3/6/13

If you love fragrances and want your perfumes to last longer, keep them out of the bathroom. Fragrances are susceptible to two things: light and temperature shifts. A bathroom heats up and cools down quickly when it's used (imagine a hot steam shower filling the room). By displaying bottles on a tray, you're exposing them to UV light that speeds up the degradation process. Instead, keep your fragrances in the boxes they came in, and store them in a dark, cool place like a drawer or closet.

3/5/13

Before tossing that empty bottle of vino into the recycling bin, think about upcycling it into a handy automatic water dispenser for your houseplants. Simply rinse out the bottle and fill to the top with cold tap water. Invert it right into the potted plant so the neck of the bottle is immersed into the soil. The set-up will give your plant a slow trickle of water. This is perfect if you're planning a vacation and need to keep your plants hydrated -- just use a large wine bottle for a large plant and a glass soda bottle for smaller plants.

3/4/13

Reusing glass jars with lids is an eco-friendly and economical way to store food, spices and other perishables in the refrigerator. But sometimes glass jars can have a slight odor. Use newspaper to remove the smell. It's simple -- since newspaper is designed to absorb ink, it absorbs others things, too, like odors. Just crumple a page you're done reading and place it inside the jar. Let it sit for several days. Remove the paper, rinse and you've got a completely odorless jar.