If you want total assurance that the vintage blanket, T-shirt or fabric you bought is really sanitary, skip washing it and put it straight into the dryer. Mist your thrift store finds with a little water, then run everything on high heat for 30 minutes. This will destroy any bedbugs and bacteria, and it will help deodorize the items, too. If they are machine washable, wash them in warm water with detergent and dry with high heat. If the items came boxed or bagged, be sure to toss those packaging materials into the trash right away.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

While buying lightly used items from a thrift store or online is a smart way to save money and reduce waste, there are some things you should never buy used. Avoid used cribs, especially those made before June 2011. Safety standards changed significantly after June 2011, including new regulations on things like the height of the crib, the slat width and even how the mattress fits. These standards were changed to make cribs safer for the baby. When in doubt, don't buy it. And don't donate a crib if you know it predates those changes.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Moving from one home to another – packing, purging and unloading -- can generate a lot of waste. One simple way to green your move is to invest in reusable (and rentable) storage containers that you can fill up, move and return to the moving company. Also, instead of using copious amounts of plastic cushioning material, gather all of your kitchen and bath towels and blankets and use them to wrap fragile items. And recycle everything you can: Rinse out old bottles in the fridge, tear down cardboard boxes and donate unwanted clothes and housewares to charity.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION