ArcaMax

It’s easier than ever to find organic cotton bedding in big-box stores and shopping sites online. But other than helping farmers who grow cotton organically, what’s the real benefit of sleeping on organic sheets? Conventional cotton bedding is often bleached and then dyed using heavy metal dyes that can have formaldehyde resins. And if you ...Read more

It’s no surprise that one of the easiest ways to keep your home as healthy as possible is to leave your shoes at the door. Shoes can drag in pesticides, chemicals and dirt, so going barefoot inside is a simple way to keep it clean. But before you take off your shoes, be sure to give them a good wipe on a doormat outside. By placing your ...Read more

Particleboard is a common material made of compressed wood chips, resin and adhesives, and it's used in furniture and to build walls, floors and cabinets inside our houses. The problem? Most particleboard can off-gas chemicals like formaldehyde, which can create an unhealthy home environment. Since ripping out everything made of particleboard ...Read more

If you dread ironing clothes, here's a simple tip to speed up the process and help you save energy: Remove the fabric cover from your ironing board and cover it with a few sheets of aluminum foil. Then place the fabric cover on top of the foil. When you iron, the heat will be transferred to the aluminum foil and reflect to the surface, creating ...Read more

Having a mouse in the house is more than a nuisance; it can be hazardous, since they can chew through wires and start a fire. Prevention is the best thing, so install door sweeps on exterior doors to prevent easy access into the home. Look for holes on the outside where they can slip in; anything larger than a nickel is big enough for them. Plug...Read more

Buying vintage blankets, T-shirts and fabric is a great way to reuse and keep textiles out of the landfill, but you might wonder: Are they really clean? Instead of washing these items when you bring them home, toss them straight into the dryer. Just mist everything with water and run it on high for 30 minutes. This will destroy bedbugs and ...Read more

That delicious chocolate bar is obviously a no-go treat for dogs, but have you thought about the plastic wrapper that encased it? The residual smears of chocolate could be irresistible for a dog to eat, and when they do, that wrapper can attach itself to the lining of your pet’s stomach, which could lead to a pricey visit to the veterinarian. ...Read more

There are a billion reasons why you should choose a more eco-friendly toothbrush; that’s the number of brushes that are thrown into landfills every year in the United States. Instead of plastic, look for environmentally friendly alternatives that use renewable and biodegradable materials like bamboo for the handles. And save your old brushes ...Read more

If you want to keep your home warm without using more energy to heat it up, remember this fact: A naturally warm home is also a humid one, because humid air retains heat better than dry air. One easy way to add some humidity to your home is to open the door to your bathroom after a shower, which naturally allows humid air to make its way into ...Read more

Invited to a potluck dinner party, and cooking or baking isn’t your strong suit? Offer to be the “green” participant who brings reusable plates, napkins and utensils to the party. At the end of the event, load them all back up in a box and wash everything at your own home. This cuts back on waste and doesn’t mess up the kitchen of your ...Read more

Do you want the freshest eggs? Get them from a farm or farmer’s market. Conventional eggs at the supermarket are often up to eight weeks old before they reach consumers. When you buy direct, they are usually just a day or two old. To keep them fresh longer, Mother Earth News recommends that you never wash your eggs before you are about to use ...Read more

A lighter suitcase has a huge impact on your carbon footprint when you fly. A recent study shows that reducing your carry-on by just 15 pounds on a 10-hour flight equals a reduction of 80 pounds of emissions. Multiply that by 150 people on your flight who do the same thing, and that’s 12,000 pounds saved. Some tips to lighten the load include ...Read more

Warm, sunny days are a great time to harness the power of the sun to help deodorize, disinfect and dry items inside your home. Obviously, hanging towels, clothes and sheets on a clothing line is an energy-efficient alternative to machine-drying. But also consider hanging bed and throw pillows on the line to freshen and disinfect. Rinse out trash...Read more

If you’re lucky enough to have your own backyard in-ground pool, you know one of the most expensive costs is heating the water. An eco-conscious investment that will pay for itself is a solar-powered pool heater. It harnesses the power of the sun and pumps your pool water through tubes mounted to solar panels. As the water goes through the ...Read more

Do you have room in your yard to grow something for your local fauna to enjoy? Go with flat-leaf parsley. It’s easy to grow and prolific, and it’s a favorite for wild animals to eat. Unlike other types of parsley, flat-leaf varietals don’t flower much, so it’s desired by both humans and animals all season long. And it’s hearty enough ...Read more

If your home was built before 1978, there's a very good chance lead paint was used inside. There are simple tests you can do to find out if your paint is lead-based, and you can find them at any home improvement store. If your home does have lead-based paint, there's no need to actively remove it. In fact, sanding or chipping away at lead paint ...Read more

Do you use a laser printer in your home office? Every time you print out a page, you might be inhaling ultrafine toxic particles. Scientists at the Queensland University of Technology studied the particle emissions of 62 common printers. Around 40% emitted particles, and among those, 27% emitted a high level. Cardiovascular problems have been ...Read more

Whether you're in a hotel, restaurant, office building or at the gym, if you see a water leak, you should say something. The managers of these commercial buildings often are completely unaware that they may be wasting water, and it helps when someone like you brings it to their attention. Even slow drips of water -- which may not seem like a big...Read more

This week, "Do Just One Thing" has seven tips to help reduce your microplastic consumption. Here’s tip No. 7: Brew loose tea instead of using tea bags. Almost all tea bags are made with a mix of materials that includes plastic. When you steep your favorite Earl Grey from a tea bag, you also are steeping plastics into your beverage. Fill a ...Read more

This week, "Do Just One Thing" has seven tips to help reduce your microplastic consumption. Here’s tip No. 6: Stop using glitter. Glitter is what’s known as an “intentional” microplastic: It’s literally designed to be microscopic and has no purpose outside of decorating. If you must have glitter for a project, look for plastic-free ...Read more