We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Pets are just the best. They’re cute and very loyal, so it’s easy to overlook some of their more unseemly behaviors. Like getting into the trash, or barking at the neighbors, or going outside and stepping in god-knows-what and then trying to nip at you when you clean them. It’s true — owning a furry child, particularly a dog, can be tricky, which is why here at AT we try to impart our favorite pet products onto you. Most of the products we share, however, have to do with cleaning home surfaces after your dog has already gotten them dirty. But the tool I’m talking about today actually prevents stains and smudges before your dogs have the chance to get their paws all over your favorite sofa or carpet.
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I introduce to you, the Dexas MudBuster portable dog paw cleaner. The name is quite a mouthful, but its function is straightforward: to clean the dogs on your dogs. The MudBuster is essentially a plastic cup with a bristled silicone insert. To use it, just pour some water inside, slip your dog’s paw into the opening, and gently twist it. When the paw comes out, it should be completely dirt-free. If you’re at all in doubt about the MudBuster’s effectiveness, nearly 36,000 five-star Amazon ratings should alleviate your skepticism. “We wipe our dog’s paws every time he comes back into the house,” one reviewer shared. “This thing works so much better at getting dirt off than wipes. Our dog hates getting his paws touched but doesn’t mind this thing for some reason.” Indeed, it seems like even the most finicky pups won’t snap at this gadget.
Other reviewers also noted that this dog paw cleaner works more quickly and efficiently than towels or wet wipes. Let’s face it, wipes are wasteful, and dirtying a towel every time your dog comes inside is a chore. This accessory is the perfect solution, plus it’s portable, so you can clean your pets’ paws before they hop in the car. It also comes in three different sizes to accommodate dogs of any breed. “We have a large Boxer that is essentially an 80-pound baby when it comes to baths,” one customer divulged. “He does love getting into the mud, though, and this product has been a lifesaver. He has no issues with us using it to clean his paws, and it’s saved my floors and furniture on many occasions.”
When you’re done with the MudBuster, simply rinse it out, let it dry, and it’s ready to go for your next walk or trip to the park. Plus, $15 is a small price to pay for a mud-free home.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Baseboards are one of those features that most homes have, yet they’re chronically overlooked when it comes to tidying up. In fact, when I consider my own family’s weekly cleaning routine, rarely do I remember the white wooden boards that run through every room of the house. And this is unfortunate because they’re the perfect place for dust to accumulate, especially thanks to their tiny ridges. But no matter how spotless your floors and furniture are, dirty baseboards will subtly disrupt a seemingly perfect appearance, so it’s a chore you don’t want to ignore.
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There are so many great dust-busting gadgets for your floors, blinds and other surfaces; my own laundry area is fully stocked with Swiffer refills and microfiber cloths. But on Amazon, you can purchase an ingenious tool specifically designed to clean up those neglected moldings. The Baseboard Buddy has your back — in more ways than one!
To be more specific, this lightweight, mop-like product has a handle that expands up to four feet, meaning you no longer have to crouch down or stand on a stool to spruce up hard-to-reach baseboards. A while back, AT contributor Shifrah Combiths tried the Baseboard Buddy for herself, and her cleaning routine was changed for the better. “As I adjusted the angle of the Baseboard Buddy’s swivel head to my baseboards, it was the first time I felt like there was a tool that effectively reached into the several levels of grooves in my intricate baseboards,” Shifrah shared in her review. “The shape of the cleaning head combined with the length of the fibers makes it obvious that the Baseboard Buddy is carefully made for the duty it’s supposed to accomplish.” She also found that the product’s reusable cleaning pads are much more effective when wet.
In addition to being able to reach difficult areas (which is great for people with mobility issues), the Baseboard Buddy also has a 360-degree swivel head, so you can comfortably clean vertical moldings, as well. And if you want to use it for other surfaces, feel free! “It works wonderfully on all the woodwork, not just the baseboards,” one Amazon shopper wrote. “The long pole made it easy to clean at the top of tall windows.” (Shifrah similarly found the device most useful for cleaning the tops of doors and window moldings.)
Above all, you cannot overestimate the convenience of this tool. “With two dogs and two cats, there’s a lot of fur in my house, and some of it has taken up residence on the baseboards,” an Amazon reviewer reflected. “The baseboard buddy not only cleaned up the baseboards, it saved my knees. I won’t be crawling or duck-walking around the house cleaning the baseboards now.” After reading such glowing remarks, we can confidently say that if your home has baseboards (which I’m almost certain it does), this is one find you need to check out.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
If you didn’t check off all the boxes on your spring cleaning to-do list, there’s still time to give your space a new look! There are lots of mid-summer sales going on right now, including Amazon Prime Day and Wayfair’s Warehouse Clearout. However, those aren’t the only big retailers with major ongoing sales. Currently, Walmart is offering rollbacks, or temporary price reductions, on tons of popular household products, including items from some of our favorite brands like Shark, Bissell, Serta, and more. Enjoy the sunshine and summer fridays by treating yourself and your home to new furniture or tools. After all, these low prices are just temporary!
Phoebe is the Editorial Intern for the Kitchn Commerce team. You can usually find her crafting a charcuterie board or making the most out of her tiny apartment kitchen. She is a student at Vanderbilt and is based out of Nashville and New York.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Afraid to open the cabinet under your sink? Well, you’re not alone. The reality is, beneath many of our kitchen sinks is a mess of cluttered bottles, leaking and spilling onto whatever mildewy surface is beneath them. Luckily, there are loads of game-changing organizers and accessories that’ll whip that dreaded cabinet into shape in no time. Here at the Kitchn, we’ve found a bunch of storage solutions that aid us in our quest for neat and tidy kitchens, but it wasn’t until we stumbled across this revolutionary Amazon find that we knew we could finally put that sticky, disorganized under-sink area to rest. Sound appealing? Say hello to the Gorilla Grip Waterproof Under Sink Mat.
After learning about how these washable shelf liners could save us from scrubbing our fridge shelves, we were shocked we didn’t look to find this product sooner. We’ve learned that just about anything can be lined and should be lined — under-sink cabinets included! This smart solution works to protect your cabinet from spilled products and small leaks and looks incredibly stylish while doing it.
Available in six sizes (some are sold out, though) and 21 color and pattern options you can cover any cabinet size and ensure it fits with your decor. Many reviewers even took an exacto knife to it, cutting the mat to fit perfectly around plumbing or in odd-sized cabinets. “The material feels substantial yet it was easy to cut it to fit around the cabinet ‘nooks and crannies.’ It is reasonably stable once you put it in place,” said one happy customer. Like so many others, this reviewer noticed that (even if cut), thanks to its 100 percent waterproof, thick, and naturally non-slip bottom layer, the mat stays put. Plus, unlike other, similar options, the Gorilla Grip doesn’t have adhesive backing, making it super easy to move when needed and, as this customer pointed out, “there is no sticky residue left behind and no fuss trying to get it exactly lined up.”
It’s covered in an ultra-absorbent felt-like fabric top. Any spills will be absorbed, dispersed, and dry quickly without ever leaking through to the cabinet underneath. One reviewer even did a mock leak to test its efficacy: “I tested it dropping some water on it like simulating a leak and it worked perfect, it retained it and my cabinet was completely dry.” Success! If you ever have an actual leak though — whether it’s water, soap, or another liquid product — you can throw the mat in the washer and it’ll be as good as new. Easy!
No one’s limiting you to using these solely beneath your sink though. Think outside of the box, like this innovative customer: “I put them on top of my washer and dryer,” smart right? They shared that the mats also work to “protect the W&D from getting surface scuffs.” Brilliant! We’re thinking of using them under potted plants, in the pantry, or beneath cookware, just as this reviewer did: “I decided to use this shelf liner for under the sink and for shelves where my pots and pans are. This liner is great because it softens to noise when putting my pots and pans away and it is very easy to clean.”
Bottom line: These simple solutions will keep your cabinets (and you!) happy and, of course, mess free. That’s a pretty good deal for just $18 if you ask us! Note that the price varies based on the color and size you choose, but regardless, they’re all super affordable.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
I pride myself on maintaining an extremely clean kitchen (I won’t take all the credit, I’ve learned a few awesome tips from my AT coworkers). In fact, there’s only one area of my kitchen that I am ashamed of opening up to scrutiny. Between daily sessions with my favorite wet/dry vac, weekly cabinet check-ins with chic organizers, and my once-a-month deep-cleaning duties, you’d be hard-pressed to find the secret spot I never really knew how to tackle. It’s essential to everyday cooking activity (especially if you’re an avid cook like myself) and often a culprit source of mystery odors… yep, I’m talking about the garbage disposal.
Now, all embarrassment aside (TBH, I think lots of people have trouble with disposal cleanliness), I’ll admit, I’ve tried lots of cleaning methods; from the somewhat newfound ice + salt method to baking soda with vinegar to Bar Keeper’s Friend, you name it and I’ve tried it. The main problem with my disposal? It’s decades old and doesn’t work quite as well as it once did. After two years with this never-quite-clean, somewhat smelly, secret section of my kitchen tainting my otherwise spotless space, I have finally found a solution that works: Duracare Disposal Tablets.
Using the tablets is super simple. All you do is run hot water down the side of the sink (not directly into the drain, but alongside it), drop a tablet in, keep the water on, and run your disposal. I keep the disposal going until I hear only water — no crunching sounds — coming from below. That’s right, if you hear the sounds of scraping and smashing for the first 30 seconds, don’t be alarmed; that’s the Duracare doing its magic. The tablets are purposefully designed with a rough and porous texture that scrubs the insides of the disposal, making the process extremely effective (albeit a little noisy).
After two months of semi-regular use, I can confidently say that the odor that used to faintly waft from the sink is finally gone. In fact, I find that my sink smells fresh and clean even weeks after I use the tablets, which leads to one satisfying conclusion: Duracare really works. Since using these little cleaning miracles, my disposal works more efficiently than before and hasn’t clogged once. The food that finds its way down the drain actually gets ground up like it’s supposed to — at long last, no more lemon halves rattling around down there!
Whether you struggle with an old, grumpy disposal like I do or have a brand-spanking-new sink, these little tablets are a must. For only $10, you’ll avoid those funky, yucky smells and give yourself the gift of a completely clean kitchen.
