Over time, a plastic garden hose can crack and spring a leak, which would lead most of us to toss it and buy a new one at the store. But before you throw away that garden hose, consider doing an easy repair. It’s as simple as cutting out the bad part of the hose with a box cutter and using a hose repair kit to mend it back together. The inexpensive kit covers the two newly cut sides of the garden hose and cinches them together. Four simple screws tighten the new area, and voila! Your old hose is as good as new.

When drips of grease get onto your clothes, getting the stains out can be a real challenge. Since water and grease don’t mix, it’s best to try to “lift” the oils out of the fibers of the clothing. Reach into your kitchen drawer for some regular white chalk. The natural minerals in chalk absorb the excess grease. Rub liberally into the stained area and wait at least 15 minutes for the natural magic to work. Then launder as usual, and the grease stain should be completely lifted from your garment.

An association of athletes called Sports Medal Recycling does just that: They take your old medals gathering dust from road races, endurance events and track and field competitions and recycle them. The organization separates all the recyclable materials -- the metals used to make the medallions, the ribbons that hold them and even the cardboard and plastic packaging -- and keeps it all out of landfills. The proceeds are used to support nonprofit and charity runs to cover the cost of participation (with all of the money going to charitable organizations). To learn more and get the ship-to address, visit sportsmedalrecycling.com.