Despite your best efforts at preventing colds, do you frequently suffer from a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing? Research shows that irritants in the air – not germs – may cause chronic colds.

The best way to find relief may be to follow the lead of allergy sufferers and eliminate as many of those irritants as you possibly can.

Some of the most common and potent irritants are dust mites, microscopic creatures that thrive in warm, moist surroundings like carpeting, upholstery and the insides of mattresses. Researchers say most homes generate about 40 pounds of dust a year for every 1,500 square feet, and 1 ounce of dust can hold 40,000 mites.

To combat the invasion of mites and other irritants, many consumers turn to portable air cleaners, often with disappointing results.

Studies show that most small air cleaners won’t effectively remove allergens from the air because they don’t have enough air traveling through them. In fact, according to the American Lung Association, “Small [air cleaning] devices are more about hype than air purification.”

A more effective solution may be a whole-home air cleaner, like the Aprilaire Model 5000. A whole-home air cleaner is attached to the furnace and installed by a professional contractor. Unlike portable air cleaners, the filter needs to be changed just once a year.

After the initial installation, operating a whole-home air cleaner costs about $40 a year, compared to more than $200 a year for portable units. Many homeowners would need 10 portable HEPA air cleaners to equal the effectiveness of one whole-home air cleaner.

In standard industry tests, the Aprilaire 5000 achieved 99 percent efficiency against airborne particles, including pet dander, mold, fungi, bacteria and pollen.

For best results with any whole-home air cleaner, run the fan on your heating and cooling system continuously.

I despise the heat. Seriously, I'm like, melting during the summer.

I like it somewhere between 70 and cold enough for a robe and furry slippers! At the same time, however, I am NOT rich by any means, in fact, I'm cheap. My husband calls me "frugal" but let's be honest, I prefer spending as little as possible on everything and anything. So I decided to get those things that go over the air vent and point it out toward the middle of the room, you know, these: 

But even though it LOOKS cheap- you're going to need like, fifty of them for your house, and that's the "add-on with Prime" price, so who knows how much shipping is.
Which is why I MADE SOME.....
Now, I made mine from an empty cereal box and shaped the sides more like the plastic one I have in the bedroom (see above) but the image below works too. And what do you do if the kids get extra excited and break one? Chop up another box. BAM- instantly cooler in any room and it didn't cost a thing. Of course, if you REALLY want, you can click the pic above and buy them....

SIXTY USES OF VINEGAR

1. Arthritis tonic and treatment; 2 spoonfuls of apple cider
vinegar and honey in a glass of water several times daily.

2. Thirst-quenching drink: apple cider vinegar mixed with cold
water.

3. Sagging cane chairs: sponge them with a hot solution of
half vinegar and half water. Place the chairs out in the hot
sun to dry.

4. Skin burns: apply ice cold vinegar right away for fast
relief. Will prevent burn blisters.

5. Add a spoonful of vinegar to cooking water to make
cauliflower white and clean.

6. Storing cheese: keep it fresh longer by wrapping it in a
vinegar-soaked cloth and keeping it in a sealed container.

7. Remove stains from stainless steel and chrome with a
vinegar-dampened cloth.

8. Rinse glasses and dishes in water and vinegar to remove
spots and film.

9. Prevent grease build-up in your oven by frequently wiping it
with vinegar.

10. Wipe jars of preserves and canned food with vinegar to
prevent mold-producing bacteria.

11. To eliminate mildew, dust and odors, wipe down walls with
vinegar-soaked cloth.

12. Clean windows with vinegar and water.

13. Hardened paint brushes: simmer in boiling vinegar and wash
in hot soapy water.

14. Clean breadbox and food containers with vinegar-dampened
cloth to keep fresh-smelling and clean.

15. Pour boiling vinegar down drains to unclog and clean them.

16. Clean fireplace bricks with undiluted vinegar.

17. An excellent all-purpose cleaner: vinegar mixed with salt.
Cleans copper, bronze, brass, dishes, pots, pans, skillets,
glasses, windows. Rinse well.

