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Despite all of the good things about city living, there are a few downsides: pollution, traffic, crowds, and — of course — not having a dishwasher. Now, if you also have a small kitchen, having a compact dish rack is a must, but you can’t always fit all of your freshly washed dishes on the rack at once. So, instead of leaving them in the sink to, uh, “soak,” I usually whip out a dish cloth, lay it out on the counter, and use it as a makeshift drying mat for the pots and pans that don’t fit into my dish rack. Unfortunately, I then have to hang dry the dish cloth afterwards, and I can only use it a few times before it gets gross and needs to be tossed in the wash. Thankfully, I found the perfect solution to my dish-drying dilemma: the OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Drying Mat — and, it has a surprise extra feature that makes it a double-duty kitchen workhorse.
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Suffice to say, this isn’t your ordinary drying mat. It’s designed to fit large items including frying pans, serving platters, salad bowls, and more, and the ribbed bottom helps everything dry by increasing airflow underneath. It’s also made from soft, food-safe silicone, which prevents scratches and chips if a wet dish or wine glass slips when you’re putting it on the mat. You can also store it pretty much anywhere, since it has a removable hanging hook and can be rolled up and tucked away in a cabinet or drawer when not in use. (It’s roughly the size of an average placemat, so it’s not too intrusive on your storage space.) However, its best feature is that it also doubles as a heat-resistant trivet to hold hot dishes and pans fresh off the burner or out of the oven.
I love using the OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Drying Mat as an extension of my dish rack, since the little ridges on the bottom allow for solid airflow that actually gets the dishes, pots, and pans dry instead of just turning them into miniature, humid terrariums. And, though I have a little cork trivet on my dining table for serving, since this two-in-one beast is heat-safe up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, I find myself constantly reaching for it to pop fresh-out-of-the-oven sheet pans on (it’s the perfect size) when my stovetop is crowded with skillets, or while I assemble weeknight meals and sheet-pan dinners. Plus, cleanup is a total breeze — I find that as long as I give it a good rinse with hot water after every other use, it really doesn’t get too dirty. (To be honest, if I didn’t live with my girlfriend, I’d probably never wash it, but since I’m trying to stay on the up-and-up these days, I just lay it on a cutting board in the sink and scrub it down with a sponge every so often.)
So, if you’re in need of a little more real estate while drying dishes, or an extra place to put hot pots and pans without scorching your countertops, snag the easy and affordable OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Drying Mat ASAP.
Charli Penn is the Executive Lifestyle Director at Apartment Therapy and an award-winning journalist, editor and Webby-nominated former podcast host who writes in the name and praise of all things good living (and loving!). She thoroughly enjoys photography, 90s R&B, and all things gold accents. When she’s not curled up at home spending quality time with her husband and their two small dogs, you’ll find her traveling, redecorating (again), perusing a Home Goods aisle or planning an impromptu theme party for family and friends.
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.
Surprisingly enough, I think the toilet might be the cleanest part of my bathroom, and that’s mostly because it’s the easiest to clean. As much as I try to keep the sink tidy, there’s always a smear of foundation or a stray lock of hair somewhere on the counter. And when it comes to my shower and bathtub, well, I get anxious just thinking about it. You see, any household task that requires a lot of strength and force is basically a nightmare for me, and for a long time, my monthly tub-cleaning method has involved a bleach-based spray solution and a basic scrub brush. But no matter how powerful and whitening bleach claims to be, it feels like I can never quite achieve as deep a clean as I’d like. After just a few minutes of scrubbing, my breath is labored and my muscles are burning. In the end, I just want to give up.
It’s kind of a miracle, then, that I stumbled upon the IEZFIZ electric spin scrubber on Amazon. This easy-to-use brush totally upped my tub-scrubbing game, and I don’t see myself ever going back.
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Even before I used this tool, I knew I liked it because it came with its own charger. I didn’t have to find batteries, nor do I have to be mindful of a pesky cord when I use it. I simply plugged it in, and it was ready to go after a couple of hours. In its little baggy, I also found the four detachable brush heads it comes with: two flat attachments (one’s more of a pad than a brush head), a tapered corner tool, and a rounded, dome-like attachment. With all these different shapes at your disposal, you can clean virtually any type of surface, be it the tight crevices around a faucet, the kitchen backsplash, or even your windows. But I mainly stuck to my shower area because that’s the largest expanse I have to get through, not to mention the least manageable one.
After trying the different attachments, I settled on the dome-shaped one. I like that it’s simultaneously large, so it covers a few inches at a time, and able to get into the corners and grooves of my tub. Instead of having to angle my entire hand every time I approached a corner, I only had to slightly shift the brush head in that direction. The scrubber’s vibration is strong, but I was able to maintain a good grip and pass it over discolored spots a couple times to get residue off. As you can imagine, it felt way better than having to put my entire back into scrubbing the white acrylic. In no time whatsoever, I was able to get purple shampoo, shaving foam, and other grime off the walls and floor, leaving behind a sparkling white shower.
