When the summer nights are too hot to get a comfortable sleep, there are ways to cool your bedroom without resorting to an air-conditioning unit. If you have an old-fashioned hot water bottle, fill it with ice-cold water. You can also place your flat sheet and pillowcases in the freezer for a few hours before bedtime; they’ll feel cool against the skin until you fall asleep. And a regular tabletop fan can help blow cool air across your body, all while providing white noise to mask any other sounds that may prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.

Many of us add liquid fabric softener to the washing machine to help make clothing not only feel soft, but smell good, too. But the nonprofit Healthy Child Healthy World says it’s best to skip fabric softener; in addition to the artificial fragrance used in most softener, it also leaves a film behind on fabric fibers. All of this can cause skin irritation and trigger allergies. Softeners can also build up in the washing machine, staining future loads of laundry. Avoid it altogether, and stick with good old white vinegar to soften your clothing naturally.

Some of the most desired and hard-to-get items for local food banks are fresh fruits. If you have fruit trees on your property with a bumper crop of produce, consider donating bushels to your local food bank. Not only will the bank appreciate the donation, but the value of the gift can also be tax-deductible. In some cities across the country where fruit trees are abundant, there are organizations that will even come to your home and harvest the excess fruit for you. Remember to harvest only what’s fresh and edible, although the fruit does not need to be perfect-looking; if it’s good enough for you to eat, it’s good enough to donate.