If you buy only two houseplants, buy ivy and cacti. The ivy plant is one of the most powerful air cleaners you can get. It absorbs harmful chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde from the air. In fact, if you set out an ivy plant in a house, it’ll absorb about 90 percent of the benzene pollutant in just 24 hours. Besides being a pollution fighter, arid environment-loving cacti are among the easiest plants to care for. And another great bonus: Most cacti are succulent plants that emit oxygen at night, which means having them in your bedroom can help you sleep better.

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It’s common knowledge that houseplants can help clean your indoor air. But did you know they can also “signal” for help? Aloe is an easy-care plant that can help purify the air inside your home. And it’s a powerhouse: It absorbs formaldehyde, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. But when the toxicity of the air in your home is excessive, the aloe plant actually becomes spotted. It’s a natural way the plant reacts to help signal that something may be awry inside.

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One of the best things you can do to help someone in need in your community is to donate a new winter coat. The retail chain Burlington Coat Factory makes it easy to make a difference: Donate a new or gently worn coat to the store in the fall and they’ll work with local nonprofit organizations to make sure those who need it get it. For your good deed, you’ll get 10 percent off your next purchase in the store. To learn more about this program, visit Burlington.com.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION