
5 Do-It-All Cleaners We Love
One way to make cleaning less of a chore is by streamlining your supplies. Rather than rummaging through an overcrowded cabinet to find specialty cleaning products, you can mostly rely on just a handful of really good multipurpose cleaners to knock out messes around the house. Here are a few basics our experts love: All-purpose cleaner for just about anything: We'll start with the obvious here. Our cleaning expert calls a good ol' cleaning spray 'arguably the most important item in your cleaning kit.' It can get pretty much anything in your house sparkling: grease splatters on the stove, crumbs on tables and counters, fingerprints on stainless steel, and much more. These are our favorites.
We'll start with the obvious here. Our cleaning expert calls a good ol' cleaning spray 'arguably the most important item in your cleaning kit.' It can get pretty much anything in your house sparkling: grease splatters on the stove, crumbs on tables and counters, fingerprints on stainless steel, and much more. These are our favorites. A centuries-old cleaning powder for making things shine: We've used Bar Keepers Friend for everything from restoring the glimmer on stainless steel, to brightening porcelain sinks, to destaining tile and grout. The liquid version of Bar Keepers Friend is just as effective as the original powdered version, but it's easier to squeeze up into the rim of a toilet to get rid of unsightly stains.
We've used Bar Keepers Friend for everything from restoring the glimmer on stainless steel, to brightening porcelain sinks, to destaining tile and grout. The liquid version of Bar Keepers Friend is just as effective as the original powdered version, but it's easier to squeeze up into the rim of a toilet to get rid of unsightly stains. A powerful cleaner and degreaser for soap scum, bathtub rings, and kitchen messes: Krud Kutter is a concentrated cleaner that's so useful, one of our experts buys it by the gallon jug. For general jobs around the house, he mixes it in a 1:10 ratio with water and keeps it in spray bottles. Mixed 1:5 or so, it gets oil and grease off motorized equipment. And it's safe on fabrics, too. Think of it like Simple Green — but without the reek.
Krud Kutter is a concentrated cleaner that's so useful, one of our experts buys it by the gallon jug. For general jobs around the house, he mixes it in a 1:10 ratio with water and keeps it in spray bottles. Mixed 1:5 or so, it gets oil and grease off motorized equipment. And it's safe on fabrics, too. Think of it like Simple Green — but without the reek. The best dish soap (for more than just dishes): This electric blue dish soap cleans dishes pretty well. But it really shines when it's applied to household cleaning projects, like tackling oily stains on clothing or stubborn grease splatter on walls or stovetops.
This electric blue dish soap cleans dishes pretty well. But it really shines when it's applied to household cleaning projects, like tackling oily stains on clothing or stubborn grease splatter on walls or stovetops. Wipe it all up with a microfiber cloth: In our testing, microfiber cleaning cloths excelled at lifting dirt from keyboards, clearing smudged glass, dusting baseboards and windowsills, and absorbing countertop spills. Plus, they grab dust effectively and catch microbes.
More handpicked cleaning supplies to tackle almost any mess→

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New York Times
4 days ago
- New York Times
5 Do-It-All Cleaners We Love
In this edition of Clean Everything, we share a few multipurpose cleaners our experts recommend. Plus: Why cloth diapers make excellent household rags. One way to make cleaning less of a chore is by streamlining your supplies. Rather than rummaging through an overcrowded cabinet to find specialty cleaning products, you can mostly rely on just a handful of really good multipurpose cleaners to knock out messes around the house. Here are a few basics our experts love: All-purpose cleaner for just about anything: We'll start with the obvious here. Our cleaning expert calls a good ol' cleaning spray 'arguably the most important item in your cleaning kit.' It can get pretty much anything in your house sparkling: grease splatters on the stove, crumbs on tables and counters, fingerprints on stainless steel, and much more. These are our favorites. We'll start with the obvious here. Our cleaning expert calls a good ol' cleaning spray 'arguably the most important item in your cleaning kit.' It can get pretty much anything in your house sparkling: grease splatters on the stove, crumbs on tables and counters, fingerprints on stainless steel, and much more. These are our favorites. A centuries-old cleaning powder for making things shine: We've used Bar Keepers Friend for everything from restoring the glimmer on stainless steel, to brightening porcelain sinks, to destaining tile and grout. The liquid version of Bar Keepers Friend is just as effective as the original powdered version, but it's easier to squeeze up into the rim of a toilet to get rid of unsightly stains. We've used Bar Keepers Friend for everything from restoring the glimmer on stainless steel, to brightening porcelain sinks, to destaining tile and grout. The liquid version of Bar Keepers Friend is just as effective as the original powdered version, but it's easier to squeeze up into the rim of a toilet to get rid of unsightly stains. A powerful cleaner and degreaser for soap scum, bathtub rings, and kitchen messes: Krud Kutter is a concentrated cleaner that's so useful, one of our experts buys it by the gallon jug. For general jobs around the house, he mixes it in a 1:10 ratio with water and keeps it in spray bottles. Mixed 1:5 or so, it gets oil and grease off motorized equipment. And it's safe on fabrics, too. Think of it like Simple Green — but without the reek. Krud Kutter is a concentrated cleaner that's so useful, one of our experts buys it by the gallon jug. For general jobs around the house, he mixes it in a 1:10 ratio with water and keeps it in spray bottles. Mixed 1:5 or so, it gets oil and grease off motorized equipment. And it's safe on fabrics, too. Think of it like Simple Green — but without the reek. The best dish soap (for more than just dishes): This electric blue dish soap cleans dishes pretty well. But it really shines when it's applied to household cleaning projects, like tackling oily stains on clothing or stubborn grease splatter on walls or stovetops. This electric blue dish soap cleans dishes pretty well. But it really shines when it's applied to household cleaning projects, like tackling oily stains on clothing or stubborn grease splatter on walls or stovetops. Wipe it all up with a microfiber cloth: In our testing, microfiber cleaning cloths excelled at lifting dirt from keyboards, clearing smudged glass, dusting baseboards and windowsills, and absorbing countertop spills. Plus, they grab dust effectively and catch microbes. More handpicked cleaning supplies to tackle almost any mess→


New York Times
17-07-2025
- New York Times
How Our Kitchen Expert Organizes His Tiny Brooklyn Kitchen
In this edition of Clean Everything, we walk you through a few of our kitchen expert's favorite small-space hacks. When you have a small kitchen, finding space for a plethora of cooking tools and equipment can feel like a frustrating game of Tetris. So we tapped Wirecutter kitchen expert Michael Sullivan to share how he organizes his New York City kitchen, where he houses everyday pots and pans, treasured cooking heirlooms (including his great-grandmother's ravioli cutter), countless cookbooks, and any number of kitchen tools he's testing for Wirecutter. Below, his four favorite small-space hacks: Get utensils out of your drawers: During a 1977 interview, Julia Child said, 'The harder the utensils are to see, the less you will use them.' Storing your tools in big crocks makes it easy to see everything and keeps drawers from getting cluttered. Michael has several of various sizes: big tools, like large serving spoons and wooden spatulas live in a spacious one, whereas chopsticks and tiny tools stay together in a smaller version. He also likes to hang his tools on cup hooks so they're easy to reach. During a 1977 interview, Julia Child said, 'The harder the utensils are to see, the less you will use them.' Storing your tools in big crocks makes it easy to see everything and keeps drawers from getting cluttered. Michael has several of various sizes: big tools, like large serving spoons and wooden spatulas live in a spacious one, whereas chopsticks and tiny tools stay together in a smaller version. He also likes to hang his tools on cup hooks so they're easy to reach. Install a kitchen pegboard: If you have enough wall space, you can hang a lot of equipment on a pegboard — freeing up your cabinets. Michael swears by this: 'It makes it so much easier to find what I need and saves me from digging through stacks of cookware in a dark cupboard.' Our experts recommend this steel pegboard, because it's easy to install and its holes never droop. If you have enough wall space, you can hang a lot of equipment on a pegboard — freeing up your cabinets. Michael swears by this: 'It makes it so much easier to find what I need and saves me from digging through stacks of cookware in a dark cupboard.' Our experts recommend this steel pegboard, because it's easy to install and its holes never droop. Try some wire shelving: Michael uses metro-style wire shelving in his kitchen for storing bulky equipment, like food processors and cookbooks. These versatile shelving units come in a plethora of shapes and sizes, so they're ideal for customizing to a small kitchen. Michael uses metro-style wire shelving in his kitchen for storing bulky equipment, like food processors and cookbooks. These versatile shelving units come in a plethora of shapes and sizes, so they're ideal for customizing to a small kitchen. Use a lazy Susan for spice storage: Michael built a big wall-mounted rack for the majority of his spices, but he likes keeping the odds and ends that don't fit in a spinning lazy Susan. This turntable our experts like has high, clear plastic sides around the perimeter to keep jars and bottles contained, and a removable silicone mat that cleans up easily. 35 small-kitchen organization ideas that make the most of tight quarters→ We recommend giving them a good wipedown weekly or biweekly, which should take less than 10 minutes. This Swedish dishcloth can absorb as much as 36 tablespoons of water, about the volume of a standard can of tomato soup. Sharpening knives at home isn't as intimidating as it sounds, and it makes cooking safer for you and your knives. Photo: Michael Murtaugh / Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero Don't be fooled by the name: These cartons of vanilla ice cream are anything but plain. In the surprisingly varied world of vanilla ice cream, our two favorites should hold their own in a cup, cone, sundae, or milkshake — or enjoyed straight out of the carton in your newly organized kitchen.


New York Times
29-05-2025
- New York Times
6 Things We Love That Bugs Hate
In this edition of Clean Everything, we dish on how our experts keep bugs out of their homes. Plus: our new favorite mosquito repellent. Nothing ruins an idyllic summer afternoon quite like an ant walking into the kitchen or a fly buzzing in the dining room. After years of testing — involving quite literally thousands of bugs — we're confident these are the best ways to banish summer's least welcome pests from your home and yard: mosquitoes, ants, flies, and the like. The very best fly swatter (and the best swatting technique): This basic fly swatter is the longest one we've tested, and it has just the right amount of flex in the handle to create a satisfying whip. (If you're willing to splurge for an heirloom-quality swatter, we love this swanky leather one, too.) Two tips to swat effectively: Be as invisible and as fast as possible, and get your swatter as close to the fly as you can before making your move. This basic fly swatter is the longest one we've tested, and it has just the right amount of flex in the handle to create a satisfying whip. (If you're willing to splurge for an heirloom-quality swatter, we love this swanky leather one, too.) Two tips to swat effectively: Be as invisible and as fast as possible, and get your swatter as close to the fly as you can before making your move. A tennis racket that kills big swarms of bugs: The Executioner looks like a tennis racket, but it has an electric current to zap any bugs that come in contact with it. It's not the most effective for hunting one single bug, but it shines when you're faced with a swarm: Just hold the button and take a swing, and you're sure to get at least one bug. And compared with a regular fly swatter, the mess is minimal: no blood, no guts, all the glory. The Executioner looks like a tennis racket, but it has an electric current to zap any bugs that come in contact with it. It's not the most effective for hunting one single bug, but it shines when you're faced with a swarm: Just hold the button and take a swing, and you're sure to get at least one bug. And compared with a regular fly swatter, the mess is minimal: no blood, no guts, all the glory. Our solve for fruit flies and fungus gnats: Don't let pests swarm around your glorious summer produce. These sticky fly traps are designed to attract and capture insects that land or crawl onto the surface — catching dozens of pesky bugs at a time. Don't let pests swarm around your glorious summer produce. These sticky fly traps are designed to attract and capture insects that land or crawl onto the surface — catching dozens of pesky bugs at a time. This is, by far, the best way to get rid of an ant problem in your house: These safe, easy-to-use bait traps lure ants with sweet, poisonous syrup. The ants then bring it back to the colony where it's shared, effectively eliminating the infestation at the source. Pro tip: Don't panic when you start seeing more ants for a bit. Word of the sweet syrup may travel … before it starts doing its job. These safe, easy-to-use bait traps lure ants with sweet, poisonous syrup. The ants then bring it back to the colony where it's shared, effectively eliminating the infestation at the source. Pro tip: Don't panic when you start seeing more ants for a bit. Word of the sweet syrup may travel … before it starts doing its job. And a few things to avoid: Bug zappers kill bugs by the thousands. But they kill the wrong bugs. They are ineffective against mosquitoes and other biting flies, and their otherwise indiscriminate killing can disrupt pollination and generally throw the environment out of balance. Also, ditch your citronella candles. In general, we don't recommend essential oils as a form of bug control — even the best one we tested still pales in comparison to what you can expect from a truly effective repellent.