12/5/13

Many of us soak our cookware in water for several hours or overnight to loosen baked on food to make clean up easier. While that does work to loosen grime, it also can warp the pan over time, making it defective and difficult to use. To protect your cookware investment, allow your frying pan to cool to room temperature, and then immerse it in water for several minutes. That should be enough soaking time to make cleanup easier without risking any damage to the pan. And if you need a little extra help, sprinkle baking soda to use as an abrasion and scrub away.

12/4/13

Resealing a macadam driveway is a smart way to protect a pricey investment, but be sure to ask your resealer to use only coal tar-free sealants. Coal tar is a common ingredient found in many asphalt seal coating products. The bad news? It’s also a suspected carcinogen. If you are resealing your driveway, do two things: Keep your windows closed during the resealing and for at least one week after a fresh application, and keep shoes off inside your house. Better yet, use sealers that are coal tar-free; DIYers will be glad to know that stores like The Home Depot and Lowe’s have banned coal tar completely from all of their asphalt sealing products.

12/3/13

So, what’s the greenest trash bag? One made from biodegradable materials like potato or cornstarch, or one made from recycled plastic, which does not biodegrade? Go for the recycled one. While biodegradable trash bags may sound like the greenest choice, the reality is they don’t degrade when thrown away in landfills. Modern landfills are designed so no outside air or water can get in, so nothing inside will ever degrade, including biodegradable products. Recycled plastic is generally more durable than biodegradable bags, which prevents trash from accidentally ripping through the bag and flying all over the street.