1/22/14

Here's a healthy habit to get into: Wash your reusable water bottles. Over time, reusable bottles can harbor unhealthy bacteria that can make you sick. Every few days, use your dishwasher to sanitize both the bottle and cap. If your bottle isn't dishwasher-safe, you can also fill about one-fifth of the bottle with white vinegar and the rest with water. Let it sit overnight and rinse it out in the morning so it's clean and almost as good as new. When it's time to replace it, be sure to recycle it if you can.

1/21/14

Have a killer jacket, purse or lightly worn pair of shoes you'd like to swap for something equally as cool? Swapdom is a new online trading site where you can trade cool clothes and accessories with others. The process is simple: Upload what you have (with photos and some simple description text) and search the site for items you want. The Swapdom team will do the work to find a swap that works for both parties, and you'll get an email when a swap has been made. You pay for shipping and a small service fee for the Swapdom service, and you'll get a new item in the process. Learn more at swapdom.com.

1/20/14

The World Health Organization deems it a "gold standard" as a disinfectant, and it happens to also be one of the cheapest and least toxic items you probably have at home right now: rubbing alcohol. With just a few cotton balls saturated in rubbing alcohol, you can quickly and effectively disinfect bathroom faucets, countertops, toilet seats and any other nonporous surface without using chemical products. Rubbing alcohol is also a cheap de-greaser, which can be used use to clean baked-on messes and grime on the stove; just let the rubbing alcohol sit for a few minutes and wipe away.