Some of the toughest stuff to clean in the kitchen is all the baked-on grime inside your oven. Instead of reaching for chemical oven cleaner, try this all-natural alternative instead. Mix baking soda with some water until you get a pastelike consistency. Spread the mixture all over the inside of the oven. Wait at least 12 hours, then fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and liberally spray the inside. The baking soda and vinegar together will cause a foaming reaction, which will bubble away the baked-on mess. Wipe and rinse with a little water, and voila! Clean oven.

In the warmer months, it’s not uncommon to see volunteer groups collecting litter from the sides of roads or at parks as part of a beautification project. But winter is the perfect time to collect one type of debris: plastic bags. Plastic bags often get tangled in trees, and in the late spring and summer months, it can be impossible to see where they’re tangled. When the trees are bare in winter, it’s easier to untangle and remove bags. Use telescoping tools designed for trees to help dislodge bags from high-up places.

Here’s another reason to not get balloons for your next occasion: They can cause power outages. According to the nonprofit Energy Education Council, Mylar balloons are made of a special type of nylon with a thin external metal coating. When these metallic balloons are released into the air, they can get caught in power lines, and this thin metal coating can cause power outages and fires. While the Council recommends using weights to secure these balloons, here’s a better idea: Don’t get them at all.