Recycle, or upcycle, yogurt cups
Delicious, creamy yogurt is often packaged in hard-to-recycle plastic containers (marked with a No. 5 on the bottom). If your community doesn’t accept this type of plastic for recycling, you can seek out a special recycling bin at stores that do take them. But you can also upcycle them into seed starters. All you have to do is poke a small hole in the bottom, fill the cup with potting soil, add seeds and mist. You can even add a clear lid back on top to create a mini greenhouse.
DONATE APPLIANCES
If you have used appliances that are still in working order, you can donate them to The Salvation Army to help someone in need. The organization will come and pick up your appliances, and you’ll also get a write-off for tax deduction purposes. Items they will accept typically include window air conditioners, washers and dryers, stoves, microwaves, refrigerators and modern-style televisions. To find out if a Salvation Army near you can pick up, visit satruck.org. (In the Chattanooga area, call 423-3056925 or go to csarmy.org.)
BRUSH AT THE SINK
Most dentists agree you should brush your teeth for about two full minutes to get your pearly whites perfectly clean. But if you’re a multitasker who brushes your teeth in the shower, you should reconsider that morning ritual. The reason? You’re standing in the shower for two full minutes, wasting water while brushing your teeth. That’s a waste of about 4 gallons of water every time you shower, which can equal hundreds of gallons of H2O down the drain every year.
CLEAN PRODUCE
When you rinse fruits and veggies under a faucet, you’re actually making two mistakes: wasting water AND washing your produce incorrectly. The best method is to place your produce in a large bowl, fill it to the top with water and add a little white vinegar and baking soda, then let it sit for 10-15 minutes. The vinegar will help disinfect, the baking soda helps clean, and gravity will push dirt and debris to the bottom of the bowl. It’s effective and water-efficient.
TOXIC LILIES
Lilies can be beautiful flowers for floral arrangements, but they can also be deadly to cats. First, know the difference between benign and toxic ones: Peace, calla and Peruvian lilies can cause some irritation to cats if ingested, but they’re not deadly. It’s the so-called “true lilies,” like tiger, day, east and Japanese Show that can cause major problems for your cats if they chew on the petals. The toxins in these flowers can cause severe kidney failure and should be avoided in homes with cats.
ANT REPELLENT
If you’re looking for a highly effective and nontoxic way to control an ant infestation in your home, look no further than all-natural diatomaceous earth. First, what is it? It’s a powder that acts like silica, but it is made entirely from fossilized marine phytoplankton. It’s perfectly harmless to humans and animals, but it’s deadly to insects with an exoskeleton (like ants, bed bugs and fleas). All you do is sprinkle it where you see insects, and it’ll kill and repel. Just be sure to buy the “food grade” type at the store to get the truly safe variety.
TYVEK USES
Those super-durable, waterproof envelopes that come to you via UPS or FedEx are often made from Tyvek. While it feels like a plastic paper, it’s actually 100 percent polyester that’s spun together to make the heavy-duty material. Since Tyvek is hard to recycle, one thing you can do is save large envelopes for when you travel. Place ironed shirts in individual Tyvek envelopes (this will keep them from wrinkling), or put wet bathing suits in one when returning from your fun in the sun.