I live in northern Alabama, and after 150 some tornadoes recently touched down, I was without all utilities for 5 days. By the time my husband and I got out to buy some candles, batteries, and extra flashlights, everything was gone.
At night, I brought in our Solar Lights that we use in the front yard, placed them in drinking glasses, and had more than enough light to walk around without falling down and getting hurt. They glowed all night, and in the morning I popped them back outside, the sun recharged them, and they were once again ready to be used that night. It really made a HUGE difference!
I shared my idea with all my neighbors, and it really did make a difference for all of them as well.
The attached picture of what the lights looked like in the drinking glass, and I also laid another one down so you could see what the solar part looked like.
I also put pots out in the sun and filled them up with water, by late afternoon the water was warm enough to wash my hair with. I then discovered that the old gallon plastic Gatorade jugs I keep in the refrigerator for cold water for our dogs worked really well, if not better, because the caps kept the jug closed and no outside air came in touch with it. That water stayed warmer longer. It was really cool to see all my neighbors placing pots, empty milk gallons, and any other containers they had with water out in the front of their houses.
By CPJ from Madison, AL
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It was awful to watch the effects of all those tornadoes on the news and I'm so glad that you and your family are o.k. I think your idea is great (While we don't get tornadoes here in the North East we have been known to loose power due to snow storms)and the same idea would work then. Also it's a lot safer than candles, though I can't guarantee there'll be enough sun to recharge them for the next day. One suggestion I would make is to place them in front of mirrors to reflect even more light.
You are a genius! Great idea! My solar lights don't do much outside, but inside they would make a huge difference! Thanks.
What a great idea, will definitely use it when we have a hurricane or just for power outages.
Good luck to you and everyone affected by the tornado's and the loss of lives and homes.
LOL!Great tip! You beat me to it! I took pictures a couple of weeks ago & just didn't get it posted!
I keep a couple of solar lights outside my front door that I bring inside at night. One goes in the bathroom for night-time trips (instead of the harsh glare of a light bulb) & the other goes in the living room to gently light the hall for those night trips!
You can buy the 'cheapies" small ones & leave the stick part outside, just bringing the light part inside for a nice looking little light that stands on it's own.
That's a great idea and also very sensible and much safer than using candles which are a dreadful fire hazard.
Amazing idea. I'm going to try that for myself. Thank you for sharing.
These are nice to use when camping also. In the tent and on the way to the bath house. Just carry it with you.
We live in New York City so hurricanes and power outages are not a problem. Nor do we need solar lights because the street lights are way too bright as it is. But I decided to buy some anyway so I could take out the solar cells for experiments. I was shocked to discover that the lights stayed on for 12+ hours.
Fingers crossed that you don't have any hurricanes. I lived on Cape Cod several years ago and we had the remains of Hurricane Floyd hit. My husband and I were young and stupid so we went to the beach. It was so powerful. I've had a healthy respect for hurricanes ever since.
So neat that the solar lights have power for so long. I think the advent of the LED bulb and long lasting batteries are to thank for this. The tip is more relevant than ever. :)
FYI, for those who don't know, you can take out the rechargeable NiCad battery and put in a regular alkaline AAA battery for a light that will probably last 3-5 days. And it will be brighter because NiCads only output 1.2V while alkalines output 1.5V. But make sure you put back the NiCad battery before placing it out on the sun again.
Hi Brilliant I have done this for years when we have power cuts much safer than Candles. I put Normal Batteries in mine and have a Battery Charger for rechargeable ones. Also once when we had a power cut My friend phoned me and said I can hear music I said thats my Radio and it takes batteries Ah she said I must get one
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