The Yomiuri Shimbun
Due to the rolling power outages following the large earthquake and tsunami that hit the Tohoku and Kanto regions last Friday, residents in some areas of Kanto will be asked to spend hours without any electricity. There are a variety of household items that do not require electric power and can be used in place of day-to-day appliances. People living in areas not directly affected by the outages can also conserve electricity by using these items.
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Heat
Although spring is just around the corner, winter weather continues. Without electricity, air conditioners and kerosene heaters are useless. In their place, try using a hot-water bottle. By using a gas cooker to boil water and pouring it into the bottle, you will be able to keep a covered kotatsu or a blanket warm for half a day.
You should also search your house for a stock of disposable heat pads you may have purchased and forgotten about. Are they in your wardrobe or a drawer somewhere? Even if they have already expired, there is a chance they will still give off heat.
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Cooking
Instead of using an electric rice-cooker, rice can be cooked in an earthen pot or any kind of pot you can find in your kitchen on the stove. Given the option, your best option would be a pressure cooker, which can cook rice in 20 to 30 minutes. It takes less time than using an earthen pot and uses less gas. It can also keep rice warm for a few hours.
If you use a gas burner, make sure to properly air the room, as circulation fans will not be working.
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Cleaning
There are many items you can use to clean the floor instead of a vacuum cleaner. A dust mop with disposable dry sheets will get the job done, while a dust roller can keep the carpet clean.
Without power, a spray to keep dust from floating about also is a good option. You can vacuum up the dust when the power has returned.
===
Laundry
Although it can be hard work to hand-wash all your clothes, you can just wash less often. By dividing your clothes by level of necessity, you can wash them in bulk to efficiently reduce both the amount of laundry and number of washes.
Drum-type washer-dryers consume a lot of electricity. Use an ironing spray to smooth wrinkles and reduce the time it takes to iron.
===
Lighting and others
A camping lantern can be useful for nighttime power outages. Home centers also sell glow-in-the-dark tape, which creates a faint light after it is left under the sun. Stick bits of the tape on each step of the staircase to avoid tripping in the dark.
If you normally use a hair dryer, you should instead try a superabsorbent towel. Microfiber towels that can absorb water quickly help to conserve electricity, and, besides, they are actually good for your hair.
(Mar. 18, 2011)
Due to the rolling power outages following the large earthquake and tsunami that hit the Tohoku and Kanto regions last Friday, residents in some areas of Kanto will be asked to spend hours without any electricity. There are a variety of household items that do not require electric power and can be used in place of day-to-day appliances. People living in areas not directly affected by the outages can also conserve electricity by using these items.
===
Heat
Although spring is just around the corner, winter weather continues. Without electricity, air conditioners and kerosene heaters are useless. In their place, try using a hot-water bottle. By using a gas cooker to boil water and pouring it into the bottle, you will be able to keep a covered kotatsu or a blanket warm for half a day.
You should also search your house for a stock of disposable heat pads you may have purchased and forgotten about. Are they in your wardrobe or a drawer somewhere? Even if they have already expired, there is a chance they will still give off heat.
===
Cooking
Instead of using an electric rice-cooker, rice can be cooked in an earthen pot or any kind of pot you can find in your kitchen on the stove. Given the option, your best option would be a pressure cooker, which can cook rice in 20 to 30 minutes. It takes less time than using an earthen pot and uses less gas. It can also keep rice warm for a few hours.
If you use a gas burner, make sure to properly air the room, as circulation fans will not be working.
===
Cleaning
There are many items you can use to clean the floor instead of a vacuum cleaner. A dust mop with disposable dry sheets will get the job done, while a dust roller can keep the carpet clean.
Without power, a spray to keep dust from floating about also is a good option. You can vacuum up the dust when the power has returned.
===
Laundry
Although it can be hard work to hand-wash all your clothes, you can just wash less often. By dividing your clothes by level of necessity, you can wash them in bulk to efficiently reduce both the amount of laundry and number of washes.
Drum-type washer-dryers consume a lot of electricity. Use an ironing spray to smooth wrinkles and reduce the time it takes to iron.
===
Lighting and others
A camping lantern can be useful for nighttime power outages. Home centers also sell glow-in-the-dark tape, which creates a faint light after it is left under the sun. Stick bits of the tape on each step of the staircase to avoid tripping in the dark.
If you normally use a hair dryer, you should instead try a superabsorbent towel. Microfiber towels that can absorb water quickly help to conserve electricity, and, besides, they are actually good for your hair.
(Mar. 18, 2011)
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