ArcaMax

Salad spinners are handy kitchen tools that help wash greens and use centrifugal force to spin them dry. But they are also great for a whole host of other cooking ingredients. Want to remove the seeds from canned tomatoes? Just empty the can and break up the tomatoes a little bit, then spin away. Need dried canned beans for a recipe? Just rinse ...Read more

Tree roots that infiltrate your pipes can cause a massive problem for your entire home's plumbing system. One thing you can do to prevent tree roots from growing in your pipes: Flush rock salt down your toilet. Once a month, pour a cup of rock salt into your toilet and let the mixture dissolve overnight. In the morning, flush the toilet. The ...Read more

Ever wonder why yogurt is packaged in hard-to-recycle No. 5 polypropylene plastic instead of the easier-to-recycle No. 1 or No. 2 types? This is because No. 5 plastic can withstand cold temperatures, is more durable, and is the safest option for storing, shipping and delivering yogurt. If your community doesn’t accept No. 5 containers, you ...Read more

Here's a simple way to help keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer: Check your ductwork. Many newer homes have ductwork with dampers that are adjustable, and when they are installed, they are often marked with two words: summer and winter. Shifting the switch to the correct season will ensure that the airflow in your home is ...Read more

If you use a dehumidifier at home, you might wonder what you can do with the tank of water it collects. First, don't use it to water plants: When humid air runs through the metal elements in a dehumidifier, it can leave trace metals. You and your pets also should never consume the water. Instead, fill a toilet tank with the water, and use it to ...Read more

Are you using ChatGPT to crank out silly photos, ask random questions or just kill time? You might be wasting more than hours -- you’re wasting water. Massive data centers that power AI need huge amounts of water for cooling, and researchers estimate that every 20 to 50 questions require the equivalent of a 500 mL bottle. That may not sound ...Read more

Bees are critical pollinators, so anything you can do at home to support our bee population is helpful. One of the easiest things is to plant prolific plants that produce a nice amount of pollen and nectar. Flowers are obviously a good choice, since they produce pollen more frequently, but so are trees and shrubs, because they produce high ...Read more

If your home uses a tank water heater, it’s important to flush it out at least once a year. Small particles, dirt and other sediment collect at the bottom of your water heater throughout the year, and these things can have a dramatic effect on your unit’s overall efficiency. And this task is easy enough to perform that you can do it yourself...Read more

Have some rusty tools that could use a good cleaning? When your workshop or gardening tools have oxidized and turned rusty, you can easily wipe away the rust by using a kitchen staple: a potato. Potatoes are high in ferric oxalate, which turns the rust into a sludgelike substance that is easily wiped away. Cut a potato in half (perhaps use spuds...Read more