Home Ideas

You just washed a batch of glasses, but for some reason they still look foggy and in desperate need of another cycle. What gives? According to Carolyn Forte, Executive Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, two different things could be happening: Hard-water minerals are creating a film build-up or your dishwasher permanently etched the glass. To banish the former, you’ll need these cleaning essentials:What You’ll Need: Soak in white vinegarIf your issue is hard-water minerals, all you have to do is soak your glasses for five minutes in white vinegar. Since it’s acidic, it’ll dissolve the minerals. For very heavy spots, you can warm the vinegar before soaking. If stubborn spots still persist, gently rub them off with a little dab of baking soda on your fingertip. Be extra gentle here. Baking soda is very mildly abrasive and shouldn’t scratch, but add a few drops of water to make a paste if you are concerned about damaging the glass. Rinse your glasses Then rinse each glass individually by hand under warm or cold water. Dry with a microfiber clothDry your glasses with a lint-free towel or a microfiber cloth before drinking out of them again. It’s best to do this as soon as you rinse them so no new hard water stains build on your glasses while they air dry. Use this method to clean cloudy vases too. For items like glass tabletops and windows that you can’t soak in a bucket of vinegar, spray vinegar directly onto the glass surface and allow it to sit for five to 15 minutes. Wipe away the vinegar with a wet microfiber cloth and then use a dry microfiber cloth to dry the glass. How to prevent future buildupIf this doesn’t work, chances are your glass is etched — which, sadly, means you’re out of luck. “If the film is etching, which happens to some types of glassware in the dishwasher, that, unfortunately, is permanent and can’t be removed,” explains Forte. That’s why you should always wash your most prized vessels by hand.In some parts of the country, soft or mechanically softened water (water without calcium, magnesium and other metals) combined with dishwasher detergents and heat can cause etching, an actual change to the structure of certain types of glass. It happens on both expensive lead crystal and cheap glassware. If you have softened water, use the least amount of detergent necessary to get a good cleaning, don’t overload the dishwasher so water can run off freely and remove glasses immediately after the wash cycle to avoid the high heat of drying, which can accelerate the etching. Dry them by hand or just keep them out of the dishwasher completely and wash them by hand.

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There’s no single recipe for the perfect kitchen. While one homeowner might be all about white cabinets and quartz countertops, another may tend toward darker hues and butcher block. No matter which formula you follow, there are plenty of ways to add your own secret ingredients.Still following the metaphor? In that case, think of More

With its often clogged drains, showers with soap residue and less than stellar looking grout, the bathroom is probably on everyone’s weekly cleaning to-do list. But even in our most often cleaned room there are spots we sometimes overlook. If the water from your showerhead is shooting out in all directions, or your flow has become almost nonexistent, the holes in your showerhead are probably clogged with hard water minerals and soap residue. Not to worry: Carolyn Forte, Executive Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, has a remedy for this situation — and you can use it without taking your showerhead off. What You’ll Need: 1. Scrub the nozzles with a sponge and baking sodaStart by scrubbing as much of the dry debris from the holes as you can with a scrubber sponge, and follow up with a paste of baking soda and water. Baking soda’s abrasive quality will make it easier to wipe away debris that is stuck to the surface of your showerhead. Use the paste to scrub your showerhead and run the shower on hot to wash away the paste before you move on to the next step. Pro tip: Baking soda isn’t strong enough to penetrate the holes on clogged nozzles or clean away any hard water stains2. Try soaking it in a vinegar solutionIf it’s still not spraying straight, mix a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water (about 1/2 cup of each should be enough) and pour it into a plastic bag. Put the plastic bag around the showerhead so the holes are immersed in the liquid, and secure the bag to the shaft with a twist tie or rubber band. Allow it to soak for at least 15 to 20 minutes (up to an hour if you can). Pro tip: Be careful soaking high-end finishes like polished brass and oiled bronze for more than an hour. You can also dip a brush in vinegar and scrub the clogged nozzles instead.3. Finish by flushing the showerhead out with hot waterRemove the bag and wipe away loosened deposits. Run the shower on hot to flush out the hard water minerals still stuck in the showerhead holes and you’re all set! Can I clean my showerhead without white vinegar?If you prefer to clean your showerhead without white vinegar, you can make your DIY cleaner with apple cider vinegar — but it won’t clean your showerhead as well and will cost you more. Don’t try to use bleach as this can damage the chrome finish of most showerheads.

