2/24/13

Already planning your summer vacation? If you're taking your dog, think the beach. Salt water can help your furry friend have a healthy coat. Instead of reaching for toxic and potentially harmful sprays, collars and other medications to control fleas on your dog, let him go for a swim in the ocean instead. Researchers in Mexico noticed that dogs that regularly swam in the Gulf of Mexico did not have any fleas due to their regular dips in salt-enriched water. Salt is a natural deterrent for fleas and will dry out existing fleas that may be harboring in their coat. Not ready for a vacation quite yet? You can also add salt to a regular bath at home to give your pooch a natural salt wash.

2/23/13

One of the biggest threats to homes comes from termites. Eliminating the threat of termite damage can be remedied with this simple, natural, DIY solution. Combine 1 teaspoon Borax, 2 cups water and 10 teaspoons white sugar. Soak pieces of wood -- firewood chunks or thick twigs, for example -- overnight, and bury the wood near areas where you suspect you might have or have previously had a termite infestation. The treated wood will attract termites immediately, and they will bring the poisoned wood back to the nest and help eradicate the colony. You can also spray the solution on wood outside your house as a preventive measure.

2/22/13

If you drink carbonated beverages, which are better, plastic bottles or aluminum cans? The answer is simple: aluminum cans. According to the EPA, aluminum cans are one of the most commonly recyclable materials today. In less than 60 days, a typical soda can goes from the supermarket to the recycling bin to the recycling facility and back to the shelf as a new can. This recycling process can be done indefinitely because aluminum is durable, unlike plastic, which can be recycled only a few times before being sent to the landfill.