Now more than ever, it's important to use soap to wash our hands to keep ourselves clean and healthy. To help extend the life of a bar of soap, you can follow these simple tips. First, look for triple-milled or "French milled" styles of soaps. They are denser, harder soaps with less air inside, so they dissolve much more slowly than other styles of soaps. You can also cure your bar soap by unwrapping it and letting it air dry; this will help remove excess moisture and make the soap denser. Finally, you can cut a large bar of soap into smaller pieces and use only what you need when you need it.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Here's a reason to always buy organic raisins: Conventional brands are often fumigated with toxic gases to prevent pests from destroying them in storage. According to the Environmental Working Group, it's not just the chemicals used on grapes in the field that are concerning; fumigant residue could pose a health risk to you and your family (not to mention farm workers and people in the manufacturing facilities). With 208 million pounds of raisins eaten by kids every year, choosing organic is a healthier and proactive step to make sure these chemicals don't end up in your raisins.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Did you know that in many communities, polyethylene plastic-coated cartons are recyclable? These are the types of containers that things like milk, juice, soup, broth and drink boxes come packaged in, and yes, they are 100% recyclable. So why aren't waxy takeout containers or ice cream boxes recyclable, if they feel just like one of these cartons? It all comes down to the composition: The fibers of cartons break down easily, while the others don't. So when recycling, leave non-carton waxy containers in the trash, and avoid contaminating a load of recyclables.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION