Home Depot and Staples this week muscled their way into the connected home market with announcements of systems that help homeowners monitor everything from window shades to security cameras from one hub. The big retailers are just the latest players to offer consumers centralized control over their homes rather than depending on individual apps that work with just one product.  

Staples’ announcement centered around the expanded availability of the nearly 150 products in its Staples Connect line, which are displayed at in-store kiosks and also sold through staples.com. About 500 stores out of more than 1,800 will begin carrying the line July 15—up from an initial 32 in last year’s trial program—starting with the stores whose customer base shows the most interest in technology.

To kick off the program, Staples will lower the price of its Linksys-made Staples Connect Hub from $100 to $50. That hub supports the Z-Wave home-networking standard along with Wi-Fi, but a newer hub coming out this fall—made by D-Link, will sell for $80 and adds support for the Zigbee standard and Bluetooth.

Staples says that the average hub owner has seven connected devices, which is growing monthly, and that iPad users comprise the bulk of users who’ve downloaded the free Staples Connect app, available for iPhone and Android. Other players are on-board. The Staples Connect app is available for Microsoft’s Windows 8. Jawbone, a wearable-technology manufacturer, has also announced that its UP24 wristbands will work with Staples Connect. And starting this summer, you’ll be able to control devices through some Samsung Smart TVs.

At Home Depot stores will feature so-called end caps—displays at the edge of aisles—for its Wink line of dozens of connected products beginning Monday. The star of the show, the Wink hub (made by a spin-off from Quirky, an “invention company”) will cost $49. Buy a connected device with it, and the hub price drops to $25; buy two, and the hub costs 99 cents. The app is free.

Depending on what you’d like to automate you might not even need the hub. Every product compatible with the Wink app will display one of two logos on its packaging—one indicating products that need the hub to connect using Z-Wave, Zigbee, or Lutron’s ClearConnect, and another for products that connect to your home network’s existing wireless router.

A product that’s compatible with one retailer’s hub isn’t necessarily limited to that company’s suite. Schlage and Kwikset, whose connected locks we recently tested, will work with either company’s hub. So will lighting devices from Philips and other products from companies such as GE, Honeywell, and Lutron.

Even if you don’t care about automating your lighting, heating and cooling, door locks, or smoke/CO alarms, many other types of products will work with one or both of the newly announced product suites. Chamberlain, for instance, sells the MyQ Garage Universal Garage Door Controller, which works with most existing garage-door openers. And the Rheem EcoNet Wi-Fi module, will let you set water temperatures remotely and notify you if your Rheem water heater is near the end of its life. Both products are part of Home Depot’s line.

To see how some connected products have performed in Consumer Reports tests, read our special report, Run your home from your phone. Also check our Ratings of CO/smoke alarms, door locks, lighbulbs, and thermostats.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

The FDA just issued a "Barbecue Basics" health alert in advance of the holiday weekend. The agency offers food handling and storage tips and advises that you use a meat thermometer to ensure that you cook hamburgers to at least 160° F and chicken to at least 165° F, which will kill harmful bacteria. If you lack a thermometer, make sure hamburgers are brown all the way through, not pink.

The same advice holds when you're grilling steaks and other cuts of meat. This is especially important if you're cooking mechanically tenderized beef. During mechanical tenderizing, meat is run through a machine that punctures it with blades or needles. That process can drive bacteria, such as the deadly pathogen E. coli O157:H7, into the center of the meat, where it's harder to kill.

We suggest you cook beef to 160° F, as you would a hamburger, rather than to the 145° F (typical for medium-rare) that the USDA recommends for non-tenderized steak. Use a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the beef rather than simply judging by the color of the meat. Letting the beef rest for several minutes after you pull it off the grill or out of the oven also allows further cooking time to kill any pathogens that may remain in “cold spots” on the interior.

—Maggie Shader

Follow these 6 food safety tips for your summer cookout, and check your outdoor cooker following the steps on this grill safety check list.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

Recently I was pulled over by the state police. Funny thing, I was in a canoe at the time. I wasn't wearing my life jacket, but I pulled it out of the canoe to show the officer that I had one with me. "You know you really should wear that when you are out on the lake," he told me.  

While I always make sure my children wear life jackets, I didn't think I needed to wear one myself, mainly because I consider myself to be a pretty good swimmer. But I couldn't have been more wrong. Wearing a life jacket can literally mean the difference between life and death—no matter how well you can swim. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are about 350 boating-related drownings in the U.S. every year. Many of those deaths could have been prevented by wearing a proper-fitting life jacket, the U.S. Coast Guard says.  

While boating, make sure you protect your skin with the best sunscreen and wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.  

And an Australian study out last month in the journal Injury Prevention makes a very good case for mandatory recreational boating life jacket laws. 

The study looked at the six-year period before and after the state of Victoria in Australia passed a law in 2005 making wearing a life jacket mandatory for all recreational boaters. There were 59 drowning deaths related to recreational boating in the six years before the law was passed, but just 16 deaths after the law took effect. “These findings provide further support for the adoption of a regulatory approach ... to increase the wearing of life jackets,” the authors wrote.

Life jacket tips

If you go out on the water this summer, make sure you wear a life jacket that's the right size and in good condition. Here are some more tips from the U.S. Coast Guard:

• Read the label on your life jacket to be sure it's made for people your weight and size.
  
