8/10/13

Tired of getting unsolicited offers in the mail that want you to sign up for a new credit card or insurance? One way to opt out of these mailings is to register online at the official Consumer Credit Reporting Industry website, optoutprescreen.com. At the site, you'll have the option to opt out of all mailings for either five years or permanently. Be sure to register twice if your billing address is different than your home address.

8/9/13

What should you do when your curling iron or hair dryer goes bust? First, replace it. Second, don't toss it in the trash: Recycle it. While you can't toss these broken hair care appliances in your curbside recycling, you can drop them off at a scrap metal recycling facility to be disposed of properly. Anything that is made with at least 50 percent metal -- aluminum, steel, copper or brass -- can be recycled. Scrap metal yards will sort the metal out from broken appliances and make sure it gets made into new metal products.

8/8/13

While line- or air-drying your laundry is energy-efficient, it isn't always the easiest for many people. One way to improve the efficiency of your dryer and protect your clothes is to remove cotton-blend items from the dryer. These items, blended with polyester, will be only slight damp and can be hung on hangers. Since they are a cotton blend, the polyester will help prevent wrinkles, eliminating the need for ironing, too.