Cleaning

Machines that drip more slowly than they used to, or makers that leak, signal a build up of minerals.

“I always recommend that you change your mask like you change your underwear: daily."

Plus, what you should use instead.

Household bleach can be an effective way to stave off germs, including the novel coronavirus, but you need to make sure you follow expert instructions.

If you have a home with dishwasher, it probably saves you loads of time on hand-washing. But dishwashers, as quick and thorough as they are, can also wreak havoc on your kitchenware when they’re not used thoughtfully. Delicate glassware, for example, could easily shatter in a dishwasher, while a wooden cutting board or spoon might end up split.

Good hygiene isn’t just about washing your hands and wearing a mask.

Everyone has a few home and cleaning tips they’ve been taught that, to be honest, may or may not even work—whether that’s using newspaper to clean glass, rubbing strongly-scented dryer sheets on clothes to keep bugs away, or polishing shoes with banana peels. One laundry hack that often gets tossed around is putting tennis balls in a dryer to soften your clothes and dry them faster.

You've probably seen this trick on Pinterest.

You can breathe new life into your vacuum cleaner in one weekend afternoon.

The former Bed Bath and Beyond employee shows you how to master this task.

As with all disinfecting, it makes sense to take a targeted approach.

This weekend, we're going to pay special attention to one spot that's accumulated a patina of dust and a collection of stray fingerprints.

In case you've ever wondered what $100 worth of jars looks like.

It's probably one of the most underrated cleaners of all time. But, as always, there are a few things to watch out for.

If you follow the right steps, you may never need to spend money on a dry cleaner again.

Was it worth it? Is anything worth it????

It will make your linen closet look like an HGTV-inspired dream.

There are many right ways to do this, but here's my favorite—if hacky—method.

Ants tend to pop up in the spring and can linger through summer, foraging through your kitchen for food.

Picture this: Inspired by the window-cleaning marathon you completed while getting a jump start on spring cleaning, you’re cleaning all the glass in your house. You’ve done all the doors, the glass that protects every photo that’s hung on the wall or displayed on a bookshelf, and the mirrored tray on your oversized tufted ottoman. In your zeal, you’ve finished a spray bottle of glass cleaner.

Are donation centers open during the coronavirus crisis? What about charities like homeless or women’s shelters? We've got all the answers.

We asked two experts from GE Appliances to help us break down the science at work in their machines.

Once you identify the good feelings hidden in these so-called "chores," it'll be a lot easier to start and stay on top of the things you know you ought to do.

To learn more about the best (and most hygienic) laundry practices during a pandemic, we spoke with a laundry expert.

You can make spring cleaning less overwhelming by starting small.

We asked the experts so you don’t have to make an awkward call to your plumber.

We'll tackle one task every weekday for two weeks. And today, we're starting small.

You can’t always predict when a cough or sneeze is coming on. And you definitely can't control roommates who won't take their health seriously.

If your dishwasher is already full and you need a good substitute, here are some options.

Yes, grocery store hauls require a whole other level of vigilance right now.

Take this chance to reset everything and enjoy that squeaky-clean-house feeling.

Even if you have access to a washer, you might want to take this extra maintenance step just to be sure you’re not sleeping in a literal bed of germs.

Researchers are only beginning to understand how long the novel coronavirus can survive on surfaces, but here's what we know.

Here's how to do it, and make the practice a habit.

Your showers will never be the same again.

I’ve never met a cleaning hack I wasn’t willing to try. And this one paid off.

No one wants to step right back into their old dirt.

Here are some ways to re-use them post brew.

It's like magic.

These tips help make cleanliness part of the rhythm of daily life.

To truly master all the skills of maintaining a home is an exhaustive list and frankly, out of reach for many people. But even if knowing everything about home repair and DIY is not on your list of life goals, there are still a few skills worth knowing. This year, consider finally mastering a few from this list of ten — they’re skills that will come in handy in just about any home and not that difficult to learn!

Do you love where you live almost as much as you love your life partner? Are you single this year and looking for a hot date with an emotionally available living space? This year, forget the chocolates and corny Valentine’s Day cards and spend some time treating your home to a little lovin’ this February 14th. It’s not just about greeting your guests with a little bit of seasonal cheer. It’s about greeting yourself, too, after a long day at work or away from home.

Sharing a home with another person (or persons) isn’t always easy — and conflicts tend to occur, especially when it comes to cleaning chores. There’s a way you can cut down on disagreements over cleaning tasks in the future, though, and it’s actually a really easy step: Have everyone who lives in the home work together to officially decide when a room is considered “clean.

If you’re preparing to host Thanksgiving dinner this year, you may be feeling like this week is the silence before the storm. Rather than let nerves build to a day-of crescendo, here are some things you can check off of that Thanksgiving to-do list a full week in advance, freeing up time on the holiday itself: Make a shopping list. Depending upon what’s on your list, you might be able to even get your shopping out of the way now, before stores are overcrowded.

If you had the choice between paying $13.00 or $1.50 for the exact same product, I don’t think there would be any hesitation, you’d opt for the cheaper option. That’s what got me inspired to make my very own household cleaner for electronics after my name brand cleaner finally ran out this weekend…It was really my better half who got me wondering about a no-chemical, affordable DIY cleaning solution to replace the more expensive store bought option.

We’ve got good news for you: You probably don’t have to spend all day disinfecting.

You know you should wear gloves to clean, but knowing and doing are two very different things.

Here's a condensed version of the health agency's recommendations for how healthy people should be cleaning their homes right now.

Knowing how easily and quickly I could wash up turned a switch on in my brain that kept committed to hand-washing.

Sturdy and stiff enough to thoroughly clean, yet gentle enough to not strip away that seasoning.

For as often as we use laundry detergent to keep our washables clean, we might be making silly mistakes.

Some people are taking sanitizing matters into their own hands (pun intended). Here's why that won't work.

Brand loyalty is great, but the best product is the one you can find (or already have at home).

Let's get introspective.

After countless commutes, you might wonder: Do I need to clean something that sits so close to my ear drum? The short answer is yes. The long answer is yeeesssssssssss.

This could be a good option for those who choose to use free and clear detergent—but would like their laundry to be mildly scented and aren’t bothered by essential oils.

Maybe this says more about me than I should admit, but at the age of 35, laundry has become a very big deal.

I recently tested name brand dryer sheets against two other fabric softening alternatives, and while the difference in softness was significant, it wasn’t enough to convert me to start buying dryer sheets. I know too much.

It can be used to store liquid soaps, too.

When you really need to go the extra mile, cleaning-wise.

This cleaning technique harnesses the power of "small wins" in a very visual way.

This condiment does more than just make for tasty sandwiches.

Rags, over paper towels, are my preference from both a waste and an efficiency standpoint—except in these three instances.

Here's some cleaning feeds to scroll through that'll inspire you to tidy the digs you stroll through.

Washing and drying clothes uses a lot of energy and water in a typical house. Here are 10 ways you can reduce your consumption of water and energy while doing laundry.Move the dryer closer to an outside wall The farther exhaust air has to travel from your dryer to get outside, the more energy your dryer will use on every cycle. If you can, move the dryer as close to its exhaust port as possible. Can you reduce the number of elbow bends in the exhaust pipe?

Here are three tracks based on doable time limits—designed to give you a bathroom that's clean, cleaner, or cleanest.

Uncovering some eye- and leg-opening research.

There's one major component of our kitchens that may not be getting the attention it needs to stay clean even though we use and see them every day.

It's amazing what this tiny tool can do!

One survey says it's probably more time than you think, and even worse if you live in the UK.

It's holding up 4.5 stars with nearly 5,000 reviews, so I had to see what the fuss was about for myself.

Whether you're in a pinch, or just trying to streamline your cleaning cabinet, there’s no need to buy specialty cleaner. We called on Kristin Griesel of New York City’s Catbird for advice.