Home Improvement for Women

Why not give yourself the gift of home improvement? Winter is the perfect time to catch up on seasonal projects, many of which will have you saving energy, money and/or the environment.

Cold Case - Did you know your refrigerator uses more energy than any other home appliance? And when dust , dirt and pet hair accumulate on the condenser coils (located on the back), they trap heat. Cleaning them will help your fridge run more efficiently and reduce your electricity bill. Temporarily cut off the power to the refrigerator by unplugging it or flipping it’s circuit breaker. Try Brushtech’s Refrigerator Coil Cleaning Brush, $7.99 at amazon.com

Brush Up - Thanks to new low-and no-VOC paints (volatile organic compounds make paint smell terrible and are bad for the environment), you can paint on a chilly afternoon without having to open all the windows. Sherwin-Williams Harmony line (pictured) is no-VOC, costs about $30 a gallon and comes in an array of attractive colors.

Made to order - Organizing your kitchen, bathroom and closets pays big dividends-once you know what you have and where to find it, you’re much less likely to buy things you don’t need. The Container Store sells under-bed drawers ($21.99); stacking shoe bins ($7.99); and Expand-a-Shelf kitchen cabinet shelf organizers ($3.74 to $14.99).