Did you know you can make your own eco-friendly all-purpose cleaner from old orange and lemon peels? Start by liberally sprinkling table salt on top of the peels and let it rest for 20 minutes. The salt will draw the essential oils to the surface of the peel. Then brush off the salt and place the peels in a jar; fill it halfway with white vinegar, and then top it off with water. Let it sit for two weeks, and then decant into a spray bottle for a great-smelling and truly effective all-purpose cleaner you can use on virtually any surface.

By now, LED light bulbs have taken over as the go-to choice when it comes to the most energy-efficient and longest-lasting bulbs to use around the house. But if you plan to replace light bulbs for areas outdoors, you might want to reconsider your choice. It turns out LED bulbs give off a significant amount of something called "blue light," which insects find attractive and gravitate toward in summer nights. If your back porch is an extension of your home, consider using CFL bulbs with a yellow coating, which blocks UV light and is the least attractive color for bugs.

The greenest option when it comes to eating outdoors is to bring your own reusable plates with you. But the reality is, sometimes that can be a cumbersome option. If you must use disposable plates, opt for compostable paper plates instead of plastic, foam or even regular paper plates. Compostable paper plates, which you can buy at the supermarket and have a composting symbol on the packaging, can literally be put into a household compost bin and turned into beneficial mulch. To speed up the composting process, you can soak the used plates with water before putting into the compost bin.