[0 - 2] - I'd have to say Goldilocks would love these towels.
[2 - 4] They weren't too thick or too thin.
[4 - 9] These were just right. (upbeat music)
[10 - 12] - It's a tale as old as time.
[12 - 14] Where there's food, there's mess.
[14 - 17] Cleaning is just an unfortunate reality for all home cooks,
[17 - 21] but does it have to be such a miserable task?
[21 - 23] - A few years ago, Hannah and I did a video
[23 - 25] on the best gear and tips for cleaning your kitchen,
[25 - 27] and since then our team has kept going,
[27 - 28] testing more cleaning products
[28 - 30] and discovering even more great tricks.
[30 - 32] - So we're back with an update.
[32 - 35] We've got a bunch of our favorite kitchen cleaning gadgets
[35 - 38] and tips so you can tidy up with the best of them.
[38 - 40] - First up, Hannah, with her favorites.
[44 - 46] - All right, first up, handheld vacuums.
[46 - 49] I love these little suckers. (drum roll)
[49 - 52] The best handheld vacuums prioritize portability
[52 - 54] and convenience without sacrificing
[54 - 57] on suction power and efficiency.
[57 - 59] They're ideal for tackling small to moderate messes,
[59 - 62] and for for getting into hard to reach places.
[62 - 64] Most don't need to be plugged in when you use them,
[64 - 67] and they typically come with charging bases or cords.
[67 - 70] And in fact, this was a prerequisite of our testing.
[70 - 71] I accidentally bought one once
[71 - 73] that had to be plugged in all the time.
[73 - 75] I basically bought a micro vacuum
[75 - 79] and it was on the curb outside my house in under a year.
[79 - 81] The best models made cleaning our homes, cars,
[81 - 83] and offices easier.
[83 - 86] We found a few factors that set them apart.
[86 - 88] This is our winner here from Black and Decker,
[88 - 89] the cordless Pivot.
[89 - 92] We also had a Best Buy also from Black and Decker
[92 - 93] called the Dust Buster.
[93 - 94] It was great too,
[94 - 95] This one was just a little better.
[95 - 96] Cost about, you know,
[96 - 99] 10 to $20 more depending on the pricing of the day.
[99 - 101] There are links to both of these models
[101 - 102] and all the equipment we're gonna
[102 - 104] talk about today down below.
[104 - 105] And just a reminder,
[105 - 107] we are not sponsored by Black and Decker.
[107 - 108] They just happen to make two of the best
[108 - 110] cordless handheld vacs on the market.
[110 - 113] So what are you looking for in one of these things?
[113 - 116] The first factor we considered was suction power,
[116 - 117] because with the vacuum,
[117 - 119] that really is the most important thing.
[119 - 121] We made this disgusting mixture
[121 - 124] with a hundred grams of dirt, pet hair,
[124 - 127] uncooked rice and onion skins,
[127 - 130] and we sprinkled it on a 1.5 square inch of carpet
[130 - 133] and we timed how long it took each model
[133 - 134] to pick up that mixture.
[134 - 137] We saw a real difference here.
[137 - 139] The best models only took 30 seconds,
[139 - 141] and we definitely prioritize those here
[141 - 143] because if it doesn't vacuum well,
[143 - 144] what's the point?
[144 - 145] The Black and Decker pivot right here
[145 - 147] was the fastest model we tested.
[147 - 150] Another important factor was the collection bin.
[150 - 152] You really wanted one big enough
[152 - 154] to clean up your mess in one fell swoop.
[154 - 156] You don't wanna be emptying it halfway through.
[156 - 158] The collection bin had to be easy to open.
[158 - 159] We don't want multiple steps.
[159 - 162] We don't want, you know, dust spurting everywhere.
[162 - 164] Our winner here just had one little latch on it.
[164 - 166] It opened easily every time.
[166 - 168] Size and shape mattered too,
[168 - 170] we preferred moderately sized models
[170 - 172] that were customizable in length,
[172 - 174] no longer than 17 inches.
[174 - 175] Look at, you can pull this out here,
[175 - 177] get a little extra reach.
[177 - 178] Weight was also a factor,
[178 - 180] and unfortunately to get that power,
[180 - 182] it often added a few pounds.
[182 - 183] If you're looking for something lighter
[183 - 185] if that's really your priority, our best buy,
[186 - 187] The other Black and Decker,
[187 - 189] the dust buster was five ounces lighter
[189 - 191] and that can make a difference.
[191 - 193] A customizable nozzle like this on the end,
[193 - 195] we found this to be really important.
[195 - 197] It just helps you get into tight crevices,
[197 - 198] gives you a little bit more height,
[198 - 199] a little bit extra reach.
[199 - 201] We really preferred models that have these.
[201 - 203] During testing we found bristle attachments are great
[204 - 205] for really scraping up pet hair,
[205 - 207] and the most effective ones were the ones
[207 - 209] that are attached to the machine or the base
[209 - 211] because you'll actually know where they are and use them.
[211 - 213] The last thing that we found was really helpful
[213 - 216] was pivoting or rotating nozzles.
[216 - 218] This helped us get into hard to reach areas
[218 - 222] without straining our wrists or our arms as much.
[222 - 226] Our winner here pivots an impressive 220 degrees.
[226 - 227] Check that out.
[227 - 230] It also folds up to store really small which is super cool,
[230 - 232] but you can fold it all different ways
[232 - 234] to get behind things, under things.
[234 - 237] It was convenient and more comfortable.
[237 - 240] Here are a few tips for keeping your handheld vacuum
[240 - 242] in tiptop shape after purchase.
[242 - 243] First of all, it may be convenient
[243 - 246] to leave it plugged in all the time on the charging dock,
[246 - 249] but this will actually prevent your battery
[249 - 250] from running at its full capacity,
[250 - 253] so it's better to unplug it once the unit is fully charged.
[253 - 256] Another tip is to clean the collection basket
[256 - 257] every time you use it.
[257 - 259] And you want to clean the filter roughly
[259 - 261] every five or six times you use it,
[261 - 264] a filter that doesn't receive this little extra TLC
[264 - 266] won't run as optimally.
[266 - 267] It actually affects the suction power.
[267 - 270] You wanna replace your filter every six months,
[270 - 272] you know six months of full use.
[272 - 274] The filters come in packs of two to four
[274 - 276] for like 10 to 15 bucks.
[276 - 277] It's just a small thing you can do
[277 - 280] to keep this machine running great for years to come.
[280 - 283] If you are looking to keep your floors sparkling clean
[283 - 284] but don't have the room to store
[284 - 287] a big bulky mop and bucket set,
[287 - 290] a spray mop might be right for you.
[290 - 292] Because they can't be rung out,
[292 - 295] even the best spray mop doesn't have the same
[295 - 298] cleaning capacity as a larger traditional mop,
[298 - 300] but they're great for smaller spaces,
[300 - 304] smaller touch ups and easy, convenient cleaning.
[304 - 307] Swiffer popularized the category in the early
[307 - 311] 2000s with its automatic push button convenience
[311 - 313] and it's spray out cleaning solution.
[313 - 314] But most of these spray mops
[314 - 316] on the market today are trigger style,
[316 - 320] which means they operate just like a spray bottle. Squeeze, squeeze.
[320 - 322] The thing that really gets my goat about Swiffer
[322 - 324] is it has single use cleaning pads.
[324 - 326] I have one of them right here,
[326 - 329] so you have to buy them from Swiffer again and again
[329 - 331] and after a single use, boom you're done.
[331 - 333] It's wasteful and you're required
[333 - 334] to purchase them from Swiffer.
[334 - 335] Same with the cleaning solution.
[335 - 336] You have to purchase their bottle
[336 - 339] so it clicks properly in place into their mop.
[339 - 341] If I had to do it all over again,
[341 - 343] I would just avoid Swiffer entirely.
[343 - 345] We really loved mops like our winner here
[345 - 347] from O-Cedar that has that refillable chamber
[347 - 350] that you can fill with whatever cleaning solution
[350 - 351] you prefer to use.
[351 - 352] We love Mrs. Meyers here.
[352 - 354] This is the lavender scent.
[354 - 357] It smells beautiful, you reconstitute it,
[357 - 359] so this bottle lasts a long time,
[359 - 360] and that was a major thing for us.
[360 - 362] We don't wanna have to buy these expensive bottles
[362 - 365] from the manufacturer of our mop every time.
[365 - 366] This allows you the freedom to clean
[366 - 368] with whatever you want at whatever price you want.
[368 - 371] Our winner here had a big beautiful reusable pad
[371 - 372] that we talked about,
[372 - 374] but not all of them were that well designed.
[374 - 378] We really preferred large plush microfiber pads
[378 - 381] that had two sides to them.
[381 - 383] This allowed them to clean better, pick up more,
[383 - 385] They were just much more effective.
[385 - 387] It's also great that they're machine washable.
[387 - 388] You can just throw 'em in the wash,
[388 - 389] you know you don't wanna spend time
[389 - 391] washing your washing equipment.
[391 - 393] We preferred lightweight and sturdy models
[393 - 396] that were between three and four pounds.
[396 - 398] This was enough heft that we could, you know,
[398 - 401] apply some scrubbing pressure when we needed to,
[401 - 403] but not so heavy that they were taxing on our arms.
[403 - 406] We preferred comfortable roomy grips
[406 - 407] and spray style triggers.
[407 - 409] You wanna make sure the cleaning solution
[409 - 412] gets out easily, quickly, and evenly.
[412 - 415] Our winner here from O-Cedar has a customizable trigger,
[415 - 416] so if you pull it a little bit,
[416 - 418] it just goes out a little bit.
[418 - 420] If you pull it all the way back,
[420 - 422] it goes three times further
[422 - 424] than any of the other models we tested.
[424 - 426] I'm talking eight feet total here,
[426 - 427] and if you've ever used a model
[427 - 428] that doesn't have this feature
[428 - 429] you're squeezing it again and again
[429 - 430] and again and again and again and again.
[430 - 433] That quick easy coverage will reduce
[433 - 434] your overall cleaning time.
[434 - 435] What more could you want?
[435 - 437] Now let's get into some cleaning tips.
[438 - 439] One of my favorite topics.
[439 - 441] First, one of the most searched
[441 - 444] kitchen cleaning topics on Google.
[444 - 445] How to clean your oven.
[445 - 448] Like most people, myself included,
[448 - 452] your oven may accumulate a series of melted globs
[452 - 455] and blobs, burnt on cheese.
[455 - 456] If you never clean your oven,
[456 - 460] you run the risk of either some bad smelling fumes
[460 - 462] and smoke when you're trying to cook
[462 - 464] something delicious coming out.
[464 - 466] Or these can actually be really dangerous,
[466 - 467] and you can start a fire
[467 - 469] if your oven really is egregiously dirty.
[469 - 472] So let's start with a couple ways to clean your oven.
[472 - 474] My oven was in pretty rough shape
[474 - 476] until I luckily smashed my oven door
[476 - 477] and had to get a new one.
[477 - 478] So now it's perfectly clean.
[478 - 479] That's one method.
[480 - 481] It is quite expensive.
[481 - 482] I would not recommend it.
[482 - 484] Let's start first with a couple others.
[484 - 486] First I wanna talk about the self-cleaning mode.
[486 - 488] Some ovens have a self-cleaning mode.
[488 - 490] You can use it.
[490 - 493] There are some safety tips you need to know with this.
[493 - 494] When you are cleaning your oven,
[494 - 496] whether you're doing it by hand
[496 - 497] or with the self-cleaning mode,
[497 - 500] you want to make sure there is great ventilation.
[500 - 502] Turn your hood on, open your windows,
[502 - 504] move your pets and kids out of the room,
[504 - 506] but don't leave home.
[506 - 507] You don't wanna leave an oven
[507 - 509] in the self-cleaning mode unattended.
[509 - 512] What the self-cleaning mode does is lock the door
[512 - 515] and rev the heat up super high to basically
[515 - 517] incinerate any mess in there.
[517 - 518] The first step you wanna do is make sure
[518 - 520] to remove the racks from the oven.
[520 - 523] Take any pots and pans you might be storing
[523 - 525] in the oven or in the drawer below
[525 - 527] out while you're gonna self-clean.
[527 - 529] You also wanna start by cleaning up
[529 - 531] any big gloppy messes that are in there.
[531 - 532] You know, get a head start.
[532 - 534] Clean out anything you know is gonna
[534 - 535] create a huge smoky mess.
[535 - 537] If you're using the self-cleaning mode
[537 - 540] make sure to never use an oven cleaning product
[540 - 541] at the same time.
[541 - 544] This can actually void the warranty of your oven.
[544 - 546] It is okay to use dish soap and water
[546 - 548] between oven cleaning cycles though.
[548 - 551] Now most modern ovens have a self-cleaning function,
[551 - 554] but if yours doesn't or if you don't want to use it,
[554 - 557] there are all sorts of aerosols, gels and sprays.
[557 - 559] These use lye, solvents,
[559 - 561] and other grease cutters to help dissolve
[561 - 563] and break down the grime in your oven.
[563 - 565] Now they can be pretty powerful.
[565 - 569] So you can choose a fume free version like I have here.
[569 - 570] You know, I have a bun in this oven,
[570 - 572] so if I'm cleaning one of those ovens,
[572 - 575] I wanna make sure I'm not inhaling a lot of toxic fumes.
[575 - 578] Oven manufacturers like Whirlpool and KitchenAid
[578 - 581] recommend wearing gloves, an old apron,
[581 - 583] and covering the floor around your oven
[583 - 584] while you're cleaning.
[584 - 586] Many oven cleaning products are pretty strong,
[586 - 588] so you don't wanna run the risk of staining your clothes
[588 - 590] or ruining the floor in your kitchen.
[590 - 591] Some of these work pretty quickly
[591 - 593] so you can use them for spot cleaning.
[593 - 596] Others need to sit on the oven for a couple hours,
[596 - 598] so make sure you're aware of that before you start cleaning
[598 - 600] so you don't need to use your oven halfway through.
[600 - 602] Some work best with a warm oven.
[602 - 605] So you can turn your oven on to 150, 175,
[605 - 608] for 15 minutes before you clean and then turn it off.
[608 - 611] But make sure to read your product's instructions
[611 - 612] to get the best results.
[612 - 615] What if I told you there was one magical product
[615 - 617] that could clean anything in your home
[617 - 622] that you probably already have in your kitchen? Vinegar!
[622 - 624] All right, that was probably a bit much, but seriously,
[624 - 627] vinegar is an amazingly powerful cleaning tool
[627 - 628] that you probably already have.
[628 - 631] We're not talking about using your, you know,
[631 - 634] beautiful white wine vinegar or rice vinegar here.
[634 - 636] We're talking about the large, inexpensive,
[636 - 640] maybe even gallon sized bottles of white distilled vinegar
[640 - 641] that you can find at every supermarket.
[641 - 644] First of all, you can make a general cleaning spray
[644 - 645] for countertops and whatnot.
[645 - 648] You wanna mix one part vinegar with four parts water.
[648 - 651] You can use a little citrus oil spray in there
[651 - 652] as well to make it smell nice.
[652 - 654] And remember, this won't disinfect,
[654 - 656] but it will help clean your counters.
[656 - 658] Next up, cleaning your microwave.
[658 - 660] You wanna mix a quarter cup of vinegar
[660 - 663] with a quarter cup of water in a microwave safe bowl
[663 - 666] and microwave it on high until everything comes to a boil.
[666 - 668] Allow the steam to circulate while the water clears
[668 - 670] and the steam will help loosen
[670 - 672] any stuck on grease or food bits.
[672 - 674] Afterwards wipe everything clean
[674 - 676] with a dish towel or sponge.
[676 - 678] You can also use vinegar to clean produce.
