Alia is an Atlanta-based freelance writer who has contributed content to HowStuffWorks for going on a decade now, with a specialty in health writing. She’s also been published by TLC, Animal Planet, and a number of corporate clients. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!), and might someday get around to setting up a professional website. Until then, check her out on LinkedIn.
She and her husband are proud parents to three handsome, too-smart-for-their-own-good boys. Alia is a passably not terrible tennis player, lover of all things dance and music, brownie-obsessed, avid reader and off-key car singer. Her two favorite types of people are those who have a healthy sense of humor and those who actually read articles in their entirety before posting comments.
Recent Contributions
Those worn but loved sneaks can look almost new with a few cleaning tips we got from a pro.
By Alia Hoyt
Before you rev up your mower for the latest cut of the season, learn (or relearn) what not to do to your lawn. You can thank us later.
By Alia Hoyt & John Perritano
If you drink a lot of tea, you probably throw out a lot of used tea bags. But there are dozens of surprising things you can do with them instead, both in your home and your garden.
By Alia Hoyt
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Cleaning glass, whether it's a window, a mirror or a coffee table, is more about the tools than the elbow grease. With the right stuff in your bucket, you can get your glass streak-free.
By Julia Layton & Alia Hoyt
On hot summer days, is it best to turn off the AC when leaving home, turn it up or leave it as is? The answer may surprise you.
By Alia Hoyt
Those bread tags (aka bag clips) and twist ties you find on baked goods can be recycled in many ingenious ways. Here are 15 of them.
By Alia Hoyt
You know these two products are powerhouses for cleaning, on their own. But together, they have a whole other set of uses.
By Alia Hoyt
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Nothing is better than a pair of sharp white shoes. But it's hard to keep them looking that way. Or is it?
By Alia Hoyt
Borax, a popular addition to laundry detergents and slime recipes, is a natural ingredient that has been getting flack for possibly being harmful to children. But is this true?
By Alia Hoyt
Although left-handed people were thought to be "sinister" or "unnatural" in previous eras, we now know that left-handedness is natural for 10 percent of the population. And it can have some advantages over right-handedness too.
By Alia Hoyt
Folklore says heavy or spicy food before bedtime can cause nightmares. Surprisingly, there's been no real study of this — until now.
By Alia Hoyt
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A new study shows that belief in perceiving patterns correlated strongly with belief in conspiracy theories and the supernatural.
By Alia Hoyt
You've probably had ice stick to your hand when you pull it out of the ice maker. But why is that?
By Alia Hoyt
Next time the cat starts sneezing, should you look for your umbrella or check her out for allergies? There are many superstitions out there about animals and weather prediction. Which ones hold water, and which ones are for the birds?
By Alia Hoyt
Liminal spaces, like empty corridors or abandoned malls, can seem eerie and mysterious, yet compelling. Why do they have that effect on us?
By Alia Hoyt
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Many items enjoyed by people of all abilities were originally designed to help people with disabilities. Here are some inventions you may use every day that were originally for the disabled community.
By Alia Hoyt
In the last few decades, there's been a sort of arms race to build ever-taller skyscrapers. Which seven currently rank as the world's tallest buildings?
By Alia Hoyt
Cream of tartar isn't just for angel food cake! In fact, cream of tartar uses go well beyond the kitchen, helping you remove stubborn stains, relieve constipation, and so much more. Read on to explore its possibilities.
By Alia Hoyt
A tiny critter with a snout, known as the weevil bug, may be crawling around your pantry. And if there's one, there could be thousands! But how do you get rid of weevils? Let's find out!
By Alia Hoyt
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Sure you can shove your food on any shelf in the fridge it will fit on. But stacking it the right way will help the food last longer.
By Alia Hoyt
You may have spotted these insects in your home. But are they bad to have around? And how do you get rid of them?
By Alia Hoyt
Winter time often means hauling out the humidifier to improve air quality. But ignoring the cleaning instructions could add to your health problems.
By Alia Hoyt
This pretty flower has been known for centuries to have chemicals that can regulate your heartbeat but also poison you.
By Alia Hoyt
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It's not uncommon for your bathroom to occasionally have bad odors. But when you smell sewage, that's usually not a good sign.
By Alia Hoyt & Beth Brindle
Indigo children are either here to save the world or need help with their undiagnosed ADHD, depending on your point of view. We explore this New Age concept in more detail.
By Alia Hoyt