Home Tips of the Month from Bonny Lamb

Turns out that the healthiest squash—chock full of vitamins—is yellow/summer squash, according to On Health a publication by Consumer Reports. And if you like pumpkin seeds, also good for you, bake the seeds of acorn squash and other types of squash that have larger seeds.

The commercial spray cans of Pam, Canola oil, etc., all contain silicone. To avoid the chemical, add your oil of choice to one of the many styles of spray containers available for purchase.

Google says the batteries on Black & Decker dust busters can be replaced;  but I had no success finding a replacement. Hoover has a much more versatile product in a sleeker, more practical style, at a higher price, of course ($139.99 plus tax at Target)—don’t know if the battery is replaceable. With a 3-year warranty, the One PWR “dust chaser” has small attachments and promises to have twice the suction power of the usual dust buster. It takes up less space, even with the little attachments.

Approximately 90% of street noise gets into your house through the windows, let alone all of the cold air that gets into the house through windows, too. Check the insulation around the glazing; have better hardware installed. Storm windows are powerful insulators and often better than new double-glazed. Your interior will be more peaceful, especially if you live on a busier street, and you’ll be warmer during these frigid winter months.

Another reminder about English ivy, an invasive species that strangles and kills trees, like this one in West Cambridge. It’s our local kudzu, all too evident in Cambridge, Belmont and Somerville, taking over gardens and climbing trees. At the beginning of the climb, the roots can be pulled from the trees; once securely attached to the tree or wedged within the interstices of the trunk, the thick stem at the bottom of the tree needs to be sawed to destroy the vines.