Dryer sheet alternative

LooHoo wool dryer balls are designed to help soften your clothes in the dryer and help circulate your laundry to reduce drying time.

They're an all-natural alternative to dryer sheets, they're reusable and they may help lower your energy bill.

To use, toss two LooHoos into your dryer, and they will tumble around in the load.

When using them in an extra-large load of bath towels, drying time was reduced by about 10 to 15 minutes. The balls last about four months.

To buy: $27.99 for a three-pack set at loo-hoo.com.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Little leaks, bigger bills

Don't let toilets flush money down the drain — fix leaks fast.

How much can a little leak cost in terms of wasted water? According to experts, leaky toilets typically waste 30 to 50 gallons a day. Ignore that leak for a month and that's 900 to 1,500 wasted gallons.

Most water agencies offer free test kits to check if there's a slow leak in your toilet allowing water to escape the tank into the bowl. For your kit, contact your agency.

For more tips, see the Environmental Protection Agency: http://1.usa.gov/1f0JzZg

Sacramento Bee