These cleaning and organizing supplies make unexpectedly great gifts |
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| Source photos by OXO, NYT Wirecutter |
When you imagine a great gift, you might envision something expensive and glittery with a big ol’ bow on top. And, yes, those presents are great. But sometimes, it’s the quieter, more practical gifts that can make a real difference in your giftee’s life. It might not dazzle in the moment or spike any heart rates, but a practical gift pays off in a different way: by quietly making your recipient’s life easier or more convenient.
For the right person, a truly great cleaning tool can be a great present for that very reason.
Take, for example, the $10 sink strainer that writer Rose Maura Lorre received as a housewarming gift eight years ago. At first glance, it was nothing special: a flexible, silicone catchall designed to accommodate most kitchen-sink drains. But after eight years of use, Rose calls it superior to a basic metal strainer in every way. It’s supremely easy to clean. The holes are sized just right to allow water to flow down the drain, even when the strainer’s basket is chock-full of food bits. And in the years since getting it, Rose has never dealt with a clogged kitchen sink.
“As a kitchen helper, the sink strainer is impressively reliable and pleasant to use, even though what you’re using it for is a rather unpleasant task,” says Rose. “As a gift, I like it even more. I love gifts that solve problems and make life a little easier for their recipients.”
A kitchen-sink upgrade→
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More cleaning and organizing gifts we love |
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| Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter |
- A lovely jewelry organizer: Our favorite jewelry boxes do more than look pretty. They also bring calming order to what is often a tangled mess and make it easy to see all of your precious baubles.
- A way to conceal clutter in fashion: These cheerful, striped steel canisters are excellent for hiding small objects that can otherwise look messy left out on an entryway table.
- A little lady for little objects: A catchall bowl for dropping keys, earbuds, and any other small knickknacks is a great gift for decluttering a home. Almost any bowl will do, but we like ones — like this chic bathing lady — that have a wide mouth or open edge to make finding things easier.
- An unassuming but extraordinarily useful brush: This teeny little cleaning brush doesn’t look like much, but it’s very handy for odd jobs around the house, like scrubbing around faucets, de-gunking cleaning appliance crevices, and keeping shower grout lines pristine.
- “This stick vacuum is the best gift I’ve ever received”: Editorial director Lauren Sullivan says that Wirecutter’s top-pick Dyson stick vacuum has completely changed the way she cleans. Rather than having to schlep a heavy upright vacuum up and down several flights of stairs, she now whips out the light vacuum — which her mother-in-law gifted her one very generous Christmas season — several times a day to clean under high chairs, banish cat hair, and de-crumb couch cushions.
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18 gifts for people who love to clean→
What’s new from our cleaning experts |
Today’s great deal: A set of luxurious towels |
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These towels have the satisfying texture of linen, yet they’re still very plush and luxurious. Plus, the lattice weave soaks up water well and dries super fast. Use promo code WCSETJULY to get a set of two for $74.
Get the deal→ |
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“All my houseguests ask about my towels”→
One last thing (for your kitchen sink): Use ice cubes to clean your garbage disposal |
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| Andrea Barnes/NYT Wirecutter |
Don’t forget to de-gunk your garbage disposal. Though they’re constantly rinsed with water and nearly clean themselves, stubborn (and odor-causing) grit and grime tend to stick around. Fortunately, cleaning a garbage disposal is relatively quick and easy. All you need is dish soap, hot water, and ice cubes. (Back away from the lemon.)
The right way to clean a garbage disposal→
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Happy cleaning — and happy gifting.
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