Many of us have the ubiquitous packets of ketchup in our office or home junk drawer. If you think they are past their prime to use on fries, use them as metal polish instead. Squeeze the packets open on tarnished copper and brass cookware. Rub away with a cloth, and the brilliant color should shine through in a few minutes. Rinse and buff to finish up.

How clean is too clean when it comes to recycling? According to Waste Management, there's no need to scrub your recyclables sparking clean, especially in communities that have severe droughts. Instead, use a spatula to scrape the inside of cans and jars clean. The rule of thumb is that the recyclable container just needs to be empty. A glass jar half-full of jam is clearly not recyclable, so use it up or scrape it out before recycling. A little residual film on the inside from laundry detergent, salad dressing and even peanut butter is fine and will not contaminate a load of recyclables.

With cold weather here, you may have a small cottage, weekend home or even a spare bathroom that rarely gets used during the winter months and may not be adequately heated. If you want to prevent pipes and toilets from freezing and bursting, do this to winterize them: Buy a bottle of nontoxic propylene glycol antifreeze solution (the kind sold for RVs) -- not the regular antifreeze used in cars (which is toxic). Pour a small amount of the antifreeze down the drains and toilet. It will protect your plumbing and fixtures all winter long. Come spring, just flush and turn the water back on.