Bring out your inner child and avoid house cleaning–it just might be good for you.

Housework will always be there. It’s like death and taxes; no one escapes. It’s easy to get caught up in the humdrum routine of everyday life, but life is so much more than going to work, food shopping, and house cleaning. While you can’t shirk off work or food shopping–you’ve got to eat!–housework can wait, though.

So let it go until next weekend and do something fun instead. Remember, all work and no play makes us all too stressed out! Instead, refresh, destress, and bring out your inner child by doing any one of these activities instead of house cleaning. Future you will thank past you!

Put Off House Cleaning with These Fun Ideas

1. Take an Art Class – Always wanted to learn how to paint or throw pots? Look into art classes at your local art center, or try online sites like Skillshare.
2. Make Water Kefir – Water kefir is a delicious lightly fermented sweet beverage. Get started with making your own by buying a starter set of the grains. Cultures for Health is an online resource.
3. Volunteer at a Local Animal Shelter – Did you know that many animal shelters are looking for volunteers to spend time with the kitties and puppies? Sounds way more awesome than house cleaning, right?
4. Enjoy Nature with a Peterson Field Guide – Get out into nature and learn about the big wide world around you with a Peterson Field Guide for your region.
5. Be a Big Sister or Brother – Give back to your community. Providing mentorship to girls and boys is way more important than cleaning your house.
6. Take up Bodyflow – Bodyflow is one part yoga, one part Pilates, and another part Tai Chi–and all set to music. You can find classes at many health centers, or look for videos online. Bodyflow will change your life.
7. Read a Good Book – This time of year is a great time to discover new books via best book lists. NPR just recently came out with the Best Books of 2015–that’s a good place to start.
8. Catch Up on Your Netflix (and Chill) – So many TV series and movies, so little time–unless you avoid cleaning the house. “Jessica Jones” and “Master of None” are two series that you could waste away an afternoon watching and cuddling up with someone special.

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Image: Toddler Doing Housework via Shutterstock

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A clean house is more than just a matter of a spick-and-span appearance – it goes way deeper than that.

Winter is here, and you likely (and quite understandably) have the windows shut, the doors locked and the heater on full blast. While you may feel more comfortable in the warmth of the cozy indoors, you are actually locking yourself into a chamber of toxins and bringing yourself ever the more closer to sickness. So while your home may look clean for all intents and purposes, it likely could use a little help. Here are 5 low-effort, high-impact ways to make sure your hibernation shell of a home is as toxin-free as possible.

In the winter, the air holds less moisture, which makes it lighter and thus easier for bacteria to travel and sickness to migrate quicker and more easily. So, simply being in cooler air during the winter makes you more vulnerable to sickness. Even though it may be warm inside, your heater’s ventilation is often full of dust and debris that is ventilated throughout the house. Meanwhile, the average home contains as much as 1,000 chemicals and 10-times more electrical pollution than it did 40 years ago – to say nothing of the mold, mites, fungi, spores, pollen and aerosols that commonly hold to surface areas around the house.

Here are 5 ways to detox your home and contribute to your 2015 goals to cleanse your mind, body and soul!

1. Take Off the Shoes

A clean house starts with the obvious. Think about where you’ve been today (especially if you live in a busy city), and imagine the kinds of things you must have stepped on, both knowingly and inadvertently. If you often walk into your home with your shoes still on, be aware that you are bringing the streets into your personal quarters. Shoes account for 80 percent of the muck that is brought into the house and they carry some pretty gross stuff, like road sealant, pesticides and lead dust.

2. Open the Window

But only just a little bit. Indoor air can be as much as 5-times more polluted than outdoor air. Closed windows and doors make indoor air relatively flat and full of bacteria, dust and other debris that circulate without proper ventilation. Even in the winter, consider keeping one central window slightly cracked to let in some fresh air. If it gets too cold throughout the day and night, instead pick a 5-minute time frame everyday to open the window completely, letting in as much fresh air as possible. You may want to throw on a jacket or scarf or head out to run an errand during this time. Once at least 5 minutes is up, close the window and warm up. This small amount of time is all you need to improve air quality in the house and, of course, your health.

3. Clean Green

This is often the first step to decreasing toxins in the household, simply because you are in complete control of it at all stages. Simply don’t introduce harsh cleaning products. Instead of using pungent and powerful chemicals as well as the average kitchen, bathroom and laundry cleaners you find at just about every store, go green for a clean house! There are a bevy of brands that have emerged in recent years offering you incredible clean without all the harmful chemicals. Or, you can make your own!

4. Toss the Silent Culprits

Did you know that your vinyl shower curtain releases some 108 volatile organic compounds that become gaseous at room temperature, causing headaches, nausea, dizziness and eye and throat irritation? Swap vinyl for cotton, nylon, polyester or EVA or PEVA plastic.

Meanwhile, your kitchen situation is likely in danger. Plastic containers, albeit practical, often contain a chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA can mess with hormones as well as contribute to obesity, cardiovascular disease and other conditions. Avoid plastics marked with a “7”, which may imply it contains BPA. Look for PET-1 plastics, which are safer, or use glass instead. If you continue to use BPA products, relegate them to cold food and beverages only, as heat accelerates the leaching of BPA into whatever with which it comes in contact.

5. Dust Smartly

Dusting sprays add to the chemical load while feathers just kick up more dust. Use a dry, unscented microfiber cloth for all your dusting needs. Such cloths attract and capture dust as opposed to scattering them.

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Photo Credit: Nikki

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Because salt is for more than just high blood pressure.

Diamonds might be prettier and more durable, but there’s another translucent rock that’s even more valuable to us. We may not devote songs to salt or parade around with big hunks of it on our fingers, but we need it to survive, it makes food a hell of a lot tastier and it’s got hundreds – if not thousands – of practical uses. Here are 20 unusual and surprising household, beauty and health uses for salt, from cleaning the chimney to brightening your skin.

Drip-proof candles

Don’t you hate it when candles drip down as they burn, making a mess that’s practically impossible to clean? Prevent this from happening by soaking new candles in a strong salt solution for 2-3 hours.

Clean smelly food spills

A little cinnamon in a pinch of salt will make dripped-on messes in the oven easier to clean, and prevent them from stinking up the house. Just sprinkle the mixture onto the drip soon after it occurs, while the oven is still hot. Once it has cooled, brush away the salt and the mess will come with it.

Test egg freshness

Got a questionable egg? Add two teaspoons of salt to a cup of water, and drop in the egg. If it’s fresh, it will float; if it’s past its prime it will sink right to the bottom.

Sanitize sponges

Used sponges harbor a shudder-inducing variety of bacteria. To restore them and kill some of those germs, suds them up, rinse them thoroughly and then soak them in cold, heavily salted water for an hour or two.

Kill poison ivy

Nobody likes poison ivy, the irritating vine that has ruined many an otherwise pleasant outdoor experience. Three pounds of salt mixed with a gallon of soapy water, applied to the leaves and stems of poison ivy with a sprayer, will kill this tenacious pest of a plant.

Extend broom life

Natural fiber brooms can last a lot longer if you use this easy trick: soak them in hot, salty water before their first use.

Soothe a bee sting

Remove the stinger, wet the sting and immediately shake on a paste of salt and water. Let it dry, and it will reduce inflammation and relieve pain.

Remove soot from chimney

A handful of salt thrown onto the flames in your fireplace will not only produce pretty, vivid yellow flames, it will help loosen soot in the chimney, preventing chimney fires and improving air flow.

Relief for canker sores

A saltwater gargle will take the bite out of a toothache and ease the pain of canker sores and sore throats. Dissolve two teaspoons of salt in 1/4 cup of warm water and swish it around in your mouth for at least 20 seconds, gargling if you have a sore throat. It will likely burn at first, but it works.

Keep clothes from freezing on the line

Add a little salt to the rinse water when washing a load of laundry to keep the clothes from freezing stiff on the clothesline. Soaking the clothesline in salt water will also prevent clothes from sticking to it in cold weather.

Restore artificial flowers

Who has time to clean every individual petal of a bouquet of silk or nylon flowers? There’s an easier way. Just toss the flowers in a gallon-sized zip-lock bag along with about a cup of salt. Shake the bag well, and the salt will whisk away the dust and debris.

Keep milk fresh

Sour milk is the worst, especially if you don’t realize it’s gone bad until you’ve already poured it into your cake batter or coffee mug. Keep it fresh longer by adding a pinch of salt to the carton, pinching the spout closed and gently shaking to mix.

Make coffee less bitter

Over-brewed coffee that has taken on a bitter taste can be much improved with a tiny pinch of salt, which will also enhance the flavor.

Remove blood, wine and perspiration stains

Blot up spilled wine and then pour salt on top to absorb what’s left, pulling as much of it out of the fabric as possible. Blood-stained linens can be restored in cold saltwater followed by a wash in hot, soapy water. To remove perspiration stains from clothing, dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of hot water and sponge it on.

