Do you want your flower arrangements to stay fresh longer? There’s no need to add chemical flower preservatives to your vase full of water. Instead, simply add a splash of white vinegar (it helps inhibit the growth of bacteria) and toss in a little sugar (it feeds the flowers and helps closed blooms open up, too!). The simple combination of these ingredients is enough to give your arrangement a few extra days of fresh life. And if you happen to have a little lemon-lime soda, you can add a splash of that to the water, too.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

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