3/11/09

Buff your scratchy CDs with just toothpaste and an old toothbrush. Be sure to use a creamy paste, not gel, and rub the scratches out by running the brush from the center out -- not around the CD. Be sure to clean the CD well with warm water and dry with a lint-free dishtowel. This works great on DVDs, too.

3/10/09

When shopping for a new laundry basket, head over to the gardening department of your favorite store instead. Wooden bushel baskets are typically used to haul big loads of leaves and other garden debris. But they make for attractive laundry baskets, with two wire handles for easy transport. Since they are free of polyvinyl chloride and made from renewable wood, they are a greener choice, too. They're also inexpensive, so they will save you money!

3/9/09

Rethink your toothbrush. Millions of plastic toothbrushes are disposed of in landfills every year. One company, Preserve, makes its toothbrushes from recycled yogurt cups and even lets you return them, in postage-paid envelopes, to the company to be made into recycled plastic park benches. Learn more at www.preserveproducts.com.