6/17/13

Many of us don't think twice about wearing sunscreen when we spend a day at the beach, but what about in your office? If you spend a lot of time by a sunny window, you're exposing yourself to harmful ultraviolet rays all day long. Not only is this harmful to your skin, it can also fade interior furnishings. Instead of slathering on zinc oxide or covering up the window, consider investing in a UV protection film that is placed right on top of the window. It will block 99 percent of the UV rays and is virtually invisible.

6/16/13

It's summer, which means going to the pool to cool down. After taking a dip in the pool, be sure to rinse off with fresh water to remove as much residual water from your bathing suit as you can. When you get home, wash any clothing you brought to the pool, including T-shirts, cover-ups and swimsuits. Even in low levels found in pools, chlorine can still oxidize to fabrics, causing it to fade, stiffen and wear out quickly.

6/15/13

Empty aerosol cans -- used for products from spray paint to hair spray -- can be recycled in most communities. The trick is to recycle only completely empty cans, so be sure to use up the product or spray it empty onto sheets of scrap paper. Contact your local waste hauler to ask if your empty cans can be deposited into your curbside recycling or if there is a special drop-off location for them.