4/22/14

White vinegar is the magic natural ingredient every laundry room should have. For new moms, a cup of vinegar will neutralize and kill any bacteria in the laundry, especially if you are washing cloth diapers or germy microfiber towels. It also helps brighten whites, kill odors in smelly workout clothes and even keep clothes lint- and static-free. And if you dye fabric at home, adding one cup of white vinegar to the last rinse in the cycle is a sure way to "set" the color and have your clothes or fabrics look true-to-color.

4/21/14

A laptop computer has an internal rechargeable battery that can be recharged about 1000 times before it needs to be replaced. One way to extend the life of your battery is to minimize the overall energy consumption your laptop uses on a daily basis. One easy way to extend battery life is to turn off the Wi-Fi when you have no need to be online. Another is to go into your laptop settings and opt for energy-saver mode, which will automatically dim or sleep your laptop after a short period of time. And even just reducing the brightness level of your computer can help extend the life of the battery.

4/20/14

Can you imagine a tree that grows soap? In Asia, a species of the lychee family grows nuts that people have been using to make soap for centuries. The soap nuts contain a natural ingredient called saponin, which is a natural surfactant that suds up and can remove dirt, grime and odor from clothes. Online sites like abesmarket.com sells soap nuts that you can use for laundry. Simply place a handful of the dried soap nuts into a sachet and toss it into the washing machine. It will make the water sudsy and get your clothes sparkling clean. After 10 uses, simply toss the nuts into the compost bin, and they'll completely biodegrade.