When you bring home fresh fruits and veggies from the store, it's not enough to rinse them under running water. Produce -- both organic and conventional -- should soak in a mixture of tap water and white vinegar to properly remove the chemical residue on the outside. The mild acid in the vinegar will also sanitize produce that has been touched by multiple hands from farm to packing facility to supermarket to your home. Just do a quick rinse before eating, and you're good to go!

Cooler temperatures will mean dry air inside our homes from heating systems. To combat this, many people use humidifiers to add moisture into the air. But like any machine that uses water, a humidifier needs to be disinfected because of bacterial growth inside. To clean it, fill the water chamber with white vinegar and let it sit for 30 minutes. After scrubbing the chamber, dump the vinegar, then fill it with cool water and a few teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit for 30 minutes, rinse and use like normal.

Many homeowners are advised to keep chest freezers in the garage because the unheated area will help keep the freezer cold. But the reality is that the garage has inconsistent temperatures, especially in climates with hot summers and cold winters. These swings in temperature can force the freezer to work harder on hot days, which works the internal motor longer and can break down the lifespan of the freezer. The best place to keep a chest freezer is the basement, where the temperature is consistently cool.