This 10-Minute Task Will Keep You Motivated to Clean
How are you feeling now that we’re halfway through January? We’ve gotten so much done for our homes this month—little by little. Now you can feel the satisfaction that will come from checking today’s tiny to-do off the list. When you’re feeling less than great about your home, you probably hesitate to invite people over. Yet planning a future get-together can be one of the most effective ways to stay on task and motivated to clean house.
Jan 15, 2018
The Simple, One-Step-at-a-Time Way to Overhaul Your Kitchen
It’s finally the weekend! Whether you’ve been doing the Cure for a week or a decade, you know that weekends on the Cure are about two things: Treating yourself to flowers and taking the extra time to tackle a big (but necessary) job. So that’s what we’re doing. Today’s “big job” target is the kitchen — which I know is a capital-b Big Job.
Jan 12, 2018
Tackle This Quick Refresh and Make Your Favorite Spot Look Flawless
I’ve got a treat for both the newbies and the veterans of this year’s Cure: Today’s task is brand spanking new. It’s something that I know will have a major impact on not only the way your home looks, but how it works, too. Because if your home life is anything like mine, the deserving object of today’s hustle is a well-loved and much-used spot in your space.
Jan 11, 2018
Why You Should Keep Your Used Dryer Sheets
If you use dryer sheets to keep your clothes lovely-smelling and static-free, don’t throw them away. Put a basket in the laundry room to hold your used dryer sheets and reach for them to make any of the following household tasks easier (and much more pleasantly scented). Wipe one over your clothes or furniture to help remove pet hair. Run them over your baseboards and other molding to lift dust and help repel it.
Jan 10, 2018
Why You Should Keep Toothpaste in the Kitchen
I love finding ways to use things I already have in new life-hack-y ways, like removing labels on jars with coconut oil and baking soda. Like toothpaste: It’s something we all have in our bathrooms. But here are a few reasons to keep a tube in the kitchen. Gently rubbing non-gel toothpaste on water rings can remove them from a wooden table. Scrubbing chrome fixtures with a dab of toothpaste will make them gleam. Rub the toothpaste into the chrome with a rag and then buff with a clean rag.
Jan 9, 2018
Try This 2-Step Weekend Plan for a Warm and Spotless Home
You know that old cliche about taking medicine with a spoonful of sugar? Well we believe in it: do something you like and something you don’t like at the same time. That’s why you have two tasks today. One that’s fun and one that’s not-so-fun but really important. It’s the classic Cure weekend combo that you’ll see all month long: Warm your home with a little life on Friday, then take the next few days to tackle a much-needed chore around your space.
Jan 5, 2018
This $20 Find Can Cut Your Vacuuming Time in Half
So often, our biggest hurdles to getting stuff done are mental ones.
Jan 4, 2018
Never Clean These Things with Baking Soda
Most of the time baking soda is our go-to basic cleaner, but not for these items.
Dec 31, 2017
6 Things You Can (and Should) Clean in Somebody Else’s Home
No matter how familiar you are with your hosts, staying over makes you — by definition — a guest in someone else’s home. An extra person in someone else’s space. A gracious host will tell you to “make yourself at home,” but no matter how you choose to live at your own place, there are certain things you must do to be a good houseguest in somebody else’s. Specifically good guests always, always clean up after themselves.
Dec 15, 2017
How I’m Getting My Home Holiday-Ready With Two Hours, A Magic Eraser, and a Sweet List of Podcasts
Hibernating with my family at home during the holidays is extra nice when the den is sparkling clean. And snuggling under a faux fur blanket with a mug of hot cocoa beside a roaring fire is just that much better when the bookcase to my right isn’t layered with a veneer of dust. Here’s how I plan to — pretty painlessly — get my home ready for ensconcing myself in. I find that this time of year is the perfect moment for me to reset my space.
Dec 14, 2017
Why You Should Keep a Dry Erase Marker in Every Room of the House
Your most on-top-of-it friends? I’ll let you in on their secret for staying organized: Write everything down. Your brain has to do a lot of day-to-day hustling, so anything that you can clear out of it and get onto paper is something you’re sure to remember when needed. But the thing is, you don’t need paper at all. Dry erase markers can do a lot of heavy lifting around your home.
Dec 12, 2017
How Your Hair Ties Can Help You Clean Your Makeup Brushes
After daily foundation applications, swirls of blush, and minutes spent in your steamy bathroom, your makeup brushes can quickly become home to unwanted oils and bacteria. This is why cleaning makeup brushes is a critical step to keeping your skin healthy and clear. But after diligently washing brushes and laying them out on a towel, they often take hours—sometimes even a full day—to fully dry.
Dec 8, 2017
Why You Should Put Rice in Your Coffee Grinder
If you use a coffee or spice grinder you know that, over time, residue builds up inside and on the blades, and it’ll eventually, well… get a little gross. The good news is that if you’re facing a funky, gunk-filled coffee grinder, there’s an easy trick to get rid of all that buildup and get your grinder clean and back in action: use rice.
Dec 5, 2017
Reddit’s Vacuum Expert is Back With More Don’t-Waste-Your-Money Tips
Way back in the historic year of our lord two thousand and thirteen, a lowly vacuum repair technician popped into Reddit’s “Ask me Anything” forum to answer the community’s burning vacuum-related questions. Boring setup isn’t it? Vacuum expert on an internet message board. But user touchmyfuckingcoffee‘s candor — the man has seen a lot of broken vacuums — and impressive expertise that day became something of Reddit legend.
Dec 1, 2017
5 Life-Changing Home Habits You Should Start in Your New Apartment
Sometimes moving into a new apartment is just the push you need to start over. It’s a clean slate—your new home is clean and empty, and as you move in, you have the power to decide where everything goes and what you want your home to be like.
Nov 27, 2017
Cyber Monday is a Great Day to Buy a Vacuum
Vacuums aren’t really fun to buy. Sure, you’re happy to have one that makes the chore of vacuuming quicker and easier, but few of us relish plunking down our hard-earned cash for one. But if it’s time to upgrade, why not do it on a day when they’re heavily discounted? Just because you tuned out for Black Friday doesn’t mean you missed out on all the deals.
Nov 27, 2017
6 Genius Things You Don’t Have in Your Bathroom, But Should
As a society, we’re constantly trying to make our lives easier, speed up everyday tasks and find products to hack our routines. While we’re constantly on the hunt for new technology that can multitask for us (honestly if you told me 10 years ago that someday I’d talk to my lightbulbs, I wouldn’t have believed you), there are plenty of affordable products already on the market that can change your life—or at least your life in the bathroom.
Nov 27, 2017
This Mindful Question May Be the Key to a Clean Home & Organized Life
Nothing, of course, can lengthen our finite days. But I love finding ways to feel like I’ve gotten more time — to feel less rushed and distracted and more on top of it and productive. One way I try to do this is by shedding unnecessary time-eaters from my family’s days (limiting after-school activities and only attending the birthday parties of close friends, for example). Another way I eke time from my day is to ask myself one simple question.
Nov 26, 2017
This Waste-Free, Self-Cleaning Lint Remover Might Just Change Your Life
It's no-waste AND self-cleaning.
Nov 24, 2017
Why You Should Keep a Cutting Board in Your Small Bathroom
You think New York City real estate is bad? You should see my bathroom counter. The door to the bathroom opens up right into the only natural place to put the vanity, which means there’s only one shallow, narrow space for the vanity to go — and one shallow, narrow space to work with when I’m getting ready in the morning. I used to drop my makeup bag and hair straightener right into the sink, but that got old fast every time I needed to rinse extra cheek tint off my hand.
Nov 21, 2017
7 Things You Need to Clean Before You Leave Home for the Holidays
The holiday season is upon us, and that means you’re probably excitedly gearing up for your holiday travels—whether you’re off to spend quality time with your family, or you’re taking a much-needed vacation somewhere warm. But before you head out the door suitcase in hand, there are a few things at home you should take care of.
Nov 17, 2017
Before You Sweep, Do This to Your Dustpan to Keep Dirt In
Nothing about cleaning my house is quite as rage-inducing as sweeping the floors. Not because it’s difficult, or even particularly time-consuming, but because the dirt never really ever stays in the dustpan. Does it? That’s what I thought, at least, until a friend tipped me off on this stupid simple household tip. It’s so ridiculously easy and quick that you’ll feel silly for not having thought of it before. Here’s the tip: Just run the dustpan under water first.
Nov 14, 2017
Why You Should Put a Cotton Ball in Your Trash Can
I’m trying to watch my waste. And we recycle a lot. So my trash can—it doesn’t get a lot of attention. An egg shell here, and some uneaten leftovers there. (I should probably start composting, I think.) It takes some time for my trash to get full, and in the meantime… it can kind of start to stink. I’ve heard a gentle sprinkle of baking soda into the can every once in a while can help, but the truth is, I need something more “set it and forget it.
Nov 13, 2017
I’ve Found the Secret to Tackling My Most-Hated Chore
I don’t know about you, but my sense of time is pretty bad. Like “I’ll be ready in 5 minutes” is almost always a lie, bad. And when I call in a to-go order, I set an alarm because I will severely over-estimate how long “15 to 20 minutes” can be. It never seemed like too much of a problem — at least not with an impatient, loves-to-be-early type of husband in the house who regularly overestimates our travel time to surprise parties.
Nov 10, 2017
The Major Home Rule You Might Break This Holiday
Most of us have those few die-hard house rules that no one dares contest. (Maybe it’s the way you put toilet paper on the roll or what gets put in the dishwasher versus hand washed.) But in a time of year when guests frequent our homes and a bustle of activity means that not everything will go your way, consider letting go a little bit and embracing a gracious spirit of hospitality that puts your visitors’ comfort ahead of your own.
Nov 8, 2017
What Cleaning Tasks Do You Find Gross Yet Satisfying?
Cleaning is, by nature, kind of gross. I mean, sure, your home ends up clean afterwards, but you’re taking on dirt and dust and grime so you’re going to get a little dirty in the process. And even though some tasks are dirtier than others, it’s often those really nasty tasks that are the most satisfying to finish. Maybe because it feels good to take your frustration out on grout that needs a particularly good scrub, or maybe you just love a job well done.
Nov 7, 2017
This Weekend: Do This To Your Bedroom Right Now
Chilly weather and holidays call for sleeping in and cuddling with fluffy blankets. But the cozy vibe is anything but restful if all you see is clutter and junk, especially when you’re in this one particular spot. This weekend, we’re going to recover some peace and calm. Go around your bedroom and gather everything that’s sitting on the surfaces of your bedroom furniture. You can go about this a few ways.
Nov 4, 2017
If You Want to Get Along With Your Roommates, Don’t Do This
The standard solution for dividing up roommate chores is to come up with some sort of rotation schedule, but while that works for some people, sometimes it’s just not the most efficient way (even if it does feel more “fair” because some chores are arguably better than others) to do things.
Nov 1, 2017
7 Scary Cleaning Tasks You Always Avoid (and How to Take Them On)
As a part of our reader month, we asked the AT community to weigh in on the scariest home cleaning tasks. Some of the responses were chores that are simply gross, while others are a little more challenging—and some speak to real fears (anyone else an arachnophobe?). But beyond just being scary, they all have something in common: they’re totally doable—you might just need a little help.
Oct 30, 2017
Do You Clean for Guests? You’re in the Minority, According to This Study
You know that mad-dash feeling you get when you find out a guest is coming over last-minute and you don’t have time to clean (you know, the one where you run around hiding things in closets and wiping down everything you pass by at warp speed)? Or when you have plenty of time to plan and get ready, do you spend way too much energy trying to get things exactly right for your guests? Yeah, me too—on both fronts. But as it turns out, not everyone is on the same page.
Oct 28, 2017
This Weekend: Take Care of Your Kitchen’s Biggest Odor Offenders
Nothing says “c’mon let’s eat” like offensive smells in your kitchen. Kidding of course! Yet there are several spots that naturally get ickier than others, where gunk, dried liquids, and food bits combine to form a low-grade yet persistent maelstrom of malodor. This weekend, we’re going to take care of that. All during October, we’re tackling your home’s “scariest” tasks — the dirtiest, foulest, most dreaded jobs on your to-do list.
Oct 28, 2017
The Uber-Easy “Always and Never” Guide to Making Hardwood Floors Last Forever
This guide takes the guesswork out of caring for your wood floors.
Oct 27, 2017
How to Give New Life to Your Old Suitcases
Between spills, errant shoe bottoms, and airplane grease, inside and out, our suitcases may not be the cleanest. This year, before you pack for your holiday trips or winter getaways, give your luggage the royal treatment so you can put your carefully packed clothes somewhere they’ll stay fresh and clean.
Oct 21, 2017
How to Flu-Proof Every Spot in Your Home
While the CDC recommends that “the single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season,” it’s also a good idea to pay special attention to where germs in your home can proliferate and be passed around, especially if someone in your household gets sick. Flu germs can live on hard surfaces for 24 hours, so target these hot spots in particular.
Oct 17, 2017
Readers Weigh In: This is the Room You Should Always Clean First
Getting the toughest room out the way first will help jumpstart the rest of your housekeeping responsibilities.
Oct 16, 2017
The Holiday-Ready Task You’ll Want to Check Off Your List Right Now
It might be too early for Christmas music and putting a fir tree in the living room, but it’s definitely not too early to start planning for the holidays. These early fall months are a great time to start budgeting for gifts, booking travel and, if you’re hosting this season, one other thing… It’s true.
Oct 16, 2017
This Weekend: Do The Grossest Thing You’ll Do All Year
This weekend, it’s time to address another hidden part of our homes, one that, left unchecked, can cause much bigger and more serious problems. There are at least a few of them in your house (I have eight) and they could be harboring some serious gunk. Roll up your sleeves and brace yourself for some yuck. All during October, we’re tackling your home’s “scariest” tasks — the dirtiest, foulest, most dreaded jobs on your to-do list.
Oct 14, 2017
Can You Wash a Rug at the Car Wash? We Find Out
When my friend Emily and I first met, I knew we were meant to be BFF’s after hearing all her wonderful tales of growing up in a big old victorian home. I was just 18, but already desperately in love with great big old houses, so of course I gravitated toward people who lived in them. One tale in particular she told, was the story of how each year her entire family would load up all the carpets in the house and take them to the carwash to be cleaned.
Oct 11, 2017
The “Make and Pile” Method Might Save Your Messy Bedroom
When faced with a messy bedroom, sometimes it’s easier to just shut the door than to climb the mental mountain of starting to actually pick it up. Disorder begets disorder and entropy is an easier, downhill path to take (especially when only you will see the room). But what if you were to flip the script and use an orderly room to motivate you before you put even a single errant item away? First, make your bed. Tighten the sheets, smooth the coverlet, and fluff the pillows.
Oct 9, 2017
This Fluffy Robot Duster Could Also Entertain Your Cat
Unless you’re a certified germaphobe, you’ve likely dropped the ball on doing housework at one point or another. This furry robot cleaning ball will allow you to keep your hands and floors clean while it does the dirty job of dust busting. As robotic cleaning options go, the multi-functionality and quirky appearance of the Mocoro Robot Cleaning Ball put it a step above the rest.
Oct 8, 2017
The 5 Essentials You Need to Tackle Your Least Favorite Bathroom Chore
It’s official: Cleaning the bathroom is a nasty job. In a recent reader survey, the largest group — 13.3 percent — said that scrubbing the shower or tub was their least favorite chore. But just like buying a new pair of leggings can give you a kick to get exercising, arming yourself with a cleaning kit just might get you jazzed to take on the task. To make easy work of a tough job, here’s the 5-part pack I’d recommend (for around $38, out the door).
Oct 6, 2017
This Weekend: Easily Eliminate Years of Buildup in Your Bathroom
When I think of bathroom buildup, I think of grout first, and all the ick that accumulates in between the tiles. Tackling those lines is a major chore, requiring a ton of elbow grease and most likely a stiff brush. Turns out there’s a second spot that also gets gross, but, in this case, couldn’t be easier to clean. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how painless this particular weekend project will be — there’s no scrubbing required!
Sep 30, 2017
New Study Reveals How To Avoid Bringing Home Bedbugs
Nothing strikes terror into the hearts of millions like one simple word: bedbugs. Thankfully, new research published yesterday reveals how to avoid bringing the creatures home with you, and therefore infesting your apartment. Instances of bedbugs have been on the rise, in part because of increased international travel. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, has found that there are some things you can do to prevent the pests from coming home with you.
Sep 29, 2017
We Tested Three Methods for Removing Coffee Stains and This One Won Out
Are you a frequent coffee drinker? Then you’ve probably also experienced the struggle of getting a coffee stain out of your favorite shirt—nothing like a big brown spot in the middle of an otherwise perfectly crisp white shirt to make you dread doing the laundry (not to mention, paranoid about coffee cup lids and too-full mugs). But while getting out coffee stains can be a struggle, there are products and cleaning solutions out there that can help.
Sep 27, 2017
We Tried These Bathroom Drain Snakes To Unclog a Sink & OMG The Hair
Snaking the drain is one of those nasty jobs that we put off, and just deal with a clogged or slow draining sink or tub because we don’t want to bother with calling the landlord, or figuring out how to do it ourselves. Like so many things, after we actually do it, we realize it’s just not a big deal and wish we’d done it sooner. It’s also satisfying —and gross.
Sep 25, 2017
9 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Clean With a Clothes Steamer
On top of handling wrinkled clothes, this trusty tool can tackle lots more housekeeping tasks.
Sep 19, 2017
This Humane Spider Catcher is Perfect for Arachnophobic Pacifists
I don’t need a Buzzfeed quiz to tell me that the Mean Girls character I most identify with is the “she doesn’t even go here”-girl. I just have a lot of feelings, OK? I talk to my plants like they’re people. They’re named after people, for goodness sake. And I can’t let go of a chair or a car on Craiglist without feeling like I’m abandoning a member of my family. “Is he going to take care of Heidi the Honda?
Sep 18, 2017
Is Your Kitchen Sink the Key to Happiness? Yes, According to This Fan-Favorite Cleaning Plan
Do you follow the FlyLady? If not, here’s a little backstory: the FlyLady is a site dedicated to organizing and cleaning your home, started by Marla Cilley. The site gets its name from Cilley’s old username from her first online endeavor, and is equal parts an homage to her love of flyfishing and an acronym that means “finally loving yourself.
Sep 11, 2017
One Day at a Time: The Only Chore Chart You’ll Ever Need
It’s no secret that the key to cleaning success is to do a little bit every day. Of course, there are the things you already keep up with daily or regularly—like doing the dishes, taking out the trash, or wiping down the kitchen counters—but it’s the tasks beyond that that can so easily fall by the wayside if you don’t have a plan that fits in with your already busy schedule.
Aug 30, 2017
The Simple Key to Keeping a Maximalist House Tidy
Minimalism may be all the rage, but that doesn’t mean maximalism is out by any means—some people would just rather live with more space and others, with more stuff. It’s all a matter of preference. One of the perks of minimalism, however, is how much easier it is to keep your home clean. It’s less about the practice and more just common sense—not owning a lot of stuff means there are fewer things to clean, along with fewer opportunities for clutter to pile up.
Aug 23, 2017
Not a Drop: A Dozen Tips and Hacks that Make Painting Cleanup Easy
We collected a dozen smart tips that will make your next painting project spotless and splatter-free.
Aug 18, 2017
Overwhelmed with a Messy Home? Try the Laundry Basket Method
You know my favorite thing about being a human? (Sarcasm alert.) It’s that thing how when your home is really messy, your brain finds it overwhelming and hard to process and almost paralyzing. So then your body can’t muster up the energy or willpower to actually clean it. And so the place just gets more messy and your brain is more overwhelmed and it’s harder every day to actually tackle the mess. Yeah, that’s super fun, right?
Aug 17, 2017
Cleaning Time Capsule: Vintage Ads to Remind Us All What It Was Like Back in the Day
Many of the cleaning brands we use today have been around for decades—some have even been around since the 1800s—and that means that over the years, they’ve seen many a marketing campaign. Flipping through old magazine ads for the products we still know and love is quite the experience, and so is watching vintage television ads from generations ago. Some are questionable, some are hilarious, and some, surprisingly, aren’t really all that different from how they are today.
Aug 17, 2017
Zippered Sheets: For Anyone Who Can’t Stand Changing Fitted Sheets (AKA “Everyone Ever”)
There are two kinds of people in the world: people who think changing sheets is NBD and the rest of us, aka anyone who doesn't have their bed floating in the middle of a vast room.
Aug 16, 2017
A Teeny Tiny Cleaning Task that Will Make Your Home Feel Like New
It’s the details that really allow something — like an outfit or, in this case, your home — to shine. Even when the furniture is flawlessly laid out and the decor is impeccably styled, a dingy little detail might be bringing the whole look down. Ok, that was kind of a grand statement, because… doors. We’re talking about doors. But your doors are probably dirty!
Aug 12, 2017
Fifty Years Before Martha: Lillian Gilbreth Was the Original Mogul of Homekeeping
Ask anyone who the queen of homekeeping is, and I bet they’ll tell you it’s Martha Stewart without even a moment of hesitation—and they’re not wrong. But while Martha has ruled over this incredibly organized kingdom for the last 35 years, there was another mogul before her—a woman named Lillian Moller Gilbreth.
Aug 11, 2017
10 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Recycle or Compost
Want to be more mindful while you’re cleaning? You’ve probably got a good handle on the items you can toss into your recycling bins—paper, plastics, glass, aluminum, etc.—but there are also a lot of specialty programs that allow you to recycle other household items to reduce waste and even help people in need.
Aug 8, 2017
This Cleaning Survey Has Officially Ruined My Life
Warning: What I’m about to tell you might upset you, but apparently according to a new study from Mulberrys Cleaners, there are too many people out there just… not washing their underwear. According to the survey—which got responses from more than 1,000 people—while most people (around 85 percent of women and just under 80 percent of men, as you can see on the chart below) said they wash their underwear after 1 to 2 wears, 18 percent of men and 10.
Aug 7, 2017
The Best Thing You Can Do For Your Sofa
Whether or not you love your furniture, it pays—quite literally—to keep it looking great. If you have a sofa or chair you love, the benefits of making sure your investment lasts a long time are obvious. But even if you’re not sitting on your forever couch right now, keeping it in great shape will make your piece a more appealing second-hand buy for the lucky shopper who finds your well-maintained sofa on Craigslist for a steal.
Aug 2, 2017
Machine Washable Rugs? They Exist, and Here’s What You Need to Know
Story time: When we first started talking about this at Apartment Therapy, my immediate reaction was, “Machine washable rugs exist?!?” so if you’re reading this thinking, “wait, really?” you’re not alone. (If you did know this already, you can probably still learn a thing or two, and those of us who didn’t know appreciate your patience with us.
Jul 31, 2017
The Sunday Plan: Your 20-Minute Bedroom Refresh
You know how it goes: Friends pop over Friday night and you toss the laundry that’s been on the couch waiting for you into laundry baskets, which get deposited in your master bedroom behind closed doors.
Jul 23, 2017
The DIY Cleaning Recipes Bloggers Swear By
Looking to DIY your cleaning products? Your favorite lifestyle and cleaning bloggers can help. Seriously—just a quick Pinterest search for cleaning recipes will lead you to tons of popular DIY cleaning sprays and solutions from top bloggers. Many of these cleaning recipes use essentials you probably already have on hand at home. Whether you copy them or put your own DIY spin on them, here are some popular cleaning recipes from bloggers who know their stuff.
Jul 7, 2017
12 Top-Rated Vacuums (That Are Cheaper than a Dyson)
A low price point doesn't always mean low quality—in fact, some of the least expensive vacuums out there are among the highest rated.
Jun 28, 2017
Cause & Effect: Clean This Today to Save Major Money Tomorrow
If you pride yourself on keeping a tidy home, there’s stuff around the house you want to do. Like buying an organizer for the junk drawer. That right there is like a drug to Monica Geller types. But no matter how much you enjoy cleaning up, there are still some chores that are, well, chores. Cleaning the fridge coils is one of those things.
Jun 27, 2017
A 2-Minute Post-Shower Routine to Get (and Keep!) Your Bathroom Ultra Clean
With the combination of dampness, soap scum, and grout and grooves, the place where we get ourselves clean isn’t always the cleanest place itself. However, having a few of the right tools in place makes it easy to create a do-it-now cleaning habit so you can keep the bathroom fresh perpetually. Use Fabric Shower Curtain Liners: Soap scum is any bathroom-cleaner’s nemesis. Getting it out of plastic shower curtains is impossible and, frankly, not worth the time even trying.
Jun 19, 2017
Smart Cleaning Advice That Only Messy People Could Give
If you’re a messy person looking to making cleaning and organizing a little less painful—and, you know, incorporate it into your regular routine—who better to get advice from than people who face the same challenges and have found ways to make it work? We asked self-admitted messy people to share their shortcuts and what helps them (along with combing through a few super helpful Reddit threads—this one and this one, to be exact).
Jun 16, 2017
Don’t Let Bloodsuckers Keep You Inside: Our Best Mosquito Repellent Strategies
I live in Florida and I know very well how bugs can ruin both special outdoor events and perfectly ordinary daily moments. Just last week our s’mores summer kickoff was cut short by suuuuuper pesky gnats that insisted on hovering near our eyelashes and noses and we’ve endured more than one car ride with mosquitoes buzzing around in the van while my daughter screams in fear of being eaten alive (they do seem to feast on her especially, poor thing).
Jun 16, 2017
In Praise of Drunk Cleaning
I have always hated to iron. So imagine my surprise when a co-worker told me that the most relaxing part of his day was coming home, drinking a beer or two, and doing a little ironing. As someone who deeply detests ironing, I would never have dreamed of anyone finding it relaxing. As the daughter of two strict teetotalers, I would never have dreamed of mixing drinking and household chores. This was my first introduction to the wonderful world of drunk cleaning.
Jun 14, 2017
3 Things Keeping You from an Ultra-Clean Bathroom
An immaculate bathroom is hard to find. Considering how much time you spend in your bathroom everyday, keeping it clean and fresh can have a real impact on how you feel. Unfortunately, even after you spend hours cleaning, bathrooms have a tendency to get grimy fast.
Jun 14, 2017
How the World Does Laundry
No matter where you live, laundry is probably a big part of your routine. In fact, according to a new study by Nielsen, globally 67 percent of people said they do laundry at least twice per week, and another 31 percent said they do laundry every day. But despite similarities in how often people around the world clean their clothes, there are some differences in how they do their laundry (if they even do it themselves at all).
Jun 9, 2017
The Ultimate Fashion Lovers’ Fantasy: Rooms Dedicated Entirely to Clothes & Shoes
What would you do if you had an extra room in your apartment? Save it for a guest room? Transform it into a home office? Make yourself an at-home gym? For these fashion lovers, their extra room is used for storage — of the style variety! These homeowners and renters carved out a fashion-only room for specific reasons.
Jun 7, 2017
Your Home is Working Against You, And Here’s What to Do About It
Housekeeping is rarely fun or easy. But what if we told you that you could improve the overall efficiency of your housework, without actually spending any additional time, money, or energy? Believe it or not, with a little imagination and planning, you’ll find there are tons of tiny ways you can boost the productivity of your place—ones that truly don’t require any extra work.
Jun 1, 2017