10/17/11

The automatic dishwasher can be far more water and energy efficient than washing by hand. But if your dishwasher isn't quite getting the dishes clean enough, it may be one simple problem: The detergent door is stuck. Make sure you don't pack the dishwasher so tightly that it jams the detergent door. If the door can't open completely, the detergent won't dissolve properly and won't clean your pots, pans and dishes.

10/16/11

Used cooking oil can be a problem for home cooks: You can't pour the oil down the drain without clogging it, and tossing it in the trash may mean endless wads of soaked paper towels. Here's one way to reuse oil: toss it on pesky weeds. Pouring the oil in areas where weeds proliferate will not only kill them, but prevent them from coming back.

10/15/11

If you've made too much oatmeal for your morning breakfast, save it for an evening facial mask. Simply mix 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal, 1 whole egg and a tablespoon of almond oil together. Slather it on your face for 15 minutes and clean it off with cool water. Oatmeal is a beauty wonder because it helps calm and neutralize both oily and super-dry skin.