If you’ve got a leather coat with a smell you’d like to remove, throwing it in a washing machine isn’t the solution. Before you pay for expensive dry cleaning, try this DIY idea instead: Take an old nylon and fill it with charcoal (even briquettes for the barbecue work). Stuff the jacket sleeves with newspaper, and throw it in a clean trash bag; add the nylon briquettes and seal the bag. Let it sit for five days. The newspaper and charcoal will absorb odor and freshen your smelly leather coat.

Like any electronic product with a rechargeable battery, your laptop could use an update with a simple battery swap. Your laptop battery can be fully recharged about 1,000 times; that means when your battery is drained, it can be recharged back to full power. Sometimes that can be every few days or every few weeks. Look in your computer preferences to see your “cycle count” of how many times your computer has charged. If it’s over 1,000, take it to a service center and have your battery replaced. It’ll improve functionality of your computer, and the store will be sure to recycle your old battery.

When it comes to putting glass bottles and jars in the recycling bin, we all know glass that once held spaghetti sauce or soda pop are perfectly fine to recycle. But what about chipped wine glasses or baking dishes? What’s the harm: glass is glass, right? The reality is it’s totally different. Glass that can withstand high temperatures is considered tempered glass, which can withstand use in ovens and microwaves. When this gets mixed with glass jars and bottles, it doesn’t melt at the same temperature when it gets recycled. This contaminates glass recyclables and can make an entire load of glass basically trash. When in doubt, don’t recycle.