9/20/10

Bed bugs seem to be on everyone's mind these days, and one of the tips extolled has been to avoid buying items from antique or thrift stores. If that makes your flea market-loving heart sink, no need to worry. One way to be absolutely sure that an item you buy is free of bed bugs is to simply expose them to extreme temperature. Wash the item in hot water and tumble dry it on high heat, or place it in a plastic bag and freeze it for 3 days to absolutely, positively kill the tiny critters.

9/19/10

If you forget your reusable bags at the store and have to use a disposable plastic bag, be sure to tell the sales clerk that it's OK to overload the shopping bag. Many retail sales associates are trained to minimally bag items and give customers multiple bags, even though plastic bags today are designed to hold a significant amount of stuff. Giving the sales person permission will empower them to cut back on plastic bag waste.

9/18/10

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "Americans throw away more than 25 percent of the food we prepare, about 96 billion pounds of food waste each year." You can avoid waste by taking simple steps to organize your refrigerator: Raw meat, poultry and seafood should never be placed on the top shelf of the refrigerator, since bacteria can drip down and contaminate fruits and vegetables. Don't place eggs on the side of the refrigerator door where the plastic egg trays normally are; it does not get cold enough to keep them stable. Many fruits emit ethylene, an odorless gas that quickens the ripening process. So keep apples, cantaloupes, bananas, tomatoes, avocadoes, peaches, pears, plums and nectarines away from all other produce to extend its shelf life.