Sure, using a ceramic coffee mug at the office is a great way to avoid disposable cups, but they can be an unhealthy choice, since most offices don't have dishwashers. If you wash your cups using old brushes (or just swirl some tap water inside to get it clean), it can be filled with colonies of germs that can make you sick. To properly sanitize your coffee mug, fill it halfway with water and microwave it for about 90 seconds. This will zap germs and give you a clean cup you can use day after day.

When cleaning out your pantry for your local food bank, you might think canned food past its expiration date can't be donated. But the reality is that you can donate these items. The expiration date is actually a best-if-used-by date, meaning the manufacturer only guarantees freshness up to that date. It does not mean the food is expired or bad. Food banks encourage you to still donate canned food as long as the can isn't dented, bulging or rusted.

Buying vintage clothes, bags and shoes is a great way to create personal style and reuse something at the same time. But sometimes vintage clothes can smell like, well, vintage clothes. To get rid of musky odors for items that are hard to wash, reach for your cat's must-have item: kitty litter. The same activated charcoal in kitty litter that absorbs odor can eliminate smells from your vintage finds, too. For bags and luggage, just dump a few cups inside, close it up and let it sit for a week or so. For clothes, just fill a garbage bag with clothes and sprinkle kitty litter inside. Seal it up for a week to give everything a fresh smell.