10/11/13

Public libraries often have used book drives where they sell books donated from the community to raise money. If you choose to donate books, be sure to keep these basic rules in mind when giving: Don’t give puzzle, coloring or sudoku books that are used, filled in or already solved. Old high school or college textbooks are not desirable, even if you paid a significant amount for them. Self-published books, old magazines and any books about technology where the information inside is obsolete should be tossed into the paper recycling bin instead. And remember this: A book drive means books -- no old electronics, medicine, clothes or anything that does not make sense at a library.

10/10/13

Many people still store their seasonal clothing with sachets or packets of mothballs in an effort to prevent moths or mold from attacking and ruining their clothes. The chemical often used in mothballs, naphthalene, is possibly carcinogenic to humans if ingested or inhaled, and it can cause everything from liver to neurological damage. If you must use mothballs, avoid storing any kind of infant or children clothing with them; children who wear clothes that have been stored with mothballs risk absorbing the dangerous toxins through their skin. Better yet, don’t use mothballs at all. Natural alternatives, like cedar and lavender, have proven to be effective in deterring moths.

10/9/13

Did you know that wall-to-wall carpeting can hold up to eight times its weight in trapped dirt, dust mites, chemicals and pesticides? While it may not be green to rip up your carpet and replace it with hardwood floors, you can be mindful of what goes on in rooms with carpeting. First, make a habit to not wear shoes in carpeted rooms. Second, if you get your home treated by an exterminator, ask him or her not to spray directly onto the carpet but on the baseboards. Insecticide chemicals can settle in carpets and remain there for many years, accumulating each time you have your home treated.