[678 - 680] Mix one part vinegar and three parts water
[680 - 682] in a spray bottle.
[682 - 683] Make sure to coat the produce fully
[683 - 685] and rinse it completely afterwards.
[685 - 687] You can also use it to clean your drains.
[687 - 690] Pour a half a cup of baking soda down your drain,
[690 - 692] one cup of vinegar and then plug it up.
[692 - 693] You can use a drain cover
[693 - 695] or just an old fashioned dish towel.
[695 - 697] Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes
[697 - 699] for that fizzy reaction to happen,
[699 - 701] and then rinse it with hot water
[701 - 703] and everything should run much smoother through there.
[703 - 706] All right, now let's go to Lisa with some of her favorites.
[706 - 707] But first, hit that subscribe button.
[708 - 709] It really helps the channel out.
[712 - 715] - So first step on my list is a bottle brush.
[715 - 719] These are long slim brushes on a long stem
[719 - 722] to get into narrow spaces like a coffee carafe
[722 - 724] or a water bottle or a baby bottle,
[724 - 727] and really scrub where you can't get with your hand.
[727 - 728] This is our favorite.
[728 - 729] It's called the Quickie bottle brush.
[729 - 731] I have one of these right by my sink.
[731 - 732] It hangs on a little hook,
[732 - 735] and I grab it almost every day and use it for something.
[735 - 738] It's a small thing that makes a huge difference
[738 - 739] in your kitchen and in cleaning.
[739 - 741] The right bottle brush.
[741 - 743] Now this really had a lot of things
[743 - 744] that the other ones lacked.
[744 - 746] One is these medium length bristles.
[746 - 749] Bristles that are less than an inch long
[749 - 750] are about right but not too short.
[750 - 753] You want a medium length on the shorter side.
[753 - 756] long ones just kind of flatten out and flop around.
[756 - 758] Shorter ones are not very effective.
[758 - 759] You're just scratching at things.
[759 - 761] The texture of these is really good.
[761 - 763] They can really get in and work up a lather
[763 - 764] and clean things effectively.
[764 - 766] You're not just either scratching at things
[766 - 768] or just brushing them with something soft.
[768 - 769] They can really scrub
[769 - 772] and they can really keep the lather on the brush.
[772 - 773] The other thing was the length
[773 - 775] of the handle was just about right.
[775 - 777] You could really get to the bottom of a tall carafe.
[777 - 779] The handle was just stiff enough
[779 - 781] so that you could get some good leverage.
[781 - 783] And there's a nice grippy area at the top.
[783 - 786] Now this looks a lot like another brush
[786 - 788] that we tested by Oxo.
[788 - 791] I had the Oxo brush, and when I got to try this one
[791 - 793] I like threw the Oxo one away.
[793 - 794] It looks the same.
[794 - 795] It is not the same.
[795 - 797] Some of them don't go in the dishwasher
[797 - 798] because they're made of wood or something
[798 - 800] and you can't put it in the dishwasher.
[800 - 801] They're not safe.
[801 - 803] This one you can put in the dishwasher.
[803 - 804] So if you want to put it in the dishwasher
[804 - 806] it comes out completely clean.
[806 - 807] Looks brand new.
[807 - 809] If you're rinsing it in hot soapy water,
[809 - 813] it releases all the food particles that got in there.
[813 - 815] There's the bristles are spaced out well enough.
[815 - 818] That stuff doesn't like lodge in there permanently,
[818 - 820] and you can really get it clean which is really important.
[820 - 823] You don't want to just start generating more places
[823 - 825] where bacteria is gonna grow
[825 - 827] with the tools that you're trying to clean with.
[827 - 830] If you don't have a dishwasher in your apartment,
[830 - 833] your home, your RV, your vacation home,
[833 - 835] and you would like to have that,
[835 - 836] this is something you should consider.
[836 - 838] It's a countertop dishwasher.
[838 - 840] We tested them in two sizes.
[840 - 841] They come in this small size
[841 - 843] and one that's about twice as big,
[843 - 845] and we have recommendations in each category.
[845 - 849] The smaller kind does not have to be hooked up to a sink.
[849 - 851] The larger ones do have to be hooked up.
[851 - 853] So they do monopolize your sink while they're running,
[853 - 854] which can be, you know,
[854 - 857] the length of a dishwasher cycle an hour or more.
[857 - 858] This is our winner by Comfee.
[858 - 860] It was our overall favorite because we loved
[860 - 863] that option to not have to hook it up to a sink.
[863 - 865] Some of the key factors that you wanna look for in this-
[865 - 867] let's start with size.
[867 - 870] The small ones really hold about two place settings
[870 - 871] and I'm not just talking single plates,
[871 - 873] I'm talking like a full five piece place setting.
[873 - 875] The larger ones hold twice that.
[875 - 877] They have different cycles.
[877 - 878] A lot of them are very similar.
[878 - 881] They have glass cycles, short rapid cycles
[881 - 882] or they call eco cycles.
[882 - 884] Some of them have baby care cycles
[885 - 887] so like you're supposed to be able to put baby bottles in.
[887 - 890] We would not recommend using those if you need to sanitize
[890 - 892] or sterilize baby bottles.
[892 - 894] But otherwise they did a nice job.
[894 - 896] This one we also loved.
[896 - 898] It pops open at the end of the cycle.
[898 - 900] The door just pops itself open a little bit,
[900 - 903] and that just helps it to vent the moisture.
[903 - 906] So the dishes came out drier in the end,
[906 - 909] and that was just a nice little extra
[909 - 911] that put this one over the top.
[911 - 912] So to set it up is pretty simple.
[912 - 914] This hose just screws onto the back
[914 - 915] and that goes into your sink.
[915 - 917] There's a little suction cup
[917 - 918] to keep it pointed the way you want.
[918 - 919] It doesn't come out with such force
[919 - 921] that it really splashes around.
[921 - 923] It stayed pretty quiet.
[923 - 924] If you don't wanna use this near a sink
[924 - 925] or you don't have a sink nearby,
[925 - 927] you can just have it drain into a bucket
[927 - 929] and they gave you this handy little funnel,
[929 - 930] which is nice because if it splashes it all,
[930 - 932] it still goes in.
[932 - 933] It doesn't make so much of a mess.
[933 - 935] We had another model that didn't have that funnel
[935 - 937] and it was, you always ended up with
[937 - 939] a little puddle of water up here.
[939 - 941] You fill this up three times to the top,
[941 - 943] pour it in and it will beep when it's full.
[943 - 946] So you know you've put enough water in.
[946 - 949] You just close that up, you know, load it up,
[949 - 951] choose your cycle, push the button and go.
[951 - 955] And it's, and the dishes came out really nice and clean.
[955 - 957] We checked the temperature of these.
[957 - 962] We ran them with a special dishwasher temperature thermometer
[962 - 964] and it recorded the high temperature that it reached,
[964 - 968] and these got up to 160 degrees and that's great.
[968 - 970] According to the US Department of Agriculture
[970 - 973] the dishwasher has to reach 140 degrees
[973 - 977] to activate the soap and really get everything clean.
[977 - 978] The models that were a little bit bigger
[978 - 980] that were twice the size reached 150 degrees,
[980 - 983] so they all reached a safe temperature.
[983 - 986] These machines also used less detergent
[986 - 988] than full size dishwashers.
[988 - 991] You only need about a tablespoon of a powder detergent
[991 - 993] or liquid detergent
[993 - 995] and you could use pods,
[995 - 998] and those are great in these,
[998 - 999] but if you're using a short cold cycle
[999 - 1001] they may not fully dissolve.
[1001 - 1004] So they're best for when you're using a regular cycle
[1004 - 1005] with you know hot water
[1005 - 1007] and then the pod will fully dissolve.
[1007 - 1009] But they're very economical to run.
[1009 - 1012] The Department of Energy says that they cost
[1012 - 1015] between $15 and $30 a year to run.
[1015 - 1017] So they're not using a ton of of power.
[1017 - 1021] And in fact, when you're comparing washing dishes by hand
[1021 - 1023] and the water is running the whole time,
[1023 - 1025] they use much less water as well
[1025 - 1026] and they heat the water,
[1026 - 1029] and then wash the dishes and then drain.
[1029 - 1031] So it's all self-contained,
[1031 - 1034] and you're not continually running hot water from your tap
[1034 - 1038] and wasting a lot of soap and a lot of water.
[1038 - 1039] While we were testing dishwashers
[1039 - 1042] we actually thought a lot about how you load a dishwasher.
[1042 - 1043] We talked to some experts,
[1043 - 1046] and I know this is a point of contention
[1046 - 1047] in a lot of households,
[1047 - 1049] like one person throws things in
[1049 - 1051] and the other one is secretly rearranging everything
[1051 - 1054] behind their back and getting aggravated.
[1054 - 1056] So just to settle some arguments,
[1056 - 1058] These are some of the things we learned.
[1058 - 1061] Any kind of bowls or cupped things,
[1061 - 1062] you wanna face them down.
[1062 - 1064] A lot of the water comes up from the bottom.
[1064 - 1067] So you want anything that needs to get cleaned out inside,
[1067 - 1069] you want it, you know, facing down.
[1069 - 1072] Silverware. First never, never put
[1072 - 1073] your chef's knife in the dishwasher.
[1073 - 1078] You're gonna freak out every knife expert in the country. They'll know.
[1078 - 1080] If you have butter knives, put them in point down.
[1080 - 1082] If you have forks and spoons,
[1082 - 1085] put them in handle side down, business end up
[1085 - 1087] because then they'll get rinsed off and really clean.
[1087 - 1091] Put things in snugly, nest them in together,
[1091 - 1092] but not pinching.
[1092 - 1094] So if there's anything that's really
[1094 - 1097] up against something else that it can't really rinse
[1097 - 1099] through when it's getting sprayed,
[1099 - 1102] you wanna make sure nothing is pinched. Don't overcrowd.
[1102 - 1104] Don't be tempted to get one last thing in there.
[1104 - 1105] Take it out, wait for next time.
[1105 - 1108] And finally, you do need to clean your dishwasher.
[1108 - 1109] If you're not getting good results,
[1109 - 1112] all dishwashers including these compact ones,
[1112 - 1116] have a little cup at the bottom to catch pieces of food.
[1116 - 1118] And if you don't take that out every now and then.
[1118 - 1120] Rinse it out, clean it out.
[1120 - 1122] You're gonna get a bad odor.
[1122 - 1124] It will stay in there growing bacteria
[1124 - 1127] and be flushed all over your new dishes.
[1127 - 1129] It you just really periodically every week or so,
[1129 - 1131] couple weeks, just eyeball it.
[1131 - 1132] If it has anything in it,
[1132 - 1134] rinse it out and put it back
[1134 - 1136] because that will make the performance
[1136 - 1138] of your dishwasher so much better.
[1138 - 1139] Last but not least,
[1139 - 1142] one of the most important tools in your cleaning arsenal,
[1142 - 1144] the dish towel.
[1144 - 1147] We tested a lot of dish towels,
[1147 - 1150] and we tested their absorbency, their flexibility,
[1150 - 1154] their durability, and we really loved these.
[1154 - 1156] These are by Williams Sonoma.
[1156 - 1159] They come in a bunch of different stripes, blue, red,
[1159 - 1161] other colors, and they're really nice.
[1161 - 1163] They come in this little package of four with a bow on it.
[1163 - 1164] It makes a great gift.
[1164 - 1167] I've given them as gifts, I've gotten 'em as gifts.
[1167 - 1169] Tell my sister, send me those for Christmas.
[1169 - 1171] And I got 'em and I was very happy.
[1171 - 1173] But honestly, they, they wear like iron
[1173 - 1175] and they're like a great pair of jeans.
[1175 - 1177] These are all cotton towels.
[1177 - 1179] They have this nice sort of lattice weave.
