We researched dozens of kitchen carts, assessing their sturdiness, portability, capacity, and overall value. Our best overall pick is the Andover Mills Raabe Kitchen Cart, which includes wheels for easy movement, a butcher block, and two shelves for extra storage. Here are the best kitchen carts. The cart is crafted from solid wood, which has been painted a crisp white. Its butcher block top promises to hold up to heat exposure, impact, and the regular wear and tear of a kitchen, so you’ll be able to use it to prep meals....

We conducted hours of research on paper towels, evaluating each brand on value, number of sheets per roll, and ply count for absorbency. Our top pick is the Brawny Tear-A-Square Paper Towel because it’s absorbent, affordable, and comes in multiple sizes. Ahead, find the best paper towels for your home. Our top pick for best paper towels is the Brawny Tear-A-Square Paper Towels. Not only are Brawny paper towels one of the most affordable picks on the market, but they also have a unique feature that sets them apart from the rest....

With that in mind, we researched dozens of rechargeable flashlights, considering their brightness, ease of use, versatility, durability, and design. Our best overall pick is the Anker Rechargeable Bolder LC40 Flashlight, thanks to its quality brightness, range of lighting modes, and user-friendly design. Here are the best rechargeable flashlights. With its impressive battery life, useful range of light settings, user-friendly features, and durable construction, the Anker Rechargeable Bolder LC40 Flashlight is our top choice for most people....

For Justin Landeen, a smart home installation manager at Penco Electric, the ideal approach is for new users to sample the technology gradually. “We tell our customers to start small,” he says. “I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked out of spending $20,000 on a smart lighting system. Before you get in too deep, start with a couple locations, like your porch light or back door or garage....

We researched dozens of airless paint sprayers, rating them on capacity, flow rate, and overall performance. Our top choice is the Graco Magnum X5 Airless Paint Sprayer, which can spray directly from the paint can, is easy to use, and has adjustable pressure. Here are the best airless paint sprayers on the market. For a streamlined painting instrument that pulls out all the stops, check out the Graco Magnum X5 Airless Paint Sprayer....

We tested dozens of carpet cleaners at The Lab and at home. We evaluated effectiveness, portability, and attachments. We tasked each with removing orange juice, ketchup, wet potting soil, and coffee stains, and noted how noisy or quiet the appliance was while operating. The Bissell Jetscrub 25299 Upright Pet Carpet Cleaner is our top pick. It’s lightweight and has a spot-cleaning feature and LED light on the floor head. It’s also very easy to maneuver....

Humans are most comfortable when indoor humidity levels range from 40 to 50 percent. “Below 40 percent air is considered dry, which can cause eyes, throats, [and] sinuses to dry out,” says Dr. Ken Spaeth, medical director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Center at the North Shore-LIJ Health System in New York. “Greater than 50 percent relative humidity can promote mold growth.” To determine the best humidifiers for different rooms and conditions, we purchased 27 humidifiers from various brands and tested them in The Lab, simulating real-world situations by running each in different-size rooms for 15 minutes....

As you compare various wall beds, you’ll want to look at factors such as their size—both while folded up and down—as well as the overall design and any additional features. Some wall beds come with integrated shelving, desks, tables, or even sofas, and while these designs offer increased functionality, they’re typically priced higher, too. This Murphy bed has a Shaker-inspired design, and it uses a dual-piston system for safe and easy opening and closing....

We researched dozens of oven cleaners, evaluating formulation, scent, effectiveness, and ease of use. Our best overall pick is the Easy-Off Professional Fume-Free Oven Cleaner, which is fume-free, user-friendly, and safe for use on traditional and self-cleaning ovens. Here are the best oven cleaners. Easy Off Professional Fume-Free oven cleaner is our top pick because it’s packed with power and it’s still affordable. It’s a solid choice for any household looking to clean an oven, boiler, or outdoor grill....

Only open-pollinated and heirloom varieties of any plant will grow true from seed, meaning the seedlings will be exactly like the parent plants. (A pink hybrid geranium will give you white or red geraniums the following year, for example.) But there are many open-pollinated, self-seeding annuals to choose from, and even if you do get some unexpected seedlings, who’s to say you won’t like them? That’s where new plants come from....

There’s a simple but effective way to fold hoodies so that they stay neat and tidy inside a drawer, or within a suitcase. Watch the video below to learn our special, Spruce-approved folding method that will help you organize your hoodies, save you space, and, quite possibly, blow your mind. Before You Fold This folding technique is fairly simple and can be done on any surface, but we have a few pointers that we discovered while perfecting the method:...

Let’s take a look at your home room by room and shed some light on hidden dirt and bacteria and how to get rid of them. The keys areas of concern in the kitchen are: SinksCountertopsCabinet PullsRefrigeratorsSmall Appliances and Kitchen Tools How to Clean It: Keep disinfecting wipes handy to wipe sinks and countertops down after each use. Cutting boards should be washed in hot soapy water, rinsed well, and dried with a hand towel every time they have been used....

Read on for the top, Spruce-approved products that our readers couldn’t get enough of this month. What really sets the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus apart is its use of advanced technology. You’ll find that it easily transforms labor-intensive pool cleaning into a truly automated experience, taking on almost all of the workload from pool owners who can simply put the product in the pool and forget about it. Thorough in its cleaning job, the Nautilus CC Plus utilizes CleverClean technology to map out the pool and create the most efficient path—meaning it will hardly miss an inch....

As Harris notes, next year’s trends highlight the beauty of the symmetrical, uneven, or unbalanced things. “This trend is all about seeing flaws as an asset or something that makes each piece unique,” she shares, “It appreciates the effects of time, and the humble beauty found in things that are impermanent old, worn, or incomplete.” And isn’t this a sigh of relief? After a particularly challenging year, this trend is a reminder for both our spaces and ourselves—we don’t have to have it all together all the time....

Alas, I’m an adult now, and I can’t avoid eye contact with the pile of grimy dishes and simply hope they’ll disappear. Even with the privilege of a dishwasher, some things require a good washing by hand only. So any tool that speeds up the process is a best friend of mine. I have my holy grail scrub brushes already, but I had yet to come across a sponge that stood out to me....

We can also do damage that isn’t immediately evident but pollutes our water supplies by pouring toxic chemicals into a septic system or municipal water supply. Those chemicals end up in our groundwater, rivers, and oceans adversely affecting the health of the planet. Below, you can learn about 10 things to never pour down the drain. Allow animal fats to harden and dispose of them in a trash receptacle. Reuse oils when possible or check with your municipality about recycling cooking oil....

Location: “Our home is located in Hopkinton, Massachusetts,” Maloney says. “We [relocated] back to our Massachusetts roots from the Pacific Northwest.” After an extensive search, this stunning home in Hopkinton eventually won out. Plus, a fun fact: at 26.2 miles west of Boston, “it’s the host town/starting point for the Boston Marathon,” Maloney says. Size: Alprilla Farm is nestled on an “acre-plus lot, with 3,200 square feet of living space....

Real-life tiling doesn’t happen that way, especially for unseasoned do-it-yourselfers. Laying tile is easy but laying tile and doing it well is difficult. It doesn’t have to be that way. With just a few tips and tricks, you may improve your tiling skills over the course of just one installation. Start With Good Substrate Your tile work is only as good as your substrate or subfloor. If you do not have a good subfloor or underlayment, your tile will not lie flat....

Understand Emergency vs. Remodel or New Plumbing Those ads, commercials, and trucks you might see all around town advertising plumbing work on-call are likely advertising for emergency plumbing, rather than scheduled remodel or new plumbing work. Knowing the difference between the two types of plumbing work will save you considerable money. Emergency Plumbing Emergency plumbers show up at your door quickly—usually within an hour or two—and take care of burst pipes, overflowing toilets, balky showers, and clogged bathtubs....