ArcaMax

One-pot cooking is easy, money-saving and an eco-friendly way to prepare a homecooked meal. If you have a rice cooker at home, you can do more than just cook rice in it. Many rice cookers have different settings for slow and even cooking, which makes them perfect for stews, oatmeal, soup and lots of other grains in addition to rice. Using a ...Read more

Reliable water sources for wildlife can suddenly become unavailable if you live in a climate with harsh, freezing temperatures. While an electrified birdbath is one way to help, it can be difficult and expensive to maintain, and also poses the risk of shorting out (which can hurt birds and small animals). The simplest idea: Just place a water ...Read more

Cast iron is an excellent choice to cook with because it is incredibly durable, naturally nonstick and free of any questionable chemicals like the PTFE and PFOA found in many nonstick pans today. If you're in the market for a cast-iron skillet, however, avoid the temptation to buy a "preseasoned" one. Preseasoned means the pan has been ...Read more

If there’s a lot of sauteeing, frying and cooking going on in your kitchen, do just one thing: Make sure your stove is working and venting properly. A gas range gives off a small amount of carbon monoxide (CO), which is perfectly normal and won’t make you sick. But too much CO is trouble. Take a look at the flames on your cooktop: Are they ...Read more

Icicles on the side of your home may look pretty, but they really can cause significant water damage when things begin to thaw out. The main culprits of the “ice dams” on the edges of your house are clogged gutters, so make sure your gutters are clear before winter precipitation arrives. This ensures that water can freely flow and won’t ...Read more

Do your kitchen or bathroom drains have an unpleasant odor? Instead of dumping chlorine bleach down the drain to neutralize it, pour in regular salt as a nontoxic solution. Sometimes the stink comes from decomposing organic matter like food scraps that are stuck on the insides of pipes. The salt helps dislodge the stuck-on waste and acts like a ...Read more

The next time the weather brings a gentle rain, consider taking your indoor plants outdoors. Yes, it’s water-efficient, because you’re taking advantage of free water, but there is much more than plant hydration going on here. Rainwater helps give your plants a “bath” of sorts, too; dust and debris on the plants' leaves will be gently ...Read more

A dual-flush toilet is a great way to save water at home because it lets you decide if you need a full or partial flush. But if you have a perfectly fine single-flush toilet, what can you do to save water? You can convert your toilet into a dual-flush just by switching out the toilet flapper. For less than $10, you can add an adjustable flapper ...Read more

Planting trees in the yard is one of the simplest ways to add value to your home and create future energy savings, too. Strategically planting trees so they provide shade wherever your air conditioning unit is will keep the air around the unit cooler and help it use less energy. Avoid putting in tall plants on the south side of your home; they ...Read more