How to Clean a Crock-Pot or Other Slow Cooker

Keep your favorite slow cooker clean and functional with these pro tips. Before You Start Before you begin, you’ll need to take a few extra safety precautions, including waiting for it to cool down. "Cleaning while your slow cooker is hot could damage t ...

cleaning supplies

How the 1-Minute Rule Can Transform the Way You Clean

If you’ve struggled to maintain an organization or cleaning routine that works for you and your schedule, starting simple and easy can often be key—like one minute kind of easy. Famously coined by New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin and since ...

How to Make Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Buying a few basic cleaning supplies in bulk to make custom cleansers for each part of your home is more sustainable—and often cheaper—than stocking up on a cabinet full of specialty bottles of commercial products with ingredients you can't identify. Home ...

How to Clean a Shower Curtain and Liner

Plastic shower curtains and liners may be affordable and easy to replace when they get dirty, but the cost adds up over time (and it's not great for the environment). Rather than tossing them when they look worse for wear, cleaning your shower curtain and ...

How to Clean a Sponge—and When to Replace It

Keep your sponges free of bacteria by cleaning them regularly. Sponges are a workhorse in the kitchen—not only do they clean dirty dishes, but they're also responsible for wiping down countertops, sinks, and pots and pans. Over time, sponges accumulate b ...

Is It Safe to Cook With Wooden Spoons?

What are the pluses of using wooden spoons? "They are comfortable in the hand, intuitive to use, and make for a uniform set," says Brandon Moore, co-founder of Lancaster Cast Iron, an American-made cookware company based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. And Mo ...

How to Clean Wooden Spoons

These essential kitchen tools don't require special products—but there is one thing to be aware of. Even modern kitchens, outfitted with induction burners and gadgets galore, keep an old favorite on hand. Wooden spoons are like throwbacks to another era, ...