3/7/13

It's a little not-so-dirty secret among greenie homebodies that it takes only two commonly found nontoxic ingredients to make the ultimate bathroom cleaner for your home: white vinegar and dish detergent. Heat 12 ounces of white vinegar in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix in another 12 ounces of colored dish detergent, and pour the mixture into a spray bottle. The colorful mixture shows you where you've sprayed, the dish soap breaks down grease and dirt, and the white vinegar dissolves mineral deposits. It's one of the best bathroom cleaner recipes out there, and it's eco-friendly to boot!

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.