Make sure your chimney is free of creosote

With the recent chilly evenings, a cozy fire sounds ideal, but before you light that next fire in your fireplace, make sure that your chimney is in good condition or you are in danger of a chimney fire.

Chimney fires are treacherous and are caused by the buildup of creosote, a highly combustible material that is a byproduct of combustion.

A good way to treat and reduce existing creosote is to use a creosote sweeping log. It burns like a fire log, cleaning chimneys and wood stoves while it burns. It neutralizes and removes flammable creosote from chimney walls. In addition, additives from the log will create a natural coating that protects your flue against new buildup. Look for a creosote sweeping log at your local hardware store.

Rockford Register Star

Kill germs with light It's cold and flu season. If you are looking for a safe, natural way to keep your family healthy by stopping the spread of germs without chemicals, check out Germ Guardian UV-C air sanitizers. The sanitizers use UV-C light technology, the same technology used by many hospitals and commercial settings.

The sanitizer has a fan that pulls air into a germ-killing chamber where the ultraviolet-C light penetrates the germ, altering its genetic structure and rendering it sterile. Sanitized air is then circulated back into the room.

A compact plug-in sanitizer circulates 450 cubic feet of disinfected air every hour. Look for it at your local hardware store

and give someone the gift

of a healthier indoor environment.

Rockford Register Star