• Try on your life jacket to see if it fits comfortably snug. Then test it in shallow water to see how it handles. 
• To check the buoyancy of your life jacket in the water, relax your body and let your head tilt back. Make sure it keeps your chin above water and you can breathe easily.
• Be aware that your life jacket may not act the same in swift or rough water as in calm water. The clothes you wear and the items in your pockets may also change the way it works.
• If your mouth is not well above the water, get a new life jacket or one with more buoyancy.
• Before you go out on the water, make sure all on board are wearing life vests. To work best, they must be worn with all straps, zippers, and ties fastened. Tuck in any loose strap ends to avoid getting hung up.
• Don't alter your life jacket because an altered one may not save your life. If yours doesn't fit, get one that does.
   

What to do for children

A life jacket will keep a child afloat, but may not keep a struggling child face up. That's why the U.S. Coast Guard says it's important to teach children how to put on a life jacket and to help them get used to wearing one in the water.

Make sure the life jacket fits snugly. To check for a good fit, pick the child up by the shoulders of the life jacket. If it fits correctly, the child's chin and ears will not slip through. Remember that life jackets aren't baby sitters and that an adult should always be present.

The Boat U.S. Foundation has a state-specific listing of life jacket laws for children.

—Chris Hendel

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

Before you head out on the highway looking for adventure make sure it isn’t a ticket that comes your way. This guide details the helmet laws state by state to help riders follow the rules. Of course, the safest choice is to always wear a traditional (non-novelty) helmet that complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218.

Besides getting a ticket for not wearing a helmet in certain states, there is even more incentive—not properly protecting yourself could increase your risk of injury or even death. Just 19 states, plus the District of Columbia, have universal motorcycle helmet laws requiring usage despite the fact that studies show that helmets can help reduce your injury risk in a crash. They are about 37 percent effective in preventing deaths and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries from motorcycle crashes. (See our 10 safety tips for new riders.)

In states that institute laws, deaths and injuries from motorcycle accidents typically drop. Unfortunately, the opposite also proves true when such laws are repealed. Nearly 100 percent of motorcyclists riding in states with helmet laws were wearing them. In states without the laws, helmet use was about 50 percent.

Getting more riders to wear helmets is important: As more motorcyclists have taken to the road over the last few years, rider fatalities have grown even more rapidly especially compared to cars.  In 2012, over 4,900 motorcyclists died on the roads--that is 15 percent of the total highway fatalities and an increase of 33 percent from 2003-2012.  

Before embarking on a long-distance ride, check out our list of which states have universal laws requiring helmet use. The best move is to keep things simple and safe: Wear a quality, DOT-approved helmet even if it’s not the law in your state or wherever you are traveling.

—Liza Barth

For more on motorcycles, see our buying advice and our special section covering safety, reliability, first rides and more.  

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

Coming this fall: Ask the CEO, a new Consumer Reports magazine column that gives you a direct line to the world’s top brass . . . starting with the head of America’s largest car company.

Since Mary Barra took over as General Motors chief in January 2014—the first female CEO of a major global auto manufacturer—she’s been in the hot seat: So far this year, GM has recalled 29 million cars and trucks.

Now, you have a chance to ask about what’s going on at GM. Send us your questions on topics such as quality and safety standards, the future of the company, the ignition switch recall—or how Barra plans to get things right.

We’ll send questions on to Barra and print answers as an exclusive Q&A in an upcoming issue of Consumer Reports magazine and on ConsumerReports.org.

Send your questions by July 11 to AskTheCEO@cr.consumer.org or submit one via our Facebook page.

Recent articles about latest GM recalls:

GM ignition accident compensation payout terms announced

With new recall, GM has recalled about 15 times more vehicles than it has sold

GM releases ignition recall report, fires staff, and commits to safety

Actions General Motors should take to clean up its mess

GM under fire for car ignition safety

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

The maker of Drain-FX claims that the snakelike device is  “100% effective” at unclogging “multiple drains,” and a video shows it clearing sand and hair. Consumer Reports paid $20 for Drain-FX Sinks, which has a 29-inch tube that connects directly to a faucet (as long as it has a removable aerator), and $40 for Drain-FX Plus, which adds a 15-foot hose extension and a valve for use in bathtubs, showers, and floor drains.

The check. We concocted four clogs of various materials: lard and cooked rice; bar soap, toothpaste, and hair; sand; and hair alone. For comparison, we used a traditional plunger. And we asked members of our staff to take Drain-FX home to see how it adapted to different faucets and drains.

Bottom line. Three out of four isn’t bad. Drain-FX cleared the lardy, soapy, and sandy clogs. Only the clump of hair proved a challenge: Drain-FX created a passage through the hair but didn’t clear the clump completely. Some staffers had trouble fitting the tube through a drain strainer or stopper—you might need to disassemble the drain—but those who succeeded found that the device improved water flow. And the plunger? It worked too, just more slowly and with more effort.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

Most communities across the U.S. will experience a 10 percent to 18 percent jump in home burglaries during the months of June, July, and August, according to FBI statistics.

But there are simple ways you can help ensure thieves won't plunder your home while you're on vacation this summer. And we have info on systems that can help you monitor your home while you're away.

Limit social sharing.

Consider technological solutions.

In our tests of products that let you monitor your home remotely, we liked Connected by TCP, a system lets you control lights via its app ($50). Generac Mobile Link, $280, e-mails or texts you or a servicing dealer if a problem arises during your generator’s periodic self-test. FortrezZ Wireless Z-Wave water valve system can e-mail, text, or call you if water is where it shouldn’t be, but it’s costly: $485 to $565, depending on the number of sensors you add.

