Green. Clean. Natural. Sustainable. Organic. There are so many ways products say “better for you” now that it’s hard to know if any of it really mean anything. Rather than add to the confusion, here’s our take on food grade or food safe: What is “food grade”? Food grade ingredients meet the FDA standard to be safe for people to …

Winter means Christmas movie marathons (Elf and Love Actually, anyone?), making the most of unexpected snow days, and windows that stay closed 24/7 to keep the house cozy as possible. But while it may save on heating bills and prevent seasonal shivers, keeping your home sealed tight isn’t actually great for your health. When smoke, flu viruses, dust, mold spores, …

Fact #1: you spend about a third of your life in bed. Fact #2: Crummy mattresses can sap your energy and make you a sore, sluggish zombie the next day. It’s just good sense to get the best quality mattress you can afford—and quality isn’t just about how a mattress feels. Most conventional mattresses are made with materials that emit …

Here at Aunt Fannie’s, our Google News alerts are set to help us stay up to date with everything related to a healthy home environment. From cleaning tips and air quality updates to new research about the microbiome, we’re doing the research to pass along the best tidbits of helpful and exciting info and big ideas right to you. Here’s …

While some people are drawn to the picture-perfect colors of fall (yellow leaves, orange pumpkins, and gold miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups) we’re all about the aromas. From spicy chai lattes and the first fires in the fireplace to pecan pies and that can’t-quite-describe-it smell of crisp October nights, the scents of autumn make us wish it were twice as …

Nothing puts a damper on trick-or-treating like stepping around a mushy pumpkin and being swarmed by a hoard of fruit flies while you’re at it. Keep your jack o’ lantern on point through the spooky season with these tips: Pick the right pumpkin. Just like thumping watermelons yields the best summer barbecue slices, paying attention to your gourds pays off …

Sure, there’s a time and place for pour-over, Chemex, AeroPress, and French press coffee—namely, when other people are making it. But it’s pretty much impossible to beat the sheer joy (some might say necessity) of waking up and groggily stumbling over to a fresh-brewed pot of coffee from your trusty programmable coffee maker. The major downside to that kitchen counter …

Saturday, September 22nd is the official first day of fall, but we’re sorry to report that mosquitoes and other biting bugs don’t keep track of the Gregorian calendar and will still be getting up to their pesky ways for a few more weeks. While consistently shivery temperatures—under 50 degrees or so—do cause most of the 150+ species of cold-blooded biting …

When was the last time you cleaned your dishwasher? And be honest—did you even know that you had to? It’s all too easy to forget that the things that clean our things need to be cleaned, too! We figure daily soap or detergent sessions should be enough to keep things sparkling, but all that heavy-duty washing can cause buildup of …

As perpetual learners and constant questioners, the Aunt Fannie’s team is always looking for ways to up our game—and we believe there’s no better teacher than science and nature itself. That’s why we’re always scouring the web, magazines, podcasts, and tips from friends to discover fascinating new facts about insects, wild research about the microbiome, new, safer ways to care …

2018 is shaping up to be a pretty major year for mosquito-borne illnesses. Daytime “ankle biter” mosquitoes that can transmit the viruses that cause Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever are pestering Southern California, West Nile Virus (which can cause meningitis and brain inflammation) has been plaguing Michigan and New Jersey and dozens of other states, and Zika virus disease …

Let’s face it—a Sunday afternoon spent scouring shower tile and scrubbing a toilet isn’t exactly how most of us would prefer to spend our free time. We get it, and there have certainly been times in our lives when it was easier to simply close the door on the grime and gunk of the bathroom and pretend it wasn’t getting …

A breath of fresh air, a cool breeze, the smells of pine, jasmine, roses, and wisteria… all excellent reasons to tear open the shutters and let a bit of the outside move through your home. Many of us instinctively appreciate the way things just feel better when there’s a cleansing draft moving through the house—especially in warmer weather—but thanks to …

Here at Aunt Fannie’s, we’re a community of lifelong learners. We’re always looking for new ways to optimize our health, understand our world, strengthen our relationships, and take care of the creatures—both large and microscopic—that help our environment thrive. Every month, we like to share the stories that sparked a conversation in the office, plus handy tips and tricks we’ve …

Outside of our clothes, the two fabrics that touch our skin the most are sheets and towels. (Inside of our clothes, we’re naked). Hand towels, bath towels, and pool towels, from bath time to beach time, chances are you’re using lots of towels this time of year. And if you’re getting a full eight hours of sleep every night, on …

A major key to eating healthier is making more of your meals at home, and whether you opt for deliveries of food-prep kits or do the grocery shopping the old fashioned way, the fridge is where it all starts. Chances are you’re going to be much more excited to make dinner the end of the day (instead of popping open …

The summer solstice has passed and the fireworks have blasted, so it’s prime time for cookouts, campouts, and hangouts—all outside, of course. Whether backyard barbecues or backcountry backpacking is more your style, there’s no better time to enjoy the great outdoors. Of course, the desire to make the most of the season is also shared by pretty much everything else …

Raise your hand if you’re worried you’re recycling wrong (FYI: we’re waving ‘em over here right along with you). It can be confusing to know which bits and bobs from daily life can make their way back to us in a recycled form—and the fact is many different kinds of plastics can’t be recycled by our local city governments, and …