Recreation

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Feb 20, 2010 01:30 am

Sexy Green Lingerie: 20+ Sustainable Styles

Feb 5, 2010 06:30 am

Silky and gorgeous, the newest intimate green fashions are made from organic cotton, hemp, bamboo and recycled fabrics.

FTC to Retailers: 'Bamboo' Fabric Isn't Bamboo

Feb 4, 2010 02:29 am

4 'buyer beware' facts about clothing and textiles that claim to be made from bamboo.

5 Futuristic Lighting Designs That May Soon Transform Your Home

Jan 28, 2010 09:08 am

From solar-powered floor lamps to liquid-cooled LEDs, check out these "bright" new efficient technologies.

6 Awe-Inspiring New Green Homes

Jan 25, 2010 07:30 am

Way beyond shipping container homes, these fresh green buildings from around the world are at the cutting edge of style and convenience.

10 Hot Home Products That $ave Money

Jan 13, 2010 07:00 am

Check out the latest in energy efficiency gadgets, smart lighting, cozy heating and more.

7 Home Improvements to Do This Year (and Save $1,500)

Jan 11, 2010 05:30 am

You can get $1,500 or more in tax credits for these home fixes -- if you do the work in 2010. So make these your new year's resolutions.

19 Ways to Make Your Home Feel Warmer Without Turning Up the Heat

Jan 7, 2010 06:23 am

Winterize your home on the cheap (and get $1,500 from the government to help) with these simple, cheap tips.

Never Pay for Household Cleansers Again

Jan 5, 2010 02:52 am

Make your own nontoxic cleansers with these simple recipes for cheap green cleaning.

Go Beyond Baking Soda for a Cleaner Fridge

Jan 5, 2010 12:33 am

"It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearing Milk Bone shorts." ~Kelly Allen

With all the hustle and bustle, our holidays were about as Zen as a common household refrigerator. (Is the light always on or is it just me? Similar to asking, "Am I conscious now?" or "Is my own inner mental light on or not?")

When it comes to refrigerators, for the record, men eat far more fruits and vegetables if they're stored on the same shelf as the beer...at Christmas time or otherwise. Similarly, storing fruits and vegetables at eye-level reminds everyone to mindfully eat them. But for some reason the crisper drawers are at the base of the fridge and we somehow always forget about the stuff we've stashed there. Cleaning out the crisper is a sad reminder of how good food turns into puddles of goo beneath other goodies -- and unless you compost, that goo ain't green!

Our new dog, a rescued 18 month-old Cairn terrier called Emerson (named after the author Ralph Waldo Emerson or the 80s band Emerson, Lake & Palmer -- your choice) is always sitting at the base of our opened refrigerator right in front of the crisper drawer. I'm convinced that lato was right when he joked, "Your dog is a true philosopher." That being said, Emerson's either contemplating his own mental light, wondering how he might joyfully clean the slimy mess that's growing in our over-crowed crisper or -- most probably - coveting the entire mess.

So if your refrigerator is a disaster hung over from this holiday season, remember that many people still swear by baking soda to keep it smelling fresh. Just tear the top off a new box and let it do its thing. After a month, if you can find it among everything else you forgot was in there, replace the old baking soda with a fresh one and use the old box in a cleaning project so that nothing goes to waste (e.g. just pour it down the kitchen drain to freshen the pipes or add some white vinegar to unclog them).

If you want to follow the most recent advice from some scientists who have looked at the issue, go for something even more powerful than baking soda, such as activated charcoal, which is more absorptive.

To remove that inevitable puddle of holiday goo, your crisper drawer will shine like new when cleaned with borax. Apply to a soft cloth or a dampened sponge and use as you would any commercial kitchen cleanser. Once cleaned, rinse with clean water.