Enlist a friend.

If you can’t go high-tech, go low. See whether someone can move in or check the home regularly while you’re gone. He can feed pets, adjust curtains, take care of trash pickups, and bring in the mail. (You can also stop your mail online.) If you’ll be away for an extended period, ask someone to mow your lawn.

Make it hard to slip in unnoticed.

Trim shrubs around the house to no higher than 3 feet from the ground and trees so that the lowest branches are at least 6 feet up. That way there will be fewer spots for a ne’er-do-well to hide. Secure first-floor air conditioners with an outside bracket. Install motion-sensor lights where a burglar can’t easily unscrew the bulbs. Other burglar-deterrents can earn you up to 15 percent off your homeowners insurance premiums, including deadbolt locks, window grates, bars, and a burglar alarm.

For more tips, watch the video below.

––Mandy Walker

This article also appeared in the July issue of Consumer Reports Money Adviser.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

Hoover has been working on improving the reliability of its vacuum cleaners since the line became part of TTI Floor Care, the owners of Dirt Devil, and currently our top vacuum picks include Hoover. Still, there’s always room for improvement, so we asked Hoover about avoidable service calls—problems customers could remedy themselves if they were more in tune with their vacuums. Here’s what Hoover told us.

Vacuums need maintenance. It’s not just cars and outdoor power gear that need routine attention. To make your vacuum run best, perform a full system check every other month. Start with your filters; if they’re dirty, rinse and dry them. (If there’s a HEPA filter, replace it when it’s noticeably dirty.) Replace the bag or bin if full. Next, check the brush roll for wrapped-up hair and fibers and remove what you find. While getting at the belt to check for damage isn’t easy, keeping a spare belt around will help you avoid problems if your vacuum fails when you need it most.

Belts break for a reason. Vacuums typically use a belt that’s meant to break to protect the motor. One common reason is when the brush roll jams from pulling in items such as shoelaces, socks, and even rugs. In some vacuums, there’s a circuit breaker, which shuts the motor down if it meets significant resistance. Some vacuums also have a thermal overload protector that prevents the motor from overheating because of a clog. Most can be reset afterward by unplugging the vacuum and letting it cool down.  While you wait, check for whatever blocked the airflow.

Many broken vacuums can be fixed. If your vacuum’s motor still runs, your vacuum can probably be fixed. And most issues can be resolved at home for little or no cost. Checking hoses for clogs, washing or replacing your filter, cleaning excess hair off your brush roll, or replacing a belt is often all it takes to get your vacuum back up and running.
 
Vacuuming is more than just suction. Effective vacuuming of all your surfaces requires both agitation—from the brush roll—and good airflow throughout the system caused by suction. And, of course, you have to push the vacuum back and forth. Problems can occur from issues with any of these factors, but they’re resolvable.

Making multiple passes is normal. Cleaning pros recommend that you make at least seven passes over a carpet, the most challenging job for a vacuum, in order to pick up not just surface dirt but also fine debris that can get trapped deep in the carpet’s fibers. All vacuum manufacturers test their machines using many passes. If your vacuum isn’t  picking up at least the surface litter, it’s time to check for brush-roll and airflow issues.

Top vacuums from our tests
When it is time for a new vacuum, a careful check of available features can help you match a model you’re considering to the type of surfaces you need to clean. Our vacuum buying guide can help you sort out the lingo. Then see our vacuum Ratings of more than 125 upright, canister, hand, stick, and robotic vacuums.

Our top bagless canister is the LG Kompressor LcV900B, $400, but we also recommend the bagless Hoover Platinum S3865, also $400. In our tests of uprights, the Hoover WindTunnel Max UH30600, $180, is a CR Best Buy, combining performance and value. Four other Hoover bagged uprights made our list of top vacuum picks, as did the Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind Bagless UH70120, $130, our top bagless upright.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

Stocking up on the weekly groceries doesn't require trips to multiple stores. Some of the best everyday products in Consumer Reports tests can be found at almost any supermarket. In our tests of such staples as paper towels, toilet paper, detergents, and lightbulbs, we found top-performing products from familiar brands. Here’s what to look for next time you shop and what to leave out of your shopping cart.

Toilet paper

Buy: Our top toilet paper is White Cloud 3-Ply Ultra but you can only buy it at Walmart. If you shop anywhere else, look for Charmin Ultra Strong which got excellent marks for strongness, softness, and disintegration and has very good tearing ease.
Skip: At the bottom of our Ratings is Scott 1000, which was tops in disintegration but gets poor marks for softness and fair for strength.

Facial tissues

Buy: When you’re stocking up on tissues, try Puffs Ultra Soft & Strong. In our tests, Puffs scored excellent for strength and very good for softness. And the tissues are moderately priced.
Skip: Scotties Facial Tissues, which are pretty soft but got sub-par scores for strength.

Paper towels

Buy: If you’ve got a big mess, Bounty DuraTowel is your go-to paper towel. In our tests, it got excellent marks across the board for absorbency, scrubbing power, and wet strength. One drawback is that it costs more than all the other paper towel in our tests. Opt for Bounty Extra Soft for lesser messes.
Skip:  Sparkle Giant Pick-A-Size, which was subpar at absorbency and wet strength and so-so for scrubbing.

All-purpose cleaners

Buy: In our tests, Pine-Sol Original all-purpose cleaner outperformed its competitors by a wide margin. Indeed, it was the only cleanser that didn’t streak in our mirror test and it was very good at removing soap scum and stains. Plus it costs less than most of its competitors.

Skip:  Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner, another liquid cleaner. In short, it didn’t get the job done.

Laundry detergents

Buy: For top stain-removing power try Tide Ultra Stain Release. It was very good at removing blood, sebum (ring around the collar), and grass stains.
Skip: Don’t be tempted by the homemaker maven’s brand name because Martha Stewart Clean 2X  was only slightly better than plain water at tackling stains in our tests.

Dishwasher detergents

Buy: For sparkling dishes and flatware try Cascade Complete ActionPacs, which were excellent at cleaning pots and didn’t leave water spots. Cascade was also excellent at resisting white film and very good at cleaning dishes and resisting food deposits.

Skip: In addition to costing more than most of its competitors, the Laundress Dish Detergent was only fair or worse at the cleaning tasks in our tests.

Lightbulbs

Buy: We found a number of LED lightbulbs that scored 99 out of 100 in our tests.
For 60-watt replacements consider the Samsung A19 60-Watt Warm White or the Feit Electric A19/OM/800/LED. To replace a 75-watt incandescent look for the Sylvania 14W A19 75W LED Dimmable. And to replace a 100-watt look for the Switch 100 Bright White.
Skip: MiracleLED Un-Edison 60W Equivalent Frost, 60-watt replacement, which got poor marks for brightness and a 51 overall.

—Mary H.J. Farrell (@mhjfarrell on Twitter)

Learn how to be a smarter supermarket shopper, and use these 16 ways to save at the supermarket.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

"Even the toughest ingredients don't stand a chance," claims an infomercial for the NutriBullet Pro 900 blender, $150. That wasn't our experience in the Consumer Reports labs. Though the machine made an excellent piña colada and soup puree during performance testing, a blade cracked or broke on two separate units during our durability test, a stress test in which we crush seven large ice cubes 45 times to simulate rigorous use. One of the NutriBullet’s second assemblies (each package includes two) also had a visible crack. 

We are not aware of any injuries caused by this model, but because a broken blade fragment could be small enough to hide in a blended beverage, posing a potential hazard to users, we’ve judged the NutriBullet Pro 900 a "Don't Buy: Safety Risk." If you already own the product, we suggest you stop using it.

Response from the distributor. As we normally do when we find a safety concern with a product, we informed the company, as well as the Consumer Product Safety Commission, of our findings. NutriBullet, LLC, responded by stating that the machine is not a blender or an ice crusher and should not have been subjected to the ice-crush durability test, which we developed years ago after receiving increased consumer complaints about blender durability. The company added that crushing ice with the NutriBullet Pro 900, without the presence of water or other liquid, constituted a misuse of the product.

The NutriBullet Pro 900 is indeed marketed as a “superfood nutrition extractor.” Yet major retailers such as Amazon.com, Best Buy, and Walmart sell it as a blender, and NutriBullet, LLC itself compares the product to “other blenders” in its owner’s manual. What’s more, an earlier generation of this model has been in our blender Ratings for several years; it made it through our durability test without any trouble. As for the alleged misuse of the machine to crush ice, nowhere are users given this warning. We think it’s a conceivable use, and in an FAQ on the NutriBullet website, users are even encouraged to add ice to “NutriBlast” recipes because it “will give a slightly thicker consistency and nice chill.” And though many recipes call for water, there’s no explicit warning against using ice without liquid. 

A concerning pattern. This experience with a faulty blender blade is not an isolated incident. In July 2013, we judged the Calphalon XL 9-speed blender a Don’t Buy: Safety Risk after its blade assembly broke during testing. Calphalon later recalled the product, in conjunction with the CPSC. And the manufacturer fixed the problem, sending owners of the affected model a replacement blade assembly, which passed our follow-up durability tests. 

However, additional recalls of blenders from Vitamix (August 2013, models 7500, Professional Series 300, and Professional Series 750) and Frigidaire (September 2013, model FPJB56B7MS) for blade-related problems make for a concerning pattern. Consumer Reports will be proposing changes to the relevant safety standard for this product category.     

The bottom line. Given the potential safety risk posed by the NutriBullet Pro 900 Series, we recommend you avoid it in favor of a blender that performed safely and capably in our tests. One to consider: the Nutri Ninja, a $90 personal blender that made a very good icy drink, a superb puree, and completed our tough durability test without incident.

—Consumer Reports 

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

At Consumer Reports, we often recommend that our readers shop for mattresses around major holidays when prices can drop 50 percent or more. But sometimes waiting for a mattress you like to go on sale can backfire because some models go off the market in as little as a year. That's why we test mattresses frequently, to make sure we offer a number of good choices in our mattress Ratings. We're in the process of testing a new batch now and expect to post the results before summer’s end. In the meantime, here's a glimpse of our early findings.

One thing we'd like to know is whether paying $3,000 for the top-ranked Sleep Number Innovation Series i8 bed Pillowtop queen, an adjustable-air foam mattress, truly buys you better back and side support than spending only $700 (what we paid) for the same company’s Sleep Number c2 Bed, shown above. From an initial examination, one difference we noticed is that the more expensive bed has a considerably thicker foam topping, which could at least make a difference in how comfortable it feels.

Among innerspring mattresses, we brought in a mattress from The Original Mattress Factory after our readers gave the store high marks in our surveys of mattress brands and mattress retailers. So we’ll let you know soon how well The Original Mattress Factory Orthopedic Luxury Firm, at $540 one of the least-expensive innerspring mattresses in our labs, did against models costing as much as $4,800.

Costco isn’t the easiest place to buy a mattress because the stores display them standing up, which rules out lying down on the mattress to try it out, as we recommend. But we liked the Novaform Memory Foam Collection Serafina 14", $800, in our last tests and we’re testing two of its new foam mattresses, the latex-foam Spring Air Back Supporter, $1,200, and the Novaform Altabella, $1,300. The mattresses come factory-folded in a box so they can be unwieldy to return if there are problems. Fortunately, the warehouse club will work with its members—including free pickup and return.

If you need a mattress immediately, consider the innerspring Serta Perfect Day iSeries Applause, $1,075, the foam Novaform Memory Foam Collection Serafina 14", $800 at Costco, or the Sleep Number Innovation Series i8 bed Pillowtop, $3,000.

And before you start shopping, arm yourself with our advice and experience by checking our mattress buying guide and mattress Ratings for models with the best back and side support, along with other performance factors.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

When it’s this warm outside you don’t want to get hot under the collar when your utility bill arrives. Even when you’re cranking the air conditioner, there are some things you can do to keep your costs in check. Some steps you can take right now while others require a little planning. Here are some tips from Consumer Reports and the Department of Energy.

What to do right now
Program your thermostat to match when you’re home and when you’re not. It could help you save up to 10 percent on cooling and heating costs a year. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, set the timer on your air conditioner so it switches on right before you get home and isn’t cooling an empty house.

Use a fan. Ceiling fans allow you to raise the thermostat setting by about four degrees without having much effect on your comfort.

Don’t heat your home with appliances. On hot days, consider using an outdoor gas grill instead of your oven. The microwave is also a good option.

Use the bathroom fan when taking a bath or shower and a range hood or the fan in your over-the-counter microwave when cooking to remove heat and humidity from your home.

Projects that guarantee savings
Add insulation. You may not want to crawl into your attic when it’s hot but insulating your attic and walls and sealing cracks and openings can prevent warm air from leaking into your house now and cool air from seeping in next winter..

Insulate and seal ducts—air loss through ducts accounts for about 30 percent of a cooling system’s energy consumption. If you don’t know how to check the ducts to your central air system, call a pro.

Install energy-efficient window coverings that let natural light in and prevent solar heat gain. Or just keep your drapes or shades closed during the heat of the day for immediate payoff.

Buy an Energy Star AC. If your window air conditioner is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it with an Energy Star qualified unit. On average they’re up to 15 percent more efficient so you’ll appreciate the savings..

Top air conditioners from our tests
When buying a window air conditioner, make sure you get the right size air conditioner for your room. Too small and you’ll be uncomfortable, too big and your room will cool too quickly without removing enough moisture from the air, leaving you cold and clammy. Here’s a top performer for each size we test.

• Small: GE AEM05LS, $210, a CR Best Buy
• Medium: LG LW8014ER, $240
• Large: LG LW1214ER, $350

—Mary H.J. Farrell (@mhjfarrell on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

Washers and dryers have changed since the last time you replaced yours. For starters, they're getting bigger. But they're also getting better at cleaning your clothes while saving you energy too. Here are five things to know before you shop for your next washer and dryer.

Better efficiency but longer wash times. The most efficient washers save roughly $1,400 over a decade and use about 110,000 fewer gallons of water than a 10-year-old conventional top-loader with a center agitator. They’re also better at extracting water, so drying time and your electrical costs are cut. And most of those washers clean well. But costs have risen and wash cycles are longer, 65 to 115 minutes, with front-loaders taking longer than top-loaders. That’s why more washers offer a quick cycle, usually for lightly soiled loads or smaller ones, or an option that cuts normal wash time for regular-sized loads. Our tests have found that Kenmore’s Accela-Wash, LG’s TurboWash, and Samsung’s SuperSpeed trimmed the wash time of full loads by about 15 to 20 minutes without sacrificing performance.

Washers are deeper or wider. To help cut down on the amount of time you spend doing laundry, manufacturers have increased capacity. One way is to make the tub deeper in high-efficiency (HE) top-loaders—and some washers are also taller now—making it difficult for shorter people to retrieve laundry at the bottom. When shopping, reach into the washer. If you’ll need tongs to grab a sock, consider another model. Many machines also may be wider than models made 10 years ago. So if space is tight, measure before you buy.

Waterproof items can cause problems. HE top-loaders spin faster and extract more water than regular top-loaders, but water can get trapped in rain jackets and other waterproof or water-­resistant items. And as the spin cycle gets ­going, the load can become unbalanced and cause the machine to shake too much, even damaging the washer and laundry area.

Maytag and Whirlpool say that their HE top-loaders can handle waterproof items. LG’s manuals warn against washing such items, but the company told us that if we did, we should use the low-spin or no-spin mode. Samsung suggests the same for new models without the Waterproof cycle, which prevented the washer from becoming unbalanced when we washed several waterproof jackets. Kenmore told us to follow the manual’s advice on using the bulky cycle but not to wash waterproof items in Kenmore Elite models. Bottom line: Go online to check the owners’ manual before you buy.

High-efficiency dryers? Not yet . Unlike washers, dryers have usually used similar amounts of energy, even so-called HE dryers, according to Energy Star. But that may be changing. You may soon see Energy Star-qualified dryers in stores. LG’s EcoHybrid DLHX4072 electric dryer combines conventional vented drying with a heat pump to reduce energy by recycling heat generated during drying. LG says that energy use is cut by around 50 percent using the most efficient settings. It’s due to arrive in the U.S. sometime this summer and will cost about $1,600. We’ll buy and test it.

You may not need a new dryer after all. Though they may look different, many new dryers work similarly to ones made a decade ago. They use moisture sensors, which detect how damp the laundry is and adjust drying time to match. So if your current dryer has a sensor and you don’t mind that the washer and dryer look different, you can save some money by keeping your old dryer until it breaks.

Keep this in mind though: Dryers that have sensors are designed to handle full loads. When you toss in just a few items, the dryer might shut off before the clothes are dry because the items didn’t touch the sensor frequently enough. So use a timed cycle for drying small loads. And skip dryers with thermostats, which keep drying for a set amount of time even if clothes are dry sooner. Those models can overdry clothes, and they use more energy.

Best matching washers and dryers
To find the top-rated matching washers and dryers from our tests read our full report. As a rule, the quieter models cost more so keep that in mind if your laundry room is near the family room. If your machines live in the basement, you can spend less and still get top performance.

—Kimberly Janeway

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

Seven years ago, President Bush signed a law that raised the standards for lightbulbs so they use less energy. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 received broad support from both parties in Congress.

Lighting manufacturers advocated for raising the standards, too. Companies are now selling a variety of energy-efficient CFLs, halogens, and LEDs. There are even advanced incandescent bulbs that use at least 28 percent less electricity than their energy-hog predecessors.

It’s estimated the energy-efficient bulbs will save the average American family about $100 on household energy bills annually, or $13 billion nationwide.  Prices for new bulbs have dropped too. (Find the right bulbs for every room in your home.)

At Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, we think these lighting standards have been a good idea. Some lawmakers keep fighting to undo the standards, arguing that they impose a ban on incandescent bulbs, but there is no ban. Incandescent bulbs are simply becoming more efficient, and that’s a good thing.

What’s not so good: Right now, the Department of Energy cannot enforce the standards because of limits imposed by congressional opponents. The law is still in effect, and U.S. manufacturers are in full compliance, but these limits on enforcement have created confusion and uncertainty.

The opponents are now trying to extend these limits for another year. We recently joined with a coalition of business, engineering, environmental, and consumer groups to ask Congress to oppose any attempt to tie up these standards any longer. In a letter to lawmakers (PDF), the groups wrote: “By all reasonable measures, the transition has been a success. Innovative new products are on the market providing customers greater choices and more savings.”

More choices and savings are good for consumers, the economy, and the environment. It’s time to end this long-running debate and let the lightbulb standards stand.

This feature is part of a regular series by Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports. The nonprofit organization advocates for product safety, financial reform, safer food, health reform, and other consumer issues in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace.

Read other installments of our Policy & Action feature.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

Q. Is it true that cell phones emit dangerous levels of radiation?

A. Possibly. Cell phones expose you to radio­frequency electromagnetic energy, a form of “non-ionizing” radiation (similar to what’s emitted from microwave ovens). Some studies have suggested that cell-phone use alters brain function and may increase the risk of some cancers, although the overall evidence hasn’t found a clear link. More study is needed to determine the health effects of cell-phone use, and what constitutes a safe level of use.

For now, you can reduce radiation exposure by:

• Limiting talk time;
• Using a speakerphone or headset;
• Holding the phone away from your ear; and
• Replacing some calls with text messaging or e-mail.

This article also appeared in the August 2014 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

12 million. 12,000,000. That’s the number of adult mosquitoes that could live in a single acre of Alaska’s northern tundra. Why do I know that startling number? I came across it when looking for ways to keep mosquitoes from ruining summer evenings.

My home sits thousands of miles from Alaska—and the “tundra” where I live is a mere quarter acre of high-property-tax land in a Northern New Jersey suburb—but on some summer evenings, it sure has felt as though countless legions of pesky mosquitoes are out there, waiting to munch on my wife and me and our guests. (Our deck isn’t screened in.)

Since we enjoy hosting—and given concerns about West Nile virus—for a typical Saturday soirée on the deck we now use several tactics to thwart biting, buzzing insects (following safety precautions and application instructions, of course).

No guarantee that they’ll work for you, but give them a try. And share your tips for dealing with mosquitoes and other insects in our forum.

Here's what we do.

1. Get rid of standing water from planters and other containers.
2. Apply a natural, kid- and pet-friendly plant-oil-based spray to the yard and plantings when the weather has been particularly wet and it looks like the mosquitoes will be brutal. (This concentrated product comes in a plastic container that attaches to a garden hose.)
3. Fill tiki torches with citronella fuel and check wick height; set up tabletop citronella candles. We light all of these just before guests arrive.
4. Plug in a couple of portable fans, one by the table where we eat and the other at the far side of the deck. Mosquitoes are weak fliers, and the breeze from the fan helps to keep them at bay and us more comfortable.
5. Have insect repellent handy if it’s one of those nights. Hydrocortisone and a medicated anti-inch cream are at the ready in case anyone is bitten. I’ll sometimes pop a Zyrtec (cetirizine) if I get nailed—the antihistamine quells the itch right away. (Find out why mosquitoes seem to prefer some people to others.)
6. Fire up the fire pit on cooler evenings. The pungent smoke from the black locust we’re burning now seems to deter mosquitoes.
7. Bring the festivities indoors if it's mosquito mayhem outdoors.

—Steven H. Saltzman

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

Ninja and Vitamix share the top spot in Consumer Reports’ Ratings of full-sized blenders. Now the brands are vying for bragging rights in the personal-blender category with the launch of two new mini-models: the Nutri Ninja and Vitamix S30. Targeting on-the-go smoothie enthusiasts, personal blenders feature smaller containers (usually 3½ cups or less) that can double as a travel mug. €Their popularity helped drive total blender sales up about 17 percent last year. Our tests differ slightly between personal and full-sized models, namely with the volume of ingredients we pack into the devices. Here’s what we found when we compared the two models head-to-head:

Vitamix S30, $400
The Vitamix is something of a hybrid because it comes with a large 40-ounce blending container plus a 20-ounce travel cup with a flip-top lid. Double-wall construction on the smaller container should help keep beverages cold, and its tapered design promises to fit most cup holders. As for performance, the Vitamix aced our icy-drink test as a full-sized blender, but personal-blender results were only so-so. That means your take-out smoothies might not be as thick and creamy.
Testers say:  Vitamix S30 gets points for versatility.

Nutri Ninja, $90
The Ninja has a single 24-ounce container, without any insulating claims, though the Sip & Seal lid is supposed to prevent leaks. It’s not as multi-functional, but the Ninja was very good at producing smooth small-batch beverages, edging out the Vitamix. It’s also a bit quieter.
Testers say: Nutri Ninja makes a better smoothie.

Bottom line. If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to start the day with a smoothie, choose the Ninja. If you need a capable, full-sized blender that also makes decent beverages to go, opt for the Vitamix.

—Daniel DiClerico

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

Almost one-third of the water we use in our homes is flushed down the toilet. That’s why federal standards limit new toilets to 1.6 gallons per flush. California, which is currently experiencing a drought, has even tougher standards that limit toilets sold in that state to 1.28 gallons per flush. All of the toilets in Consumer Reports’ tests meet the federal standards and about a third meet the stiffer California standard. With water use at such a premium this summer, here are the stingiest toilets from our tests.

When shopping for a replacement toilet look for the WaterSense label that is carried by high-efficiency toilets.The best WaterSense toilets we tested flushed just about as well as the 1.6-gallon models. Two of the top WaterSense toilets in our tests are sold at Lowe’s, the American Standard Clean 2514.101, $240, and the Aquasource AT1203-00, $100, a CR Best Buy. Both were very good at solid waste removal and bowl cleaning and quieter than many models. We also recommend the Toto Eco Drake CST744E, $380, as well as two WaterSense models from Kohler. Only one dual-flush model made our list of top toilet picks, the Glacier Bay Dual Flush N2316, $100, a CR Best Buy sold at Home Depot. It uses only 1.10 gallons in the liquid flush mode and is very quiet.

Shopping for a toilet
In addition to checking for the WaterSense label, here’s what else to look for when shopping for a toilet.
Height. Compare two toilets, and you may notice is that the rim of one bowl sits higher than the other's. That “comfort height” of 17 to 19 inches, compared with the standard 14 or 15 inches, is easier on aging joints.
Shape. A round bowl takes up less space than an elongated one, but an elongated one allows more seating room. It also tends to soil less and corral odors better.
One piece or two? Most toilets sold are two-piece models, with a separate tank that bolts to the bowl. They tend to cost less but can be harder to clean because the seam between the tank and bowl traps grime.
Color. You’ll find toilets in exotic colors, but 85 percent of buyers still pick white—and for good reason. Some colors may be passé in a few years and could affect home resale value.

—Adapted from Your New Home, published by Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

You can’t blame Samsung for looking for killer innovations that will differentiate its dishwashers from those of its rivals. Last year Consumer Reports tested a Samsung dishwasher with “Storm Wash,” an option that it claimed rained down extra water on stubborn food debris—yet ran for only 2 to 3 minutes of the machine’s 140-minute cycle. Now we’re in the process of testing the Samsung Chef Collection DW80H9970US, $1,450, a machine we first saw at CES 2014 that touts a “WaterWall” that Samsung says results in cleaner dishes.

As with the Storm Wash setting on the $800 Samsung DW80F800UWS, we put an action camcorder inside the dishwasher to confirm the WaterWall as we first observed it through a transparent case. Two bars run the width of the tub. The rear one remains fixed with its jets aimed forward toward the second, which runs back and forth on tracks. Because the moving bar is angled, water bounces straight up to form a moving sheet of water. Samsung says the process results in more even, thorough washing.

But wait, there’s more. A feature called Zone Boost cuts off the left or right half of the WaterWall’s jets. This devotes more water pressure to one side for heavily soiled items—or less for delicate items on the opposite side. We also like that the third rack is a removable, flexible silicon liner you can lift by two handles to remove silverware all at once instead of one item at a time.

We’ll let you know if the WaterWall in the Samsung Chef Collection DW80H9970US made any difference as we complete our tests of this and other new models. But there’s one caveat for the brand overall: In our repair histories, based on subscriber surveys, Samsung has been the most repair-prone brand of dishwasher.

