No need to be too picky when donating clothes to charity. Only about 10 percent of donated clothes ever end up for resale in thrift shops; the rest are sold to textile recyclers. Ripped jeans, way-too-faded t-shirts and other worn-out clothes are recycled into cleaning cloths and other industrial items by these recyclers. They pay charitable organizations like Goodwill and the Salvation Army a fee for the old clothes, which adds up to a significant amount of money for their charitable works. So clear your closets clean and give away.

1/15/09

A waxy situation. If a burning candle drips melted wax all over your tabletop or your sofa, don't stress. Let it cool completely and chip off the excess wax with the edge of a credit card. Place a paper towel on top of the waxy mess and place a warm iron on top of the towel; it'll melt the wax, and the towel will absorb it. Repeat until the mess is totally gone.

1/14/09

Tip: Place unlit soy candles in your sock drawer to gently scent them.

1/13/09