9/26/12

When is the best time to give the bathroom a good cleaning? Right after you shower, when surfaces like mirrors, faucets and countertops will likely have a fine layer of steam on top of them from the hot shower. With just a microfiber towel, you can wipe these down quickly as the towel absorbs grime, dirt and bacteria. And the grout in the shower? All the grime and dirt on the grout is considerably looser after a hot shower -- just scrub and rinse in minutes.

9/25/12

Organic produce usually costs more, but it doesn't mean you can't save on pesticide-free fruits and veggies -- just shop differently. The best thing to do is shop later in the day. Since produce -- conventional or organic -- is perishable, supermarkets often mark down prices in the evening, when foot traffic is slowest. If you time your visits right, you can save up to 75 percent on your bill.

9/24/12

Here's a simple way to clean up a dirty secret in the shower: Choose bar soap over body wash. Liquid body washes are packaged in plastic bottles that -- even if they are recycled -- are made from petroleum sources. Bar soap is usually minimally packaged in paper. The No. 1 ingredient in body wash is water, which adds significant weight to the package, which requires more fuel to ship from factory to store. Even if the body wash is an all-natural or organic brand, bar soap has it beat as the greenest choice.