9/27/13

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the average American throws away about 70 pounds of textiles every year. While many of us know lightly worn clothes can be donated to charities like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, what do you do with old bath towels, worn sheets and blankets? Give them a good wash and donate them to your local animal shelter. Since many pound puppies and kittens have to sleep on concrete floors or cold metal cages, any warmth from old bedding, blankets and towels will be put to good use. And while you’re at it, pick up some meat-based baby food at the supermarket: Shelters use this food to feed malnourished animals in an effort to nurse them back to health.

9/26/13

A flurry of fruit flies in the kitchen can be annoying and hard to get rid of. Instead of reaching for chemical insecticides to spray around the kitchen -- spraying poison where you prepare food is not a good idea -- head to your medicine cabinet. Reuse a plastic misting bottle and fill it with rubbing alcohol. Mist the air where the fruit flies are flying. The drying effects of the alcohol will kill them on the spot.

9/25/13

Did you know liquid laundry detergents have a shelf life? The ingredients in liquid laundry detergents, like whitening agents, break down over time and become less effective in getting your clothes clean. Do this one thing: Switch to powdered laundry detergents, which last longer and are more shelf stable. If you’ve stopped using powdered detergents because they cake up and clog your washing machine, try dissolving it in a hot water ahead of time. Simply fill a pitcher with hot tap water and add the recommended amount of powdered detergent. You'll have all the eco-benefits of powdered and the convenience of liquid.