ArcaMax

Did you know it’s illegal to throw old tires in the trash? The reason might surprise you: The steel belts inside of tires actually can puncture the liners at landfills, leading to ground contamination. In some states, getting caught throwing tires away can lead to fines and even jail time. There are recycling programs everywhere that recycle ...Read more

Did you know you can unshrink a wool sweater? If you’ve ever accidentally washed a sweater and it shrank, don’t panic -- you often can restore it close to its original size. Soak the sweater in a large bowl of warm water mixed with about 1/3 cup of hair conditioner. Let it sit for 15 minutes to relax the fibers. Gently press out excess water...Read more

If you sprinkle Epsom salts into the bathtub to help relieve sore muscles, save a few tablespoons to help give your plants a boost, too. Epsom salt is made up of hydrated magnesium sulfate, which is a mixture of magnesium and sulfur. Plants love these minerals, and giving them Epsom salt helps boost the color of their leaves and creates stronger...Read more

If you’re looking for another reason to quit smoking (beyond your health and wallet), here’s one: It’s a detriment to wildlife. It’s estimated that nearly 25% of all roadside trash is cigarette butts. Many of these butts end up in aquatic habitats, where they leach chemicals into the water. When fish get the chemicals into their ...Read more

Plants need light for photosynthesis, and to thrive and be healthy over time. You might think placing a plant near a lamp is just as good as placing it near a sunny window, but traditional light bulbs lack the red and blue spectra light plants need most to grow. While “full spectrum” light bulbs are available, they are expensive and use ...Read more

One of the easiest ways to cut back on food waste in the kitchen is by using vegetable trimmings to make homemade vegetable stock. Carrot tops, hearty greens and onion peels are obvious choices to simmer in water, but don’t forget items like bell pepper membranes and seeds, corn cobs and broccoli stems. Simmer everything low and slow, then ...Read more

Soft, rotten whole onions should never be eaten, but they don’t have to be thrown away. Use them to clean dirty grill grates instead. Simply cut the onion in half and use it like a scrubber to loosen burnt-on residue. Rinse the grates with water, then rub them again with the onion. The natural sulfur compounds in onions react with the metal, ...Read more

Don’t toss broccoli stems in the trash; they’re not only edible and nutritious, but they’re also delicious! You can chop them up and cook them like any other vegetable, but a fun idea is to turn them into zero-carb "brocc-rice." Simply grate the stems on the largest side of a box grater to create small ricelike pieces. Then saute them just...Read more

What do you do with the used coffee grinds in your coffee maker? They are compostable and can be a great nutritional boost for your garden. But if you have a dog at home, you can also take advantage of the flea-repelling properties found in coffee. At your dog’s next bath time, massage used coffee grinds into its coat, then rinse. The residual...Read more