Six simple ways to get you through a power outage

SALT LAKE CITY — When the power goes out, the last thing you want is to be left in the dark.  Here are six things you can do that will make your life easier in a power outage.

KEEP YOUR PHONE CHARGED

Your cell phone is a lifeline in an outage, keeping you connected and informed.  First, flip on your phone’s “lower power mode” and close unused apps.  That’ll add hours to the battery.  Also, keep a portable phone charger on hand.  You can buy one for around $30 from a drugstore.  If you don’t have one, plug the phone into a laptop that has battery, or you can always charge the phone in your car.

DO-IT-YOURSELF LANTERN

Need a light?   Fill an empty milk jug with water.  Strap a headlamp around it with the light pointing inward and voila – a lantern filling a room with light!  Don’t have a headlamp?  Tape a flashlight to the top of the jug instead.

MAKE USE OF YOUR SOLAR LIGHTS

Speaking of light, remember those solar lights in your yard?  You can always bring those inside.  Most will give you six to eight hours on a single charge.   Put several in a vase if you need a more concentrated light.

GROUP FOODS IN THE FREEZER & FRIDGE

In your freezer and refridgerator, group your food together.  This creates an igloo effect that will keep the food cold longer.  Still have space?  Fill it in with ice, or zipper type bags filled with water beforehand and fit those in around your food.  A full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours.  A freezer that’s only half full will last half the time.  Keep the freezer and refrigerator doors closed as much as possible.  The less you open those doors, the longer your food stays cold.

GRAB A COOLER, OR ENLIST YOUR WASHER

Using a cooler full of ice to store some refrigerated foods will help keep you from opening the fridge door over and over again.  But, if you don’t have one, you can always turn your washing machine into a makeshift cooler.  Fill the drum with ice, put in your food and it’ll stay cold longer.  And bonus, when the ice melts, the washer drains the water.

UNPLUG YOUR ELECTRONICS

When the power comes roaring back, it often sends surges through your home that can really hurt the sensitive electronics in your TV’s, laptops and appliances.  So unplug all that stuff.  Just leave one light on and plugged in so you’ll know when the power comes back on.