Little Helpers 3
4 ingenious products to make your day easier
3 WINDOW STEAM CLEANER
Using just water, this handheld super squeegee shines and sanitizes effortlessly. Sienna Visio, $100, siennadirect.com. 4 SMART GROCERY TOTE
Cushioned dividers and pockets protect delicate berries, and an insulated lining protects pints of ice cream. And you can adjust the interior to accommodate large bottles or layers of produce. In three colors. $85, cabaggage.com.
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1 PORTABLE KEYBOARD
Hate typing on a touch screen? This spill-resistant silicone mat wirelessly connects to your iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, and more. About the size of a tablet, it weighs less than seven ounces. In three colors. Keys-to-go, $70, logitech.com.
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2 CAMERA-PHONE TRIPOD
Insert the tiny fold-out stand into the charging port of your mobile device for crisp, brilliant picture taking. Also lends a helping hand for selfies using a timer. $30, kenu.com.
Eco revamp: Showering Here are some little and big ways you can make a difference. 1. TAKE SHORTER SHOWERS. Up to 44 gallons of water go down the drain during a 20-minute shower using a standard showerhead. But you’ll use less than 18 gallons if you limit your shower to eight minutes. Track the minutes with a shower timer (like EcoSavers Shower Timer Drop, $8, globalecobrands.com), or create an eight-minute playlist. Also, go easy on the baths: Filling a tub can require 70 gallons. 2. REPLACE YOUR SHOWERHEAD. The average family could save 2,900 gallons of water annually and reduce water and energy costs by more than $70 if they swap in a head with a WaterSense label (models cost from $10 to $300). “They perform as effectively as standard showerheads, so you’ll still have a strong flow,” says Karen Wirth, a spokesperson for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 3. RECONFIGURE YOUR PLUMBING. A demand pumping system senses when “hot” water is cold and sends it back to the heater before it reaches the showerhead, so the shower is ready to jump into in just 20 seconds. With a conventional system, 5 to 10 gallons of water can be wasted as you wait for the flow to warm up, says Sam Rashkin, the chief architect for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office. The system is pricey to install (about $600 to $700), but it saves thousands of gallons yearly. —KAITLYN PIRIE
MARCH 2015
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P R O P S T Y L I N G BY S A R A H G U I D O ; I L L U S T R AT I O N S BY P E T E R O U M A N S K I
T H E R E A L I ST
Victor Prado
