You might have a small piece of clean aluminum foil and wonder: Can I recycle this, since aluminum foil is recyclable? There's a simple rule of thumb: If it's smaller than a credit card in size, the answer is no. This also includes bottle caps, paperclips and "recyclable" coffee pods (even if they have a recycling mark on them). These small items can often jam recycling equipment and cause entire sorting machines to shut down. It's such a huge problem that recycling centers often will shut down over a dozen times a day to clear jams caused by small items. Instead, toss these small pieces into the trash.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

It's great that you use your reusable water or hot beverage bottle every day, but you still should do one thing: Wash it properly every day as well. Germs and bacteria love moist environments, so when a bottle stays wet and doesn't get washed, illness-causing spores can germinate and sprout. It's not enough to swirl hot water around a bottle to get it clean; you need warm water and soap to properly disinfect both the inside and the parts that touch your mouth. The best method is to toss it in the dishwasher to make sure it's clean and properly disinfected.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Ever wonder what to do with flat, warm, leftover beer? Give your garden a good drink! The natural yeast in beer can help with plant growth. Simply pour leftover beer into a watering can and add regular water. Pour the mixture near the base of plants, and when you're done, cultivate the soil a little bit. You can also fill a small empty tuna fish tin with leftover beer to keep slugs away from your garden; they'll crawl in for a drink but drown when they're unable to get out.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION