Ever wonder what to do with the shells of nuts such as walnuts, pecans and pistachios? Scatter them in the garden as beneficial mulch. Any residual salt on the shells will help deter slugs from attack... more
If you see a houseplant with yellowing leaves, one of the most important things you should do is trim them off. Yellow or almost-dead leaves won't revive and turn green again, so it's better to remove... more
Air fryers are all the rage right now, and in addition to making your food extra crispy, another bonus is that they're energy-efficient. Air fryers use hot air with very little oil to cook your food i... more
Many sleep experts recommend replacing your bed pillows about every two years. The reasoning is that your pillows absorb a lot over many nights of sleep, including body oil, sweat and dead skin cells.... more
Do you use mothballs to keep your sweaters and knits safe from being destroyed by moths and their larvae? Simply put: Don't. Mothballs are made entirely from a chemical called naphthalene, and they sl... more
Does your washing machine offer the option of a "quick wash"? This setting allows you to clean your clothes in about 20 minutes rather than wasting time with the longer cycle of a regular wash. The qu... more
While running a full dishwasher is the most energy- and water-efficient way to take care of the dishes, even running a half load is better than handwashing. Whether it's a full load or half, dishwashe... more
With artificial Christmas and holiday decor looking more and more like the real thing, you might not be the only one fooled by those fake red berries. According to the National Audubon Society, fake b... more
One way to help save energy at home is to plant wisely when it comes to landscaping around the house. Avoid putting in plants that grow tall on the south side of your home; these tall plants can block... more
Ever buy an item online and it arrives surrounded by plastic "pillows" to protect it during shipping? There are two ways you can dispose of them. One, you can reuse them when you need to ship somethin... more
It's important to clean the inside of your reusable water bottle to remove grime, mildew and bacteria. But it can be very difficult to get a brush through the narrow opening and scrub the bottle clean... more
For some, offering treats at Halloween means leaving a big bowl of candy in a bowl by the door. But if you live in a community where there's wildlife that might wander into your yard, you might want t... more
It's fun to decorate your home for Halloween, but wildlife experts ask everyone to avoid one decoration in particular: fake spiderwebs. The meshy webs that mimic the look and feel of real spiderwebs c... more
With an estimated $2,000 worth of food thrown away every year in the average American household, being savvy about food waste is both ecological and economical. Take advantage of the plethora of recip... more
One of the tricks interior decorators use to make a space feel more special is to install dimmer switches so the amount of light from a fixture can be controlled. But that control comes with an extra ... more
One of the top reasons household paint is "wasted" is because the color we chose is the wrong shade. It can be hard to choose the perfect shade from a myriad of paint chips, and often when we pick som... more
When it comes to dead batteries, it's important to dispose of them properly. Rechargeable batteries that are used in cordless products like power tools, electronic devices and phones are easily recycl... more
What do you do with a stray single sock? Don't toss it! You can reuse it around the house. One simple solution is to fill a sock with cedar shavings and tie a knot at the end to prevent the shavings f... more
Smart decorating can help improve the natural flow of a home and make use of every inch of space. But decorating can also help you keep your home warmer during the winter months. Older homes often hav... more
You may choose to rake up all of the fallen leaves on your property, but if you can do these two things with them, your yard -- and the planet -- will benefit. First, leaves are an excellent organic m... more
It might seem counterintuitive, but when you're cleaning up your garden, flowerbeds and/or yard this fall, leave as much dead plant material as you can. Piles of leaves, dried flowers and other dead p... more
Do you have a junk drawer or an office desk drawer overflowing with random cords and cables for electronics, phones and other devices? If you're unsure what goes with what, you can declutter and recyc... more
Did you know one of the fastest ways to ruin a smartphone comes from Mother Nature? Too much exposure to the sun can cause your phone to overheat, degrading the performance of the battery and even mel... more
One of the biggest sources of air toxicity in your home is the garage, and homes with attached garages can be more prone to air pollution leaking in. A Canadian health study found that homes with atta... more
If you're a novice at backyard vegetable gardening and your first season was successful, you may want to take advantage of the cooler weather to expand your garden. In multiseason climates, when the l... more
One of the biggest energy hogs in the home isn't glaringly obvious: the cable box/internet modem/Wi-Fi router. Designed to provide television, phone and internet, the box is a major energy drain by it... more
If you'd like to save on organic food when grocery shopping, opt for private-label store brands over the national ones. Not only are certified organic store brands the real deal, they often are 10% to... more
While donations of nutritious food like brown rice, canned tuna and whole-wheat pasta are always appreciated at the food bank, there are some other things you can give that are higher on the wishlists... more
While buying undyed, unbleached organic cotton is the absolute greenest kind of T-shirt purchase, it isn't always the easiest to find. So do the next best thing: Choose white T-shirts over colored shi... more
Did you know that metal bottle caps are recyclable but are often tossed into the trash at recycling facilities? It's because they are too small, and they often end up as waste as the recyclables get s... more