Do you have a swimming pool at home? With the end of the summer season around the corner, there's no need to totally drain the pool when you can find uses for the water around your yard. First, remove all the skimmers with chlorine tablets from the pool. Then fill a few buckets, watering cans and other containers with the pool water. Let the water sit outside for one week so the chlorine can dissipate. Use this water to hydrate your outdoor plants and lawn. The remaining pool water is still good until it's time to close up your pool for the season.

About 3.7 billion pounds of carpet -- from area rugs to wall-to-wall style -- are thrown away every year, making it one of the top materials to fill up our nation's dumps. Carpet is recyclable, and the flooring industry is making efforts to claim old carpeting and turn it into new products. The nonprofit Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) has diverted billion of pounds of carpet away from landfills through efforts with contractors, manufacturers and homeowners. The next time you need to replace your carpet, visit its website at carpetrecovery.org to find the carpet recycler nearest you.

Since organic fruits and vegetables are grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers, it should be OK to pop a few unwashed berries into your mouth, right? Here's the harsh reality: You need to wash your produce, no matter if it's conventionally grown or organic. Organic produce can be contaminated with chemicals that blow over from farms that do use chemicals, or can be contaminated in a warehouse or at the store. But the big reason to always wash? Bacteria and germs. Organic does not mean bacteria-free, so always give everything a good wash to keep yourself and your family healthy.