1/20/14

The World Health Organization deems it a "gold standard" as a disinfectant, and it happens to also be one of the cheapest and least toxic items you probably have at home right now: rubbing alcohol. With just a few cotton balls saturated in rubbing alcohol, you can quickly and effectively disinfect bathroom faucets, countertops, toilet seats and any other nonporous surface without using chemical products. Rubbing alcohol is also a cheap de-greaser, which can be used use to clean baked-on messes and grime on the stove; just let the rubbing alcohol sit for a few minutes and wipe away.

1/19/14

Ever wonder what to do with leftover art supplies, foam core, textiles (like yarn and fabric), buttons, beads, wires and crafting notions? The nonprofit organization Scroungers Center for Reusable Art Parts (or SCRAP) takes perfectly good art supplies and helps divert them to teachers, nonprofit organizations, parents, artists and others who can use them. SCRAP's website, scrap-sf.org, has the full list of items the organization accepts as part of the 250 tons of materials it helps divert from landfills.

1/18/14

If your home has its own private septic tank, simple measures you do inside the home can help maintain the lifespan of your septic tank. In addition to minimizing use of the kitchen garbage disposal and instead composting organic matter, you should also avoid these top culprits of infected or damaged septic tanks: Never flush pharmaceuticals down the toilet; don't pour flammable or blatantly obvious toxic products (like chlorine bleach and fertilizers) down the drain. Also, be aware of the types of body washes and body oils you use in the shower and bath; excessive amounts can discourage natural microorganisms from growing in your septic tank, which are vital toward breaking down organic matter.