In Defense of the Feather Duster
The feather duster has terrible branding. It's also one of the best dusting tools I know. A defense of the most underestimated thing in the cleaning aisle.
Posts by author
Robin Murphy
49 posts
I think we’ve gotten cleaning all wrong. We treat it like a chore when it’s really one of the simplest ways to protect your health and take care of your life. After 30 years in the industry, that’s the idea I keep coming back to, and what I write about here.
The Room That Works While You Sleep
We optimize our sleep with apps, gadgets, and supplements, and mostly ignore the room it actually happens in. A look at the bedroom as something your body lives in, not just sleeps in.
I’ve Never Completely Trusted Microfiber
Microfiber is one of the best cleaning tools we have. I use it all the time. But after decades of cleaning and handling thousands of microfiber cloths, I've never completely trusted it. Here's why.
The Sponge I Actually Use
I'm suspicious of kitchen sponges as a rule. They sit by the food, stay damp, and expect to be invited back tomorrow. This is the one that earned a place in my house anyway.
The Best Kitchen Cleaning Tool Isn’t a Sponge
One of the best cleaning tools in my kitchen isn’t a sponge. It’s a Swedish dishcloth. If you’ve read what I’ve written about kitchen sponges, that won’t come as much…
Your Sponge Is Not Okay
Your kitchen sponge is probably one of the dirtiest things in your house. Microwave it, boil it, soak it — the honest answer is less satisfying than the rescue plans suggest. You can't really redeem a sponge. You can only replace it.
The Goal Isn’t a Clean Kitchen
A kitchen isn't supposed to look untouched. The real goal isn't keeping it pristine, it's helping it recover, so the next morning starts easier and the dishes don't become tomorrow's problem.
Dirty, Not Dangerous
Big Scrub wants you to disinfect every surface in your home. But most of your house isn't dangerous. It's just dirty, and there's a real difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting that most products would rather you not think about.
How Soap Talks Grease Into Leaving
Water and grease don't hate each other. They simply refuse to cooperate. Then soap arrives, one end loves water, the other loves grease, and it quietly walks the grease out to the rinse water.
The Emotional Difference Between Tidy and Clean
Tidy and clean get shoved into the same junk drawer, but they solve different problems. Once you see the difference, a lot about how your home feels starts to make sense.