9/30/13

Thrift stores can be a green way to reuse something old and save money. But according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, there are commonly found items at these stores that should be avoided at all costs. These items include children’s clothing with drawstrings, which can cause a choking hazard; outdated hair dryers that do not have adequate protection from electrocution; halogen lamps that can become a fire hazard in the home; and cribs that fail to meet current standards for safety. Use common sense when shopping for thrift store bargains, and check cpsc.gov for updated lists of recalled items.

9/29/13

Instead of reaching for chemical chlorine bleach to kill mold spores in your home, reach for something just as effective but less toxic: hydrogen peroxide. Insert a clean spray nozzle into a bottle of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and saturate the moldy surface completely. Allow the hydrogen peroxide sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then scrub the surface clean with a microfiber towel. The natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties of hydrogen peroxide are an effective way to kill mold and can work on a variety of surfaces. Added tip: Sprinkle a little baking soda on stubborn mold as an abrasive, and then saturate with the hydrogen peroxide spray.

9/28/13

USB flash drives have become ubiquitous in offices and at home as a convenient way to carry lots of data on a small device. For many people, flash drives have become a common staple in the junk drawer. Next time you're organizing, instead of throwing them away, recycle them. RecycleUSB (recycleusb.com) has partnered with Sugar Labs to collect used flash drives and reprogram them into free portable and interactive learning environments called Sugar on a Stick. The goal: Create a fully functioning mobile classroom on an easy-to-carry thumb drive. All you have to do is send the organization your old flash drives -- RecycleUSB will do the rest.