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It’s a common misconception that decorating your home with expensive pieces is the only way to make it stand out. Whether you want a minimalist, modern, bohemian or eclectic design aesthetic, there are a myriad of options to enhance your space without going over budget. To inspire your next look, we asked five inspirational interior designers to share their favorite home pieces. They give insight on how they made the decor work for their style, and they offer useful advice on how you can, too. When it comes to planning your home’s overall look, you can always find ideas and similar products to complement current design trends (don’t miss our roundup of smart decor ideas for 2022). And if you have a passion for crafts, consider adding character to your home with creative DIY home decor projects or upcycling your pieces. Before you even think of renovating and buying an excessive amount of decor that might break the bank, see how these designers beautify homes in a cost-effective way.Naïka Andre: Woven Floor Baskets

Justin Cole Photography

Justin Cole Photography

As the founder and principal designer of NJA Interiors, Naïka Andre combines her Haitian heritage with her love of travel to make eye-catching and vibrant designs throughout a space. In her client’s home, they included a colorful Senegalese woven floor basket into the design that she purchased from a local small business in Brooklyn, NY. While her clients use it to store blankets, the storage possibilities are endless. “It’s multifunctional and works in various settings,” Naïka says. “You can use it as a shoe bin in your entryway, a laundry hamper in your bathroom or to store toys in the family room.” Check out NJA Interiors

Shop Woven Baskets

Woven Seagrass Tall Round Basket

west elm
westelm.com

$59.50

Tilda Two-Tone Woven Basket

Pottery Barn
potterybarn.com

$179.00

Natural Diane Seagrass Striped Baskets

rugsusa.com

$49.90

Cotton Rope Basket with Corn Skin

LuxiLilyBaskets
etsy.com

$39.99

Emma Kemper: Murals

Nick Glimenakis

Seth Caplan

Emma started her design firm, Emma Beryl Interiors, in 2015. With her work, you’ll find a combination of vintage and modern pieces, along with a mix of unexpected materials that make a room pop. This includes designing this kids room with a striking mural — perfect for bringing creativity and a sense of adventure into a space. “When you are designing a kid’s room, it’s important to embrace color and imagination to make the space come to life,” she says. “I love that this mural feels appropriate for a toddler, but will also be something that an older child will love, too.” Emma considers a kid’s room to be one of “the best places to take chances and do something fun.” Check out Emma Beryl Interiors

Shop Emma’s Wallpaper and Similar Looks

Emma’s Pick
Jungle Wallpaper

PIXELANDWALL
etsy.com

$39.95

Menagerie Peel & Stick Wallpaper

York
riflepaperco.com

$65.00

Watercolor Forest Animal Wallpaper

ElegantWalls
etsy.com

$18.00

Tropical Forest Peel and Stick Wallpaper

TapetShow
etsy.com

$312.14

Bria Hammel: Botanical Artwork

Aimée Mazzenga

Jill Ockhardt Blaufuss

Bria Hammel, founder and creative director of Bria Hammel Interiors, loves adding botanical artwork to projects. “For our Fargo Project’s sunroom, we opted for this black and white eucalyptus art, as it adds the perfect pop of contrast against the white fireplace mantel for a graphic, statement moment,” she says. If you don’t have a green thumb but love plants, botanical artwork can be easily incorporated into any part of your home for a lively aesthetic.Check out Bria Hammel Interiors

Shop Botanical Artwork

Botanical Print

Minted
minted.com

$36.00

Botanical Framed White Frame Set

ArtbyHannah
amazon.com

$25.99

Bria’s Pick
Black and White Eucalyptus Art

Brooke & Lou
brookeandlou.com

$195.00

Flower Canvas Wall Art

Mofutinpo
amazon.com

$26.90

Imani James: Greenery

Erica J. Simmons

Marc Mauldin Photography, Inc

Atlanta-based designer Imani James, uses fresh flowers and plants in her interiors. “Fresh greenery is particularly attractive when included in vignettes, on top of nightstands and placed in empty corners,” she says. “Hydrangeas and orchids add an instant touch of elegance.” Her favorite plants are Monsteras, Birds of Paradise and snake plants for their ability to take up space in empty nooks, while improving indoor air quality.Imani’s note: “Snake plants help convert used-up carbon dioxide back into oxygen as you sleep at night. So, they are especially beneficial in the bedroom!” Check out Imani James Interiors

Shop Greenery

Large Bird of Paradise

The Sill
thesill.com

$174.00

The Hydrangea

Urban Stems
urbanstems.com

$50.00

Monstera Deliciosa

The Sill
thestill.com

$52.00

Elegant Orchid

1800 Flowers
1800flowers.com

$38.49

Jeannelly Jay: Photo Gallery Walls

Shekeidra Booker

Courtesy

As the founder of Ivyleaf Interior Decor, Jeannelly Jay enjoys creating photo galleries to spruce up empty walls — especially in common areas such as entryways or living rooms. While adding character to your interior, she also believes they make great conversation starters. “The best way to create a photo wall is to pick images that you absolutely love, printed in the same orientation,” she explains. “Whether vertical or horizontal, as long as the sizes of the pictures are the same, you can create a design that is clean and symmetrical.”Jeannelly’s design tip: You can easily arrange photo walls with measuring tape, a pencil and a level (to ensure they’re hung perfectly). If you find the task to be too difficult, she suggests hiring a handyman for a mess-free installation.Check out IvyLeaf Interior Decor

Shop Gallery Wall Prints and Frames

Gallery Wall Eclectic Decor Set

7ArtPrints
etsy.com

$9.00

10 Piece Gallery Picture Frame Set

Wayfair Basics
wayfair.com

$46.99

Maximalist Gallery Wall Set

Unratio
etsy.com

$16.61

Multi-Mat Wood Gallery Frames

West Elm
westelm.com

$35.00

Mariah Thomas
Assistant Editor
Mariah Thomas is an Assistant Editor at Good Housekeeping, where she covers home decorating ideas, gift guides and DIY projects.

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Regardless of your interior design style, there’s no denying the thrill that comes with giving your home a spring refresh. To make the decorating experience even more fun for you this season, J.Crew’s new home collection with Liberty, the luxury British fashion retailer, is worth a look.The limited-edition home line is exactly what you’d expect from two popular fashion retailers—a lively mix of florals, stripes and tie-dye designs that can easily inject personality into your space. If this is your idea of perfect warm-weather decor, you’re in for a treat. You can now shop bedding (starting from $198), sleep masks ($29.50), four-piece napkin and placemat sets ($40 and $50, respectively) and much more.

Liberty X J.Crew XL Navy Sheet Set

J.Crew
J.Crew

$198.00

Liberty X J.Crew Blue Coral Napkin Set

J.Crew
J.Crew

$40.00

Liberty X J.Crew White Printed Tablecloth

J.Crew
J.Crew

$80.00

Liberty X J.Crew Purple Blue Placemats

J.Crew
J.Crew

$50.00

While you’ll love browsing through their floral dining and bedroom essentials, including eye-catching shades of navy, white, purple, and coral, you’ll be delighted by their other cheerful home essentials. This includes their fun two-sided puzzles (who doesn’t love friendly competition?) and beautifully designed playing cards for a day of family fun or simply entertaining friends. And if you’re looking to send a special person in your life a loving letter, don’t miss the patterned note card sets that are sure to bring a smile to their face.

Liberty Prints Sleeping Mask

J.Crew
J.Crew

$29.50

Liberty X J.Crew Two-Sided Puzzle

J. Crew
J. Crew

$25.00

Liberty X J.Crew Playing Cards

J.Crew
J.Crew

$17.00

Liberty X J.Crew Note Card Set

J.Crew
J.Crew

$18.00

Ready to give your home the spring makeover it deserves? Shop the J.Crew and Liberty home collection while there’s still time. You can even enjoy 30% off some of their limited-edition items with the code: SPRING.

Mariah Thomas
Assistant Editor
Mariah Thomas is an Assistant Editor at Good Housekeeping, where she covers home decorating ideas, gift guides and DIY projects.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

They say home is where the heart is, and when you think about it, it’s true. It’s where so many of the big and little things in your life happen. It’s where the meals are cooked for your family, where the gifts are wrapped for birthdays and holiday celebrations, where the mundane but necessary chores get done week after week, where the keepsakes are stored and organized and the memories are made year after year. Recognizing how much goes on, we all could really use some tips on how to make life at home much simpler. From making your own weed killer to whipping up creative cocktails to serve at your next party, there are so many things to learn to ensure your home continues to be the comfortable and the creative space that you love so much.JOIN GH+ NOWThat’s where Good Housekeeping’s new book Home Skills: Master Your Domain with Practical Solutions to Everyday Challenges comes in. Newly released this March, Home Skills is full of expert advice and genius solutions for every corner of the house. Luckily for you, if you sign up for GH+ today, you’ll get special access to 14 essential household hacks for free straight from this amazing book. These tips will help you transform your home, save you time and money, and give you a better idea of what to expect when you purchase the Home Skills book for yourself. Intrigued? Here’s a quick look at what’s inside.

GH

GH

GH

Join Our Membership Club to Get Unlimited Access

Want to learn even more? Sign up to be a GH+ member for only $20 to get special access to this sneak peek of Home Skills. In addition, you’ll also get special access to our 12-recipe Meal Prep Guide as well as access to all of our exclusive guides, including our 30-Day Giving Challenge, Beautifully Organized Guide, Healthy Holiday Handbook and more. GH+ will also grant you unlimited access to all site content, exclusive deals and discounts with our favorite brands, a chance to be a product tester, exclusive access to GH experts, a one-year print magazine subscription and more!

Annie O’Sullivan
Editorial Assistant
As a member of the Special Projects Team, Annie works with the GH Tested program writing up product reviews and roundups and helps plan and run annual expos and events like the GH Parenting Summit, Xmas in July Expo, Cleaning Summit, Winter Essentials Expo, and more. More

If you’ve ever considered adding a standalone greenhouse to your yard, you know how big of an investment it can be. According to Maya Haynie of deVINE Plantery, prices can run between $1,000 and $5,000 for decent prefab options, or closer to $20,000 if you’re looking for something custom. But thanks to Amazon, you may just be able to fulfill your greenery dreams for under $100 (yes, really!). The Home-Complete Walk-in Greenhouse currently retails for $89.95, making it a major steal. Plus, it doesn’t skimp on storage. The unit fits eight durable shelves for storing and displaying plants and gardening supplies. Since it’s a walk-in greenhouse, there’s also additional floor space for taller plants (and enough space for an adult to go in to water).

Walk-in Greenhouse

Home-Complete

$67.92

With a steel frame and a PVC cover to keep budding blooms away from pests, it’s just as perfect for outdoor use as it is for indoor gardening. And while the unit does require some assembly, it doesn’t require any tools and the instructions are easy to follow, at least according to some of the 3,500 five-star reviews. “I found it to be easy to assemble and quite roomy inside,” writes one customer. The Home-Complete greenhouse is available to ship now (you can even get Prime delivery!). Not sold yet? Check out some of Amazon’s other greenhouse offerings below:

Walk-in Greenhouse

KING BIRD

$139.99

Sliding Door Greenhouse

AMERLIFE

$219.99

Tunnel Greenhouse

VIVOSUN

$289.99

Screen Door Greenhouse

Quictent

$110.99

Love shopping for your home and scoring the best deals? We can help.

Nathalie Kirby
Senior Editor of Content Strategy
Nathalie is the Senior Editor of Content Strategy at House Beautiful where she covers everything from home decor to the latest news.

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With spring in full swing, now is the best time to get started on your cleaning and decluttering checklist. Even though it can take a lot of work, cleaning eliminates germs and bacteria from the surfaces that you interact with (trust us, your phone needs a good cleaning). What’s more, studies have shown that cleaning may help manage stress, decrease your anxiety and even make you feel more accomplished.

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Even if you’ve deep cleaned your home a thousand times before, there are always new tips and better tricks to learn. With the help of Carolyn Forte, the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Care and Cleaning Lab Executive Director, who has been testing and reviewing cleaning products with the brand for over 40 years now, you can pick up the absolute best advice that will make your spring-cleaning experience easy, effective and dare we say it, enjoyable. JOIN GH+ NOWIn Good Housekeeping’s new Ultimate Cleaning Guide, available only to GH+ members, Carolyn shares her favorite cleaning supplies, techniques and exclusive secrets that she has tested over the years. Not sure what vacuum works best on your hardwood floors? Have a huge stain from an unfortunate red wine accident? Wondering how often you should be cleaning your electronics? Not even sure where to start? This exclusive digital guide has all the answers and more.To give you a preview of what to expect, here’s one of Carolyn’s top tips:How do I remove old stains from carpet?Reappearing stains happen when you’ve erased the stain from the surface of a carpet but failed to deal with the portion of the stain that’s trapped or hidden down below. So before you toss the evidence of that red wine-stained rug or cover up that coffee-stained corner, try these simple steps:Spritz a cloth with carpet cleaner, then work the carpet cleaner into the base of fibers — with your fingers if you need to — rinse well and blot.Fold a sheet of paper towel into quarters and place it on top of the area.Weigh it down with a heavy pot or vase and leave it overnight. Any leftover stain will be absorbed by the paper towel.When it’s dry, toss the dirty towel and fluff the tufts.

Join Our Membership Club to Get Unlimited Access

Ready to get access to all of Carolyn’s cleaning knowledge? Sign up to be a GH+ member. When you sign up, you will receive access to this guide, as well as past exclusive GH+ guides, like our 14-Day Declutter Challenge and our 7-Day Meat-Free Meal Plan. In addition to these bonus guides and challenges, GH+ members also receive unlimited access to digital content, special money-saving deals and discounts, the chance to be a product tester, a one-year magazine subscription, and so much more!

Annie O’Sullivan
Editorial Assistant
As a member of the Special Projects Team, Annie works with the GH Tested program writing up product reviews and roundups and helps plan and run annual expos and events like the GH Parenting Summit, Xmas in July Expo, Cleaning Summit, Winter Essentials Expo, and more. More