Ever wonder what to do with the brine inside a jar of pickles when the last dill is gobbled up? Most of us probably toss it down the drain before recycling the glass jar, but don’t! The old brine is an effective all-natural weed killer. Pickling brines contain a high level of salt, which helps dry out weeds. All you have to do is pour the pickle brine over pesky weeds (like between cracks in the driveway or sidewalk) and it’ll work as well as any chemical herbicide.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

New homes today are designed to be as airtight as possible to make them as energy-efficient as possible. While that’s good for conserving natural resources, it can be bad for indoor air quality. Even in the harshest of bitterly cold winter stretches, it’s important to at least open a door or window once a day to help ventilate your home. It only needs to be for a minute or two; open a window in the front and one in the back of the house to help flush out old air and welcome in fresh new air.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When it’s time to clean your aquarium at home, never throw the old water down the drain. Water from freshwater aquariums is nutrient-dense from rotting fish food, fish excrement and other organic matter. Use this nutrient-rich water to fertilize your houseplants, or give seedlings a good start by saturating their growing medium with the old aquarium water. One note: Don’t water plants using old saltwater aquarium water! The salt will dry out and kill plants.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION