One of the easiest ways to freshen up a smelly garbage disposal is to reach for two kitchen staples: white vinegar and lemons. White vinegar and lemons contain acids that help neutralize odors naturally, but when you pour straight white vinegar down the drain, it doesn’t have a chance to actually do its job properly. So try this: Fill an ice cube tray with a mixture of cut-up lemons and white vinegar, then freeze it. Pop a few frozen cubes into the disposal, turn on the water and turn on the disposal. It’ll deodorize and sharpen the blades at the same time.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Plastic caps on containers of juice, soda and water are now recyclable, but they should not be left in place on the bottles. When plastic bottles are compressed during the baling process, a tightly screwed-on lid or cap can prevent bottles from compressing. The solution? Leave the cap only ever-so-slightly on the bottle rather than twisting it all the way on. That way the cap won’t go astray during the recycling process while still allowing the bottle to compress.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Plastic containers of lighter fluid and motor oil are often stamped with a No. 2 recycling symbol. While No. 2 is a commonly recycled variety of plastic, these containers are not. The reason is simple: Plastic containers that once held flammable liquids like these are not recyclable. The residual oil inside can ignite during processing, and it also changes the overall chemical composition of the plastic. So, what to do? Safely dispose of these containers in the trash.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION