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Sponges are a kitchen staple, but a clean sponge can spread grime all over your eating space. How often should you clean your sponge, and how should you do this? Don’t just trash a sponge when it begins looking spotty. Instead, clean them weekly, and toss them out monthly or sooner, depending on frequency of use. Our friends at Good Housekeeping offer the following solutions:

Soak ’em. Mix a third-quarter cup of bleach in one gallon of water. Soak the sponge for five minutes, then rinse. How effective is this? In testing, the bleach solution kills 99.9 percent of the three bacteria strains from the test sponges, which is the benchmark based on the EPA’s requirement for sanitization of non-food-contact surfaces.

Brine ’em. Not a fan of bleach? Vinegar is nearly as effective, killing 99.6 percent of bacteria. Simply soak your sponge in full-strength vinegar for five minutes, then rinse with water.

Zap ’em. Microwaving your sponge does indeed work, zapping 99.9 percent of germs. How do you do it? Saturate your sponge with water, then microwave it on high for one minute.

Cycle ’em. You can run your sponge through the dishwasher to sanitize them, again killing 99.9 percent of germs. Just add your sponge to a regular dishwasher load, and, if you can, use the heated dry setting.

Source: Good Housekeeping

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If youre buried in credit card debt, theres a reasonable solution that your credit card company may allow you to use, but only if you ask about it.

A hardship plan, also known as a credit card payment plan, can help dig you out of debt and ultimately improve your credit score. A hardship plan can also save you money in interest payments and reduce your monthly credit card bill.

Dont be scared if you think a hardship plan is the same thing as the debt management plans you see on TV commercials. Those require you to pay a fee to a credit counseling agency to negotiate debt repayment terms with each of your lenders. All of the debts are paid through a single monthly payment that the counseling agency collects from you. The credit counselor is the liaison between you and your debt collectors.

A hardship plan, however, doesnt have an intermediary or mass payment of lenders. You work directly with your credit card issuer and the repayment program it sets up.

Creditors can differ on what they offer in hardship plans, typically a combination of a lower interest rate, smaller minimum payment, lower fees and penalties, and a fixed payment schedule.

Being allowed to take part in a hardship plan can be as easy as calling your credit card issuer and explaining why you need one. You may have just lost your job or had an emergency that is costly, and need a credit card payment plan to help you through this rough time.

Credit Score Could Drop
Signing up for a hardship plan doesnt immediately affect your credit, but your scores could be indirectly impacted by the way the program works.

The credit card issuer will put a note on your credit report that youre participating in its hardship plan. This is a sign that youre taking responsibility to repay your lenders, which is a good thing. But to potential creditors, it could be a sign that your finances arent stable. Ask your credit card issuer what note it will send to the credit bureaus and how that might affect your ability to get future credit.

While youre in a hardship program, your credit card company may close or suspend your account until youve paid off the debt. Closing a credit card”no matter if it’s you or the credit card company that does it”can lower your credit score.

Eventually, a hardship plan should help you get a hefty increase in your credit score once you complete the plan successfully. An initial drop should be expected, though after months of on-time payments and other responsible behavior you should start to see your credit score improve.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Do you feel like you’re constantly battling clutter around the house? You’re not alone, and nothing can feel more frustrating than not being able to locate something when you need it, or wading through piles of items to get there. Below are five, easy organizational tips that can offer major upgrades:

Tension Rod for Pot Lids
If you store your pots and pans in a drawer, install a tension rod along the inside and slip your pot lids behind it. No more rattling pots or hard-to-find tops!

Gallon Bags for Drawers
Organize your underwear or t-shirt drawer by separating your items and storing them in gallon-sized plastic bags. You’ll never lose 10 minutes hunting for that pair of socks again.

CD Holders for Tupperware
Remember those old CD racks? Repurpose them in your Tupperware cabinet by using them to keep your lids separate, sorted and easy to grab.

Repurposed Wine Rack
Gifted a large wine rack that rarely feels full? Use it in a hallway or closet to store shoes, scarves and other items that need to be tucked away.

Muffin Tin Magic
Have a junk drawer that never stays organized? Slip a muffin tin inside to separate your odds and ends.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

One of the biggest responsibilities a child”or a family”can take on is adopting a dog as a pet.

Feeding, walking, grooming and cleaning up after a dog are daily responsibilities that everyone can do, and will also help teach children how to take care of something they love. For parents, however, there’s the extra task of paying for all the costs associated with the dog.

Here are some of the primary expenses of owning a dog that a family should consider before bringing one home:

Upfront Fees
Adoption fees are the first costs you’ll incur, whether from a pet store, private breeder or animal shelter.

Animal shelters will be the least expensive, though they’ll likely require your dog to be spayed or neutered at a cost of up to $200 or so. There are also the costs of vaccinations, license and microchip, all of which can easily add $100 or more to the initial cost.

Add in some initial necessities such as a leash, collar, food, dishware, bed and a crate, and you can easily spend $200 or so at a pet store to make your dog feel at home.

Veterinarian
Animal shelters may give you a coupon for a free visit to a local veterinarian for your dog’s first checkup. After that, you’ll have to pay for more vaccinations, annual physicals and any injuries that may pop up.

Bear in mind your vet may recommend akennel cough vaccination for your dog, heartworm test and prevention pills, flea and tick prevention tablets, and other services.

Pet Insurance
This is an optional cost, but one worth considering when adopting a dog. If your dog doesn’t have any serious illnesses and is spayed or neutered, $35 per month for a pet insurance plan is reasonable. That includes 80 percent reimbursement and $250 annual deductible. That’s $670 per year out of your pocket before medical costs are paid.

Having major surgery can more than pay for the cost, and even a middle-of-the road illness can make pet insurance worthwhile.

Daily Expenses
Daily care costs are minimal. You can probably get by spending $30 or less per month on dog food. You can give your dog a bath and haircut yourself, and dog toys are pretty cheap.

Once you’ve got a dog leash and collar in hand, walking your dog is free”and that may be the best part of these expenses: free exercise.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Feeling down? It happens. However, if the blues seem to follow you everywhere you go, consider these simple tips for raising your mood.

Surround yourself with flowers. Flowers have been shown to subtly lift the spirit of those around them. Grow a flower garden in the spring and summer and bring those blooms inside with you. Feeling low in the winter? Create a flower budget. Just $5 – $10 a week could bring a gorgeous bouquet into your life. Place it on your desk at work or wherever you spend a lot of time.

Adopt a pet. Furry friends bring an endless amount of joy into the lives of their owners, from play time to snuggling and beyond. If you have the schedule and resources that allow you to responsibly adopt a pet, do it, and let the smiling begin.

Do a random act of kindness. Kindness has a boomerang effect, so don’t be afraid to dole it out. Volunteer, help out a pal before they even ask for it or do something smaller. Next time you’re in line at the grocery store, offer the person with only one item waiting behind you to step ahead.

Create a happiness ritual. What makes you happy? A long bath with a good book? Journaling for 15 minutes every morning? Yoga? A walk with a pal? Incorporate more of this into your day to lift your mood.

Identify downers. Some downers, like a stressful job or a sick family member, cannot be avoided. But others, like a long commute or a toxic relationship, can be identified and cut. Ask your boss if you can work from home one day a week to avoid the commute, or if possible, look for another job closer to home. Another downer that may be hiding in plain view? Social media. Monitor how you feel before and after you spend time on Instagram or Facebook and act accordingly.

Published with permission from RISMedia.