One of the best things you can do to keep a healthy home is to kick your shoes off at the door. You don’t need scientific research to know the bottoms of your shoes can harbor dirt, grime, bacteria, fecal matter and more. But many studies have shown that shoes pick up quick-spreading bacteria and even illness-causing strains like E. coli, too. Leave your shoes at the door, resting atop sheets of newspaper. The paper will absorb excess moisture and dirt and help keep your home (and floors!) clean.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If you’ve baked a casserole and covered the dish with aluminum foil, save it to help give your dull scissors a little sharpening. Just take your old aluminum foil and fold it over at least seven times (make sure the foil is clean and dry when doing this). Then cut right into the foil with your dull scissors; each snip is re-sharpening the blades. Snip away several times until your scissors can cut cleanly through a sheet of paper. And don’t forget: You can wad up that used foil and toss it into the recycling bin when you’re done!

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Fresh flowers are a nice and easy way to keep your home cheery. But when the flowers begin to wilt, what do you do with them? Whether you grew them yourself or brought them in from the store, all flowers are fully compostable. But one thing isn’t: The water used in the vase. That little packet of flower feed that came with your store-bought flowers is actually a biocide that kills bacteria in water, and that chemical can kill the good bacteria in your compost. It’s best to pour that water mixture down the drain.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION