ArcaMax

After you've boiled a pot of pasta or potatoes, do you ever wonder what you can do with all of that leftover starchy water? Instead of pouring it down the drain, let it cool down to room temperature and reuse it to water your houseplants and garden. The residual starch in the water actually spurs the nutrients in soil, which helps feed the ...Read more

According to Eating Well, almost all vitamins and supplements will keep if stored in a cool, dry place. But there are five supplements that can do much better if refrigerated to minimize degradation of the product. Those five supplements are fish oil, probiotics, liquid iron, flaxseed oil and vitamin C. All five of these items are sensitive to ...Read more

Wednesday may be your best time to stock up on the least expensive organic fruits and veggies. Supermarkets traditionally release circulars and sale prices on Tuesday nights for sales that start the following day. When store managers check inventory on Tuesdays and mark down prices on sale items, they also note which perishables need to sell. ...Read more

A little leftover white wine that's gone bad shouldn't be tossed down the drain. A study by Oregon State University found that white wine is an effective disinfectant in the kitchen, killing foodborne pathogens like salmonella and E. coli. You can use old white wine to douse produce to clean it, wipe cutting boards to disinfect them and even use...Read more

Many of us are incorporating salmon into our diets as a high-protein addition to a healthier lifestyle. But not all salmon fillets are the same. Wild-caught Alaskan salmon have high levels of heart-healthy omega-3s, are low in contaminants and are caught sustainably through tough Alaskan regulations and government monitoring of the fishing ...Read more

Did you know 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 something we like, it appears to be too bright, too dark or just wrong on our walls. To help avoid this financial and material waste, ...Read more

Your local animal shelter is always appreciative and in need of common things for cats and dogs. Just like donating your children’s unwanted toys to charity, you can gather lightly used pet supplies and give them to your shelter. Check to see if you have extra grooming supplies, bedding, toys and/or collars and leashes to give. These are ...Read more

There’s one more thing you should bring into the shower with you every morning: your reusable water bottle. Water bottles should be washed after each use, and one easy way to save water and time is to simply wash it in the shower. To disinfect the bottle, you need hot water and a little bit of soap. Just put a small amount of dish soap in the ...Read more

It’s called the “no lid” coffee trend, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: Order your morning coffee without a plastic lid. When you forget your reusable cup, the next best thing is to minimize your disposable waste. People are choosing to get cups without lids, since plastic lids are nearly impossible to recycle. Plus, coffee ...Read more

Do you have a lot of cardboard boxes from a recent move, and you’re unsure what to do with them? You can recycle them in almost any curbside recycling program, but you can do something good with them, too. Charities like Goodwill, the Salvation Army and the Kidney Foundation are often in need of gently used cardboard boxes. They use them to ...Read more

When you rinse out a steel or tin can for recycling, you might wonder: Is the lid recyclable? The answer is yes, since it is made from the same material as the body of the can. But before you add it to your recyclables, gently touch the sides of the lid and see if the edges are razor-sharp. Even modern-day recycling facilities still do much of ...Read more

Do you want to add houseplants to help beautify your home and purify the air? One option is to buy them at your local florist or home improvement center; another option is to get them totally free. The website Freecycle is like Craigslist, but without money ever changing hands for goods. And when people move from an old home to a new one, one of...Read more

Have an old fur coat in the closet? You can put it to good use to help wild animals in need. The nonprofit animal advocacy organization Born Free runs the Fur for the Animals Campaign, which uses old fur coats (and hats and blankets) to help orphaned and injured wild animals. The items are sent to wildlife rehabilitation centers around the ...Read more

Everyone loses socks. So what do you do with the stray single sock you have left? Don't toss it -- you can reuse it around the house! Fill a sock with cedar shavings, tying it off at the top; since socks are porous, the cedar scent will permeate the air inside a closet and keep moths at bay. To keep your car windows from fogging up, fill a sock ...Read more

Cardboard is a highly desired and easily recyclable item that can be recycled around 5 to 7 times before the fibers lose their strength. One way to extend the life of cardboard boxes is to find a few extra-strong ones and use them over and over again when you go grocery shopping. Just put the boxes in your cart and fill them up. Use them to ...Read more

Adding landscaping to your home is a great way to increase value and also create a habitat for wild animals. But be aware that not all outdoor plants are the same. Fast-growing bushes and trees like the popular Bradford pear also have a shorter lifespan and will need to be replaced. Common plants like English ivy and bamboo actually can be too ...Read more

Do you know what a “snag” is? A snag is a dead tree left to decompose standing upright, and snag trees are vital to keeping the delicate ecosystem thriving in your backyard. According to the National Wildlife Federation, dead trees provide needed nourishment and shelter for up to 1,000 species of wildlife. It’s easy to create a snag: Just ...Read more

Did you know the shelf life of dried spices is about two years? It can be hard to remember when you bought herbs and spices, so be sure to mark the month and year on the jar when you bring home new containers. When it’s time to replace spices, don’t toss them into the trash. Old spices can be used to make all-natural aromatherapy sprays or ...Read more

If you’ve purchased a new washing machine, listen up: Don’t use DIY laundry detergent for your machine. While handmade detergents are a good all-natural alternative, they have a tendency to clog modern-day washing machines. As household appliances become more high-tech, untested detergents can cause internal havoc. Using a DIY detergent can ...Read more

Here’s one tip to save money and help save your eyes, too: Reduce the brightness on your computer, phone and TV screens. Our digital screens are often set to the highest levels of brightness; the brighter the screen, the more power is used, which raises energy costs and drains batteries more quickly. Simply reduce the screen brightness in the ...Read more