[1179 - 1182] The weave just stays really nice and kind of breaks in
[1182 - 1184] and they become softer and softer
[1184 - 1186] and more and more absorbent with time.
[1186 - 1187] Even though they start out pretty absorbent,
[1187 - 1189] they just get better and better.
[1189 - 1192] They're nice size, they're a really generous size.
[1192 - 1193] They're not too enormous,
[1193 - 1194] but they're big enough for doing things like,
[1194 - 1197] if you're gonna use it as a potholder to pick up something,
[1197 - 1198] it's nice and thick.
[1198 - 1201] If you're gonna get into little tiny shapes
[1201 - 1203] like drying the inside of a champagne flute,
[1203 - 1205] it can do that too.
[1205 - 1208] And I just find it's just about the perfect size
[1208 - 1210] for everything I want to do in the kitchen.
[1210 - 1214] We also tested microfiber towels and mixed fiber towels.
[1214 - 1216] Microfiber towels were pretty absorbent,
[1216 - 1219] but they melted if you use 'em as a pot holder.
[1219 - 1221] And they also, some people just don't like the way
[1221 - 1223] they feel on their fingertips, me included.
[1224 - 1226] The cotton was much better, doesn't melt,
[1226 - 1230] and it really holds up to a lot of of use and abuse.
[1230 - 1231] It can absorb a ton.
[1231 - 1232] We dangled these into water
[1232 - 1234] and watched how far it traveled up
[1234 - 1235] in a certain amount of time,
[1235 - 1238] and these really held a ton of liquid.
[1238 - 1241] And so that's great for mopping up any kind of spills
[1241 - 1243] or for just drying a whole sink full of dishes.
[1243 - 1246] Also, I'd have to say Goldilocks would love these towels.
[1246 - 1249] They weren't too thick or too thin.
[1249 - 1251] The really thick ones are kind of clumsy.
[1251 - 1253] You can't get into little nooks and crannies of dishes.
[1253 - 1256] You're feeling like you've got just too much fiber there.
[1256 - 1258] Thin ones can't absorb as much.
[1258 - 1259] You're bunching them up
[1259 - 1261] and you're trying to get enough towel there
[1261 - 1262] to do what you want to do.
[1262 - 1264] These were just right.
[1264 - 1266] Worried about cleaning your dish towels?
[1266 - 1268] Now, after you use 'em in the kitchen
[1268 - 1270] and you're using 'em hard, they get stained.
[1270 - 1272] They look sad and gray.
[1272 - 1274] You wanna get 'em really nice and clean again.
[1275 - 1276] We have a few tips for you.
[1276 - 1278] The real key here is when you're cleaning these,
[1278 - 1280] no fabric softener.
[1280 - 1283] Fabric softeners work by applying silicone oils
[1283 - 1287] to the fibers of your clothes or your dish towels.
[1287 - 1290] And that makes them feel softer and repel stains.
[1290 - 1293] But the fact is, if you've already got stains in here
[1293 - 1295] and you want your towels to be really absorbed,
[1295 - 1298] you want them to be cleaned without fabric softener.
[1298 - 1301] You don't want fabric softener on these coating them
[1301 - 1302] and making them less absorbent
[1302 - 1305] and kind of almost sealing the stains in.
[1305 - 1307] You wanna just use the most simple
[1307 - 1309] straightforward laundry detergent
[1309 - 1312] and soak out the stains with Oxyclean first.
[1312 - 1313] - There you go.
[1313 - 1317] Hopefully with our favorite gear and kitchen cleaning tips,
[1317 - 1319] you're well equipped to tackle any mess in the kitchen.
[1319 - 1321] - For more cleaning tips and information
[1321 - 1323] about all the gear we talked about today,
[1323 - 1324] check out the links below
[1324 - 1326] or go to AmericasTestKitchen.com.
[1326 - 1328] - What are your favorite cleaning tips?
[1328 - 1330] What questions do you have for us about cleaning?
[1330 - 1332] Ask us in the comments.
[1332 - 1333] Make sure to like this video,
[1333 - 1339] and hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. (upbeat music)