If you’ve ever started to unload your dishwasher and pulled out a glass that has a milky film, you know how frustrating it is. That glass is supposed to come out sparkling and clear! Not cloudy! Here’s why that happens and, more importantly, how to fix it. The most likely culprit for cloudy glassware is hard water, which wreaks havoc on your glassware in two ways: First, the minerals in hard water can leave behind a cloudy residue.

Here’s a scenario: You go to nuke your lukewarm coffee, which you forgot about while you were walking the dog/making the kids’ lunch/scrolling on Instagram. You open your microwave door and — eek! — it’s a hot mess in there. There are grease splatters, dried tomato sauce blobs, and you’re not even sure what else. You want a clean microwave, but you also want hot coffee. The good news: You can have your microwave clean itself while you enjoy your morning treat!

Here’s the thing about your stainless steel sink: It doesn’t seem like the kind of place bacteria would like to grow in (especially if you’re cleaning it with soap and water on a regular basis). But bacteria is sneaky and can grow pretty much anywhere. Which is why it’s a good idea to disinfect your sink every once in a while. Here’s how to do it. In this How To, we recommend using bleach to disinfect your sink.

Zero elbow grease required.

Do you have subway tiles in your kitchen? Or maybe you went for something a bit bolder? Either way, those tiles need cleaning! How to do it depends on just how long it’s been since you gave them a good once-over — and how often you make a big, greasy mess in your kitchen. Here, we’ve got step-by-step cleaning instructions for even the greasiest backsplash and grout. Many, many things in your kitchen can be cleaned with soap, water, and a sponge that has some texture to it.

Does your garbage disposal stink? Can you remember the last time you cleaned it? If the answers are yes and no, congratulations — you’ve clicked on the right story. Don’t worry, this is a judgment-free zone and we’re here to help. Here’s how to get that garbage disposal squeaky-clean and odor-free. Here’s the thing about garbage disposals: You put yucky, smelly food down them, so they’re going to stink if you don’t clean them on a regular basis.

Whether you splurged on (or registered for) fancy-pants dinnerware or you love your cheap-chic IKEA plates, scratches show up on the best (and the worst) of dishes. But don’t despair! It’s shockingly simple to buff your plates to look brand new again. The magical solution? Well, it’s a pantry ingredient you probably already have. We’re talking about cream of tartar! You might know it as a stabilizing agent used when whipping egg whites.

Here’s the thing about knife blocks: We don’t really recommend them. They can dull the blades of your knives as you drag them in and out of their holders, they’re often sold as an expensive set with knives that you really don’t need, and they can harbor some serious mold (and maybe even bacteria) in those dark, hard-to-reach slots.

Okay, so you got an air fryer and, surprise! You actually love it! But, um, is that a dried-up sweet potato fry at the bottom of the fryer basket? Or maybe it’s chicken skin? Yeah, you’re going to want to clean your air fryer to make sure that your next batch of onion rings doesn’t come with a side of something else. Or worse, that food residue doesn’t end up somewhere it shouldn’t and cause problems for your fancy (and spendy) appliance.

Whether I’m making an actual casserole or a lasagna, or just baking chicken, this time of year my casserole dishes are in heavy rotation. They usually clean up pretty well, but if I’ve overcooked something or I let something sit too long, they can get stubborn stains or crud that’s hard to remove.

As busy as they are, kitchens are just about the germiest places in our homes — especially all those handles. You touch food, you open the oven. Your kids come in after touching who-knows-what and head straight to the fridge (or maybe it’s just mine?). With all that touching comes the risk of cross-contamination of foodborne illnesses and the spread of germs (flu season is coming!). But the reality is, many of us don’t think about cleaning our appliance handles.

Whether you’re trying to save money, cut down on the chemicals in your home, or are trying to hold off on a trip to the grocery store, making your own dish soap can be a solution. It’s really not hard — there are just a few key things you need to know (if you want the best results, that is). So recently, I set out to find the best recipe for an easy, effective DIY dish soap.