1Cover shoes in your suitcase
Verdict: the best use. Slip a cap over the sole of each shoe before you pack, and it helps keep dirt off your clothes. It’s our practical tip, and it works best with the elastic edge snug around the heel. A thin cap can tear or slip, so pack shoes sole to sole and check them when you unpack. Our packing tips guide has more ways to keep a suitcase organized.

2Cover a plate of leftovers
Verdict: fine as a loose cover for a short time, not as food storage. If you’re saving restaurant leftovers for later, a cap over the plate keeps the food off the mini-fridge shelf and out of the dust. Keep it from touching the food, since it’s made for hair, not food. The USDA says leftovers should be refrigerated within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), so don’t treat a cap as a reason to leave food out. Transfer the leftovers to a clean, covered food container as soon as practical, which is our practical advice.

3Shield a camera body from a sprinkle
Verdict: a stopgap for a light drizzle only. A cap stretched over the camera body can keep off a passing sprinkle, but it isn’t designed to protect camera gear and it isn’t dependable rain protection. Keep the lens and front element clear, keep the cap away from the screen and viewfinder, and dry the camera when you’re back inside. Don’t trust it in heavy rain, around water or for a dunk.

4Cover the TV remote
Verdict: reasonable, but it’s a barrier, not a clean. A 2012 University of Houston-led study sampled 19 surfaces in each of nine hotel rooms and found the TV remote among the most contaminated, along with the bedside lamp switch. It was small and preliminary, and the researchers couldn’t say whether the bacteria cause disease, so this isn’t a reason to panic. A cap over the remote means you touch the cap instead. It doesn’t disinfect the remote, so throw the cap away when you check out. Our guide to hotel room habits to avoid covers more.

5Catch drips from a bottle
Verdict: catches a few drips, nothing more. Stretch a cap over a closed travel bottle to catch a little seepage if the top weeps. It won’t stop a real leak, so keep th 

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1Check the color, but know your variety
Verdict: a useful hint, not a verdict. The California Avocado Commission says a Hass avocado turns dark green or black as it ripens, but warns that color alone may not tell the whole story, because some other varieties keep light green skin even when ripe. UC Davis’s postharvest center describes the same shift, from green to black in some cultivars such as Hass. So if you’re buying Hass, a dark skin plus the gentle press below is a good sign. If the fruit is a green variety, rely on feel.

2Press gently with your palm
Verdict: the most reliable check. The California Avocado Commission advises squeezing the fruit gently in the palm of your hand, and says ripe, ready-to-eat fruit will be firm but will yield to gentle pressure. Utah State University Extension’s fruit shopping guide says the same: firm to the touch, but yielding when pressed, and not mushy. Our practical advice is to use your whole palm, not your fingertips, since poking can bruise the flesh and leave dark spots.

3Try the stem-cap test, with caution
Verdict: a popular kitchen tip, but not one we could source. The idea is to flick off the small cap at the stem end. Green underneath is said to mean ripe, and brown is said to mean overripe. We didn’t find it in the California Avocado Commission, Utah State or UC Davis guidance we checked, so we can’t say whether it works. If you try it, our practical advice is to do it at home on fruit you plan to cut that day, since you can’t put the cap back.

4Look for red flags
Verdict: skip the bruised, the loose and the very soft. The California Avocado Commission says to skip avocados with dark blemishes on the skin or oversoft fruit. Utah State Extension adds that skin that seems loose from the flesh is a sign the fruit is likely brown or rotten inside. Our guide to whether avocados go bad shows what spoiled flesh looks like once you cut one open.

How to ripen an avocado faster

5Use the paper bag trick
Verdict: it works because of ethylene. UC Davis notes that avocados don’t ripen on the tree and that exposure to ethylene triggers ripening. A closed paper bag keeps more of that gas around the fruit. The California Avocado Commission’s guide to ripeni 

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Does Club Soda Go Bad: At a Glance

Sealed bottle or can past the date
Per USDA, should still be safe if handled properly until spoilage is evident; expect weaker bubbles

Opened, capped, refrigerated
Best within a day or so for the fizz; finish it rather than saving it for a week

Opened and left out for a long time
Pour it out

What’s in it
Carbonated water plus minerals; the mix differs by brand

Sodium (12 fl oz, per retailer listings)
5 mg Polar, 95 mg Schweppes, 115 mg Canada Dry

Storage
Cool and out of the sun; USDA’s below-85°F guidance applies to canned and shelf-stable foods generally

Bulging, leaking, or heavily rusted container
Discard without opening, whatever the date says

Key Takeaways

Club soda is mostly carbonated water with added minerals. The labels we checked list no sugar, juice, or preservative.
The printed date on club soda marks peak bubbles. In USDA’s words, dating is not a safety indicator.
The fizz is what ages. Without the bubbles, you’re left with water and whatever minerals that brand adds.
Brands can differ substantially in sodium. The three we checked ranged from 5 mg to 115 mg per 12 fl oz, so read your label if you watch salt.
Because it has no sugar or preservative to lean on, an opened bottle left out for hours is not worth saving.
Our wine-stain guides say club soda helps mostly the way plain cold water does.

Club Soda, Seltzer, and Sparkling Water: Not Quite the Same
Cleveland Clinic describes club soda as artificially carbonated and “enhanced with added minerals like sodium bicarbonate and potassium sulfate,” while seltzer is “artificially carbonated water, plain and simple.” Mineral water, drawn from a spring or well, is naturally carbonated and includes minerals like magnesium and calcium. The federal bottled water regulation, 21 CFR 165.110, names “soda water,”  

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Does Sparkling Water Go Bad: At a Glance

Plain sparkling water, sealed, past the date
Plain cans and bottles generally stay safe past the date under USDA’s dating guidance; the bubbles are what fade

Flavored with fruit, juice, or vitamins
Treat it as a different product; follow its label and best-by date

Opened, capped, refrigerated
Best finished the same day or the next for lively bubbles

Left open on the counter for hours or days
Pour it out

Expiration date required?
The bottled water trade group IBWA says FDA doesn’t require one for bottled water

Storage
Room temperature or cooler, out of direct sun, away from solvents and chemicals (IBWA)

Bulging, leaking, or heavily rusted container
Discard without opening, whatever the date says

Key Takeaways

“Sparkling water” covers very different drinks: plain seltzer, naturally sparkling mineral water, fruit-containing cans, and sweetened or fortified versions.
The printed date is a quality marker. USDA says dating isn’t a safety indicator, and the trade group IBWA says FDA doesn’t require an expiration date for bottled water.
Fizz is what you notice fading first. Once it’s gone, you’re left with the water and whatever minerals or other ingredients the product started with.
Heat, sun, and fumes near plastic bottles are the storage problems to avoid.
Citrus flavors raise acidity, which matters most if you sip all day.
An opened bottle that has been left out is not worth saving.

What FDA Means by “Sparkling” and “Mineral”
FDA’s bottled water rule, 21 CFR 165.110, defines “sparkling bottled water” as water that keeps the same amount of carbon dioxide it had at emergence from the source, even after treatment and possible replacement of the gas. Mineral water must contain at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids, and no minerals may  

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Credentials worth confirming before you hire:

Active license number and status with your state licensing board
Proof of general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage
Any trade-specific certifications relevant to your project
Recent reviews, not just the overall rating

Independent feedback provides another useful check. The company’s website reports more than 700 reviews and a 4.8/5 rating, along with a BBB A+ accreditation. A property owner should still read recent reviews and compare them with the proposed work.
Scope That Matches the Property
Trustworthy contractors describe their services in practical terms rather than using broad labels. Good Life Construction lists kitchen, bathroom, garage, and whole-home remodeling, alongside custom homes and ADU construction. It also lists deck, patio, siding, stucco, painting, concrete, masonry, window, door, and roofing services.
The same scope includes dry rot repair, termite damage repair, and structural repair. Those services matter when visible damage points to a deeper issue, since the methods used to catch it are the same ones behind preventing water damage in a house before it spreads. A contractor that identifies the source can help prevent a cosmetic repair from hiding continuing deterioration.
A cosmetic repair that ignores the source of the damage is rarely a repair at all.
Commercial property owners need 

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1Choosing heavy luggage to begin with
Verdict: check the empty weight before you buy, and weigh the bag you own. Weight limits apply to the whole bag, so a suitcase that is heavy when empty uses up part of your allowance before you pack a single sock. Sturdier, feature-packed bags can weigh noticeably more than simpler ones, so compare the empty weight on the spec sheet, not just the size and the look. Our practical advice is to put your current suitcase on a scale while it’s empty. If it takes up a big share of your airline’s limit, that’s a reason to consider a lighter bag for your next trip. Lighter isn’t automatically better, since durability matters too, but it’s worth knowing the number.

2Packing full-size toiletries
Verdict: leave them at home. The TSA allows liquids, gels, creams and pastes through the checkpoint in a quart-sized bag, with each container 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less, and says larger containers belong in checked baggage. So a full-size bottle either needs to go in checked baggage or may have to be surrendered at security. Our practical advice is to decant what you need into small containers, switch to solid shampoo, conditioner and deodorant, and skip anything the hotel provides. Our packing tips guide covers the solid options.

3Packing one outfit per day
Verdict: pack a mix-and-match set instead. A bag with seven distinct outfits for seven days is mostly clothes you only wear once. A smaller set of tops, bottoms and layers in colors that work together gives you more combinations from fewer items. The 5-4-3-2-1 approach in our packing guide (five tops, four bottoms, three layers, two pairs of shoes, one hat) is one way to do it. If your trip is longer than a week, plan one laundry stop, whether that’s a hotel service, a laundromat or a sink wash, instead of packing for every day. These are our practical suggestions, not a tested formula.

