For 20 years, Bruce Lubin and his wife Jeanne have been collecting tips and hints to save time, money, and make everyday tasks easier. Their book "Who Knew?"by TeleBrands includes thousands of money-saving secrets for cooking, cleaning, and all around your home. We are republishing a fabulous cleaning tip from the book on the easiest way to measure something without a ruler. Saving money starts at home, and the tips in this section will give you simple ways to make your money go further both inside and outside your home. As you move from room to room, you'll discover how to affordably clean your home using all-natural, homemade cleaners; get rid of any kind of stain on the planet; organize like a whiz; keep your car at its best; and perform simple household repairs. Purify the air without an air filter by buying potted plants that naturally clean your air. Some good choices are rubber trees, corn plants, bamboo palm, ficus, gerbera daisies, English ivy, peace lily and philodendrons.

Click through our slideshow to see unique cleaning and organizing tricks for your home. Have something to say? Check out HuffPost Home on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram. Air Purifier Air Purifiers Air Purifying Plants Household Plants Home Air Purifierclairy launches kickstarter campaign to fund natural air purifier(above) the smart flowerpot and natural air purifier is powered by real plantsall images courtesy of clairy people breathe 3,000 gallons of air each day and spend 90% of the time indoors, where the air is five times more polluted than outside. ‘clairy’, a company based in san francisco, aims to sensitize people towards green ethics and healthcare issues through the use of a simple, recognizable and innovative product with the same name. created by alessio d’andrea, vincenzo vitiello, and paolo ganis, ‘clairy’ can filtrate 93% of all indoor toxins allowing us to breathe cleaner air. ‘clairy’ is a dual-part ceramic flowerpot that has a fan that directs the toxic air from inside a room to the roots of the plant to be detoxified.

indoor air quality, temperature, and humidity sensors continually test the quality of the air. from there, the built-in wi-fi modules send real-time updates to the user’s smartphone, generating alerts on the toxin levels of the rooms. because these levels have a strong correlation with the toxicity of a room, ‘clairy’ can provide tips on how to adjust and improve air quality, finding and solving the problem. you can choose different types of colors through the ‘clairy’ smartphone app, available for both iOS and android, the user is able to analyze their indoor air pollution in real time, monitoring the temperature and humidity, as the plant sends the diagnostics. from the same app, the user can manage the fan, receive health tips, and communicate with other smart home devices such as smart windows and humidifiers. ‘clairy’ has been tested and has proved, through specific laboratory exams, its effectiveness. scientific validation has been given by the combined work of LINV (international laboratory for plant neurobiology) and PNAT, a spin-off of the university of florence.

to support the project, or for more information on the extensive development process, check out ‘clairy’ on kickstarter here. the fans on the flowerpot take contaminated air and filter it through the plant’s roots by eliminates toxic agents the air you’re breathing is cleaner clairy’s design fits in every home evaluate your air with the smartphone app clairy will tell you when the air is potentially harmful and can help you fix ittrue air plug mount air cleaner proudly a made in italy design and handcrafted by the best italian artisanshunter air purifier red light designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. portable air duct cleaning machines

see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: juliana neira | House plants are natural air filters. They take in carbon dioxide and emit oxygen and can even extract toxins from the air, if you set them up the right way. As we saw recently, several research groups are working on home ventilation systems that integrate plants, promising a future where air purifiers leverage the best nature has to offer. Something like that future is already here. The Andrea—a product that's available on Amazon or at Bed Bath & Beyond—already combines plants for air cleaning. Using a simple fan, it passes air over plant leaves, through soil and roots, and out over a water tray, purifying all the way. See how it works in this video from Inhabitat: The Andrea grew out of an experiment by French designer Matthew Lehanneur and Harvard professor David Edwards. Now commercialized, the company claims it purifies 1,000% more effectively than an ordinary houseplant. "Today people buy air purifiers and then they go out and buy a vase," says Hadfield, in the film.

"We think the future of indoor air purification may be somewhere in between those two."Energy efficient homes could be putting our health at risk. A wide variety of toxic chemicals can build up in tightly sealed indoor environments and affect your health, research shows. But you can take steps to minimize the chemicals in your home by simply bringing green plants indoors. A NASA study revealed that certain houseplants can bring a breath of fresh air to indoor environments and detoxify our homes without the expense of pricey — and noisy — air purifiers on the market. Dr. Bill Wolverton, scientist and author of “How to Grow Fresh Air” has confirmed in multiple studies that houseplants can purify and revitalize the air. Dr. Mehmet Oz has also recommended the use of interior plants for their toxin-filtering abilities in his best-selling book “You, The Owner’s Manual.” “Plants clean the air in our homes, allowing us to breathe easier,” Anita S. Neal, district extension supervisor at the University of Florida and an expert on the power of plants tells Newsmax Health.

“They have the ability to take impurities out of the air through respiration. They also pull air down through the soil, where the roots can absorb impurities. We use many chemicals in our homes from cleaners to products made from harsh ingredients. “One plant per 500 square feet will improve the air quality within your home. Almost all plants utilize photosynthesis to produce their food and a few are really good at cleaning the air. NASA’s study helped identify the best choices.” Here are the top six:These attractive plants remove more formaldehyde than any other plant. They are also highly efficient at removing other indoor air pollutants, such as benzene and xylene — components of gasoline exhaust that can migrate indoors if you have an attached garage. They can be finicky so make sure you mist or water them daily and feed seasonally.The NASA study revealed that these blooming indoor plants are efficient in absorbing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and more.

The peace lily thrives in both low and bright light. Keep the soil moist and feed monthly during the spring and summer months with an all-purpose liquid fertilizer. Keep the foliage dust-free for maximum cleaning efficiency.These diverse houseplants are extremely attractive in the home and help eliminate formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, toluene, and trichloroethylene. Keep the soil damp but not soggy. Feed this plant monthly during spring and summer.This virtually indestructible plant is considered to be one of the most effective indoor purifiers of the plant world. You can hang it in a basket or beside a tall indoor tree — like the Dracaena corn plant — to cascade over the pot’s edge. They help remove formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, benzene, carbon monoxide, and more. These hearty plants grow in any light situation except direct sunlight. Water when the soil becomes dry to the touch. Trim the long tendrils when the plant becomes too large.This evergreen is a climbing plant that adapts well to indoor conditions.

It can be easily grown as a houseplant or in hanging baskets and thrives in low-light conditions. English Ivy is recommended for removing allergens such as mold and bacteria. The green-leaved varieties will grow in bright indirect light and low-light situations. The pale, variegated forms need brighter, indirect sun to thrive. Water generously during the growing period and keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly.This is a small cluster-forming palm from Madagascar. It’s a graceful addition to any home and according to the Associated Landscape Contractor of America, one of the most efficient air-purifying plants and an excellent home humidifier. It helps eliminate benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, xylene and more. Grow in bright filtered light with shade from the hot sun. Water frequently during the growth period but reduce watering in winter. A word of warning for pet owners: Some plants are toxic to pets, so be sure to check with your vet about which varieties to avoid, before adding greenery to your home.