ArcaMax

Appliance repair professionals want you to know something: Those conventional plastic dishwashing pods are ruining your machine. The water temperature inside your machine does not get high enough to break down the plastic material, so remnants are left behind that clog pumps and drains and slow down the basic functions of the machine. Beyond ...Read more

Did you know it takes about 20,000 liters of water to produce one new T-shirt and jeans? The United States produces 34 billion pounds of textile waste every year -- about 100 pounds per person -- that is sent to landfills. One way to cut back on waste is to swap clothes. Make a pile of lightly worn clothes and shoes and try to find someone who ...Read more

While it’s nice to have real houseplants indoors to add some greenery and freshen up the air, there are certain common types of plants you should avoid if you have pets. English ivy is a popular indoor choice because it’s easy to grow and it grows quickly, but your pet can experience serious health complications if it chews on the leaves. ...Read more

Did you know that honey does not have an expiration date? That’s because the acid in honey makes it naturally antibacterial, so it is impossible for microorganisms and bacteria to grow in it. In fact, scientists have found honey in Egyptian tombs that is thousands of years old, and it was still perfectly edible. Honey can naturally crystalize ...Read more

Organic cotton linens are not only more attainable today than they were years ago, they can have other benefits, too. Buying organic cotton bedding helps support farmers who grow organic cotton, and it also helps eliminate unnecessary chemicals from your life. Conventional cotton bedding is often bleached and then dyed using heavy-metal dyes ...Read more

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, about 14% of total air infiltration in a home enters through a fireplace chimney -- even if the damper is pulled shut --which can make your home less energy efficient in the winter months. Chimney balloons, which are nearly indestructible balloons you place inside the chimney to block drafts, can work ...Read more

A mattress is a major investment, and making sure you keep it in tip-top shape can help protect your investment over the long term. One of the most important things you can do is to rotate the mattress periodically so it wears evenly over time. Depending on the type of mattress you have, it needs to be rotated either every three, six or 12 ...Read more

This is an evergreen tip worth repeating: Wash your clothes in cold water. Ninety percent of the electricity used for a washing machine goes toward heating the water. Opting for cold water is the most energy-efficient way to wash clothes, and almost all detergents are designed to work best in cold water anyway! Consumer Reports says you can save...Read more

If you decorate with outdoor string lights, the color of the light output from the bulbs can have an impact on wildlife. The whiter the light, the more confusing it is to nocturnal animals, since they can mistake it for daylight. Instead, opt for bulbs that cast a warm orange glow (like candlelight), which is less disruptive to animals. You can ...Read more

Did some little ones take crayons to your walls to create a mini masterpiece? It’s easy to remove with just one thing: toothpaste. Because toothpaste has gentle abrasives to ensure teeth are polished clean without hurting them, it’ll do the same for your walls, removing crayon marks without harming the paint. Just apply toothpaste to the ...Read more

Choose these two key herbs for your garden this spring: fennel and dill. They are wonderful and versatile herbs that can be used in cooking, but they are fabulous choices to attract pollinators like butterflies to your garden. Butterflies love the flowers these herbs generate, and once you have droves of pollinators in your garden, they’ll ...Read more

Even in an age of digital reading, printed books are still in demand and can be donated if you're ready to make room on your bookshelf at home. The rule of thumb for donating books is this: If it has been two or three years or less since the book was published, donate it to your local library; they will resell the book to raise money for their ...Read more

When you’re loading your dryer with freshly washed clothes, remember this simple rule: Don’t overload it. Yes, it’ll take longer to dry and it will use more energy, but drying large loads can damage the garments, create wrinkles and stress the fibers of the clothing. Decreasing the size of your dryer loads can help reduce energy use and ...Read more

While most foods have an expiration date, there are some everyday staples that never expire. While there are obvious ingredients like sugar and salt that can last indefinitely, white rice also lasts for decades. Unlike brown rice, white rice has no bran oil in it, so it can last up to 30 years in dry conditions. Maple syrup and honey are two ...Read more

Once you’ve opened a carton or jug of dairy milk, it only has about a one-week shelf life in the fridge. If you smell the milk and it seems like it’s already turning less than a week after opening, it might be where you store it that’s the problem. When milk is exposed to warm temps, it spoils more quickly. Store it in the back of the ...Read more

If you eat pre-sliced deli meat, you might be surprised to learn those slices of salami, ham and turkey can go rancid very quickly. In fact, the meats can turn bad in as little as 72 hours, developing mold and smelling less fresh overall. The best solution is to buy only as much pre-sliced deli meat as you will use quickly and to store it in an ...Read more

Ceiling fans are always a good investment to circulate air in the home, keeping it as cool or warm as you need it in the most efficient manner possible. When you want it cooler inside, have the fan go in a counterclockwise direction to push cool air down. When you want it warmer inside, set the fan in the opposite direction, which helps move ...Read more

If you buy food packaged in cans, you’re probably choosing the most environmentally friendly option. Nearly 70 million tons of steel is recycled every year and made into new steel products. And the long shelf life of canned food (typically three to five years) makes cans the ideal packaging to stock a pantry. But a big reason why cans are far ...Read more

When you’re watching your favorite shows on a streaming platform, the way you watch it can have a profound impact on how much energy you use for your entertainment. Start by watching at a lower resolution; instead of the super-high res 4K or 1080p, try for 720p to reduce energy usage. If you watch shows on your phone, always stream over a Wi-...Read more

With nearly 1.3 billion gallons of paint mixed and sold every year in the United States, a lot of paint ends up wasted because we chose the wrong shade. It can be hard to choose the perfect hue from paint chips, and when we pick something we like, it often appears too bright, too dark or just wrong on our walls. To help avoid this financial and ...Read more