12/12/11

Bed pillows, on average, should be changed every year if you sleep on them nightly or every two years if you sleep on them periodically. Over time, they can become a breeding ground for dust mites, creating an unhealthy sleep environment in your bedroom. But what should you do with your old pillows? Use the old filling to freshen the bed your dog sleeps on. Simply wash the pillows and tumble dry them in the dryer. Rip open the pillow and replace the old fill with the new in the dog bed.

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.