Looking for a new dishwasher? Our dishwasher Ratings of almost 180 models include more than 40 that we’ve recommended. Among them are the Bosch Ascenta SHX3AR7[5]UC, a CR Best Buy at $730, and the Kenmore Elite 12783, $1,200. Before you begin shopping, check out our dishwasher buying guide.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.

With the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season under way, now’s a good time to get ready to weather the big wind that home insurers blow to knock down victims’ damage claims. 

In the business of home insurance, push comes to shove the bigger the storm and the larger the claim. So we dug into the last three surveys of 31,861 subscribers by the Consumer Reports National Research Center to find out how well insurers lived up to the expectations of 1,746 claim filers hit by four major storms over the last nine years: Katrina (2005), Ike (2008), Irene (2011), and Sandy (2012).

Surprisingly, the median payout to victims of Hurricane Sandy, as a percentage of the median claim filed, was lower than the percent paid to claimants walloped by the mega-Hurricane Katrina. The median Katrina claim was $15,000, and insurers paid a median $12,000 or 80 percent. The median Sandy claim was $4,500, but insurers paid a median $3,200 or only 71 percent.

That means you need to stand tough and stand up to make sure you get everything you’re entitled to under your policy. Here's how to do it.

• Check your policy now, well before you get glued to the Weather Channel, and make sure you’re sufficiently covered. Ask your current insurance agent about your home’s insured value and the applicable “minimum” coverage required for you to get full protection in a total loss. Review the “perils” listed in your policy, and fill “exclusion” gaps in your coverage with separate insurance for flood, wind, and hurricane. If you already have hurricane insurance, examine the special limits, exclusions, and deductibles that apply to those storms.
• Take pictures of the damage as soon as it's safe and practical after a hurricane pummels your house. Then take steps to prevent further damage, such as covering a hole in the roof with a tarp and moving undamaged furniture and other possessions to a safe place.
• Keep receipts for any money you spend to prevent further losses. But don't repair anything or dispose of ruined property until an insurance adjuster has examined everything.
• Report the loss to your insurance agent as soon as practical. Most big insurers now have smart phone apps that make taking pictures (with the phone's camera) and filing claims a snap. Alternatively, your insurer will send claim forms, which you should return as soon as you can. Ask about the time limit for filing claims, details about what's covered, and how to get repair estimates. If you have an inventory of your possessions, submit it with your claim along with any photos of damage, receipts, police reports, and other evidence that documents the loss.

Get the best protection by choosing the best home insurers. Consumer Reports subscribers can find out who those companies are by checking our latest ratings. 

• Keep notes about any promises that insurance representatives give you, the date and time of each contact, and the name and title of each person you deal with. Make sure the adjuster sees everything. Ask for a copy of his or her report and check for mistakes. You're also entitled to a copy of your entire claims file. Copy everything you give the adjuster and ask for a receipt.
• If the adjuster advises you to start repairs, get that in writing so promises and permissions can be accurately passed on if your case is transferred to another person. If you get payments up front for temporary living expenses, don't sign any documents that make them your last payments or that surrender your right to collect further payments.
• Ask to see the exclusions in writing if your insurer says your policy doesn't cover certain damages or if the damage estimate and claims payment offer are too low. If you've been misled by policy wording, contact a local lawyer who specializes in insurance law. The Consumer Federation of America says that courts have consistently ruled in favor of policyholders on such ambiguities. 
• Tap your contractor's expertise to verify proper repair costs. If you have a dispute over the damage amount, request a sit-down with the contractor and adjuster to go over the estimate line by line. Still disagree? Get a second opinion from an independent contractor. Patience, persistence, and legwork getting multiple estimates are important. 
• Consider getting help from a public adjuster if you reach an impasse with your insurance company's adjuster. You'll pay a hefty fee, typically 10 percent of the policy payout. But one Florida study of more than 76,000 claims found that policyholders who used public adjusters got payments that were 19 percent to 747 percent larger than those who didn't, though the cases took longer to settle. 
• Learn from our subscriber's hard Sandy experience. Justin Rubin, who rode out Hurricane Sandy in his Long Beach, N.Y., home and suffered $80,000 in damages, managed to recover about 70 percent of his losses through pluck, perseverence, and his expertise in home insurance. Get all the details in his success story.

By other measures, our analysis also found some good news that insurers are doing better by homeowners since Katrina.

For example, 27 percent of readers who filed claims related to Sandy, which smacked the Northeast, had problems with their insurer’s claim handling or payment, and 79 percent were satisfied with how their home insurer performed.

That’s vastly better than homeowners’ experience with Katrina, which raked the Gulf coast from Florida to Louisiana, when 50 percent of claimants suffered problems and only 51 percent were highly satisfied with their home insurer’s performance.

Claimants from Hurricane Irene assessed their insurers similarly to those from Sandy. About 35 percent of Hurricane Ike victims suffered problems with their insurers, but 73 percent were highly satisfied with their carrier. 

But note that hurricane severity plays a part in insurer performance and customer satisfaction, too. As devastating as it was, Sandy, for example, was no Katrina, the most destructive hurricane in modern U.S. history. Katrina, a category 3 hurricane, packed winds of up to 130 mph. Sandy, on the other hand, had weakened below hurricane strength when it made landfall in New Jersey.

And despite Sandy’s catastrophic storm surge along the densely populated and expensive New York and New Jersey coasts, that storm’s $50 billion in damages were less than half of Katrina’s $108 billion.

—Jeff Blyskal

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.