Do just one thing
REPLACING OLD SPONGE
When it’s time to replace an old kitchen sponge, don’t toss it away. An old sponge is the perfect growing medium to use as a seed starter for flowers and vegetables. It’s easy: Just place seeds inside the nooks and natural holes of the sponge (or make small slices with the tip of a knife) and mist the sponge well with water. Place it in a dish with a little more water and be sure to keep it moist. In days, you’ll see the seeds sprout. When the seedlings are strong enough, you can transplant them into growing medium or just trim the sponge and plant the seedling with the remaining sponge material still attached.
MINI-GREENHOUSES
Do you have clear plastic storage bins stashed away in the attic or basement, going unused? These are actually fantastic mini-greenhouses that can be used to either grow (and protect) seedlings or help protect plants when the weather turns cold. You can fill the inside with small seedling cups, growing medium and plant seeds; after misting them well, cover with the lid to help create a greenhouse effect. Or, if the weather calls for a potential chill, just place potted plants inside and close to help insulate and protect them, too.
RECYCLE OLD DEVICES
If you have any old phones or tablet devices, it’s time to dig them out of the junk drawer and see if recycling can turn them into cold hard cash. There are plenty of electronics recyclers out there, but one stands out for making it quick and easy. With over 4,000 locations, ECOATM automatically examines, tests and pays cash on the spot for your electronic devices. All you do is plug your phone in at one of their recycling stations and it does the rest. These stations are in shopping malls and grocery stores, or you can locate the one closest to you at ecoatm.com.
A BROWN THUMB
If you have a brown thumb when it comes to plants, you might be thinking that an artificial houseplant is a better alternative than none, right? The reality is, even though fake plants are looking more and more real, they come with their own issues. In addition to being dust magnets that can contribute to poor indoor air quality, they also are made using materials that aren’t biodegradable, in the factories of companies that don’t look out for the health of their workers. Instead of fake, try low-maintenance varieties like succulents and cacti.
USING CHARCOAL
According to This Old House magazine, charcoal from the backyard grill can have myriad detoxifying uses around the house. When arranging flowers, place a few briquettes in the bottom of the vase to help keep the water fresh and clean. If you have smelly kitchen cabinets, place a piece in the back of the cabinet so it can absorb both odors and excess moisture, to help keep the area smelling fresh. And lay a few pieces on top of a household orchid plant to help it thrive; the flowers love the alkalinity from the charcoal.
I’M A LITTLE TEA POT
Is your tea kettle in need of a good cleaning to remove mineral deposits inside? It’s important to not use harsh products like bleach or chemical cleaners, since you’ll be sipping tea using water you’ve boiled in the pot. Instead, fill the tea kettle with citrus peels from lemons, limes and oranges. The natural citric acid helps break down the mineral deposits. To do this, just fill your kettle with peels and water and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the citrus mixture sit for an hour to work its magic.
COOKING OIL FOR YARD
Any home cook knows you should never pour used cooking oil down the drain, because it can cause plumbing problems. But the alternative can mean tossing tons of soaked paper towels in the trash, where they surely will end up in a landfill. So, what to do? Take the cooled, used cooking oil out to the yard and use it to kill pesky weeds. Not only will cooled oil kill tough weeds, but the oily mixture will prevent them from coming back. And since it’s vegetable oil, it also will biodegrade slowly in the ground.