18. Make your catsup and other condiments last long by
adding vinegar.

19. To clear up respiratory congestion, inhale a vapor mist
from steaming pot containing water and several spoonfuls of
vinegar.

20. Apple cider vinegar and honey as a cure-all: use to
prevent apathy, obesity, hay fever, asthma, rashes, food
poisoning, heartburn, sore throat, bad eyesight, dandruff,
brittle nails and bad breath.

21. When boiling eggs, add some vinegar to the water to prevent
white from leaking out of a cracked egg.

22. When poaching eggs, add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water
to prevent separation.

23. Weight loss: vinegar helps prevent fat from accumulating
in the body.

24. Canned fish and shrimp: to give it a freshly caught taste,
soak in a mixture of sherry and 2 tablespoons of vinegar.

25. Add a spoonful of vinegar when cooking fruit to improve the
flavor.

26. Soak fish in vinegar and water before cooking for a tender,
sweeter taste.

27. Add vinegar to boiling ham to improve flavor and cut salty
taste.

28. Improve the flavor of desserts by adding a touch of vinegar.

29. Add vinegar to your deep fryer to eliminate a greasy taste.

30. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to fruit gelatin to hold it
firm.

31. Steep your favorite herb in vinegar until you have a
pleasing taste and aroma.

32. Use vinegar instead of lemon on fried and broiled foods.

33. To remove lime coating on your tea kettle; add vinegar to
the water and let stand overnight.

34. To make a good liniment: beat 1 whole egg, add 1 cup
vinegar and 1 cup turpentine. Blend.

35. Apply vinegar to chapped, cracked skin for quick healing.

36. Vinegar promotes skin health: rub on tired, sore or
swollen areas.

37. Reduce mineral deposits in pipes, radiators, kettles and
tanks by adding vinegar into the system.

38. Rub vinegar on the cut end of uncooked ham to prevent mold.

39. Clean jars with vinegar and water to remove odor.

40. Avoid cabbage odor by adding vinegar to the cooking water.

41. Skunk odor: remove from pets by rubbing fur with vinegar.

42. Paint adheres better to galvanized metal that has been
wiped with vinegar.

43. Pets' drinking water: add vinegar to eliminate odor and
encourage shiny fur.

44. For fluffy meringue: beat 3 egg whites with a teaspoon of
vinegar.

45. Pie crust: add 1 tablespoon vinegar to your pastry recipe
for an exceptional crust.

46. Half a teaspoon per quart of patching plaster allows you
more time to work the plaster before it hardens.

47. Prevent discoloration of peeled potatoes by adding a few
drops of vinegar to water. They will keep fresh for days in
fridge.

48. Poultry water: add vinegar to increase egg production and
to produce tender meat.

49. Preserve peppers: put freshly picked peppers in a
sterilized jar and finish filling with boiling vinegar.

50. Olives and pimentos will keep indefinitely if covered with
vinegar and refrigerated.

51. Add 1 tsp. vinegar to cooking water for fluffier rice.

52. Add vinegar to laundry rinse water: removes all soap and
prevents yellowing.

53. After shampoo hair rinse:
1 ounce apple cider vinegar in 1 quart of distilled water.

54. For a shiny crust on homemade bread and rolls: just before
they have finished baking, take them out, brush crusts with
vinegar, return to oven to finish baking.

55. Homemade sour cream: blend together 1 cup cottage cheese,
1/4 cup skim milk and 1 tsp. vinegar.

56. Boil vinegar and water in pots to remove stains.

57. Remove berry stains from hands with vinegar.

58. Prevent sugaring by mixing a drop of vinegar in the cake
icing.

59. Cold vinegar relieves sunburn.

60.When boiling meat, add a spoonful of vinegar to the water to
make it more tender.

Bonus:

61. Marinate tough meat in vinegar overnight to tenderize.

62. A strength tonic: combine raw eggs, vinegar and black
pepper. Blend well.

63. Douche: 2 to 4 ounces of vinegar in 2 quarts of warm water.


Need more? Try this: Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile, and Very Good Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of