Many of us have given up drinking water and other beverages from reusable plastic cups, and it's also a good idea to give your pets water from a non-porous container. Instead of plastic water bowls, consider stainless steel. Plastic deteriorates over time and gets both large and microscopic scratches. Even with frequent washing, these scratches can become a breeding ground for bacterial growth. Plus, as plastic ages, it dissolves slowly into the water, which ends up in your pet's digestive system. Another bonus of stainless steel: It's recyclable in your curbside recycling.

When you see frying pans, kitchen utensils and even knives labeled as "dishwasher-safe" on the packaging or online, be sure to look at the fine print. Yes, they are technically dishwasher safe, but only if you use limited cycles and not the full automatic cycles most of us choose. If separating your real dishwasher-safe items from your partially dishwasher-safe items sounds like a hassle, just do the next-best thing: Wash what you suspect isn't dishwasher safe by hand. Use your dishwasher (which is water- and energy-efficient) for more durable items like plates, cups and glasses, and protect your pricey pots, pans and knives by scrubbing them by hand.

If you buy organic for only a handful of fruits, do it for apples, blueberries, grapes and strawberries. According to the nonprofit advocacy organization the Environmental Working Group, it found 98 percent of the apples tested contained detectable levels of pesticides. Conventionally grown blueberries had more than 42 types of pesticide residue on them. Grapes tested for the highest amount of pesticides, with more than 64 types in the testing. And in just one strawberry, it found a whopping 13 pesticides. Since many fruits are like sponges that absorb whatever is sprayed on them, even washing most of these fruits can still lead to the ingestion of chemicals. Go organic with these if you can.