It doesn’t matter if your reusable water bottle is made from glass, metal or plastic: You need to wash it every day. Reusable bottles are an excellent way to cut back on single-use plastic while staying hydrated, but the moist environment of the bottle can turn into a breeding ground for illness-causing germs and bacteria. Get in the habit of adding your bottle to the dishwasher, where the high temperatures can eradicate germs. And never leave a bottle in a hot car or dirty environment (like a gym bag) where the growth of germs is expedited.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

One of the worst things to happen when you’re washing a load of laundry is finding out a new piece of clothing isn’t colorfast. The excess dye transfer to other clothes is nearly impossible to undo and can ruin a whole load of laundry. To check if a garment is colorfast, do this one easy thing: Wet a cotton swab and rub it on the seam of the garment. If the swab turns a color, your new article of clothing is not colorfast and should be laundered separately from everything else.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Did you know more than 1 billion people all over the world suffer from diseases that are waterborne? The Lifestraw product is a modern drinking straw that removes 99.99% of waterborne bacteria and 98% of viruses when a person drinks water through it. To help get Lifestraws in the hands of people who need them, you can donate your old cellphones and smartphones to the LifeCell Project. They’ll recycle the devices and use the proceeds to buy Lifestraws for people in need. The organization will even send you a postage-paid label so it doesn’t cost you a thing to donate. Learn more at lifecellproject.org.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION