Microfiber cloths are an eco-friendly, affordable and effective way to practically clean every surface in your home. The cloths are made of tightly knit microscopic fibers that literally grip onto dirt, germs and bacteria and absorb 7 to 8 times their weight. Microfiber towels are reusable hundreds of times, and you can toss them in your washing machine. But to keep their absorbency at its peak, be sure to wash them separately. Lint from other fabrics (like T-shirts and towels) can get embedded into the microfiber, making them less effective. Also, never use fabric softener or dryer sheets when laundering microfiber towels; they will leave a finish on the fabric that causes it to lose its grip.

Using a vacuum is one of the best ways to create a healthy home. By vacuuming just once a week (or twice if you have pets) you can keep dirt, dust and other debris under control. But one more trick? Vacuum slowly. By going slow and moving the vacuum with overlapping strokes, you actually speed up the cleaning process by 85 percent. More dust, allergens, pollen, dirt and other debris get picked up with the slower motion of the vacuum.

If you like to keep a bottle of olive oil on your kitchen countertop, there is an easy step you can take to avoid having it go bad. When it comes to preserving olive oil, there is one major enemy: light. The more light the olive oil faces, the more free radicals are generated, which leads to oxidation and rancidity of the oil. To avoid this, choose a glass bottle that has a blue or green tint to it, which will act as a natural UV light barrier. You can also use a metal container, but choose a non-reactive metal like stainless steel, not iron or copper, which will react poorly with the oil.