Lastly, I really like that the scrubber didn’t spray me with bleach. I was kind of expecting that given the vibrations, but unless you spray a ton of cleaner, you don’t have to worry about getting anything on your clothes. Basically, the spin scrubber exceeded all my expectations, and I no longer feel dread when bathroom-cleaning day approaches.
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.
We’re no strangers to mops, vacuums, and floor cleaners of all kinds here at Apartment Therapy. Over the past year, we tested and reviewed the best of the best, bringing you our top recommendations for the most lightweight, easy-to-use machines and all-in-one products that work on different types of surfaces. In most instances, our editors agree that the simpler the gadget is, the better. And when it comes to household cleaners in general, it doesn’t get less complicated than the squeegee.
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We love this no-frills tool for removing crumbs from kitchen counters, eliminating pilling from rugs, and leaving showers free of streaks. It only makes sense, then, that the squeegee would be equally as effective for hard floors. It took virtually no time to find one on Amazon that shoppers are enamored with, and we’re sure you’ll love it just as much. The KOLLIEE floor squeegee is the tidying tool you need for spotless surfaces throughout the home.
Normally priced at $20, you can purchase this 1 lb. gadget for just $16 right now. It arrives with a stainless steel handle, which can expand from 19 to 60 inches, and the actual squeegee blade that measures 15 inches across. To adjust the handle’s length, simply twist on or remove each of the four steel parts that it comes with. Once you spray your hardwood, tile, or vinyl floors with cleaning solution, you’re ready to swipe the squeegee across and eliminate germs from your surfaces. More than 1,100 five-star Amazon raters agree that this product improved their cleaning routines, and reviewers cite using it for many different purposes. “I have German Shepherds that shed like crazy, and there is always hair everywhere,” one customer wrote. “Using this picks it up so well and makes it so much easier to clean.”
Others use the squeegee to get rid of excess water and, in turn, prevent mold in the bathroom or on the back deck. “As older retirees, our flexibility to squat down to squeegee the walls was an issue, but even tougher was the uneven curved floor of the shower,” one shopper noted. “Most products we’ve found are stiff and do not conform to uneven surfaces, but this one is perfect. We also love the fact that it swivels right at the blade, allowing the walls to be wiped without bending over at all.” Thanks to its slim design, easy maneuverability, and seamless dirt-collecting capabilities, the KOLLIEE floor squeegee is the next multifunctional tool to add to your list for fast, hassle-free cleanups.
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.
With the new year mere days away, we’re all in a reflective mood here at Apartment Therapy. Earlier this week, this led me down the archive, taking a look back at all the home finds I’ve written about in 2022, and dear reader, it’s hard not to marvel at all that was discovered. From the stick vacuum of my dreams to the drying rack that transformed the way I do laundry in my tiny studio, I’ve come across some pretty awesome finds over the last year. But the one that really stole the show? That was the eufy by Anker HomeVac H11 Handheld Vacuum. With this pick, I finally found the perfect hand vac — and it seems you all did, too. In fact, this hand vac was one of our most popular products of the year with hundreds of you picking one up for yourselves. So what is it about this vacuum that had me and scores of readers in a tizzy?
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Chic, cordless, and compact, the HomeVac H11 is the stuff of dreams. For the most part, hand vacuums can be rather large and unsightly, but this one puts a stylish spin on the popular cleaning tool with a sleek design that’s roughly the size of an average wine bottle. But don’t let the size (or price!) fool you — this vacuum packs a punch. With a powerful 5,500Pa suction power, a washable high-efficiency filter, and an included multi-use crevice tool to reach every nook and cranny, this dustbuster might just become the star of your cleaning kit. The best part? It packs all of this power into a device that weighs just 1.2 lbs.
Now, when I first unboxed the device, I was truly taken aback by how lightweight and stylish it was with its matte finish and slim design (yes, I was definitely immediately sold on its look, but its power was still up for debate.) Upon first use, however, I knew this vacuum was special, picking up everything from dust to crumbs with extreme ease. But where I found it really shined was on my couch. With the included crevice tool, I was able to get deep between the cushions and the lining of my sofa, removing a lot of dust and debris that had been there for I don’t want to know how long. Something I also loved was that the crevice tool can be transformed into a brush tool, one that I found particularly effective on throw pillows, blankets, and even the keyboard on my desk. By the time I was done using it, my place was spotless, and I had found a new go-to.
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can snag the eufy HomeVac H11 on sale for nearly $10 less. The vac three stylish colors: black, white, and mint. So if you’re in need of a chic, powerful hand vac that won’t take a lot of space (and are interested to see what all the hype is about), give this one a try. You’ll find it sucks — in the best way.