Prevent sliced fruit from turning brown

Dip sliced apples, pears and other fruits susceptible to browning in lightly salted water to preserve their fresh look. If your apple slices have withered, salt water will also perk them up.

Keep windows frost-free

To keep frost from accumulating on the windows in your home and your vehicle, dip a sponge in salty water and run it over the inside and outside of the glass, then rub dry with a soft cloth.

Deodorize shoes

Suck the stink-worsening moisture out of canvas shoes by sprinkling a little salt inside them and then wiping it out. Don’t use this trick on leather or synthetic shoes, as it could dry them out too much and cause them to deteriorate.

Reduce eye puffiness

So you caught a late-night airing of The Notebook on cable and went through a box of tissues – nobody needs to know. Obliterate the evidence by mixing a pinch of salt in a little hot water and applying it to puffy, swollen areas around your eyes with a cotton pad. The salt will help draw out the moisture and tighten the skin.

Give your skin a glow

Massage a mixture of salt and olive oil into your skin in circular motions, leave it on for a few minutes and then wash it off. The massage increases circulation to your skin, the olive oil moisturizes and the salt buffs away dead skin cells.

Brighten yellowed linens

Dingy whites can be brought back to their crisp, white best without the use of bleach. Boil cotton or linen items in a big pot of water with a few tablespoons of salt plus a few tablespoons of baking soda.

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Photos: Rahim Packir Saibo, derekgavey, Pink Sherbet Photography, comedy_nose

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It was recycling week on television. Niecy Nash partook in some yard sale decorating madness on “Clean House” while “Survivor” recycled its cast and challenges leading up to a shocking finale. This is what was making us say “I Want My Green TV!”

Survivor: Outwit, Outplay, Recycle

We had all but given up on “Survivor” a couple of years back. The outplaying, outwitting, and outlasting was just getting a bit redundant. But uber producer Mark Burnett pulled the show out of the ashes. First he cast the dastardly Russell Hantz, who plays a super sneaky, no holds barred game. Then he recycled the series greatest cast members and most entertaining challenges.

On “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains” Burnett topped last season’s Russell fueled shenanigans with another all-star extravaganza. And with that, the series delivered its finest effort since Richard Hatch dominated the island all those years ago. The best and the baddest united in a strategy-on-steroids version of the competition show. From Rupert – arguably the most beloved player in history – to Boston Rob – “Survivor’s” smartest player until Russell came along.

But the contestants weren’t the only thing to be recycled this season. All of the reward and immunity challenges which had been used in previous years made a comeback as well. So all the pieces of those giant mazes, majestic towers, and obstacle course net-bridges were reconstructed from set pieces used before. The show saved the environment from a lot of potential waste and hooked nostalgic fans with some of the most death defying feats of strength and balance from show’s gone by. That’s a pretty eco-friendly move for a big show like this.

Now we’re thinking they should build a “Survivor” theme park so all that lumber doesn’t go to waste.

Niecy Nash Cleans House by Recycling

Niecy Nash has been hosting Style network’s “Clean House” long before she ever tripped the light fantastic on “Dancing with the Stars.” Though the show does not claim to be a green series, the whole premise revolves around recycling clutter to raise money to decorate.

Niecy and her team of designers show up at the homes of people who are in desperate need of clearing out and cleaning up. And although she doesn’t wear her bejeweled samba dresses, she does bring her dazzling smile and cheery disposition to often nasty circumstances.

This week’s episode featured the Moleskys, a family of ten addicted to yard sales. So what’s the harm there? Their entire house is stacked floor to ceiling with tchotchkes, collectibles, and just plain junk purchased from someone else’s cast offs. Clearly they have the “reuse” part of “reduce, reuse, recycle” down. Now they need to get better about the “reduce and recycle” part.

Enter Niecy Nash. She helped the family clear out the clutter, saving only some select items (no they would not part with the lodge themed gems like the taxidermy bear) that would fit with the final project. As for the rest, they didn’t just dump it in a landfill, they held a yard sale of their own. What didn’t sell was donated to charity.

At the end of the day Niecy and the family raised almost $7,000 for redecorating their home. They did buy some necessary new items, but combined them with some old favorites.

Only time will tell if Niecy convinced them to kick the yard sale habit and reduce their clutter for good.

Tune in next time to see what’s cropping up on green TV.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

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