Love fall colors? Don't forget the green!

Photo courtesy of Petr Kratochvil

One of the things about trying to live in a cleaner and healthier environment involves finding new uses for eco-friendly items already in your homes. So here's a little list of things you can use common household items for as the autumn settles in:

• I'm a huge fan of candles, which is probably one of the reasons I enjoy fall so much. Darker evenings mean more cozy, candle time. But I hate when they get stuck in the candle holders. That usually means some time spent in my already too-crowded freezer. But not anymore; not with this tip I just learned about. All I need to do from now on is dab a little bit of olive oil on the base of the holder before I put the candle in. Voila! No more stuck wax.
• Another thing I love about the cooler weather is...sweaters!!! As you bring your sweaters out of the cedar chests, etc., clean off any last-season-pilling with a small piece of the hook side of Velcro. Make sure to use the hook side though, so you don't pull at the fabric.
• How about apple festivals? Apples are the fruit of fall. Keep sliced apples from turning brown by spritzing them with a little bit of lemon juice.
• As you're repotting your plants to bring them in for the winter, line the bottom of the pots with a coffee filter. This will keep the dirt from spilling out of the drain holes and make the entire process just a bit easier as you will have less dirt to clean up.
• Is the change of season making you sweat a bit more? Grab some good ol' baking soda and dust it under your arms in place of deodorant. This is an inexpensive way to keep odor away, which is really important given all the time we'll be spending indoors in the upcoming months!
• Greeted by morning frost on your windshield? That is certainly not something I'm looking forward to as the temperatures drop! But I just learned about a way to prevent that. Simply add 2 teaspoons of salt to a gallon of hot water. Wet a cloth with the solution and apply it to the inside of your car windows. Make sure you wipe it dry when you are done. I haven't tried this yet, but am sure hoping it works!
• You cannot have beautiful fall days without throwing some rainy ones in the mix. If your kids come slushing home from school with wet shoes, dry them overnight by putting some balled up newspaper in them. They will be dry by morning.
• And what would a series of cool weather tips be without one involving vinegar? This one is for winter, but what the heck? You know how you get those white salt stains on your shoes and boots? Get rid of them easily with a cloth dipped in distilled white vinegar.

Hope you find something here that helps make your cool weather seasons a bit greener.

Keeping it green,

Hana