June 2008 gas-grills report and visit our gas-grills product page. Then follow our expert advice to ensure you avoid common grilling mistakes and to keep your grill cooking better, longer as you make our delicious, easy-to-prepare dishes and use chef-restaurateur Bobby Flay’s recipes.

Q&A: What’s the best way to repair bare patches in my lawn?

My lawn has several small bare spots. What’s the best way to repair these bald patches?

You can easily revive your yard without starting from scratch. Since you’re dealing with small areas, the easiest fix is to patch the bare spots.

1. Dig up and remove the damaged section, plus 6 inches of surrounding, healthy lawn, cutting 2 inches deep.

2. Smooth and level the soil. Add a small amount of soil amendment and starter fertilizer, firm the soil, water, and level again if needed.

3. Replant with seed, sod, or sprigs. For seed, cover lightly, press into place, and keep moist until germination. For sod, cut a section to fit, press it into place to firm roots against soil, and water frequently until rooted. For sprigs or plugs, plant them a few inches apart, cover lightly and press into place, and water until rooted.

NOTE: Do not use a fertilizer with crabgrass or weed control in the area to be reseeded six weeks before seeding and until after the new grass seed has germinated. Otherwise the grass will not germinate.

Essential information: See our lawn and yard guide for more expert advice for your property, including details on planting the right grass.

Tip of the Day: Don’t get ripped off by an alarm company

The scenario: A representative from a home-security company knocks on your door and offers you a free alarm system in exchange for displaying his company’s sign on your lawn. Swayed by the prospect of getting a security setup gratis, you sign a long-term monitoring contact and end up stuck with a shoddy installation and substandard equipment and service.

Learn more about this type of scam—and, more important, how to avoid it—by reading the Scam Alert in the June 2008 issue of Consumer Reports.

Tip of the Day: Check your dryer vents

As the owner of a multiunit brownstone in Brooklyn, I’m used to troubleshooting problems and dealing with malfunctioning appliances. Recently one of my tenants e-mailed me, writing, “The dryer doesn’t seem to be working correctly; we have to run it for hours to dry a single load.”

Visions of dryer fires and carbon-monoxide poisoning sprang to mind, along with possible causes of and solutions for the problem. Did a clogged venting system need cleaning? Was the 12-year-old Maytag washer/dryer combo unit near the end of its service life? I asked the tenants not to use the unit until I could stop by over the weekend.

When I got to the building a couple of days later, I immediately checked the lint screen and the area below it on the dryer. Both checked out clear. (Being able to remove two screws and gain access to the area below the lint screen is a nice feature of some older washer-dryer units.) Pulling the dryer away from the wall revealed that the vinyl vent had sagged with age, and a fist-sized ball of lint had collected at the base of the U-shaped depression.

Installing new metal ductwork cured the problem, and I was spared the high expense of replacing the unit. While my building was completely up to code, I put the money I otherwise would have spent on a new washer-dryer on the following safety upgrades:

• I deployed new smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms throughout the building to provide the highest level of safety. (The existing alarms were due for replacement.)

• I replaced the original hoses on the washer with Floodchek hoses, which are supposed to be burst-proof and were recommended to me by other landlords and property managers in my area. (Consumer Reports has not tested these hoses.) I also ordered the Flo n Stop flood-prevention system, a product we covered at the 2008 International Builders’ Show.

• I added fire extinguishers in every hallway and in every apartment.

It turns out that my dryer has a built-in sensor that prevents the unit from working if it senses a blockage in the vent. To avoid late-night phone calls or endless e-mails, I now check the dryer vent every time I visit the building.—Gian Trotta

Tip of the Day: Clean under your deck

Everyone marks the first warm days of spring differently. Some folks go for a long walk, many fire up the grill for the first of many meals they’ll prepare outdoors in the coming months, and some toss the ball around with their kids.

Many of you have also recently undertaken some spring cleaning, but I imagine that I’m in the minority of homeowners who spent the first mild spring evening this year crawling and toiling under a deck to clean out the mess there.

In years past, raking out leaves from beneath my 400-square-foot wood deck was invariably an hours-long ordeal. This time, however, it took only about 20 minutes, in part because the leaves were dry and easier to gather and also because I needed to complete the work before it got too dark.

When I was finished, my booty comprised a full bag of leaves, two stinging eyes, nine tennis balls and two Wiffle Balls—kids!—plus a balled-up woolly bear caterpillar. Oh, and enough dirt on my clothes and myself to merit instant banishment to the shower. (That’s me in the photo above.)

Why bother cleaning out under the deck? Leaves that collect there can harbor moisture and serve an inviting habitat for insects and fungi. They’re also a fire hazard. The chief reason I tackle this chore in spring is that the patio tiles and soil under the deck have lost most of winter’s chill. Even better, the ants, spiders, and assorted other cooties that might want at me have yet to emerge at my house.

At any time of the year, though, this underdeck cleanup would merit a spot on Dirty Jobs—presuming you could find someone to pay to do this work. And once I’ve tidied up, other deck-upkeep chores seem easy by comparison. These include an annual safety inspection; the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) offers a handy checklist (PDF download) for the part of the deck you walk on. The NADRA also promotes Deck Safety Month in May.

While you’re working on your deck, check your deck stain or treatment for wear. Look for our upcoming report on deck stains and treatments in the June 2008 issue of Consumer Reports (on sale and online in early May). We’re covering volatile organic compounds among a number of other topics and will have testing information on a range of decking materials, including some of the newest composites.

Once someone manufactures a 20-foot telescopic rake, I suppose we’ll have to test that out, too. I have just the place to put it through its paces.—Ed Perratore

Essential information: Here’s how to prepare your deck for a new stain and tips on finding the best deck stain or treatment.