1/16/13

After brewing a pot of coffee, there are so many uses for the old coffee grounds. Here are two simple ideas: Rub some grounds between your hands with liquid soap to create an instant exfoliating scrub for your hands -- it'll buff away dead skin and leave them baby soft. You can also dump grounds into a greasy skillet and use them to scour the pan clean. A few tablespoons of coffee grounds are fine to go down the kitchen sink; just remember to toss the rest into the compost heap.

1/15/13

Many car air fresheners are loaded with synthetic fragrances and plasticizers like phthalates, which can create an unhealthy environment in your car. An eco-friendly way to deodorize your car requires you to raid your grill: Fill a large tea strainer (the kind for a whole kettle of tea) with charcoal, then hang it on the rearview mirror or place it in a side pocket in the car. The natural deodorizing properties of the charcoal will absorb odor and help your car smell like nothing at all.

1/14/13

Got lots of loose packing peanuts and not sure what to do with them? Don't toss them in the trash; instead, find a new home for them. The Plastic Loose Fill Council has a website that helps you find drop-off locations near you where packing peanuts are collected and reused. Simply visit loosefillpackaging.com and enter your ZIP code to find locations nearest you.