12/6/13

If bringing outdoor plants indoors to protect them from the cold winter months is out of the question, plant them in the ground instead. Leaving container plants in their pots -- plastic, ceramic or terra cotta -- is a guaranteed death sentence. As the temperatures dip, their roots will freeze, and even the hardiest of plants will die. If it’s impossible to transfer them into the ground, transfer your container plants to a warmer area, like a garage, and cover them with burlap or an old bed sheet. Come spring, your plants will thrive and bring you beautiful flowers.

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.