Menomonie, WI

Easy substitute for dryer sheets.

OOPS! You forgot to add fabric softener sheets to your shopping list, and you have a washer full of wet clothes. They'll smell moldy if you let them sit until you can get to the store, but if you dry them without a sheet, they'll be staticky and stiff. Instead, squeeze a few drops of hair conditioner onto a clean washcloth, throw it in the dryer with your clothes and run the machine as usual. The conditioner will soften your clothes just like a dryer sheet would. An additional boon: The cloth can be reused up to three times.

First for Women Magazine

Stall in housing market threatens economy

By Alan Zibel

updated 7:35 p.m. CT, Wed., March. 24, 2010

WASHINGTON - The recovery in the housing market is at risk of collapsing.

Home sales are sliding, prices are stalling and foreclosures are rising. And mortgage rates are likely to go up after next week, when the Federal Reserve ends a program that has driven them down.

The trend could threaten the broader economy, economists warn. People whose home equity is stagnant or shrinking are less likely to spend freely.

In a move that will help at least some homeowners avoid foreclosure, Bank of America unveiled a $3 billion plan Wednesday to help some of its most troubled borrowers. It said it will forgive up to 30 percent of their total mortgage balance. About 45,000 borrowers are expected to qualify, the bank said.

The plan is part of an agreement the bank reached in 2008 with state attorneys general involving high-risk loans made by Countrywide Financial Corp. before Bank of America acquired it.

Still, it's the first time a lender has announced a broad plan to reduce mortgage principal when home values drop well below the amount owed. Bank of America collects more Americans' home loan payments than any other company.

Only a few months ago, the housing market had been showing signs of strength as it recovered from the most painful downturn in decades. Much of the improvement, though, came from government programs that held down mortgage rates and provided tax breaks for buyers. Since the fall, sales have sunk. And the government support is running out.

The latest sour news came Wednesday, when the Commerce Department said sales of new homes fell last month to their lowest point on record. It was the fourth straight drop.

"While bad weather could well have suppressed the February result, it was dismal no matter how one tries to slice and dice it," wrote Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR Inc.

That news followed a report a day earlier that sales of existing homes fell for the third straight month in February, to their lowest level since July.

To cope with falling demand, the homebuilding industry has slashed the pace of construction. But thousands of foreclosed homes have been dumped on the market at bargain prices. That glut has made it hard for builders to compete.

Prices have followed sales down. The median sales price for previously occupied homes fell to $165,100 in February, down from a peak of $230,300 in July 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Falling home prices mean builders can't recoup their construction costs. And that means fewer construction jobs.

It also signals that the building industry won't be giving much of a lift to the economic recovery. Each new home built creates about three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in taxes paid to local and federal authorities, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Bank of America's effort to reduce foreclosures will affect only some borrowers with especially risky loans. Though other banks could follow its lead, helping 45,000 troubled homeowners won't make much of a dent in the nation's foreclosure problem. And forgiving principal could encourage people to default intentionally on their mortgages.

Warning to Anyone with a Hot Tub or Whirlpool. You would never dream of bathing in water from your toilet bowl. But believe it or not, that's what you may be doing when you sit in a whirlpool or hot tub. In fact, a study done by researchers at Texas A&M University found that more than 9 out of 10 water samples contained fecal bacteria! In the study, the researchers tested water samples from whirlpools around the country, including the ones in private homes and one in public hotels and resorts. Every single one of the samples was found to be contaminated. In fact, 81% contained fungi...34% contained dangerous staph bacteria...and a whopping 95% contained fecal bacteria! Why are whirlpools and hot tubs so full of nasty germs? It's the pipes. Water gets trapped in interior pipes aren't filtered or treated, so bacteria and fungi can breed. Then, when you turn on the jets, these nasty bugs are blown into the tub where you're soaking. Fortunately there's a simple way to keep your tub germ free. And all you need is plain old vinegar. Prevention Magazine You would never dream of bathing in water from your toilet bowl. But believe it or not, that's what you may be doing when you sit in a whirlpool or hot tub. In fact, a study done by researchers at Texas A&M University found that more than 9 out of 10 water samples contained fecal bacteria! In the study, the researchers tested water samples from whirlpools around the country, including the ones in private homes and one in public hotels and resorts. Every single one of the samples was found to be contaminated. In fact, 81% contained fungi...34% contained dangerous staph bacteria...and a whopping 95% contained fecal bacteria! Why are whirlpools and hot tubs so full of nasty germs? It's the pipes. Water gets trapped in interior pipes aren't filtered or treated, so bacteria and fungi can breed. Then, when you turn on the jets, these nasty bugs are blown into the tub where you're soaking. Fortunately there's a simple way to keep your tub germ free. And all you need is plain old vinegar. Prevention Magazine

Better Mood Enhancement Than Chocolate, Alcohol, or Music The next time you need a mood boost, forget chocolate, wine, and music. Because researchers have discovered something else that works even better. And best of all, it's calorie-free, doesn't require exercise, and can be done almost anywhere. What is it? Looking at personal photos. Researchers at the United Kingdom's Open University examined how much people's mood rose after eating chocolate, sipping an alcoholic drink, watching TV, listing to music or looking at photos. They found that the music and chocolate left people's moods unchanged. Alcohol and TV gave a slight lift. But the winner by a long shot was viewing personal photos. Next time you feel down in the dumps, pull out the photo albums. Or, if your technologically minded, you can load your favorite photos onto a digital viewer that you can take with you anywhere you go.

Stop Germs At Your Front Door #2! Studies show that kids carry home millions of infectious microbes from school. Luckily, containment is easy! Pathogenic bacteria, including strains that cause pneumonia and gastroenteritis can be found on 96 percent of shoe soles, according to a study led by Charles Gerba, Ph.D., and environmental microbiologist at the University of Arizona in Tucson. What's more, 90 percent of those germs were transferred to carpet, tile & other floor surface. A "shoes off" policy can substantially reduce germs transfer in the home, says Gerba. Offer a visual reminder by placing a plastic tray ( like a boot tray) just inside the threshold. Once your child is in his/her socks, have them wash up to remove show germs from hands. First Magazine