12/11/11

Closing too many of the air registers in your home will not help improve energy efficiency of your heating or cooling system. According to the California Energy Commission, citing a study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, closing a few registers here and there may help redirect cold or hot air to rooms you're in, but closing more than 60 percent of your registers will severely restrict air flow. This can lead to safety concerns about the system. So be sure to keep the majority of your vents open all year round.

12/10/11

If you have energy-saving solar-powered outdoor lights in your garden that don't illuminate as long as they used to, it may be time to check the batteries. Solar-powered lights use rechargeable batteries that charge during the day, using the sun's light as an energy source. The lights then switch on their integrated LED bulbs at night, using the batteries' charge. Over time, the batteries lose their ability to charge and need to be replaced. Replace those batteries with new rechargeable batteries every two years, and you'll see your lights working almost as good as new.

12/9/11

Leftover java from the automatic coffee maker doesn't need to go down the drain. Soak an old cotton T-shirt in the cold coffee and wring out the excess; wipe down a scratched-up table with the shirt and watch light-colored scratches almost disappear with the coffee. Repeat this process several times and allow the table to air-dry for the natural coffee stain to work its magic.