You don't need those fancy brands, often chock-full of chemicals, to clean your shower. You can keep shower tiles sparkling clean without using chemicals at all: After a shower, use a microfiber cloth or chamois to wipe down tiles and fixtures. For glass? Use a good, old-fashioned squeegee.

— Chicago Tribune

KEEP IT SIMPLE

CLICK FOR FREE SAMPLES

Love checking out online free product samples but hate giving out all sorts of personal info? According to Consumer Reports' ShopSmart magazine, walmart.com has a one-page stop to snag trial-sized samples. One recent day's offerings included Fiber One cereal, Dove hair care and Ultra XCID antacid. From the home page, click on "in stores now" and then "free samples." And the good news: There's a solid privacy policy.

FINAL WORD

"I feel I'm in a herd of buffalo, and they're all stampeding toward a 1,000-foot drop-off. ... If humanity takes the planet down the tubes, I'm dead."

Michael Reynolds | Star of the documentary "Garbage Warrior."