Portugal is now hiring unlikely heroes in their efforts to prevent summer wildfires. Last year, the deadly blazes killed a total of 106 people, but the government is confident that the precautions they are taking this year will prove to be effective.

Government officials are hoping that the herds of goats will be able to eat through the very thick and very flammable undergrowth that overlays the hilly countryside and causes wildfires every summer. Even though this might be the first time that Portugal has recruited animals as a preventative measure against the wildfires, the United States has been utilizing this environmentally friendly strategy for decades (mostly in California and the Pacific Northwest).

“Last year was when it became patently clear to us that something different had to be done,” said Miguel Joao de Freitas, the junior minister for forests and rural development. “Prevention is the most urgent requirement, and it has to be done as soon as possible.” In addition to the goats brought in to eat the undergrowth, Portugal has also upgraded their firefighting resources, bringing in 12 water-dumping planes along with 41 helicopters to combat fires as they break out.

Between the beginning of July and the end of September, during the summer’s peak wildfire period, over 10,700 firefighters will be on standby, waiting to combat the blaze. To give some perspective, that’s 1,000 more than they had last year.

While the biggest reason for the wildfires has to do with the high summer temperatures and topography of the Portugal hills, we can’t ignore that social factors and climate change also play a role. When people leave the countryside for the city, the goat population numbers fall. Daniel Fernandes, a local goat herder stated that “there used to be lots of herds around here. Some people have died, some gave up, and young people aren’t interested in this.”

A report issued by fire experts last April read: “Unfortunately, there is no single, game-changing fix to the dilemma Portugal now finds itself in regarding the threat of catastrophic fire… the solution will demand dozens of strategic improvements made in the next several years and possibly over the next decade.”

Washing your hands seems like a simple task. In fact, you have been doing it since you were a little one, but most people are actually doing it all wrong. Experts say if you really want to get the job done, you need to first wet your hands, then add soap and lather for twenty seconds. Wash your hands thoroughly if you want even more effectiveness, and then try turning the faucet off with your elbow.

This one doesn’t seem to be the fault of the collective, as refrigerator makers have given us a little compartment and door shelves that are perfect for milk and eggs. It seems, however, that they have been steering us all wrong as placing these things in the door could be doing us harm. Some studies show that the shelves at the top of the fridge are warmer than the lower ones. Because of this temperature difference, any food that is easy to spoil should be on the colder shelves.

Many people brush their teeth twice a day, but there are a few that feel the need to scrub their pearly whites in between meals. This may be a calculated mistake, according to some professionals. Some studies show that brushing after a meal can harm the layer below your enamel, and this could lead to future dental issues. So brushing twice a day is enough.

Holding the wine glass by the cup may look right, but it is not. The warmth transferred through the glass from your hand can actually heat the wine and change the flavor. You should hold the glass by the stem pinched between your thumb and index finger. This will help balance the glass making it easy to swirl to aerate the wine and negate any transfer of heat to that tasty beverage.

Too much of a good thing can end up being very bad. That is what experts say about using mouthwash too much. You should only use it sparingly, or you may be washing away bacteria that are intended to help you. All that good bacteria is there for a reason. Plus, some studies claim that overusing mouthwash can lead to Type 2 diabetes. So keep the mouthwash to once a day and make sure to stay nice and healthy.

Devout denim enthusiasts already know this, but most everyday jeans wearers may not – you shouldn’t wash those jeans after every wear. Washing jeans frequently ruins the color and shape of the denim in question. It is not just a theory; it has been proven scientifically. Studies show that jeans that are frequently washed can lose up to 4% of the fibers. This is double what those that are only washed every now and then lose.

This may not be something that comes up daily, but it is something we have all gotten wrong for years. When a nice chilled bottle of wine or beverage is needed, we pile in the ice and nestle the beverage into the ice. If the drinks need to be cooled fast, try a salt and ice water bucket instead. Or stick the beverage in the freezer for a little time; just remember it is in there, otherwise there may be a mess to clean up.

Remember your gym teacher telling you to stretch out before you hit the field? Part of the reason was to help prevent injuries. Unfortunately, science has a different thought on this concept. Over several studies, the data has shown no decrease in the occurrence of injuries between those that stretch and those that don’t. It doesn’t hurt though, so maybe keeping with some stretches to remain limber might be a good idea.

When anyone needs to clean their clothes, it often looks like this: dump laundry in, start the washer, and then add the soap. But this doesn’t quite do the job. The proper way to use your washer is to let the water begin to fill, then put in the soap, let it distribute through the water, and then add your clothes. This ensures that soap touches all the clothes evenly. You should also wipe down the washer to get rid of excess bacteria.

Several kitchens have this all wrong. Many people like to store their glasses upside down to prevent dust from getting into the interior of the glass. This may do the trick, but it is also putting a lot of pressure on the rim of that glass, which is often the most fragile part. Especially for a wine glass, you should store it stems down to prevent moisture collection and pressure cracks from forming.

Sticking to once a day when it comes to showering is the right tactic apparently. Many people love a shower in the morning to get the day started and a shower in the evening to wash the grime away, but that could be doing some damage. Showering too much can remove the good bacteria you need to stay healthy. It can also cause your skin to dry out or experience other skin issues. So if you like to take hot showers, keep them short to avoid drying out your skin too much.

There is more than one type of plunger, who knew? In fact, this may be why some have tried to use their toilet plunger to unclog their kitchen sink. Unless you are using a cup plunger, which is the one with the wider brim. This will allow better contact with the bottom of the sink. In turn, you shouldn’t use this type of plunger for your toilet, instead try a flange plunger.

Many parents try to keep the baby awake during the day for them to sleep at night. This, according to experts, is not the right way to do this. Parents will have problems getting an overtired baby to go to sleep, just as much as one that has rested too much during the day. The trick is to find a schedule that works for the individual child and stick to it.

How often do people pop a stick of gum in their mouth, trying to get rid of bad breath? Quite a lot of this could be causing more problems than it is fixing. Most of the gums are chock full of sugar, which can feed the bacteria in the mouth. This can further cause more bad breath, so instead, if bad breath is a problem, it is better to ramp up the oral hygiene. If gum is a necessity, then try to find ones that use xylitol or even a vegan gum.

A place for everything and everything in its place. This is something many of us have heard, but when it comes to organizing your dishwasher, this saying is something to live by. There are parts of your dishwasher that work better on certain foods than others. One study shows that dishes dirtied with protein-rich cuisine should be placed on the outer rim of the unit. If you are dealing with a carb-heavy meal, try placing them in the center. So we all have been doing it wrong the entire time, no wonder the dishwasher needs a little help from us.

Bobby pins are notorious for not staying put, and that is because we all have been using it the wrong way. When you look at the design of the pin, one side is flat, and the other is wavy. That wavy section should be inserted facing your scalp. The waves grab onto the hair and keep the pin in place. Now we know, and we can keep our do’s intact.

Growing up, many of us were told to let leftovers cool before putting it in the fridge, especially anything made with tomatoes, but this is not a good idea. The USDA says that food left out gets in an unsafe temperature zone. It is also better to break the food into smaller portions so they cool off faster and then get them in that fridge as soon as you can.

Sometimes a theory is passed around enough that the collective consciousness begins to believe it is true. For years in physical education classes and gyms the world over, the go-to exercise to tone your abs was sit-ups. But after a lot of research and changes in the understanding of the human body, many trainers know there are better options to get your abs on point.

Most of us turn on the fan when it starts getting hot, but they can be used in the cooler months as well. It all has to do with the way you run it. During the summer months, a fan should be run counter-clockwise. This will push the air down, helping cool your space. What most people don’t do is switch the flow when it gets cooler. This will have the opposite effect pushing the warm air downward.

Frustration often sets in as many try to pull a sheet of aluminum foil from the box. The rolls fall out of the box, and half the roll is gone. Then after trying to roll it up again, it all starts over. The trick to stopping this is actually built into the box, and we have all overlooked it the whole time. At the sides of the box, there are little tabs that say press in. These are intended to keep the roll in place while in use.

Making a kitchen look good often means including a nice wooden cutting board. However, it is time to throw those out unless they are used for decoration. It happens that these kitchen tools are hard to keep free of bacteria. Plus, they can’t be put in the dishwasher most of the time. Over time and by cutting certain foods up, bacteria and pathogens can seep into the grain of the board. So perhaps it’s time to switch over to plastic boards for our safety.

The food comes to the table, and everyone begins picking up their napkin. Normal right? Well, yes, but in truth, this is a major mistake. The real way this should go down is the moment we all sit at the table, the napkin goes into our lap. This is proper etiquette and respectful of the chef and your dinner companions. This may not seem right, but according to all the etiquette experts across the globe, it is the proper sequence of events.

Many blender boxes say that they are dishwasher safe, and so many of us are perfectly fine using it, rinsing and then shoving it with the rest of the dirty dishes. But even though it is safe to do so, this may not be getting the blender as clean as you think. Instead, try filling it with warm water and dish soap and then running it through the blender for a few seconds.

Getting sun is important to a human’s health, but with the sun’s rays also comes some danger. That is where sunscreen comes into play, and it appears that we all have been using too little for it to be really effective. Scientists and dermatologists have come out to say that most people use too thin of a layer. The populace also doesn’t put it on at the right time, either. These experts say that we should all apply a shot glass full of sunscreen over our bodies. And it should be done about 15 minutes before heading out into that beautiful sunny day.

Many people get out of the shower and begin brushing their hair, starting with the bottom. We do this because it tends to have the most tangles. This is not good for their hair, though, for many different reasons. The first is that it does not distribute the natural oils that are produced in your scalp. This damages the overall health of the hair. It also can cause breakage, which leads to split ends.

A resistance band is all the rage. All you have to do is scroll through Instagram to see this, but most experts think they are the way to that cute butt. Most trainers actually say that they are great for warm-ups, but they need to be combined with traditional weight training. They are great for toning the muscle, but the building needs a consistent, fairly heavy weight lifting regimen.

After a night of drinking and partying, a lot of us reach into the medicine cabinet and grab some Tylenol. Though this works to some extent, the better idea is to hydrate. The symptoms of the hangover are associated with dehydration, so after a long night, we should all put down the Tylenol and reach for some water. Or if the night was one that went down in history, another great choice is Pedialyte.

Ice cream can be a pain to get out of the carton, and one of the popular ways to soften it is by the microwaving it, thereby making it easier to scoop out. But there is a better way! Instead of plopping the carton into the microwave, try moving the ice cream into a sealed freezer bag. This will keep the ice cream safe from freezer burn and prevent it from solidifying into a frozen rock.

How many of us actually know what the drawer at the bottom of the oven is for? Most people use it as an extra storage space for more kitchen supplies. This is the warming drawer where you can keep the ready prepared food warm. Press the warm button and set the covered dish in the drawer and get those small chores done before grubbing down on some perfectly heated leftovers.

Starting with painting a room is counter-intuitive, as this means it will limit the fabrics and accessories that you decorate it with. But many interior designers say this is backward and that it is better to have an idea for what you envision the room to look like. Doing this will allow the individual to choose the perfect shade to paint the walls, and the room will come together easier.

Everyone loves avocados. They are good for breakfast; they are good on a sandwich, and they are outstanding in a nice taco. This fruit has so many uses; it may just be the generational food of millennials. We buy so many that we want to keep them fresh, so we put them in the fridge with the rest of the produce. This is a terrible idea. This fruit produces the same chemical as bananas to ripen. So if the avocados are freshly picked, they should be left out in a warmer room (about 68 degrees Fahrenheit) to continue the ripening process.

Like with all morning rituals, brushing our teeth is a whole process. You brush your teeth and then spit out the toothpaste. After that, typically comes the rinsing and gargling. But this system does not allow for the toothpaste to do its job. Once brushing is done, you should wait thirty minutes to rinse and gargle with water. Using a timer could help make sure that this time constraint is upheld.

Recycling is important, and doing it right is even more important. Too bad most of us are doing it wrong. At least we are trying, but the EPA has released information that we regularly are throwing items into the recycling bins that are not recyclable. Things like greasy pizza boxes and colored paper are some of these and are not able to be recycled. For the most part, we could all be better at recycling; let’s just make it the right thing.

Another great way to protect the earth is to compost. But just like with the recycling bin, we are all putting the wrong things into composting bins. You shouldn’t be putting citrus peels, onions, bread, or walnuts in that pile. Many of these foods have compounds or qualities that will lessen the efficiency of the compost. Plus, some of them are really attractive to those vermin you don’t want rummaging through your garbage.

When households sign up for the internet, most of the time they are given a wireless router. Unless we have a tech person in the family, most of us just hook it up and go about our business. But keeping the default settings on this router leaves the personal information of everyone using that Wi-Fi open to hackers and viruses. The best idea is to reset the password, as well as making sure that all updates are installed.

Proper dining etiquette is no longer taught in regular schools, so most of us sit down and grab the closest fork and start eating. If we had all taken Ms. Manner’s class, we might have learned that this is a big no-no. When eating at a restaurant or fancy occasion, start at the outside and work towards the plate with each course.

Covering up during the heat of the summer seems like the right plan, and many of us have been told that wearing a white shirt can help protect your skin from sunburn. This piece of clothing actually offers almost no protection at all. So instead of using this as protection, investing in sunscreen is a better way to protect your skin.

How many times have we all been told that most of the human body’s heat escapes through the head? So we all stock up on cute hats during the winter months. But according to some medical reports, that little fact that we have all been using as an excuse for our hat addictions is not entirely accurate. Less than 10% of a person’s heat leaves through their head, and although that is a decent percentage, it doesn’t make up the entirety of the heat that leaves our bodies. So perhaps during those winter months, we all need to stock up on gloves and coats as well.

Everyone has their favorite way to sleep. Some sleep on the side, others on their back, but stomach sleepers may have a problem. Chiropractors say that this is the least favorable way to sleep as it causes undue twisting of the spine. Plus, most that sleep like this keep one leg bent up toward their body, which puts a kink in the flow of blood as well as nerve signals. This can cause respiratory issues. It is much better to start transitioning onto sleeping on your side by using wedge pillows and other accessories.

No one wants a melted piece of chocolate, so in the heat of the summer, a lot of people put the chocolate in the fridge. This is a big mistake for several reasons. The cold temperature can affect the flavor of the chocolate itself. Placing chocolate in the fridge can also cause sugar bloom, which will affect the texture of the chocolate. Lastly, the chocolate can also absorb food odors from the fridge. Instead of the fridge, find a cool, dark place and store the chocolate there.