If you want your clothes to be cleaner, do one thing: Use less laundry detergent. Using too much detergent is called "overdosing." When you overdose on liquid detergent, it creates too many suds, which can leave a film on fabric. This film attracts odors and dirt, which basically means your freshly clean clothes are magnets that attract dirt more quickly. To avoid this, use less soap on your next load. It'll remove the embedded detergent already in your clothes and leave them suds-free. This will extend the life of your clothes, and you'll save money, too.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If you love creating centerpieces for your dining room table using flowers from the supermarket or florist, think again. The majority of flowers are treated with pesticides to help them last longer and grow stronger. Exotic flowers that come from tropical environments also have a huge carbon footprint from being flown halfway around the world to you. Instead, think live plants (like potted pansies or herb plants) for your table. They last longer, and if you're having a party, guests can take them home and plant them.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Did you know less than 10% of all plastics are recycled and the rest are landfilled? For hard-to-recycle plastics, like yogurt containers marked with a No. 5 recycling sign, the number is even lower. If you love yogurt, one easy switch is to look for glass yogurt containers instead of plastic. Since glass can be infinitely recycled (and glass is three to four times more recycled in the U.S.), it's a greener choice. Even the metal lid on a glass yogurt container is recyclable, making it a zero-waste product versus plastic.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION