Do Just One Thing

Who knew that one of the best ways to refresh the air isn't spray air fresheners loaded with chemicals, but rather with plants? The Sanseveieria plant is a succulent that NASA discovered could absorb more than 107 air pollutants, carbon monoxide and nitrogen monoxide. This easy-to-grow plant can absorb up to 80% of air pollutants inside a home. Buying a few of these can go a long way to help detoxify and freshen the air inside your home, and they look great, too!

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Here's a Hall of Fame tip from the Do Just One Thing archives: Save newspaper to deodorize your shoes. Newsprint paper is designed to absorb ink, but it does an excellent job of absorbing excess moisture and odors as well. Just stuff newspaper into your shoes and let the paper do its job. Even the smelliest of sneakers can be freshened up with the help of newspaper. When the job is done, the newspaper can be flattened and recycled.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

According to the National Sanitation Foundation, your coffeemaker is the fifth-dirtiest appliance in your home. That's high, considering you don't bake, fry, microwave or cook with it; but the coffee maker is constantly moist inside, making it a breeding ground for mold and yeast. To clean it, create a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water. Run the mixture through the coffee maker to disinfect and loosen minerals and grime inside. Then run a full pot of water through to rinse out any residual traces of vinegar.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION