Cleaning, done properly

Every mess has a method.

Step-by-step fixes for stains, smells, and messy rooms, plus honest reviews of the tools that help.

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Browse by chore

General Purpose Cleaning 118 guides Doing Laundry 80 guides Vacuuming 64 guides Washers & Dryers 60 guides Kitchen Cleaning 47 guides Carpet Care 41 guides Cleaning Hard Floors 39 guides Lawn & Garden 37 guides

Doing Laundry

Removing gum from fabric

How to Get Gum Out of ClothesFreezer, iron, or peanut butter? Pick the one your fabric can survive.

Woman smelling laundry while ironing

How to Get Body Odor Out of ClothesDetergent alone will not touch it. Bacteria are still living in the fibers.

Woman hanging clothes on a clothes drying rack in the bathroom

Best Clothes Drying RacksDitch the dryer without draping wet shirts over every chair in the house.

Dirty cloth in wooden basket with detergent in front of washing machine

20 Laundry Facts and StatisticsFrom Roman urine bleach to laundry in space, wash day gets weird.

General Purpose Cleaning

Variety of sea shells and stones

How to Clean Sea ShellsThat low-tide smell does not have to move in with you.

Set of silicone utensils on brown wooden table

How to Get Smells Out of SiliconeDoes your ice water taste faintly of last night's garlic?

Woman cleaning wooden living room table using spray cleaner

How to Clean Wood FurnitureDull, grimy table? The right fix depends on the finish.

Hydro flask on top of rocks in spring forest nature

How to Clean a Hydro FlaskFunky smell or metallic taste? Your pantry has the fix.

Removing Odors

Bright green flip flops on the sand with ocean water

How to Remove Odor From SandalsBacteria, not bad luck, is why your slides reek. Here's the fix.

Frustrated woman sitting near washing machine with basket of dirty towels on the floor

How To Get Smells Out of TowelsThat sour towel funk is bacteria, not dirt. Here's how to strip it for good.

Housewife cleaning microwave oven using lemon

How to Get Smells Out of a MicrowaveOpen the door to old fish smell? Your pantry already has the fix.

Woman holding stinky pair of shoes at home

How to Get the Smell Out of ShoesYour shoes smell because of bacteria, not just sweat. Here's the fix.

Washers & Dryers

Whirlpool washing machine

How to Reset a Whirlpool WasherFrozen mid-cycle? The fix is often five unplugged minutes away.

Cleaning washing machine

5 Washing Machine Smells and How to Get Rid of ThemYour washer cleans everything you own. So why does it smell like a gym bag?

White lg front load washing machine

LG Washing Machine Error CodesThat blinking code on your LG usually means a five-minute fix, not a repair bill.

Woman's hand turning on the front load washing machine

Kenmore Washer Error CodesBlinking a code you can't place? Here's what your Kenmore is telling you.

Cleaning Hard Floors

Man cleaning shower floors

How to Clean a Shower FloorMatch the cleaner to your floor and the grime gives up without a fight.

Dirty concrete wall with streaks of stains

How to Remove Stains From ConcreteThink that driveway oil stain is there forever? It is not.

Cleaning woman sweeping wooden floor with push broom

Best Push Brooms for Indoor and Outdoor UseClear a garage or deck in half the passes you make now.

Hardwood floor polish

Best Hardwood Floor PolishesDull boards and fine scratches? You can fix both in an afternoon.

Ironing

T-shirt with an iron burn

How to Remove Scorch Marks From ClothesCotton usually forgives you. Melted polyester never will.

Woman ironing clothes in a messy living room

16 Ironing Board Storage IdeasTired of the board toppling out of the closet? Give it a spot of its own.

A quilting iron

Best Irons for QuiltingCrisp seams start with the right iron. Here are five worth heating up.

Woman ironing a blouse with a steamer

Best Clothes SteamersWrinkles gone without the ironing board. Here are the steamers worth buying.

Bathroom Cleaning

Rusty faucet

How to Remove Rust StainsRust laughs at bleach. Acid is the only thing it answers to.

Woman wearing gloves cleaning the toilet seat with cloth

How to Remove Stains From a Toilet SeatThat yellow patch has a cause, and it usually wipes off in minutes.

Woman cleaning shower tile wall

Best Shower Tile CleanersGray grout and cloudy tile? The right bottle does most of the scrubbing.

Clean bathroom with trash can

Best Bathroom Trash CansStop the smell and the wobble with a bin built for a damp, tight bathroom.

Carpet Care

Woman cleaning smelly carpet

How to Deodorize CarpetVacuumed twice and it still smells? The odor is hiding in the padding.

Spilled Paint on Carpet

How to Clean Paint Out of CarpetLatex, acrylic, or oil? The solvent you grab decides if the stain lifts.

Cleaning vomit from carpet

How to Clean Vomit from CarpetSour smell, yellow mark, and a clock that is already running.

Woman cleaning a carpet

How Often Should You Clean Carpet?Vacuum, blot, deep clean. Getting the timing right is what saves the pile.