Did you know that for every extra 100 pounds of things in your car, you reduce the fuel efficiency of your automobile by around 2%? While that may not sound like a lot, over time that adds up to a significant amount of gas (and money) wasted hauling around those never-used golf clubs and boxes of office papers. Take the time to clean out the car. You’ll be surprised what’s in there that you don’t need, like snow-removal equipment when it’s hot and sunny outside, or bags of clothing that never quite made it to the donation bin. Lightening the load helps improve efficiency, and it also declutters your car.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

You might think that because a coffee maker heats up water in its tank, all that scorching hot water is enough to kill the germs and bacteria inside. However, because the water never reaches a boiling point, it’s just under the temperature needed to naturally disinfect. But it’s easy to clean your automatic coffee maker. Just fill the carafe with a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar and run it through as if you’re making a pot of java. The acidic water will clean and disinfect. Run a clean pot of water to remove any residual vinegar, and you’re good to go.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

With spring around the corner, your outdoor window boxes and garden pots may still have last year's old potting soil inside. So the question is, is the old soil still good? If you are repotting a household plant, can you reuse the old soil? The answer is no, unless you are absolutely certain the soil is free of any disease. Since it can be impossible to tell, the best way to reuse potting soil is to sprinkle it in the yard, where the sun will have a chance to "bake" the soil, killing any disease. The soil eventually will blend right into the ground.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION