Garden Dome Three-Pack

Walmart’s greenhouse kit sale section has tons of different types of greenhouses to choose from. If you’re shopping for just a few plants, it’s worth checking out this garden dome three-pack. These plant covers work similarly to a greenhouse—they seal in heat and protect small plants from the elements while they germinate.

The best part? You can snag three of them for only $10 after a discount of 38%.

Shop Now

What Is Peecycling?

The term peecycling comes from a combination of peeing and recycling. Peecycling is actually a real thing that’s happening, spearheaded by the Rich Earth Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont. As part of the institute’s Urine Nutrient Reclamation Program, people can donate their pee. The Rich Earth Institute distributes 2.5- and five-gallon plastic jugs with odor-blocking funnel attachments. According to the institute, the setup “can be used as a urinal or an easy-to-pour-into container,” by using the nun’s cap or yogurt container and then pouring the contents into the funnel. They even distribute a “decorative cloth cozy” that fits over the jug for privacy. They also rent urine-collecting portable toilets for public events.

How Does Urine Work As Fertilizer?

Human urine is a rich source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. According to the Rich Earth Institute, one adult produces about 125 gallons of urine per year. That’s enough fertilizer to grow 320 pounds of wheat.

The world faces a fertilizer shortage due to the war in Ukraine, and a critical need to find alternative sources of fertilizer. According to Rabobank, 20% of the world’s nitrogen fertilizer is exported by Russia—and along with Belarus, 40% of the world’s potassium.

Does Peecycling Help the Environment?

Beyond helping farmers to grow more food, peecycling is good for the environment. When flushed into wastewater systems, contaminants in fertilizers create environmentally damaging algal blooms. According to the Rich Earth Institute, a household can save about 4,000 gallons of potable water annually by not flushing.

“You can make a difference by providing food and shelter for wildlife, such as bees, butterflies, birds and amphibians, both locally and as pit stops along migratory corridors,” says Mary Phillips, head of National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife. “These garden plots are like stepping stones that help support wildlife in a badly fragmented ecosystem.”

Creating a wildlife refuge in your yard or even on your apartment patio is not as daunting as it might sound. You don’t have to strive for perfection. Just start small, break the task into bite-size pieces, and have fun as you watch the positive changes from each step unfold.

Here’s how to make your yard a certified wildlife habitat. Note that we’re focused on National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat program (see their checklist here). Other programs, like Homegrown National Park, Audubon and Monarch Waystation, feature similar steps.

Step 1: Provide Food

Your wildlife habitat should contain three food sources. Elements like bird feeders, flowers with pollen and plants that make seeds all work.

Phillips recommends native flowers and plants with interesting foliage and colorful berries. Planting native makes your life easier, too, because they require less maintenance and water. To find optimal plants for your area, use NFW’s Native Plant Finder.

Step 2: Add Water

To be a certified wildlife refuge, your space needs at least one source of water to give birds, insects and other wildlife a place to drink and bathe.

If there’s no natural feature like a stream or pond, add a bird bath, fountain, hanging bird waterer or just a shallow bowl. Put a few rocks in it so bees have a place to land and drink. Plants like verbena, milkweed and yarrow around the water make it extra pollinator friendly.

Step 3: Create Cover

Provide at least two places where wild things can shelter from the elements, hunt for prey and hide from predators. Think trees, brush piles, shrubs, roosting boxes, tall grasses and fallen logs. The more diversity here, the more types of wildlife you’ll attract to your space.

Also, if you are doing this in conjunction with shrinking your lawn, Phillips recommends replacing turfgrass with a perimeter of wild grasses and shrubs.

Step 4: Allow for Places To Raise Young

You’ll need at least two spots that allow wildlife to reproduce by offering protection and nourishment throughout all parts of their lifecycles. While these can be the same as the cover elements, they may also include host plants for caterpillars, birdhouses, bat boxes and bee tubes.

To further your success, don’t prune trees and shrubs during nesting and mating seasons. And try not to remove garden debris and leaf piles until later in spring because chrysalises overwinter there.

Decaying leaf piles are especially good for your yard’s ecosystem because they encourage lichen and fungi. They’re also home to a lot of insects and caterpillars, essential for nesting birds.

Step 5: Ditch the Chemicals

Sustainable practices are key to creating a wildlife refuge. You’ll need to do at least two of the following, but the more the merrier:

• Maintain your yard and garden with natural fertilizers like mulch and compost.
• Avoid pesticides. This keeps a healthy balance of beneficial insects.
• Conserve water by planting native plants and installing drip hoses or xeriscaping.
• Remove invasive species.
• Practice soil conservation to keep the underground ecosystem vibrant as well.

Step 6: Certification

Congrats, you’ve succeeded in creating a wildlife habitat! To make it official, register your space with one — or all — of the following organizations:

National Wildlife Federation: This costs $20, which goes directly back into wildlife conservation efforts. It comes with a paper certificate, or you can purchase an official-looking plaque, which helps neighbors feel more at ease with an unconventional yard. Plus, it encourages others to create wildlife refuges of their own. “When you create a wildlife refuge in your yard, you become an ambassador for natural landscaping,” says Phillips.

Homegrown National Park: This is free, and you can add yourself to a map of others across the country who have done the same. According to its founder, Doug Tallamy, registering is especially important to help the U.S. meet its 30 by 30 conservation goals. “Seventy-eight percent of the country is privately owned, so if we don’t do conservation like this on private property, we’re going to fail. And we can’t fail,” he says. “Our only viable path forward is for humans and nature to coexist.”

National Audubon Society: Some state and regional offices offer wildlife habitat certifications, like Audubon Rockies’ Habitat Hero program. They evaluate yards and award bronze, silver and gold wildscape certifications, depending on the level of conservation. It costs $30.

Some states and local entities also offer certifications. Check with your local university extension office or garden club about some in your area.

Can One Yard Really Make a Difference?

Yes! A proper habitat can boost wildlife by 50% in just one season.

“I get it that everybody is not a gardener, and you don’t have to be,” says Tallamy. “This is something you can do and feel good about. And there is payback. You get to see the results and the species that come to your yard.”

If you want to get even more involved:

• Turn your yard into a Monarch Waystation.
• Motivate kids by joining NWF’s Schoolyard Habitat.
• Find inspiration at a Certified Wildlife Garden.
• Get the community involved with NWF’s Community Wildlife Habitat.
• Join the habitat conservation and biodiversity efforts of 30 by 30 and America the Beautiful.

Find more resources for creating habitat at:

• Xeres Society;
• Pollinator Partnership;
• North American Butterfly Association;
• The Canadian Wildlife Federation.

For the DIYer who wants to improve their yard’s health, the Sun Joe Dethatcher is a fast and cost-efficient way to break up the debris taking over your lawn. This powerful electric unit saves hours of back-breaking work. In just one pass, you’ll groom your greens like a pro with the Sun Joe Dethatcher.

Professional lawn care experts agree that having more than one-half inch of thatch can begin to smother the roots of grass, block nutrients and enables the development of things like root rot, insects and fungus. 

Of course, you can use a manual thatch rake or tow-behind dethatcher for your riding mower, but this corded unit is a solid solution for a small to midsize yard.

What is the Sun Joe Dethatcher?

The Sun Joe Dethatcher is an electric dethatcher and scarifier suitable for small to midsize yards. Using steel spring tines, this dethatcher automatically rakes a 13-inch path with the help of the powerful 12-amp motor. This dethatcher is lightweight and easy to maneuver yet has the drive of a workhorse. 

The scarifier blades and rake tines are easily swapped, depending on your turf’s needs, making this a dual-purpose machine. This dethatcher not only removes thatch, but it also prepares your lawn for reseeding, tackles problem zones and helps keep your grass healthy all year long.

If you can’t be tethered by a cord, Sun Joe also makes a battery-powered cordless dethatcher.

Pros

• Affordably priced
• Easy to maneuver
• Adjustable depth
• No gas, oil or fumes
• Powerful performance
• 2-year warranty

Cons

• Hard to clean
• Small catch bag

Shop Now

How to Use a Sun Joe Dethatcher

Removing built-up thatch with the Sun Joe Dethatcher is as easy as mowing your lawn. Assembly is simple—after unboxing, just attach the handle. Before you begin, choose between the five adjustable tine depths, plug it in and hold on tight! This pint-sized unit has plenty of giddy-up and go. 

The dethatcher easily moves forward, dislodging the thatch and bagging it seamlessly. It can also be used without the bag; however, the resulting piles of debris must be removed from the grass. Most users simply collect the thatch with a bagging lawn mower.

The Best Sun Joe Dethatcher Reviews on Walmart

Verified Walmart customer, Alan, is happy with his purchase.

“Go For It! Nothing to lose,” Alan explained. “I wasn’t very hopeful about such an inexpensive machine. WOW! Was I in for a great surprise. This dethatcher was light, easy to handle and pulled out bags and bags of thatch with ease! I did my entire 3/4 acre yard, two passes at 90 degrees to each other in about 6 hours. The grass catcher fills up way too fast to be practical so I ended up picking up the thatch with my lawn mower. It has been very seldom that I’ve been so happy with a tool purchase. If caring for your lawn is high on your list…. I strongly encourage purchasing this tool.”

“I could actually almost hear my yard sighing with relief to get the tons of thatch off it,” customer Kleenk8 explained. “My yard had not been thatched for years. It is looking tremendous after two short weeks.”

Mike, another Walmart customer says, “Easy to use. Very powerful. Better alternative to renting a machine if you plan to use more than once. Great value.”

Where to Buy the Sun Joe Dethatcher

When it comes to customer satisfaction, the Sun Joe Dethatcher gets high marks for performance and results. People enjoy using the machine and see a significant improvement in the health of their lawn. Sun Joe Dethatchers are available on Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot.

Shop Now

Shop smarter with our expert recommendations for tools, gear and money-saving deals on can’t miss DIY and home products. Sign up for the Stuff We Love newsletter.

Zero Waste Laundry Detergent Sheets

Zero Waste Laundry Detergent Sheets are a win-win solution for the planet and people with allergies. These detergent strips are hypo-allergenic with plastic-free packaging. Not only are they palm oil free (less deforestation), but they are also paraben-, phthalate- and phosphate-free. 

Pick up a pack in one of two varieties: unscented or fresh linen scent. Each package washes 60 loads of laundry and can be used in high-efficiency washers.

The Zero Waste Store is serious about reducing the negative impact on the planet and offers a selection of eco-friendly products you didn’t even know you needed. Happy shopping!

Shop Now

Air Source Heat Pumps for HVAC/AC

Electric heat pumps can qualify for 30% of costs, up to $2,000, through 25C. The total cost of a heat pump system can range from about $1,500 to more than $10,000.

According to Angi, the average U.S. homeowner spends around $6,000 to install a heat pump. If yours costs $6,000, than means you’ll save $1,800 and still have another $1,200 in incentives left over for another project in the same year, like a heat-pump water heater. Through the Home Electrification Rebate Program, if you qualify as an LMI household, you can get a rebate of up to $8,000.

In addition, non heat-pump HVAC that meets or exceeds the highest efficiency tier established by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) is also eligible for the 30% tax credit, up to $600.

Some were completely dried out, so into the trash they went. The rest I dutifully drove to the recycling center. Was there an easier way?

Apparently, yes! The secret is kitty litter, according to a popular TikTok. But does it work? I decided to try it out on some paint the previous owner of my new home “helpfully” left behind.

First, let’s watch the video:

@junkinthetruckco

HOW TO GET RID OF PAINT HACK!!! #fyp #hack #hacksforlife #dadhack #junkremoval #EcoFriendly #disposal #painting #paintok #junktok #Hacks #coolhacks #tips

♬ Storytelling – Adriel

How It Works

The process looks simple enough, according to the TikTok.

Start with an unwanted paint can that’s partially full. Add a couple of scoops of kitty litter. Stir the mixture until the litter and paint are thoroughly incorporated. Wait for the paint to harden — it takes about 10 to 15 minutes, according to the video — and voilà! Now you can dispose of the can in the trash.

The Process

Before trying this TikTok, I did some research. I learned this only works on latex paint. Oil-based paints are considered hazardous waste and can never go in the trash. (We’ll talk about solutions for oil-based paints later.)

I grabbed two paint cans from the garage and pried them open. Unsurprisingly, neither was useable, so at least I didn’t waste good paint on this test. Learn how to store paint to make it last longer.

The paint cans were about a quarter full, so I scooped clumping kitty litter in one can until it was half full. (It looked to me like the TikToker used about a 1:1 ratio.) I did the same for the other can with plain, non-clumping litter. I grabbed a stick from the yard and started stirring. Both versions started absorbing the paint immediately. I set a timer for 15 minutes.

What Pros Say

Major paint brands Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore advise using kitty litter to absorb leftover latex paint before disposal. Dallas County in Texas, where I live, also recommends this method, So do county and state government websites around the country. You can find this method detailed on major retailer websites like Lowe’s as well.

The pros agree. Kitty litter absolutely speeds up the drying of latex-based paints before disposal.

How To Dispose of Paint: Alternative Methods

Instead of throwing away old paint, donate it. Check with local charities and churches to see if they need extra paint. Habitat for Humanity takes building materials and may accept paint. Consult your local ReStore website for more information.

Local trash collection usually takes dry latex paint cans and paint. If you’d rather not mess with kitty litter, just open the can and allow it to air dry. That should suffice. To make it go faster, put down newspapers or cardboard and pour the paint over the surface. Once it dries, just pick it up and throw in the trash.

Oil-based paints, solvents and other hazardous materials can’t be placed in the trash, but your local government likely has a drop-off site for them. Eleven states require paint manufacturers to spearhead paint recycling and collection, so the industry started PaintCare.org to give consumers information and locations for dropoff. Check their website to see if you live in a PaintCare state.

The Verdict

Did it work? Yes! Both the clumping and the regular kitty litter absorbed the paint, although my experiments didn’t harden as much as the TikTok versions. Not after 15 minutes, anyway.

After one hour, my clumping-litter paint can was nearly solid, while my non-clumping can had more of a pebbly texture. This may be operator error because I eyeballed the amount when adding. At any rate, this hack definitely works.

It’s important to be aware of GMOs, because love ’em or hate ’em, an estimated 80% of processed foods in our grocery stores, like cereals and pastas, contain them.

When it comes to growing your own food, GMOs have mostly been a non-issue, since those seeds are only available to farmers. But that is changing. Last year the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved a genetically modified purple tomato, and its seeds will be available to home gardeners.

It’s likely the beginning of a trend that will escalate over the next five years, says Fred Gould, co-director of the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at North Carolina State University.

“There are companies that are trying to produce things using genetic engineering that maybe a gardener would want,” he says. (Think pit-less cherries and pathogen-resistant tomatoes.) “So as a gardener,” he says, “you have to decide.”

What Are GMOs?

GMOs — aka genetically engineered organisms — are any plant, animal or microorganism whose DNA has been scientifically altered.

This differs from traditional cross-breeding to make hybrid plants because it doesn’t involve natural evolution or cross-pollination. Instead, GMOs are the result of taking genetic material from one organism and inserting it into another. It can also feature gene editing within a single plant’s own DNA.

Currently, GMOs are used primarily in industrial and commercial agriculture. More than 90% of U.S. corn, soybean and cotton crops are GMO. Other crops in the U.S. with GMO varieties available include canola, papaya, sugar beets, alfalfa, potato, apple, squash, rice and pink pineapple.

The first GMO seeds hit the market in 1996. A lot of those crops feed cattle. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), more than 95% of animals used for meat and dairy in the U.S. eat GMO crops. Otherwise, they mostly end up in our homes through processed food containing corn, soy, canola, and others with corn syrup and sugar beets.

What are the Pros of GMOs?

It varies per crop type, but GMO varieties have been modified to give plants these traits:

• Higher yield;
• Enhanced nutrition (rice);
• Longer shelf life;
• Better taste;
• Resilience to environmental concerns (drought tolerance);
• Resistance to herbicides, like Roundup Ready soybeans;
• Resistance to certain pests and viruses (corn, cotton, papaya, squash).

A major National Academy of Sciences report concluded eating GMO foods is safe, says Gould, the chair of that report. “If you even throw out all of the industry [sponsored research],” he says, “the answer has been that plenty of tests have been done and the current corn, soybean and cotton GMOs are not found to have any measurable health effects.”

But while the FDA, USDA and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulate the safety of GMOs for human and animal consumption, they largely do not take into consideration many of the environmental and societal consequences of the crops.

What are the Cons of GMOs?

Because they are novel organisms present in our food supply for less than 30 years, many people question their potentially negative effects on human health and ecosystems. While GMO crops are widespread in the U.S. and Asia, at least two dozen countries — 16 in the European Union — have banned their cultivation.

Julia Ranney, from the Center for Food Safety, says, “Unfortunately, from our perspective at CFS, the potential GMO pros present as claims as opposed to scientifically proven truths. The cons are numerous. GMOs can pose serious risks to farmers, human health, domesticated animals, wildlife and the environment.”

Biodiversity damage

More than 80% of GMO crops are herbicide-tolerant, meaning that farmers can spray their fields with certain weedkillers without damaging them.

“It has resulted in a 15-fold increase in the application of weedkillers,” the Non-GMO Project, which certifies GMO-free foods, said in a statement to Family Handyman. That erodes ecosystems by killing beneficial insects and plants like milkweed, leading to a steep decline in monarch butterflies.

Impact on farmers

Non-GMO farmers suffer financially when GMO crops or associated chemicals contaminate their fields. Not only can weedkillers kill their crops, cross-pollination means they can also no longer sell them to non-GMO and organic markets. And Ranney says sometimes GMO companies with seed patents accuse farmers of “stealing their property.”

Also, Ranney says, “These companies can entrench farmers in systems of production that require them to buy the seeds every year and the related fertilizers/pesticides. It’s a very expensive venture that can displace traditional livelihoods and indebt farmers when the promises of increased yields fail.”

Food security

With three corporations owning 60% of the world’s seed, the biodiversity of crops farmers plant has diminished. This less-diverse food supply threatens food security in the face of a changing climate, unstable weather patterns and emerging crop diseases.

“There are also cultural risks for species that are central to the traditions of certain cultural groups,” according to the Non-GMO Project statement. “For example, corn is a very important traditional resource in Mexico so GMO contamination is a serious concern.”

GMOs and Your Garden

It’s unlikely you have GMO vegetables in your garden, or that any of the seeds and seedlings you’ll buy this spring will be genetically modified.

“The only way you could get GMOs in your garden is if you live very close to a commercial farm that grows genetically engineered corn, and the pollen from that corn gets on your corn,” says Gould.

Three GMO flowers are currently deregulated by the USDA: Petunia- A1-DFR, Rose- IFD-52401-4, IFD-52901-9 and Suntory Flowers Limited Chrysanthemum.

But mostly, GMOs in your garden are a question for the future. For this year, the more pressing questions to ask when buying plants and seed are:

• Whether or not they are organic;
• If they contain neonicotinoid pesticides;
• How to incorporate more native plants and flowers into your garden.

“A lot of gardeners who grow their own food are pretty conscientious about their seed sources,” says Heather Andrews, the Thoughtful Gardener. “The reason they’re growing their food is so they can control the process.”

The only thing I could think of involves lutefisk, a fish Scandinavians love if prepared properly, or hate if it’s not. Lutefisk is dried lingcod reconstituted with a lye solution, traditionally wood ashes mixed in water.

Turns out there are a lot more uses for fireplace ash. Sharon Wilczek owner of Paul’s Fireplace Wood, Inc., in Little Falls, Minnesota, shared the following ingenious suggestions. I plan to try at least 10!

In the Garden

“I use a lot of ashes in my garden,” says Wilczek. “Ashes have nutrients like potassium, magnesium and calcium and are good for blueberries and azaleas, for example.

“Sprinkle ash from your fireplace in your gardens in fall and winter, and then in spring you work the ash into the soil. It doesn’t cost you anything because you’re just using ash from your fireplace instead of throwing it away.”

NOTE: Do not use ashes from manufactured logs or charcoal. They often contain petroleum waxes or other potentially harmful ingredients.

In Compost Piles

Ashes layered into your compost increases the potassium in your mulch.

Around Young Tomato Plants

“If you put a ring of fireplace ash around young tomato plants, it keeps cutworms away,” says Wilczek. “The cutworms won’t go through the ash. I learned this from my grandmother, and she planted 75 tomato plants every year!”

Prevent Blossom End Rot

Blossom end rot occurs when the tissue of the end of the fruit opposite the stem breaks down. It’s a common garden problem caused by a calcium imbalance within the plant. It can occur in pepper, squash, cucumber, melon and tomato plants.

Spread around a small amount of ash and scratch it into the soil. Do not over apply because that can make the soil pH too high.

As a Bug Repellant

“Ash is good for keeping away snails and bugs like ants,” says Wilczek. “I use ash to keep slugs away from my hostas. These critters don’t like crossing the ash.”

Ashes are also a tick repellant. Spread ash on your bare skin before starting an outdoor hike. You’ll look dirty, but it’s better than picking up a tick that spreads Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. And it’s better than spending money on a smelly insect repellant.

For Cleaning

“I’ve used ashes for cleaning fireplace doors,” Wilczek says. “You make a paste by mixing ash with water. Use only the fine ash and rub the paste on the glass doors. It makes for a mild abrasive and will clean off the burned residue.

“You can use this paste on tarnished metal or on jars that have a sticky residue from a label. But make sure you wear gloves when you work with this paste.”

To Control Pond Algae

The potassium in wood ash can fortify rooted aquatic plants, making them compete with and slow algae growth in a pond.

To Absorb Odors

Wood ash absorbs moisture and odors from the air. Put a small bowl of it in your refrigerator or a musty room.

To Remove Driveway Oil Stains

Spread ash on the oil. Let it absorb the oil for several hours before sweeping away the ash-oil mix.

As an Ice Melt

The potassium in fireplace ash melts ice in mild winter temperatures. Also, the ashes provide traction on icy roads or walkways. “You just want to be careful not to track any of that ash from your shoes or boots into your house,” Wilczek says.

To Make Soap

“You can make homemade soap with ash,” Wilczek says. “This soap is really good for washing clothes and making them white.”

To Remove Skunk Stink

If your pet crosses paths with a skunk, rub odor-eating ashes into its fur to remove the stink.

As an Alternative to Bleach

Make lye water by mixing ashes and water. Lye water can be used as a natural bleach.

To Put Out Fires

Wood ashes can help put out a fire when a fire extinguisher, soil or sand is unavailable.

As a Natural Toilet Cleaner

Bleach-based toilet cleaners kill the natural bacteria that keep a rural septic system working properly. Wood ash cleans toilets as well as tile and other bathroom fixtures, and promotes waste breakdown in the septic tank. It also prevents smell in outhouses and camp toilets.

“My daughter asked that I help her get rid of her fireplace ash,” says Wilczek. “I said, ‘Just put it on your garden.’ She had no idea to do that, and that is the problem.

“People put ashes in their trash because they don’t know what else to do with them. You can use them and recycle them. It’s the natural way. People need to be educated on this, on using something they already have if they burn wood. And there’s no extra cost to it.”

Best Overall

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Room Freshener

Whether you need a musty basement odor eliminator or simply something to cover-up a strange stench you can’t even identify, reach for Mrs. Meyer’s Room and Air Freshener Spray. It’s our top pick for the best basement odor eliminator for a few reasons—first, the Lemon Verbena’s mild citrus scent smells clean instead of like you’re wandering through a meadow or the woods, which can be too strong for some people.

Second, it’s a cruelty-free formula that is Leaping Bunny-certified and free of propellants, phthalates, parabens and artificial colors. Finally, it has nearly 10,000 five-star Amazon reviews, which means it’s a true winner!

Pros

• Made with essential oils and clean ingredients
• Fresh citrus scent isn’t likely to offend those with sensitivities
• Quickly freshens any room

Cons

• Only available in a three-pack, so you can’t try just one bottle

Shop Now

What Is a Rain Chain?

It’s a plain or decorative chain that channels rain from a roof down to the ground and away from the foundation of the home, or into a rain barrel. It slows the water as it falls, reducing erosion and soil loss.

Rain chains originated in Japan, where they are called kusari-doi. Many rain chains incorporate small cups, bells and other devices which enhance the sound the water makes as it runs down the chain.

I know some gardeners who made their rain chains work on sunny days by adding a hidden pump and water line. These cycle water from a reservoir at the bottom of the chain back up to the rooftop, then down the chain again.

Types of Rain Chains

Rain chains vary from simple styles to highly decorated works of art.

Simple chains are made of aluminum or another material that will stand up to weather events. Decorative chains are made of a variety of materials.

Rain Chain Considerations

When deciding where to install a rain chain, consider the following:

• If installing the rain chain as a decoration, place it where you can see and hear it from inside your house.
• Always secure the bottom of the rain chain so it doesn’t sway wildly in strong winds.
• Make sure water at the bottom of the chain flows away from the foundation, as it would if you had a traditional downspout and extender.
• If you have traditional gutters, install the chain at the end of the gutter where the water naturally flows.
• If there are no gutters, put it where the rain naturally collects and flows off the roof, like a corner.

How To Install a Rain Chain

Once you’ve determined where you want your rain chain, follow these steps.

• Remove the downspout if you’re replacing it with a rain chain.
• Hang the rain chain in the downspout opening. You can purchase adaptors to make this easier.
• Secure the bottom of the rain chain to the ground or the rain barrel. Use a stake to securely attach a chain to the ground. With a rain barrel, placing the chain through an opening in the top of the barrel should make it secure enough.
• Test your rain chain by filling your gutter with water from a hose. When water hits the ground, it should flow away from the foundation. Placing large rocks at the base of the chain can help slow the water and prevent erosion.

Best Rain Chain Options

You can make a basic one out of an aluminum chain, cut to length so it hangs down from the edge of the roof. If you decide to do this, choose a chain made for outdoor use and heavy enough to slow the water.

If you’re looking for something more decorative, there are dozens of options at many prices. Choose from styles ranging from decorative black to copper. This copper hammered cup style from Monarch Rain Chains should last for years.

Basil

You’ll find basil at or near the top of every list of easy-to-grow herbs. Start by sowing seeds directly in the pot. Cover with plastic wrap to keep them moist until they begin to germinate. Then remove the plastic and let a few seedlings grow to maturity.

Basil grows well near a sunny window or under grow lights. They can also be easily grown as microgreens.

“Then there’s the wrapping paper, bows, ribbons and tape we use to make them look pretty,” says Stephanie Miller author and founder of Zero Waste DC. “New items we purchase generate waste in all kinds of ways, and sometimes the waste is the gift itself when it isn’t wanted by the recipient.”

Here are some ways to break out of the holiday waste cycle without giving up on the joy of presents and holiday feasts.

Break With Tradition

Shift your traditions by giving fewer gifts. For families with young children, this could mean presents for the kids but not the adults. “This year for the first time ever, our family gathering of 11 people drew names for a secret Santa gift,” says Miller. “Instead of more than 100 gifts, there will be a total of 11.”

Give Consumables

Steer away from plastic. Instead, lean towards gifts like unusual tea collections or cooking salts and spices, which recipients can use in lieu of products they’d be purchasing anyway.

Re-Give

It’s okay to give someone something you are no longer in need of as a gift. As long as you’re not gifting people your unused junk or broken appliances, regifting is a great way to repurpose things in your life into thoughtful gifts. You can also try swapping books as presents.

Make a List

Share a list of items you need or really want, to help your family give you a gift that won’t be wasted. They won’t have to guess what you want, and you won’t have to pretend that you love tacky sweaters and jingle-bell socks.

Give Memories

Our best memories tend to come from experiences, not material possessions. “Ask them to chip in for dinner at a favorite restaurant, tickets to a concert or play, or a subscription to a favorite magazine,” says Miller.

Shop Smart

Shop local to save all of those cardboard shipping boxes. Choose items with minimal plastic packaging, and don’t forget to use canvas shopping bags.

Wrap With Care

Use reusable gift bags to avoid tape, which is never recyclable, and encourage the recipient to use the bags for future gift-giving. Paper bags without metallic embellishments can be recycled. Or try brown craft paper and ribbon made from natural fibers as gift wrap. “Adding some natural sprigs or dried orange slices makes the package even more festive,” says Miller.

Skip the Card

All of those paper cards really add up: If each of us used just one less greeting card, we’d save 50,000 cubic yards of paper each year! Reuse old holiday greeting cards by covering over last year’s message with a fresh sheet of paper, or send out a virtual slide show or group greeting card. If you do use paper cards, avoid any with glitter, foil, audio messages and other decorations. Stuff like that can be harmful to the environment, and they don’t recycle well.

Use a Living Tree

We’ve been decorating the ficus in our living room every year instead of getting a traditional tree, but you could also buy a living pine tree and plant it in the yard afterward.

Plan for Leftovers

If you host a holiday meal, ask guests to bring their own containers to take home leftovers. Likewise, when you attend a holiday meal, bring your own doggie bag. And of course, ditch disposable plates and glasses, and stock up on cloth napkins.

Freeze Leftovers

If you haven’t eaten your leftovers by day three after the big meal, stick them in the freezer. Almost everything freezes well, plus you’ll be doing a bit of environmental good. Food waste goes up by 25% over the holidays, and the methane from food in landfills contributes heavily to climate change.

How to Recycle Christmas Lights the Right Way

Here are our top suggestions for things you should do with your old holiday decor if fixing the Christmas lights isn’t an option.

Reach out to a local home improvement or hardware store

Hardware stores like Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Lowe’s and True Value often accept old Christmas lights for recycling. It’s a win-win: You can pick up a new set while you’re at the store, and you can rest assured your outdated set is being recycled responsibly. Because not all stores offer Christmas light recycling, be sure to give them a call and confirm the service is available before you head over.

Mail them in for recycling

If a hardware store in your area doesn’t offer old Christmas light recycling options, it’s time to head to the post office. Instead, you can mail the lights to services, and they’ll take care of the rest. Companies with mail-in Christmas light recycling programs include:

• Christmas Light Source: We’re a big fan of Christmas Light Source, which provides 10% off a new order of lights. You get a new set of lights for less, and you can feel great about recycling your old ones.
• Holiday LEDs: With Holiday LEDs, you can recycle your holiday lights any time of the year. Simply pack, ship and they’ll recycle. In turn, you’ll receive a 15% off coupon for their lights in the future.

Once your new set arrives, be sure to store the Christmas lights carefully so you can use them for years to come.

Bring them to a waste management facility in the area

Another option that helps guarantee your old Christmas lights are recycled correctly is to bring them to a waste management facility in your local area. Sometimes, after the holiday season is over, cities identify a particular day when people have the opportunity to donate old, non-functional sets of lights, so keep an eye out for that.

Alternatively, you might be asked to drop off the lights at a particular location. Either way, be sure you give your local facility a call before heading over to ensure that they do have a recycling process in place.

Try Upcycling Your Old Christmas Lights

Just because your old Christmas lights aren’t functional anymore doesn’t mean you can’t repurpose them in other innovative ways around your home. For example, if you have a string of bigger cone-shaped bulbs, grab metallic or sparkly spray paint and give them an even, fresh coat. Then, hang them up with the rest of your decor. They won’t light up, but they certainly will add some flair to your space.

Water heaters make up 15 to 20 percent of our home energy bills. According to the Department of Energy, conserving hot water can make these price increases a little less biting.

“Simple things like taking shorter showers, taking fewer baths and not rinsing dishes before loading them into the dishwasher can make a huge difference over time,” says Mallory Micetich, a home expert at Angi. “Also washing your clothes in cold or tap-water temperature water is a great way to significantly reduce your hot water usage.”

Here are additional ways to conserve hot water and reduce your utility bills this winter.

Dishwashing

Only run a full dishwasher. If you only have a few dishes, it might make more sense to handwash them. When rinsing, run the faucet only partially open instead of full throttle.

“Even my kids are learning this tip in school, since it’s a simple and effective way to use less water,” says Jessie Cannizzaro, master plumber and owner of Milestone Plumbing in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

Water Leaks

“This one’s a no-brainer,” says Cannizzaro. A drippy faucet wastes water and energy. Check for leaks in toilets, pipes, faucets, appliances and the water heater.

Recirculation Line

When a water heater is far from your faucet, it wastes water and energy because you have to run your tap awhile before hot water arrives.

Instead, install a recirculation line with a pump and a timer. A recirculation line is a separate pipe creating a loop from the water heater to far-away plumbing fixtures. It constantly circulates water in the hot water pipes back into the heater. That way, every time you turn on the water, hot water is always there.

Insulate

Insulate your water heater with a water-heater blanket, and wrap any exposed water lines and pipes with water-line insulation or blankets.

Water Heater Temperature

Often water heaters are set to a hotter temperature than you need. Lowering it will save money. But don’t go below 120 degrees or you risk harmful bacteria growing in your heater, water lines or pipes.

Low-Flow Fixtures

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), low-flow faucets and showerheads, like those with the WaterSense label, can reduce water flow by 30%.

“Low-flows can save hot water, but only if you use them the right way,” says Cannizzaro. “If you’re just going to run a shower or faucet longer, you’re not necessarily making a difference in your energy bill.”

Old Water Heaters

Replace old water heaters, which lose efficiency with age. The expected lifespan of traditional tank water heaters varies by model, maintenance and where you live. Generally if your tank is more than 12 to 15 years old, it’s time to replace it. To determine its age, look for the date on the manufacturer’s label on the side of the unit, or look up the serial number online.

Old water heaters may collect sediment that will rob the tank of heat, especially if it collects near the heating element. “This is often accompanied by a noise that sounds like popcorn popping when the burner ignites,” says Cannizzaro.

You can drain the tank to get rid of sediment. But if it’s gone too long between drainings, it may not fix the problem. Plus, you could also have corrosion within the tank.

Appliance Upgrades

New technologies are often more efficient. Save water and energy by upgrading to an Energy Star-certified dishwasher and washing machine, which will also save you thousands of gallons of water each year.

For water heaters, tankless and heat pump models can make a difference in energy use as well. Before you decide, consult a plumber in your area to learn your best options. Up-front and maintenance costs vary by region and the particulars of your home.

According to EVAdoption, independent consultants to the EV industry, sales forecasts show the numbers will continue to grow. Their data shows sales of 525,000 EVs in the United States in 2021, with expected sales of 4,700,000 in 2030 — an average annual increase of 27 percent.

Due to emerging technologies to extend battery life, tax incentives like the EV tax credit and many other factors, all major domestic and import original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have embraced electric vehicles. Several of the world’s largest OEMs announced they will reconfigure entire production lines to produce only electric vehicles. Beginning in 2030, Volvo will only sell electric cars.

With the purchase prices coming down and driving range increasing, the future for EVs appears bright.

How Long Does It Take to Charge an Electric Vehicle?

On average, it takes roughly 10 hours to fully charge a drained 60 kilowatt hour (kWh) EV battery with a Level 2 240-volt charger.

Your EV probably comes with a Level 1 120V charger, which may take almost 40 hours to charge the same battery (here’s all you need to know about EV charger types). The actual time depends on several factors, including:

• Battery size: Larger kWh batteries take longer to recharge.
• Max charging rate of onboard charger: These vary by OEM.
• Battery level: Charging speed slows after the battery reaches 80 percent charge.
• Speed and power level of the charger: Chargers with higher kWh output recharge faster.
• Climate: Hot and cold temperatures affect battery efficiency and increase charge times. Here’s how to charge your EV in winter.

How Far Can You Go On One EV Battery Charge?

On average, EVs can travel 200 to 300 miles on a fully charged battery. That’s typically enough to meet the needs of the average commuter. Various factors can influence that range, including:

• Speed: The faster you go, the harder the electric motor works, drawing down the battery.
• Payload: More weight (passengers and cargo) places a larger load on the motor.
• Tires: Low air pressure and worn tires reduce traction, lowering miles per charge.
• Driving conditions: Just like their fossil fuel counterparts, stop-and-go driving, hard acceleration, extreme temperatures and severe weather conditions affect range.
• HVAC: Running the air conditioning, heater, defroster or heated steering wheel will quickly drain the battery.
• Battery degradation: An EV’s battery slowly loses capacity as it ages.

How Long Do Batteries Last in Electric Vehicles?

According to the U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center, new EV lithium-ion batteries may last 12 to 15 years in moderate climates. In reality, EV batteries should outlast the life of the vehicle.

Federal regulations mandate batteries in all EVs sold in the U.S. be covered by warranty for at least eight years or 100,000 miles. Many OEMs cover the battery up to 150,000 miles, while guaranteeing it will retain 70 percent capacity during the warranty period.

In the U.S., on average, we hold onto new cars for almost nine years. If you buy a new EV, you’ll likely never pay to replace the battery while you own it. If the battery does fail, it will almost certainly be covered under the OEM warranty. For optimal battery life, keep it between 20 and 80 percent charged.

Can an EV Battery Be Recycled?

Yes. But the process is slow, complex, expensive and environmentally unfriendly.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds “new electric vehicle battery recycling technologies and second-life applications” that should make recycling more economical and ecologically responsible.

Are EVs Expensive?

Yes. According to Kelley Blue Book, in September 2022 the average EV cost $65,291, almost $17,000 more than a comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle.

However, EVs require less basic maintenance, like oil changes and other engine services. According to the Automobile Association of America (AAA), that could save EV owners $1,300 a year compared to a midsize ICE vehicle driven 15,000 miles a year.

Plus, many new EVs qualify for up to $7,500 in federal tax incentives. Typically, electricity cost less than fossil fuels, decreasing the overall cost of EV ownership. Buying a brand-new electric vehicle isn’t the only option. With an e-bike conversion kit, you can turn your existing peddler into a motorized workhorse.

Do Electric Vehicles Use Oil?

No. The electric motor powering an EV doesn’t need engine oil. If your EV’s gearbox takes transmission fluid, consult your owner’s manual for the recommended service interval.

Are EV Charging Stations Rare?

It depends on where you live.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are more than 45,000 EV public charging stations in the U.S., mostly in larger cities. But charging stations are now surfacing in the suburbs, as well as at apartment buildings, schools, commuter parking lots, shopping malls and other locations.

Apps such as ChargePoint and PlugShare are popular for locating charging stations. Look for an app that displays charging stations along your route, cost and payment options, charging speeds and connector type. If you live in a small town or work in an out-of-the-way location, consider carrying a Level 1 charger in your EV.

Are Electric Cars Better for the Environment?

Yes, according to the EPA, electric cars are better for the environment.

EVs don’t burn fossil fuels and produce no car smog, though they do generate measurable emissions. However, they leave a much smaller carbon footprint.

Even when accounting for all the factors connected with EV manufacture and use, total greenhouse gas emissions remain significantly lower over an EV’s lifetime when compared to ICE vehicles.

What Is a Heat Pump?

While traditional furnaces generate warmth via flames or a heating element, a heat pump pushes existing heat into a colder region. Heat pumps channel excess heat out of your home during the summer and into it during the winter. Since they’re only moving heat rather than generating it, they use far less energy than traditional furnaces.

If you’re considering an upgrade to your home’s heating system, then make sure you know the difference between heat pump versus furnace.

Types of Heat Pumps

Here are some of the most common:

Standard heat pump

Sometimes called air source heat pumps, these use ambient air temperature and feature two sets of coils, one indoors and the other outdoors. They often come with a backup electrical heating element in case the exterior temperature drops too low for the pump to properly function.

Dual fuel heat pump

These operate until the ambient temperature drops too low, when it switches over to an alternate fuel source. Mark Woodruff, outdoor product manager at Trane Residential, compares them to “a hybrid car that runs on electricity as often as possible and switches to gas as needed.”

Cold climate heat pump

Colder temperatures call for specialized heat pumps. Cold climate air source heat pumps (ccASHPs) operate in temperatures of five degrees or lower.

Mini-split heat pump

These have a single outdoor unit tied to multiple indoor units (or “heads”) that distribute the conditioned air in the home. Users can set different temperatures for each head. These are a great choice for a home without ductwork.

Geothermal heat pump

Geothermal models exchange heat with temperatures below ground to shed excess heat or cold from your home. Geothermal units are normally installed during construction rather than as an upgrade.

Heat Pump Features and Considerations

Here are some things to keep in mind when looking for a heat pump:

Sizing

Getting the right sized HVAC system for your home is important. An undersized unit will struggle to heat/cool the home. An oversized one will hit the desired temperature before it completes its cycle, resulting in frequent stops/starts that will shorten its lifespan.

Heat pump sizes are described in tons. A “ton” in HVAC lingo is 12,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs), so a four-ton heat pump produces 48,000 BTUs per hour. Properly sizing a heat pump accounts for the volume of the home, sun exposure, insulation and more.

Climate appropriateness

Almost all modern heat pumps are effective in temperatures as low as 25 degrees, with some dipping down to zero. If you live in a cold climate, check the manufacturer’s specs on operating temperatures, or look for a dual fuel or ccASHA heat pump.

Energy efficiency

Look for Energy Star certification. If possible, opt for a unit with a variable speed compressor and fan, which will work harder when needed and coast along with minor energy use when it’s not.

How Much Do Heat Pumps Cost?

A standard heat pump installation runs from $5,000 to $8,000.

This assumes a typical three-bedroom, single-family home with two stories and a pre-existing duct system. Features that can drive up heat pump pricing include size, efficiency, variable-speed blowers and cold climate capabilities.

What Incentives Are Available for Buying Heat Pumps?

The IRA rolled out a range of incentives tied to heat pumps, specifically in the High Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act (HEEHRA). A household may qualify for a tax credit or rebate on heat pumps and heat pump water heaters purchased after Jan. 1, 2023.

Rebates are available on a sliding scale to households with income less than 150% of the area median income. Tax credits are worth up to 30% of the installed cost, capped at $2,000.

That the IRA addresses installation costs, as well as materials costs, is a true game changer. Francois Lebrasseur, utility sector manager at A. O. Smith, says basing the credits on the full installation cost means homeowners will enjoy “huge upfront savings and in some instances, potentially break even.”

Woodruff also credits the IRA for covering “hidden costs” of installation, like running 240-volt wiring or upgrading a home’s breaker panel.

Heat Pump Maintenance

Heat pumps are relatively low maintenance. Two easy steps will go a long way toward keeping your heat pump running smoothly.

• Change the filter as needed: The biggest thing you can do is also the simplest. Use a properly-sized filter and change it regularly. A heat pump with a dirty filter is like a smoker running a marathon. He or she might finish, but their lungs will work a lot harder than they should.
• Check the external unit: It needs about 18 inches of clear space around it to function properly. Remove leaf or snow buildup during the fall and winter, and trim back any shrubs or tree branches that encroach during the spring and summer.

The idea re-blossoms in times of uncertainty and scarcity, like oil crises and stock market crashes. In the last few years, the popularity of community gardens began to skyrocket again.

“More than ever, community gardens are supporting city residents not only in their everyday meals, but also socially and mentally,” says Carrie Spoonemore, co-creator of From Seed to Spoon, a garden planner app devoted to making it simple to grow food. “In times of crises, the spaces sustainably supply fresh produce to local food pantries and home kitchens.”

What Is a Community Garden?

A community garden is a joint effort to grow food and flowers in a green space. Like a co-op, everyone involved shares the upkeep and rewards. Different groups may come together to form the garden with a unifying purpose — to grow things and beautify their surroundings.

Some benefits include affordable access to healthy food, exercise and community building. It also gets people more involved in nutrition, agriculture and ecology. Learn about the concept of agrihood. It is a central farm where one can grow and harvest organic food.

“In short, starting a garden can help make real and lasting change in communities,” says Spoonemore.

Steps for Starting a Community Garden

While each locale has rules and guidelines for community gardens, here are some universal steps for starting one.

Organize interested people

Ask your friends and community about creating a community garden and what should be in it, like vegetables or flower.

“Invite neighbors, tenants, community organizations, gardening and horticultural societies and building superintendents,” says Spoonemore. “Once you determine interest, form a planning committee of five to 10 people who are committed to the creation of the garden.”

Make a plan and an end goal

Decide how your community garden will be used. Will the food be donated to the community? Or will interested people be allowed to grow their own specific crops? Other possibilities are a pound allocation per volunteer, or sales of produce at markets.

“An efficient plan is needed to get the most out of your garden and to know what the best uses of your crop will be,” says Spoonemore.

Identify resources

Contact municipal planners about possible sites. Find knowledgeable partners, like horticultural societies and experienced landscapers and gardeners. Think about all the resources in your community you could tap to create the garden.

Find a sponsor

While some gardens self-support through membership dues, sponsors are essential for donating tools, seeds and money for other supplies. Popular supporters include churches, schools, private businesses and parks and recreation departments.

Choose a site

Think about growing factors like sun, access to water sources and the quality of the soil. Also consider administrative issues, like whether you can get a lease, or if you need liability insurance.

Write up the rules

Rules help gardeners know what’s expected. Will there be dues, and if so, how will the money be used? Can tools be shared? Who handles basic maintenance? How many plots are available and how will they be assigned?

Prep and develop the site

In most cases, the land will need to be prepared. Volunteer crews can clean, gather materials and design the plot arrangement. Include space for storing tools and making compost, and consider creating a special garden just for kids.

“Including them is essential,” says Spoonemore. “Children are not as interested in the size of the harvest, but rather in the process of gardening. A separate area set aside for them allows them to explore the garden at their own speed.”

Also, planting flowers or shrubs around the garden’s edges promote goodwill with non-gardening neighbors.

Communicate

Easy communication among members helps ensure active participation and a strong community garden. Create a telephone tree or email list, plus a rainproof bulletin board in the garden. Regular celebrations also help keep people engaged.

What Is the Cost of Starting and Maintaining a Community Garden?

Startup costs are typically between $3,750 to $7,500, although large community gardens can run as much as $30,000. When budgeting, keep water sources, city fees and contractor wages in mind.

Community gardens also require liability insurance, which can cost between $750 and $2,000 per year. Then plan for between $50 and $100 per month for plots not maintained by members, plus lot rent, which is often several thousand dollars a month depending on size and location.

Community gardeners can be charged between $25 and $50 a year, says Spoonemore. If a community garden is smart about maintaining memberships and selling produce, it can make as much as $50,000 per year. However, Spoonemore says, “Having a sustainable food operation depends on the local economy, as does a lot’s ability to market and retain members.”

More Resources for Starting a Community Garden

• Start with the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA). They have an annual conference, resources and a community.
• Visit existing gardens.
• Consult your local university cooperative extension office.
• Try these resources from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
• Get a planting app, like Park Seed’s From Seed to Spoon. It helps you plan when to plant, choose good companion plants, and estimate important dates like sprouting, harvest and frost.

Five 200-watt panels supplied 16 humungous lead-acid batteries, which in turn fed the main panel through an external inverter. The system included a noisy 10-kilowatt (kW) diesel generator that kept the batteries charged when the panels weren’t doing the job.

Needless to say, the generator cycled on frequently. And after a few years of occupancy, we found the frequency steadily increasing. It took me that much time to discover why — we weren’t cleaning the panels.

We get little rain from April to November. During that time, dust settled on the panels and reduced their efficiency. Even the rain we did get didn’t clear the panels, and the residue sometimes compounded the problem.

As we upgrade the system, we’re making cleaning a monthly task. We’re luckier than some because the panels are at ground level and easy to access. People with roof-mounted panels have a potentially more dangerous job. Some roofs are really steep, requiring rubber-soled shoes and possibly a safety harness. Working from a ladder presents its own hazards.

If your solar panels are on your roof and you don’t feel confident climbing, consider booking professional cleaning and inspection. Solar maintenance pros operate in many communities. A cleaning typically costs $10 to $15 per panel, while an annual inspection for cracked glass, frayed wires and loose connections runs about $150.

How Often Do Solar Panels Need to Be Cleaned?

Solar experts generally recommend every six months to a year, but much depends on local conditions. In areas with abundant rainfall, panel efficiency may not suffer if you wait longer between cleanings. But don’t wait too long. Rainwater contains impurities that leave a film on the glass. We don’t get snow, but people who do must remove that whenever it accumulates.

Panel placement is also a factor. Panels downwind of pollen-producing trees and vegetation must be cleaned more often than those upwind. It’s smart to inspect the panels every week or two and clean off any accumulated debris.

When Is the Best Time to Clean Solar Panels?

Cloudy days are best for cleaning. Solar panels get really hot in full sun, and the glass can crack if you douse them with cold water. If you have extended periods of sunny weather like we do in California, clean the panels in the early morning or late evening when they’re cool.

Seasonally, the best time for cleaning also depends on local conditions. In a region with heavy snowfall, a good cleaning in early spring removes debris deposited with the snow, while a mid-to-late fall cleaning clears contaminants that fly around in the summer air.

Smoke and haze from wildfires can also leave heavy deposits that should be cleaned whenever they occur.

How To Clean Solar Panels

If you’re cleaning roof-mounted solar panels, decide whether it’s safer to climb on the roof or work from a ladder. In either case, you’ll need a brush with a long pole.

Difficult as it may be to reach the middle of a single panel with your arm, it’s impossible to reach panels arranged side-by-side in an array. A brush on a telescoping pole allows efficient cleaning whether you’re on the roof or a ladder. Even better — although a slightly bigger investment — is a water-fed brush with attached squeegee.

Tools and materials to clean solar panels

• Garden hose;
• Pole soft-bristle brush;
• Glass cleaner or hard water stain remover;
• Garden sprayer;
• Window squeegee.

Step 1: Wet down the panel and brush away debris

• Use a garden hose to spray clear water over the entire surface of the panel. An expandable hose works best because it’s lightweight and easier to carry.
• Brush the panel with a soft-bristle pole brush to remove loose debris. Pay special attention the edges of the panel where dirt tends to accumulate, especially the bottom
• If you’re using a water-fed brush, turn on the water and brush while the water sprays.

Step 2: Spray the panel with glass cleaner

• Pour some concentrated glass cleaner into a garden sprayer and add water, per the directions. Spray the solution over the entire panel.
• Substitute hard water stain remover if you notice whitish deposits on the glass. They indicate calcium buildup that probably won’t come off with regular glass cleaner. Rain and snow are full of minerals that can leave such deposits.
• Pro tip: Don’t use soap of any kind. It will leave a film that partially blocks light.

Step 3: Scrub again

• Let the cleaner sit for a few minutes to break up dirt. Then scrub with your pole or water-fed brush, but don’t use any water.
• Spray and scrub repeatedly to remove stubborn hard water stains.

Step 4: Rinse with clean water

• Flood the panel with clean water from the garden hose. Use the pole brush to thoroughly clean off the glass cleaner or stain remover and all the dirt that comes with it.
• If you’re using a water-fed brush, turn on the water and brush and spray at the same time.

Step 5: Squeegee the panel dry

• Squeegee the panel in a horizontal or vertical direction, starting at the top and working down as if you were cleaning a windshield.
• Skip this step if you don’t have a squeegee long enough to reach. The panel will still be clean, but a few streaks may remain.

Babcock Ranch claims to be the first solar-powered town of the future. Its homes and utilities were designed to withstand major storms, a significant factor in limiting the damage from Hurricane Ian. With so many environmentally-friendly features involved in solar energy, that’s no small feat.

So what makes this town so different? We dug in to learn more about its sustainable urban development.

What is Babcock Ranch Doing Differently?

A few things set Babcock Ranch apart from other Florida towns.

First, every inch of the town was designed with sustainability in mind. Buildings were made of storm-resistant materials. Off-grid solar panels generate enough power for all its residents. And its wastewater system is such that if the town loses control or access to water, it won’t run out.

Benefits of Solar Power

Solar power is a great way to prepare for natural disasters, but it also helps you save money and be more sustainable. Some of the benefits of solar power include:

• Fewer worries about power outages. If your solar panels are installed correctly, they can still generate energy during an outage.
• The energy from your solar panels can charge batteries, so you won’t have to rely on electricity from the grid. This is especially useful if you live in an area prone to power outages or other natural disasters that could leave you without access to electricity for days at a time.
• The carbon footprint for solar panel use is roughly 20 times less than that of coal-powered electricity sources, depending on how much sunlight you get and how much energy the panels produce overall. Many people install solar power systems because they want lower monthly bills—and it works.

Could This Be the Future?

It’s not just Babcock Ranch moving towards solar power. Many other communities are making the switch because solar power benefits the environment. It can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from sources like coal-fired power plants by up to 80 percent.

Solar energy is also much more economical than you might think. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity from rooftop solar panels costs about five cents per kilowatt hour in areas with average sunlight, less than what you’re likely to pay for electricity from a utility company.

With all these benefits, it begs the question: Will your community be next?

If making toilet paper this way seems wasteful to you, you’re not alone. Some companies are taking notice of consumer demand for sustainable and renewable products and offering recycled and alternative-fiber tissue. Pressure from advocacy groups, the public and investors seems to be working.

Recycled paper gives the best climate return, but alternative fibers like bamboo have a part to play. “Bamboo fiber has a much smaller climate impact than fiber from primary forests, but a larger impact than fiber from recycled content,” says Ashley Jordan of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and author of The Issue with Tissue 2.0.

What Is Bamboo Toilet Paper?

As the name suggests, bamboo toilet paper is made from bamboo, a fast-growing grass, instead of wood pulp. Bamboo is more efficient to plant and harvest than traditional crops. Depending on who you talk to, bamboo toilet paper looks and feels like regular toilet paper.

Pros and Cons of Bamboo Toilet Paper

Bamboo toilet paper has a lot going for it, but it’s not a cure-all. Jordan says consumers should first look for 100 percent recycled toilet paper with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Bamboo’s benefits and drawbacks include:

• Renewable: Bamboo regenerates quickly, and some species can grow an astonishing 36 inches per day.
• Lowers emissions: Bamboo toilet paper production releases 30 percent fewer carbon emissions than virgin-pulp toilet paper.
• Costs more: Even less expensive bamboo toilet paper costs more than a dollar per roll. Some brands are higher.
• Comfort: Some consumers say bamboo toilet paper is not as soft as traditional tissue.

All bamboo toilet paper isn’t created equal, either. “One of the most significant sustainability concerns is whether the bamboo was sourced from a plantation that was established through the clear-cutting and conversion of a natural forest,” says Jordan.

If you’re changing toilet paper for ethical reasons, be sure to know what you’re buying. Look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo when buying tissue products. This mark “helps indicate to consumers that the fiber was sourced in a way that respects human rights and limits negative forest impacts,” says Jordan.

Is Bamboo Toilet Paper Septic Safe?

Yes. Bamboo toilet paper dissolves quickly and is septic-safe, according to multiple manufacturer websites. Bamboo, a grass, is 100 percent biodegradable.

Is Bamboo Toilet Paper Better?

Manufacturers tout bamboo’s comfort and similarity to regular toilet paper, but what do customers say?

Amazon verified purchaser Jo recommends Caboo bamboo toilet paper because it feels like the regular kind. “I was pleasantly surprised by the softness of this tissue,” she writes.

Others aren’t quite as sold on the softness, but like doing something for the earth. Amazon verified purchaser Jackie included a video review of Reel. “It costs a little more, and it’s not as soft as other toilet paper, but it makes me feel like I’m supporting the environment with this tiny step,” she writes.

Cost is definitely a consideration, but it’s a matter of perspective. “Per roll I can’t beat the price,” M.Hance writes on Amazon about the Cheeky Panda brand bamboo toilet paper. “It’s not as soft as Charmin or quilted but it’s very nice and I love what the company stands for.”

Where To Get Bamboo Toilet Paper

Consumers can find bamboo toilet paper at Amazon and grocery stores, like Kroger and Whole Foods. Buying directly from manufacturers is an option, but you might have to pay for shipping. Check out subscription services and introductory deals to save money.

Best Bamboo Toilet Paper

So, are you ready to make the switch? Here are the best options for ease and your budget:

Best subscription bamboo toilet paper

Betterway bamboo toilet paper offers a five percent discount on subscriptions through Amazon. You can get an additional five percent if you add other products to your Subscribe and Save order.

Best budget bamboo toilet paper

Bim Bam Boo’s bamboo toilet paper costs $27.99 for 24 rolls. In the world of bamboo toilet paper, that’s a steal. The company offers free shipping and $5.00 off for signing up. Bim Bam Boo makes the NDRC’s sustainable tissue scorecard with a B-plus, higher than any other bamboo toilet paper brand.

Best easy-to-find bamboo toilet paper

Reel bamboo toilet paper is available on Amazon, Walmart, Target and via the Reel website, making it one of the easier brands to find. That’s important when buying a fundamental product like toilet paper. If it’s not convenient to switch products, people won’t do it.

I still like my regular bike, but now I’m also hooked on e-bikes. They’re great for commutes, errands and longer jaunts. Recently California’s bicycle coalition, CalBike, collected stories from people about why they ride e-bikes. The stories range from riding in places where it’s too hot to bicycle, to a handyman who hauls lumber and tools on his.

Choosing your first e-bike can be a daunting task. If you’re e-bike curious, here are some things to consider before taking the plunge.

What Is an E-Bike?

An e-bike is a bicycle with a small electric motor to help you go farther with less effort.

Unlike a motorcycle, e-bikes don’t propel you on their own. They still have pedals, but the motor adds significant power to your effort, especially when facing obstacles like hills and headwinds. Some also have throttles, which mitigate the need to pedal at all.

“Electric bikes pedal and handle just like a regular bicycle,” says Ash Lovell, the electric bicycle policy and campaign director for the nonprofit People For Bikes. “By and large, an electric bike will use the same parts, too.”

How Long Have E-Bikes Been Around?

In a small capacity since at least the 1890s. But their popularity and availability took off in the 2000s when Yamaha and Panasonic began worldwide mass production.

In 2021, more than 500,000 e-bikes were sold in the U.S. By 2030, the global e-bike market is expected to more than double. Health and climate consciousness contributes to their popularity.

“E-bikes do not generate any polluting exhaust when you ride them, so they are more environmentally friendly,” says Ted Li of Velotric Bike. And pedaling, he adds, can improve cardiovascular health.

How Does an E-Bike Work?

All e-bikes feature a pedal assist option for an extra boost. Some also come with a throttle. Many allow you to turn off the motor so you can ride it like a classic bike.

“A good e-bike rides like the best bicycle you’ve ever ridden and makes you feel like you have superpowers,” says Brett Thurber, founder of The New Wheel, an e-bike store in San Francisco.

“You set a power level and then ride as you would a normal bike. The system senses your effort through a series of sophisticated sensors, and the motor seamlessly adds additional power in proportion to your activity.”

Almost all e-bikes are powered by lithium batteries that can be charged with a standard 110-volt wall outlet. Some have removable batteries. “The cost of electricity to charge an electric bike is minimal, just pennies per mile,” says Kevin Claxton, interim executive director at CalBike.

Types of E-Bikes

“There are just about as many types of electric bicycles as there are traditional bicycles,” says Lovell. Some include cargo bikes, speedy commuting bikes, folding bikes, beach cruisers and fat-tire mountain bikes.

E-bikes come in three classes, based on your energy level and commute:

Class 1

These offer pedal-assist only, with no throttle. The motor assists to a maximum speed of 20 mph, although it will go faster than if you pedal hard or go downhill. These are generally considered identical to a normal bicycle under the law, except on some off-road trails.

Class 2

These come with a throttle that can accelerate the bike up to 20 mph without pedaling. Depending on where you live, there might be more restrictions on where and how you can use Class 2 e-bikes. “Some people like the throttle option because they can keep going if they’re too tired to pedal,” says Claxton.

Class 3

These feature pedal-assist up to 28 mph and usually must be ridden in on-street bike lanes or routes, not multi-use paths. They may have a throttle that works to 20 mph. “A Class 3 bike might be useful if you need to mix with traffic on streets with no bike lanes because you can ride closer to the speed of traffic,” says Claxton.

Regardless of class, e-bike motors are federally limited to 750 watts. Traffic, age restrictions and other laws vary, so check your local regulations.

Thurber also offers this advice: “If your typical ride is five miles or less, consider a standard Class 1 e-bike. If you’re planning to cover further distances on a regular basis, consider a Class 3 to get there quicker and easier.

“Years of experience have taught us that the most important thing is finding the right e-bike for each rider: One that you feel comfortable, safe, and strong riding. The right bike will mean that you will use it more often.”

E-Bike Features

Buying an e-bike can take a lot of research. If you’re lucky and have an e-bike dealer near you, test riding can make your decision easier.

“When you’re buying an e-bike, try to have a clear sense of how you intend to use it, which will tell you whether you should get a standard bike, folding bike, cargo bike, etc.,” says Claxton. “In other respects, e-bikes are simply bikes, and choosing one and riding it is the same as buying any other bike.”

If you’re in the market, here are some of the most important features to consider:

Pedal assist and controller

The controller determines how the electric pedal assistance on your e-bike will function. Generally located on the handlebar, it lets you set a power level from one to four, with four amplifying your pedal power by four times your input. There are two-main types of pedal assist: pedal-activated and throttle-based.

“A good pedal-assist system measures how hard you are pressing on the pedals, your speed, and the cadence of your pedaling to deliver smooth pedal assistance,” says Thurber.

“There are also less sophisticated e-bikes that add assistance through the use of a hand throttle or a sensor that just knows if your feet are moving or not. These often feel jerky and can be difficult to control or to use in challenging environments, such as hills or shared-use infrastructure.”

Motor placement

There are two kinds of motors. Hub motors propel from the front or rear wheel, offering quick acceleration but less range efficiency. Mid-motors power the crankset (gears) and give a better weight-to-performance ratio, but are usually more expensive.

“Hub bikes and Class 2 bikes with throttles can get you to work or school sweat-free, and most people like them for instant power,” says Joe Werwie, head of product for Bike.com. “But they tend to use more of the battery. Some riders like mid-motors more, as it’s a gradual assist and feels more like riding a normal bike.”

Motor power

E-bike motors come in power ratings from 200 watts to 1,000 watts or more, but the legal limit in the U.S. is 750 watts. Most mid-motors are rated around 250 watts. Hub motors are higher.

Battery

Lithium-ion batteries are largely maintenance free, but it’s worth looking into the quality of the battery. You may be bringing them into your house, as well as relying on them to not leave you stranded.

High-quality batteries typically come with a two-year warranty and are increasingly UL certified. Some bike manufacturers sell spare batteries so you can carry an extra one if you go out of range. They should last longer than two years and can be recycled at an electronics recycle site.

Runtime, power and range

Manufacturers state each model’s expected range, usually 40 miles or more. The accuracy of that depends on many factors, including the type of motor, size of battery, rider’s weight, terrain and level of assist you’re using.

“Check the range before you buy and make sure you can get where you need to go each day on a single charge,” says Claxton. “Also, different motors have different assist levels, so make sure you get one that has the power [on the low or high end] that you need.”

Quality of components

If you can afford an e-bike with name-brand components like Shimano, Bosch and others, it will likely last longer and deliver better performance. “There are a lot of low-quality options out there that best-case scenario don’t work well and can be frustrating to service, and worst-case scenario are unsafe,” says Thurber.

Warranty and customer support

Unlike bicycles, some e-bikes don’t come with much of either. Ask the dealer, whether a local store or an online vendor, what the local service and support options are. Research whether the brand has good reviews, seems reputable and stocks replacement parts. A two-year warranty is a good sign as well.

Weight

E-bikes can be upwards of 70 pounds, so check the weight. Look for a lighter model if you have to carry it upstairs or heft it onto a bus or car bike rack.

Price

E-bikes range from around $1,000 to many thousands, with a decent entry level one on the lower end. Increasingly, cities and states are offering rebates and other incentives to put e-bikes within financial reach for more people. Here’s a guide from CalBike, which includes incentives in other states and municipalities.

One way to save money is to convert your standard bike to an e-bike. Here’s more on how to DIY your existing bike into an e-bike using a kit.

Comfort

Asses the saddle (seat), handlebars, grips and tires. Find a bike that fits you and your riding style. “For example, a mountain bike has a more aggressive riding position than a city bike, so may not be as comfortable if you’re just riding on paved roads and some crushed gravel trails,” says Werwie.

Is An E-Bike Right for Me?

“When deciding whether you’d like to purchase an electric bicycle, you should consider how comfortable you are riding a traditional bike,” says Lovell. Then also ask yourself:

• What are the e-bike laws, restrictions and registration requirements in your area? Some states consider e-bikes the same as mopeds and scooters, and some require helmets for riders under a certain age.
• Do you have accessible, safe bike lanes or paths that allow e-bikes?
• Will an e-bike get you to work or the store on a single charge?
• How prevalent is e-bike theft in your area, and do you have a safe place to park it and store it? Werwie recommends this lock. Make sure to secure the frame and pass the cable through both wheels.

Also purchase a good helmet and wear proper safety gear, like close-toed shoes and a safety vest when in traffic. And if you’re new to biking, learn safe riding and etiquette.

“The right electric bike will replace more car trips than you can imagine,” says Thurber. “If your errand is less than five miles one way, you will likely arrive in the same time it would take you to drive and park.”

This is good news for solar households. Battery technology is just as important as the panels themselves, which are becoming increasingly affordable and more efficient.

I moved onto my solar property in 2008. At that time, the battery bank consisted of 16 lead-acid monsters, each weighing 50 pounds or more and needing water every three months or so. Without that water, the batteries would dry up and die like plants, and a few did.

The inverter that converted the DC battery power to 120-volt AC power for the lights and appliances was a 200-pound behemoth. It practically broke my back when I hauled it all the way to Oregon for service after a lightning strike knocked it out.

Today’s solar batteries are not only lighter and longer-lasting, but many feature built-in inverters and charge controllers. That makes them smaller and easier to install. They’re also more efficient. Smart batteries can regulate themselves, remaining in charging mode while the sun is out and switching to discharge at night. This ensures an uninterrupted flow of electricity.

Also important to note, that as of January 1, 2023, tax credits for solar energy systems are now available. They were included as part of the Inflation Reduction Act that was passed in 2022. Homeowners can get a 30 percent tax credit on solar energy systems.

What Are Solar Batteries?

As everyone knows, a battery is a device that stores electrical energy. These days, they’re almost everywhere. These features distinguish solar batteries from the rest:

• Chemistry: Most solar batteries incorporate some form of lithium-ion technology. Unlike alkaline or lead-acid batteries, they have no liquid electrolyte and can’t leak. Unlike nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries, they aren’t toxic.
• Depth of discharge (DoD): Solar batteries are a type of deep-discharge battery, meaning they can safely be discharged almost completely before needing recharging. The minimum DoD for traditional rechargeable batteries is 50 percent, but the DoD of many solar batteries approaches 100 percent.
• Power rating: This shows how much energy you can get from the battery at one time, measured in kilowatts (kW). Besides a continuous power rating, many solar batteries have a five-minute instantaneous power rating as well. It’s measures how much power the battery can provide in short bursts. That’s important if you have a device that needs lots of power all at once, like a sump pump.
• Capacity: Measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), this shows how much power the battery can store. Solar batteries generally have higher capacities than other types.
• Discharge rate (C-rate): Solar batteries have a higher discharge rate than ordinary rechargeable batteries. This means more of the battery’s stored power is available in the short term for operating appliances.
• Lifespan:  Solar batteries typically last 10 to 15 years, longer than ordinary rechargeables.
• Maintenance: Most modern solar batteries are sealed and require no maintenance. Disposal isn’t usually an issue because most of their components are recyclable.

Types of Solar Batteries

If you categorize solar batteries by chemistry, there are three main types: lithium-ion, flow and lead-acid.

Lithium-ion batteries are the most common because they’re light and clean with lots of energy storage. There are two types: lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP). NMC batteries tend to be more powerful so they can be smaller, while LFP batteries last longer.

Flow batteries are generally industrial-sized and not currently an option for homeowners. Lead-acid batteries are reliable but, as mentioned above, more cumbersome and require more maintenance than lithium-ion.

Besides chemistry, there are four other ways to compare solar batteries:

• Integrated inverter: Some solar batteries require an external inverter (an extra expense), but many have built-in inverters and charge controllers.
• Coupling: Batteries can have AC or DC coupling, which means they can be tied to AC or DC loads. AC coupling is easier to install because the output can be fed straight into the electric panel. DC coupling, however, has better overall energy efficiency.
• Stackable: Some solar batteries can link up with additional batteries. This provides the flexibility of sizing a storage system according to your needs.
• Voltage: Solar batteries can operate at six, 12, 24 or 48 volts. Battery voltage must match that of the solar panels.

Solar Battery Pros and Cons

An off-grid solar property needs battery storage, but not necessarily a grid-tied one. A grid-tied solar generating system may feed electricity directly to the power company, and even when it doesn’t, the grid can function as a backup.

Nonetheless, grid-tied houses can benefit from batteries, although there are some drawbacks.

Pros

• Electricity during power outages: Quieter and cleaner than a generator, a solar battery provides power during storms, rotating outages and public safety outages. The latter are increasingly common in wildfire country.
• Lower energy costs: With a battery backup, you can turn off the power grid at time when electricity rates are higher, saving money.
• Ease load on the power grid: Any stored energy you use means less energy demand on the power company.

Cons

• Cost: Solar batteries aren’t cheap. Prices for full installation range from $6,000 to $20,000, and they don’t last forever. Warranty periods are typically 10 years or so.
• Increased complexity: You’ll need space for the batteries. And you have to add extra wiring and a transfer switch, so you can disconnect your panel from the grid when you’re on battery power during an outage.
• Environmental impact: Lithium mining negatively affects the environment. This is partially offset because most materials in solar batteries are recyclable, but it’s still a strategic problem as demand for lithium-ion batteries increases.

Though they can be more work, carnivorous houseplants are rewarding to keep and great at pest control. We’ve put together a guide to three common types to get you started.

Like their non-carnivorous relatives, carnivorous plants derive most of their energy from the sun. They trap and digest insects primarily to gain access to nutrients their soil cannot deliver them.

If your home doesn’t have a pest problem, you’ll need to procure insects to feed your new plant. These don’t have to be live insects! If you go with dead insects, make sure to stimulate the sensors on a flytrap or sundew though so that the plant recognizes the meal.

Venus Flytraps: Popular Carnivorous Houseplants

First up is one of the best-know carnivorous plants: the Venus Flytrap. These beauties are native to the Carolina swamps and come in several varieties.

Partly because of its fame and popularity, wild populations are in steep decline. While the species is not yet listed as endangered, it would be prudent to research your supplier to ensure your prospective plant was ethically grown and not harvested from the wild.

Given the climate of their home, it shouldn’t be surprising that Venus Flytraps require direct sunlight. What is unusual are the water requirements. Venus Flytraps, as well as most other carnivorous plants, need rainwater. Tap, distilled and filtered water lack the right mineral balance to adequately nourish these plants.

These plants also need a specific soil. Instead of regular potting soil, look for more acid options, including peat moss. Your goal is to mimic the conditions of the Venus Flytraps’s natural swamp habitat. You’ll also need to water from the bottom. Place the pot in a tray or sink with water so it can be absorbed.

To keep your flytrap alive for more that one growing season, let it go dormant for the winter. Dormancy should run for about three months, usually November through February. To do this, keep the flytrap in cold (but not freezing) temperatures for those months.

Pitcher Plants: Voracious Eaters

Pitcher plants can be found across much of the world, including the Southeastern U.S. coast. Because they have such a wide natural range, they come in many varieties and hybrids. These plants don’t just eat insects.  They’ll also happily digest any small animal that falls in and can’t get out.

Like the Venus Flytrap, pitcher plants want direct sun, acidic soil and pure water from below to flourish.  They also need to go dormant for the winter. Again, keeping it somewhere cold for November through February should suffice.

These plants are voracious eaters. Unlike flytraps, pitcher plants catch their prey in deep wells. While the Venus Flytrap expends energy closing its leaves, the pitcher can simply wait for prey to fall in and drown. Once the unfortunate creature is inside, digestion begins.

Drosera Capensis: A Stunning Beauty

Also known as a “sundew” because of its dewy leaves, the Drosera capensis is a beautiful specimen.

Varieties of this carnivorous plant can be found in hot climates across the world, including South Africa and Australia. Thanks to this large range, sundews are hardy and can get by on less ideal conditions than the Venus Flytrap or the pitcher plant.

You should still give this plant pure water and acidic soil. But unlike the others on this list, it doesn’t need to go dormant for the winter. It can, and in a more temperate climate likely will, enter a dormancy period. But denying it that will not kill it the way it would a flytrap or a pitcher.

While pitcher plants don’t need to expend energy to trap their food, the Drosera capensis takes after the Venus Flytrap. Its leaves are covered with sticky “tentacles.” Once an insect has landed, the leaf begins to curl up, trapping the bug and allowing the plant to feed. Once finished, the leaf unfurls.

Some species of sundew are thriving. However, over-harvesting and poaching have left other varieties critically endangered. So like with the Venus Flytrap, exercise caution and do your research before purchasing one.

Electric composters — also called food recyclers — offer a way out of this dilemma. Electric composters reduce food waste to a dry, soil-like substance you can safely put in your garden.

The amazing thing is, they do this in a matter of hours, not the months or even years it usually takes to produce compost. Plus, unlike a regular composter, an electric composter does its job while controlling methane gas emissions and odors.

Electric composters are fairly new, and performance varies from model to model. The quality of the resulting compost also varies, with only a few models producing a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Others produce nutrient-deficient, dehydrated food chips that are better as mulch than fertilizer.

All electric composters offer an easy way to keep food waste out of the trash, and they do so without attracting flies!

What Is an Electric Composter?

An electric composter is a kitchen appliance. Some are small enough for countertops; others are the size of a garbage can.

You use one like a regular compost pail: Open the lid, drop in the food, press a button and the composter does the rest. The composting cycle takes five to 48 hours, depending on model. Then you retrieve the dehydrated product from a drawer at the base of the machine and spread it in the garden.

Many companies producing electric composters are startups in the crowdfunding stage, but there are some well-reviewed brands on the market. With prices from $400 to more than $1,000, the decision to experiment with electric composting doesn’t come cheaply.

How Do Electric Composters Work?

Electric composters generally process food scraps in three stages.

• First, the device heats the scraps to a temperature of about 160 degrees, which kills pathogens and weed seeds. Heating continues until the food is completely desiccated,
• Then it’s ground up into granules.
• Finally, the compost cools before you remove it from the appliance.

Some electric composters tumble the food waste as it’s being heated it so it dries faster. Others offer separate compartments for the three stages, so you can add more scraps while the unit is already working on a batch. Still others feature more than one composting mode to process meat and some plant-based plastics as well as vegetable matter.

Most electric composters pass the air released in the drying process through a carbon filter that removes atmospheric pollutants and odors. An entire cycle typically consumes about 1- to 1.5-kWh of electricity, about the same as running an electric space heater for an hour.

The quality of the compost also varies. An organic starter should be added to the food scraps to produce soil-like compost that plants can use directly; some, but not all, manufacturers supply this. Without this starter, the final product is often devoid of nutrients but still suitable as mulch or filler.

Why Get an Electric Composter?

While some see an electric composter as unnecessary, others want one to keep food scraps out of the garbage. Alternative composting methods, including manual compost tumblers and worm composting, require daily attention and take a long time to work, especially if you keep adding new material.

The benefits of electric composters include:

• No odors: It’s virtually impossible to control odors from regular composters. Electric composters are odor-free.
• Compact design: Electric composters take up little counter or floor space. You won’t need space in the garden for a compost pile or a corner of the patio for a manual compost tumbler.
• Automatic operation: There’s no manually spinning a tumbler or shoveling material onto a pile. Just drop in the food scraps and retrieve the compost when the cycle finishes.
• Simple to use: It eliminates the green-to-brown ratio required for manual composting.
• Pest-free: Electric composters don’t attract flies, rodents and other vermin.

Before you buy, you should also weigh the drawbacks:

• Limited testing: Electric composting is still in the development phase. Only a few products have been around long enough to attract more than a handful of user reviews.
• Increased energy costs: Electric composters don’t use a lot of electricity, but they do use some, and the costs can add up if you use the appliance daily.
• They do take up space: Although compact, electric composters do take up space, which can be an issue in a small kitchen.

How To Use an Electric Composter

The specific method of using an electric composter depends on the model, but a general procedure could be summarized as:

1. Insert food.
2. Press the start button. Some units start automatically, and some can be operated by an app on your mobile device.
3. Retrieve the compost by pulling out a drawer or tray.

The instructions for the model you buy will specify what you can compost. Most units can handle vegetative matter, coffee grounds and even eggshells, but not all can handle meat. Also, not all models let you add more food before the end of the cycle.

Best Electric Composters

A few electric composters have been around long enough to gain a following. Some of the top ones are:

Vitamix FoodCycler F-50

The Vitamix FoodCycler F-50 is a countertop model with a healthy fan base. It’s about the size of an air fryer and takes four to eight hours to complete a cycle. Its carbon filtration system effectively eliminates odors, and it can handle most kitchen waste items, including chicken bones.

Pela Lomi

The Pela Lomi composter is also a countertop model that holds about 50 percent more material than the Vitamix. It offers three composting modes, the longest of which can even compost some types of plastic. The company also supplies Lomi Pods — organic starter material that makes the compost nutrient-rich.

Kalea Electric Composter

Although the manufacturer’s web site states the Kalea Electric Composter isn’t widely available yet, it promises to be a hit. It’s a floor unit with three compartments, letting you add more material while the unit is working. It takes longer to complete a cycle (about 48 hours), but the extra time results in more nutrient-rich compost.

But when it comes to the more than 200 pounds of plastic waste each of us generates per year, we only put about 15 percent of it into recycle bins. And only about five percent actually gets recycled.

“Recycling of paper, cardboard, metal and glass is definitely worth it,” says Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics and a former regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “But the plastics waste stream is very complex and is not easy to recycle.”

So when presented with packaging choices, it’s best to veer away from plastic. (Spoiler alert: Aluminum is the best.) But ditching plastic altogether isn’t practical. So here’s how to make better choices with the plastic we do use to help get more of it recycled.

Why Isn’t Household Plastic Recycled?

It’s a complicated system, which basically means that a lot of things can go wrong between your recycle bin and a finished recycled product.

First, there are thousands of types of plastics, all with different chemical additives and colors. “Think about all of the plastics in your home,” Enck says. “You may have a bright-orange hard-plastic detergent bottle and a clear plastic ketchup container that is squeezable.”

And even though many of these plastics are numbered 1 through 7 for recycling, that isn’t necessarily straightforward. Even the easiest plastic to recycle, #1, contains two kinds of plastics — polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and thermoform clamshells — that can’t be recycled together.

Here are some other things that can go wrong, sending plastic to the landfill or the incinerator instead of a recycling plant:

• Lack of resources: Most recycling centers can only accept #1 and #2 plastics.
• Lack of standardization: “Recycling rules vary widely from town to town, which creates confusion and discourages people from practicing consistent habits,” says Mitch Ratcliffe, publisher of the sustainable living and recycling information site Earth911.
• Contamination from non-recyclable plastics in recycling bins: “The most common form of contamination is when residents bag their recyclables in plastic bags,” says Stephanie Miller, author and founder of Zero Waste DC. “Those immediately get tossed because those bags gum up the sorting machines.”
• Wishcycling: Another form of contamination, wishcycling includes putting non-recyclable items into recycling bins with the false hope they won’t go to the landfill, like umbrellas, yoga mats, styrofoam cups and dog-food bags.
• Contamination from food left on recyclable containers: This, along with broken glass in mixed-stream recycling bins, doesn’t help.
• Lack of market: Most countries stopped accepting U.S. recyclables a few years ago. “China closed its doors to U.S. recyclables because we were putting too many non-recyclable items into our bins,” says Enck. But even when they were taking it, our plastic recycling success was still less than 10 percent.
• Lack of access: Only about 50 percent of Americans have residential recycling programs.
• The pandemic: Recycling at some grocery stores and other retailers stalled during the pandemic.
• Economics: Many companies opt for virgin plastic because it’s cheap to create.
• Antiquated technology: “We are dealing with a system built on a mid-20th century infrastructure that has been disrupted by pandemic, China’s decision not to accept our waste, and more,” says Ratcliff. But that’s changing, with new investments in recycling and increasing demand for recycled materials. “It’s a stay-tuned kind of thing,” he says.

How To Cut Down on Plastic Use at Home

Our plastics consumption has quadrupled over the last three decades and is expected to triple by 2060. Excess plastic pollution is not just a concern for our oceans and landfills. It’s also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and a risk to our personal health.

“So it’s worth thinking about what it is that we can be doing to reduce our contribution to these problems,” says Miller.

• Choose wisely: Cut down consumption of single-use plastic and choose aluminum and glass packaging when possible. Both materials can be infinitely recycled. Recycling aluminum actually saves 95 percent of the energy used to make a can from scratch.
• Don’t strive for perfection: “Don’t try to get to a 100 percent reduction in plastic use,” says Miller. “You’ll make yourself crazy and you’ll never get there. Aim for the really low-hanging fruit and you will make an 80 percent difference, and that’s huge.”

To do that, Miller recommends starting with one recurring plastic. Start by doing a recycle bin audit. Spread your week’s bin onto a towel, see what you have a lot of and figure out if there’s a more sustainable packaging alternative. Can you get your favorite drink in cans instead of plastic bottles?

Next, go for it. And share your enthusiasm. “I really believe it is contagious,” Miller says. “As long as you keep it positive.”

Some of the most common ways to enact change are:

• Switching to reusable shopping and produce bags;
• Carrying reusable water bottles;
• Ditching straws;
• Buying bulk foods;
• Finding alternatives to berries and other foods that come in plastic clamshells;
• Frequenting farmer’s markets, where it’s generally easier to find unpackaged produce;
• Buying biodegradable plastic and learning how to use it;
• Bringing your own to-go container and reusable cutlery;
• Using reusable coffee mugs.

“That last one can be awkward, as not all coffee shops are used to accepting customers’ reusable mugs,” says Miller.

This is why Miller started DC Reduces, a grassroots program where businesses from coffee shops to dry cleaners can put a sticker in their window to signal they’re down with the idea. She borrowed the idea from a similar program in Toronto and encourages anyone to contact her with questions about starting a chapter in their town.

Finally, when you do buy plastic, try to restrict it to #1 (commonly water and soda bottles) and #2 (milk jugs, shampoo and detergent bottles). These are the most likely to be recycled.

Also, ask the companies you buy from to adopt plastic-free packaging. And if you don’t have recycling in your community, ask your local waste management office and government to invest in it.

“Action turns into results,” says Mitch. “Consumer pressure has already driven the adoption of post-consumer recycled materials by food and beverage makers, among others. Their need for recycled feedstock will support further investment and, in the long run, a modern recycling system that functions far better than today’s.”

Relatively easy to grow, a pothos plant is a perfect choice for rookie plant owners.

What Is a Pothos?

A pothos is one of 15 species of plants in the arum (Araceae) family. It goes by the scientific name Epipremnum aureum, but you may know it as pothos, devil’s ivy or hunter’s rove. Native to Southeast Asia and the western Pacific, in tropical areas it’s grown outdoors as ground cover. It can often be found tangled up in trees.

“In Florida, these plants climb to the top of palm trees and their leaves split, so they look like variegated monstera plants,” says Lisa Steinkopf of The Houseplant Guru.

Basic characteristics of common types of pothos plants include:

• Glossy, heart-shaped leaves.
• Various colors. Lime to bright-green (neon); with lemon-colored splotches (golden); white and green (N’Joy); creamy marble variegation (Marble Queen, Pearls and Jade), and shades of silver, white, cream and light green (Manjula), to name a few.
• Stems are ribbed and can turn brown at the ends.

Why Are Pothos So Popular?

Super hardy with a plethora of varieties, pothos are great plants because they’re:

• Versatile. Dangle them from hanging pots, or train them to climb a trellis or frame a window.
• Fast growing. Cut vines if they get too long.
• Tolerant of indirect and low-light conditions.

How To Care for a Pothos Plant

Pothos plants are easy-going, so growing one shouldn’t be a challenge.

Light

Pothos can grow in direct sunlight or in a dimly lit corner of a room. That, and their beauty, make them excellent choices for first-timers. Pothos plants are best suited for low-to-medium bright light. “A north, east or west window is perfect!” Steinkopf says.

Note: If you place one in low-light conditions, the bright colors and variegations could fade. Moving it to a sunnier spot will eventually allow new growth to sprout variegated leaf markings.

Soil type

Steinkopf recommends adding vermiculite and perlite to a commercial houseplant potting mix to ensure there’s good drainage. “I use a 1-1-1 ratio, but do tweak it for different plants,” she says.

You don’t want the soil to dry out completely, but don’t let the plant stand in water, either.

Fertilizer

Fertilize pothos from March to September when plants are actively growing. This timeline can vary depending on the growing zone you live in.

Steinkopf never uses fertilizer at full strength. “I use liquid fertilizer at half-strength at every fourth watering,” she says. If it’s easier, opt to feed the pothos with liquid fertilizer at one-quarter strength with each watering.

Pests

Pothos aren’t known to suffer from serious pest problems, although they can occasionally be bothered by common household insects like mealybugs, spider mites and scales. Pesticides or insecticidal soap can be used to rid of infestations.

Pro tip: Steinkopf says pothos plants will often develop long runners that are bare except for leaves at the ends of the stems. To keep your pothos plant at its fullest, she recommends cutting some of the stems back to the soil line. From there, the vines will resprout.

How Often To Water a Pothos Plant

Keep the soil evenly moist by watering weekly. Pothos will react negatively to too much water (the plant collapses) or too little (leaves turn yellow). Another good thing about pothos: Even if it dries out, it often recovers.

Pro tip: In the low-grow winter months, water less frequently.

Are Pothos Plants Safe for Pets and Children?

Pothos can be toxic, though not fatally so, to humans and pets.

According to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the plant contains insoluble calcium oxalates. If ingested, it can cause oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting and difficulty swallowing. If your child or pet is prone to nibbling on plants, keep pothos out of their reach.

How To Propagate Pothos Plants

Luckily, pothos are relatively easy to propagate. All you need are:

• Scissors or garden shears;
• Potted pothos plant to take cuttings from;
• Pot with potting soil (soil method);
• Glass jar of water (water method).

Soil method

1. With scissors or garden shears, choose a vine/stem and cut it just below the “node,”  the nobs between leaves. This is where the roots will grow from.
2. Place freshly cut stems in a moist potting medium and let them root on their own. Cuttings only need one leaf and a piece of stem, although Steinkopf likes to use a four- to six-inch cutting with multiple leaves.
3. Keep new plantings well-watered and in bright light to keep the variegation prominent.

Steinkopf says if you add multiple cuttings to a pot, you’ll get a much fuller plant.

Water method

1. Cut stems per directions in the soil method and place them in a glass jar of tap water. About three inches of the end of the cutting should be in the water.
2. Wait until roots are approximately an inch or two long (approximately one to two weeks), then follow steps two and three for the soil method above.
3. Or you can leave pothos in water indefinitely. Steinkopf recommends feeding periodically with liquid plant food and changing the water every few months or so, or when green algae has taken over.

These two scenarios have different costs and installation complexities. But the good news is, both are DIYable if you have some electrical knowledge. And now, there are also tax incentives available that can significantly reduce the cost of installing solar power systems in your home that were approved as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Here’s what we’ve learned about what to expect in each situation.

What Is a Solar Panel?

A solar panel collects energy (photons) from sunlight, which can be converted into electricity. Each solar panel contains multiple photovoltaic cells, usually set under glass and contained within a metal frame.

Solar panels create direct electrical current (DC), which an inverter converts into alternating electrical current (AC) that systems in your house can use. Solar panels are only one part of a solar energy system, along with inverters, charge controllers, electrical panels and meters, racking and storage batteries.

Types of Solar Energy Systems

There are three kinds of residential solar energy systems:

• Grid tie: The most affordable type. This collects solar energy and puts it back into the grid. You’ll save money on power bills, but your power will still go out if the grid goes down because there’s no battery storage.
• Off-grid: This means your house is not tied into any utility company electric lines, but instead works as its own power generation plant. “These are more costly, plus need to be oversized in order to give the homeowner reliable power in the worst-case scenarios,” says Carson Toews, general manager of Solarset in Center, Colorado.
• Hybrid: This system ties into the grid but also has backup batteries. It’s priced like an off-grid system, except it doesn’t need to be oversized like a full off-grid system.

Types of Solar Panels

There are five types of panels you’re likely to find in residential solar setups.

• Monocrystalline: The most common, because they produce more power in a smaller space than polycrystalline panels.
• Polycrystalline: These are less efficient and require more space. “However, the difference in size and efficiency does not impact power,” says Yi Li, CEO of Renogy. “A 100-watt monocrystalline panel and a 100-watt polycrystalline panel will both output 100 watts.”
• Passive emitter and rear cell: Also known as PERC panels, these are a relatively new improvement on monocrystalline cell technology.
• Thin-film: Flexible, lighter and easier to install, but less efficient and long-lasting. They’re more typically used in mobile applications, like RVs.
• Bi-facial: These are monocrystallines that produce power from both sides of the panel. They’re more expensive and most often found on large-scale solar projects, but are trickling into the residential market. “They look really neat, so sometimes they are used in applications like patios and carports, where sunlight leaking through is preferred,” says Toews.

How Much Do Solar Panels Cost?

It varies, but generally panels cost around $0.75 to $1.60 per watt for rigid microcrystalline and $1.50 to $2 per watt for flexible thin-film panels. If you’re willing to buy products with no warranty, you can find panels on the surplus market for as low as $0.50 per watt.

While there’s a loose standard for the physical size of a solar panel, there’s no standard for solar panel wattage. That’s why price per watt is used, so people can quickly know how economically a panel is priced.

“One needs to remember, though, that the cost of the panel isn’t always what matters,” says Toews. “Even though twenty 225-watt panels might be quite a bit cheaper all together then ten 450-watt panels, you need nearly twice the amount of space to mount them, and nearly twice the cost in racking too.”

Also, rooftop panels need something called a rapid shutdown device to protect firefighters. When that’s built into the panel, it raises the price. Most of the time, though, it’s an add-on, costing about $30 per panel.

Keep in mind, these costs are only for the panels.

“Many are surprised to find out that the panels make up less than 20 percent of the cost in a normal grid-tie system, and less than 10 percent of the cost in an off-grid system,” says Toews. “This can be frustrating to homeowners who feel like they got a really good deal on panels, then realize that isn’t really what counts.”

The cost of a full system for a house can range between $2 and $4 per watt for tie-in and $3 to $5 per watt for off-grid, plus installation. So to power a 1,500-square-foot house off-grid style will likely cost between $20,000 and $35,000, plus installation.

“But I hate to see system size tied to the square footage of the house,” says Toews. “The type and quantity of appliances has a far larger bearing on system size than the size of the house.

“I’ve seen small houses with all electric appliances that require a large solar system, and I’ve seen large houses with a lot of propane appliances that only require a small system.”

Find out if solar power makes financial sense in your individual situation.

Solar Panel Installation Cost

Installing solar panels is a relatively easy DIY job. Installing the rest of the system is more challenging, requiring some electrical experience and patience for research. But both Renogy’s and Solarset’s systems were designed with DIYers in mind.

If you plan on tying your system into the grid, check with your local building and utility codes. You may be required to use a certified installer and inspector. If it must be professionally installed, plan on roughly $2.50 to $3 per watt.

What Tax Credits Are Available for Solar Power?

The Inflation Reduction Act created a 30 percent tax credit to help homeowners and businesses cover the cost of installing solar energy systems. That tax credit is available as of January 1, 2023, so if you’ve been thinking about adding solar power to your home, it’s a good time to do it.

What Factors Affect Solar Panel Cost?

Lots of things. Power generation capacity. Their electrical configuration — say, if you have extras like a bypass diode network to improve panel performance. Where they’re built, domestically or overseas. Freight costs. The type of alloys used to construct the panel frame. And supply and demand.

Overall, the cost of solar panels is going down as the technology becomes more mainstream and government incentives grow. However, prices did increase a little in 2021.

“It was a special year due to inflation,” says Toews. “So it could be the trend is still down, but we are nearing the bottom of solar prices in my opinion, and it will now level off.”

How To Save Money on Solar Panels

The best way to save money is to do your homework. “It’s imperative to have a good understanding of how much power you are looking to supply with solar to help you select the correct panels, controller, inverter and batteries, as well as panel and battery quality,” says Li.

It’s also good to understand technical aspects. Things like the difference between series and parallel panel battery configurations; the difference between DC and AC electrical flow; the role of a charge controller; and safety concerns with battery banks. “This will enable you to install a solar system without the need for professional assistance,” says Li.

For help understanding these and other how-to resources, Renogy offers this advice.

Are Solar Panels Worth the Cost?

Sometimes. If you’re tying into the grid, it’ll likely take between eight and 18 years to pay off, says Toews. If you’re paying typical residential energy costs of $0.12 per kilowatt-hour, the payoff will be faster. It also depends on how complex and costly your system needs to be.

“If adding solar requires a homeowner to spend a lot extra on related costs such as clearing trees for a ground mount system or getting the roof re-engineered for a rooftop system,” Toews says, “this can significantly impact the solar payoff in a negative way.”

For off-grid systems, the payoff is a little different.

“Many times, a person wants to be off grid because they don’t want to deal with the power company and get power hooked up,” says Toews. “We commonly see our customers get quotes from power companies that are $20,000 or even $40,000 for a fairly simple grid connection. In these cases, the solar system can be halfway, or even entirely, paid off already on the first day or use.”

There are considerations beyond cost as well. “A system with battery storage can help insulate you from rolling blackouts, grid pricing fluctuations and natural disasters,” says Li. It can also help you reduce your carbon emissions.

If cost isn’t a factor, it’s probably a sound environmental decision to switch to solar. But if you can’t afford it just yet, don’t fret too much. Within a decade or two, it’s likely your power grid will also be powered by renewables.

“There is nothing like the feel and smell of real leather,” says Van Hofwegen, owner of Nate’s Custom Sewing. “A customer who had me install fake leather for his truck seats asked me to throw scraps of real leather under the seats so the truck smelled of real leather.”

What Is Real Upholstery Leather?

Real leather is animal skin that’s been tanned, or chemically treated, to prevent decay. The most common leather comes from cattle, sheep, goats, horses, buffalo, pigs, seals and alligators. Leather is strong, flexible and durable.

“Leather gets better looking over time,” says Van Hofwegen. “It gets polished, like an old saddle or couch or purse. If people have the money and it fits the project, real leather is the choice.”

Because leather is more breathable and cooler than fake leather, you’ll find it on armrests and seats in automobiles. But to reduce costs, car manufacturers install fake leather where the human body doesn’t come in contact with the seat or interior.

China is the largest leather-producing country, generating more than 25 percent of the annual global production. American leather often has scratches or holes from barbed wire, says Van Hofwegen, while Italian leather doesn’t because barbed wire isn’t used in Italy.

Is real leather considered sustainable? Yes. Leather has been made for centuries. It’s long-lasting, repairable, recyclable, biodegradable, and a by-product of the food industry. But manufacturers tan leather with environmentally iffy chemicals. And animal rights advocates say leather results from the abuse and killing of animals for their skins.

“Well, vegetarians say no animals have to die for fake leather,” Van Hofwegen says. “Fake leather proponents question how much land and how many resources are used to grow a cow and get real leather. Not to mention the methane that cows produce, which contributes to the amount of global greenhouse gas.

“Fake leather is petroleum based usually, and the process for making it is not eco-friendly. When I open a new box of fake leather, it’s like, ‘Holy crap, this stuff stinks.’ It smells like burned nail polish. I have to open windows so I won’t get gassed out.”

What Is Fake Upholstery Leather?

The two primary types of fake leather are polyvinyl chloride and polyurethane, both plastic based. Another term for fake leather is “pleather,” short for plastic leather. China produces more fake leather than anyone in the world.

There’s also leatherette, which has a fabric base and plastic covering, and vegetable oil leather, which is more environmentally friendly than polyvinyl chloride and polyurethane and perhaps more durable. However, vegetable oil leather is also more expensive than other types of synthetic leather. It’s primarily for those adamant about not polluting the environment.

Van Hofwegen says one benefit of fake leather is less waste. It’s sold by the yard in 54-inch-wide rolls. This straight-edged form means the material can be used more efficiently than real leather hides, which are circular with irregular edges. “You never use the whole hide, and so it is less cost-effective than working with fake leather,” he says.

Another benefit is uniformity. Real leather has natural blemishes, wrinkles and color variations from hide to hide, presenting challenges to upholsterers. Fake leather does not have these variations.

Fake leather costs less than real. Van Hofwegen says a real leather hide of 50 to 60 square feet is about $600. “A real leather hide equals about five or six yards of fake leather, which costs me $25 per yard,” he says. This lower cost makes fake leather the choice for municipal, school and hospital furniture.

Real Upholstery Leather vs. Fake Upholstery Leather

When comparing real upholstery leather to fake, here is what to look for, according to Van Hofwegen:

Characteristics of real upholstery leather

• Label says real or genuine leather.
• Real leather is soft, warm, flexible and stretchable, with a grainy feel.
• Leather has a distinct smell, like a wood, sweet and floral.
• The back of leather is the same color as the top.
• Leather does not shine like fake leather but has a matte finish.

Characteristics of fake upholstery leather

• Label says synthetic or polyester.
• Fake leather feels smooth, plastic-like and cool. It doesn’t stretch.
• Fake leather has a strong chemical odor that fades as the product airs out.
• The back of fake leather is not the same color as the top. It’s often a white fabric backing.
• Fake leather shines more than real, but fake leather manufacturers try to make their products less shiny.

Best All-Purpose Fertilizer for Houseplants

Eldred Steinkopf says she uses Jack’s Classic 20-20-20 All Purpose Fertilizer because it works. The water-soluble fertilizer features a balanced mix of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium that’s especially effective on indoor foliage.

An Amazon five-star reviewer writes: “I use this at half strength for my seedlings and as directed for my houseplants when I think they need a boost. Everything is growing nicely and flowering.”

Shop Now