4Packing your heaviest shoes
Verdict: wear your bulkiest practical pair. Shoes are often some of the heaviest 

The post 7 Packing Mistakes That Are Quietly Making Your Suitcase Too Heavy first appeared on STL Homelife.

1Water your plants, occasionally
Verdict: fine if it was unsalted and has fully cooled, but don’t expect a fertilizer. USDA’s Agricultural Research Service found that cubing potatoes before boiling reduced their mineral content by as much as 75 percent, which shows minerals are lost during boiling, and some of them end up in the water. We found no study showing that potato water gives houseplants a meaningful dose of nutrients. Our reading is that it’s unlikely to, so think of it as a reuse of water, not a plant food.
Salt is the real problem. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s soil salinity guide explains that plants struggle to draw water from salty soil, and Oregon State Extension lists brown leaf tips, wilting, dropped lower leaves and stunted growth as signs of salt buildup in houseplants. Let the water cool completely, use it promptly rather than storing it for days, use it only occasionally, and as a practical precaution don’t let it sit in the drip tray. If a plant gets salty water by mistake, the University of Maryland Extension suggests leaching with at least three times the pot’s volume of fresh water.

2Pre-soak a pot
Verdict: reasonable as a pre-soak, but not proven to clean better than warm water. If a pot is going into the sink anyway, a bit of cooled or warm unsalted potato water can loosen leftover food before you wash it. We found no research showing it cleans better than plain warm water, so treat this as a second use for the water, not a cleaning hack.

Two food uses the BfR advises against
Why these two come last. Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) says consumers should not reuse the water in which potatoes have been boiled, because some of the glycoalkaloids (natural toxins in potatoes) can pass into it. Poison Control notes that cooking does not eliminate glycoalkaloids from green or sprouted pot 

The post Is Potato Water Worth Saving? 2 Uses Are Fine and 2 Aren’t first appeared on STL Homelife.

Does Tonic Water Go Bad: At a Glance

Sealed bottle or can past the date
Per USDA, should still be safe if handled properly until spoilage is evident; expect less fizz

Opened, cap on, refrigerated
Best within a day or so; the fizz is the first thing to go

Opened and left out for a long time
Pour it out

Quinine limit in U.S. tonic
83 parts per million, and the label must declare quinine (21 CFR 172.575)

Storage
Cool and out of the sun; for canned and shelf-stable foods, USDA says below 85°F is best

Bulging, leaking, or heavily rusted container
Discard without opening, whatever the date says

Sugar (Fever-Tree Premium, per 200 ml)
16 g, per the brand’s product page

Key Takeaways

Tonic water isn’t a perishable like milk or fresh juice. Its label lists citric acid, and some brands add a preservative.
The printed date is the maker’s estimate of peak taste. USDA says dating isn’t an indicator of a product’s safety.
Fizz leaves first, and small single-serve bottles are easy to finish before it matters.
Heat is the storage condition to avoid, along with a swollen, leaking, or heavily rusted container.
Quinine is what makes tonic bitter. U.S. rules cap it at 83 ppm, far below a medicinal dose.
Tonic water is not a leg-cramp remedy, and the FDA warns against using quinine medicine for that purpose.

Why Tonic Is Bitter, and Why It Glows
Quinine is the ingredient behind both. Fever-Tree’s product pages describe it as the key ingredient that gives its tonic a gentle bitterness. Under ultraviolet light it does something stranger. A UCAR science activity explains that the quinine in tonic water “absorbs UV and releases it, causing it to glow blue.” A tonic that glows under a black light is behaving normally. It is not a sign of spoilage, and a tonic that doesn’t glow isn’t necessarily bad either.

Why Tonic Water Doesn’t Spoil Like Fresh Food
Bacteria and mold need the right mi 

The post Does Tonic Water Go Bad? What Happens to Opened and Unopened Bottles first appeared on STL Homelife.

Signs a stain is more than a stain:

It returns within days of being cleaned
Nearby trim, drywall or paint is warped or bubbling
A musty smell lingers after the area dries
It shows up on a wall or ceiling with no obvious spill source

Pay attention to stains that return after cleaning, warped trim, bubbling paint, and persistent odors. Damp building materials may support indoor mold growth, so moisture sources need prompt attention.
Water marks near exterior walls or ceiling edges can sometimes trace back to drainage problems. Puget Sound homeowners who notice overflow, loose sections, or damaged downspouts can ask local gutter repair experts to inspect the system and identify repairs.
The Exterior Impact on Interiors
Rainwater, soil and outdoor debris often influence how clean and dry your interior stays. Worn door seals let in dust. Cracked caulk around windows may admit moisture. Plants touching siding can trap damp leaves against the house and give insects an easy route indoor 

The post Why Your Cleaning Efforts Aren’t Enough first appeared on STL Homelife.