12/27/12

Many of the world's preventable diseases could be curtailed by proper hand washing with soap. Clean the World is a nonprofit organization working with the hotel industry to collect used soap from hotel rooms. The charity boils and sanitizes the soaps, then forms it into new bars and distributes them all over the world. While the organization works primarily with hotels, it will gladly accept bars of soap from individuals, too. So if you've hoarded a whole collection of soaps, send them to Clean the World, 400A Pittman St., Orlando, FL 32801.

12/26/12

A portable space heater can be an energy-efficient way to heat up the room you're in without having to crank up the thermostat. The best way to use a space heater is to leave it on the floor -- not on a small table -- since heat rises. Leaving it on the floor allows it to heat up cool air as it rises, giving it the maximum amount of efficiency and the highest level of comfort when it's turned on.

12/25/12

After the holiday season, many people wonder: Is gift wrap recyclable? Well, it depends. Since many companies and communities now recycle magazines, newspapers and office paper, one would think you could toss gift wrap into the recycling bin. But with festive gift wrap now coming dyed in laminated colors with flecks of metal, glitter and other plastics embedded in it, these shiny scraps of paper can actually pollute recyclable paper. Instead of risking it, it's best to toss the gift wrap and add only undyed and unembellished paper to the recycling stream. When in doubt, toss it out.