Little Helpers 4 ingenious products to make your day easier A speedier way to separate greens from their stems. The various-size holes on this kitchen tool accommodate everything from thyme to kale. Chef’n Looseleaf Stripper, $8, amazon.com.
2 CLOTHES-SEPARATING LUGGAGE
Hate clean garments commingling with dirty stuff? This suitcase has a hamper with an air valve, so you can roll laundry compactly and save space. Carry On Spinner, $238, geniuspack.com.
Eco revamp 2
MOSQUITO CONTROL Citronella and tea-tree oil? They provide only a few minutes of protection. Here are green solutions that really keep bugs from biting. ELIMINATE STANDING
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WATER. Anything that holds water for a week or more, even an underchlorinated swimming pool, is a potential breeding site, says Laura C. Harrington, Ph.D., the chair of entomology at Cornell University. Spots in need of draining: baby pools, birdbaths, recycling bins, pet bowls, flowerpot saucers, and clogged rain gutters. BLOW THEM AWAY. “Many mosquitoes are highly active in the hour before and after sunrise and sunset,” says Jim Pecor, a museum specialist in the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit of the Smithsonian Institution. If you’re outside at these times, set a fan on high nearby to make flying difficult for the pests.
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Deflates for easy compact storage.
USE A KINDER REPELLENT.
3 SOLAR-POWERED LANTERN
Whether you’re camping out or stuck in a blackout, this inflatable light provides 12 hours of consistent LED light. PackLite 12, $23, luminaid.com.
4 SILICONE TUMBLERS
Save your nice barware. Use these colorful, shatterproof nine-ounce glasses for serving refreshments on the patio instead. In five patterns. $30 for four, silipint.com.
Written by
Tanya Christian Photographs by
Jens Mortensen
JULY 2015
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The Environmental Protection Agency says that DEET, the most effective ingredient in bug sprays, is safe if used properly, but many people fear it may harm the environment. An alternative is an oil of lemon eucalyptus– based product, like Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Natural Spray ($8, drug store.com), which works for up to two hours. —KAITLYN PIRIE
P R O P S T Y L I N G BY M A R I A N A V E R A ; I L L U S T R AT I O N BY P E T E R O U M A N S K I . T H A N K Y O U T O R O X A N N E C O N N E L LY, P H . D. , P R O F E S S O R O F E N T O M O LO G Y AT T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F F LO R I D A .
1 LEAF STRIPPER
