9/6/12

It isn't always possible to buy and eat only organic fruits and vegetables, so be sure to give conventional produce a good soak before eating it to remove the residual pesticide that might be on the skin. Fill your clean kitchen sink with cold water and add 1 cup white vinegar. Soak your apples, grapes and berries for 10 minutes. You will be shocked how foggy the water will become.

9/5/12

Americans do an astounding 35 billion loads of laundry every year, which adds up to a lot of water, energy and money. One commonsense investment to reduce the amount of laundry you produce is to use inexpensive aprons in the kitchen, garage, potting shed -- wherever you might get your clothes messy. Let the aprons take the brunt of the paint splotches, spaghetti sauce stains and grease spots, and keep your clothes looking clean.

9/4/12

Sore back or achy joints? Upcycle a freezer bag into a DIY ice pack with some easy household ingredients. Grab a clean and dry used freezer bag, and fill it halfway with three parts water and one part rubbing alcohol. Seal the bag closed, and put it in the freezer. It will freeze into an ice pack, but it will still be malleable because of the rubbing alcohol.