The Things We Leave Out on Purpose
IKEA says 38 percent of us leave things out hoping someone else will deal with them. They call it a protest. I think it's a test, and the other person doesn't know they're taking it.
The Fizz Is Not the Cleaning
There may be no cleaning combination with better public relations than vinegar and baking soda. Pour one on top of the other and your sink suddenly puts on a show. It fizzes. It foams. It hisses. Something is very clearly happening.
Why Does a Clean Room Feel Clearer?
I have a notebook problem. It isn't critical. More chronic. I have notebooks in drawers, on shelves, beside my bed, in my bag. Some have a purpose. Most began with one.
The Hardest Part of Cleaning Is Waiting
One of the hardest things to do while cleaning is nothing. Spray the shower wall and wait. Spray the stovetop and wait. Put cleaner in the toilet and walk away.
Why Do Houses Have Baseboards?
I think about baseboards all the time, but mostly because of cleaning. They collect dust. They get scuffed. Vacuums bang into them. A room can look clean until you notice…
Whatever Happened to Potpourri?
There was a time when a perfectly respectable bowl in a perfectly respectable living room might contain pinecones, wood shavings, dried rosebuds, curls of orange peel and several other things…
Bleach Makes Things Disappear
By Robin Murphy Bleach has a reputation. I’ve had plenty of people ask whether we use it, and the question usually comes up when they’re talking about something they consider…
Your Bathroom Gets Dirty Because You Get Clean
Soap and water went into the shower to get you clean. Together they made something that wasn't there before. A lot of bathroom dirt isn't tracked in. It's manufactured on site.
How Lemon Became the Smell of Clean
Clean didn’t always smell like lemons. So how did a fruit become shorthand for a freshly cleaned house? The answer is hiding in the cleaning aisle.
Why Clean Sheets Feel So Good
The room looks almost exactly the same. But getting into a bed with freshly washed sheets feels completely different. Few household jobs deliver so much pleasure for something nobody else can even see.