Q: I just moved into an apartment, and the area where the trash is stored smells atrocious. I've cleaned it and used natural deodorizers (baking soda, air fresheners, etc.), but the old garbage smell keeps coming back. Does anyone have tips on making this area smell brand new?

Sent by Liz More

It's the end of a wonderful dinner party: many bottles were uncorked, glasses clinked, and now after hours of stimulating conversation, your guests just departed feeling warm and socially lubricated. When you survey the aftermath, you see it: a few drops of red wine on the tablecloth, possibly even on the carpet. What do you do? More

Q: Might be a silly question, but when a box of baking powder used for freshening the fridge has expired, can it still be used as a scouring powder? Or has it expired altogether?

Sent by Cynthia More

I'll admit it. I'm not a super neat person. It's not that I'm a slob but I can definitely handle a little more disarray than most people. But no matter what, when I go to bed at night I know one thing for sure will never greet me in the morning: a pile of dirty dishes. That's because over the years I've learned to make doing the dishes as pleasurable as possible. My current method has just two elements: really nice dish soap and a favorite podcast. More

Calling anything related to cleaning my "favorite" is a bit of a stretch. That said, I'd be absolutely lost without a few of these non-abrasive scrubbing pads beneath my sink. More

Cheese graters, small jars, juicer parts, sink fixtures ... when it comes time to clean all these and more, I reach for a toothbrush. More

I do not have a dishwasher, which means all the dishes get hand-washed in my house, so it's not uncommon for the dish rack to be under quite a bit of strain from the day's plates, glasses, and pans. We went through two replacements of this wooden dish rack from IKEA, which warped and cracked both times. Fed up with "disposable" dish racks, I knew I wanted something sturdy, reliable, long-lasting, yet aesthetically pleasing. This dish rack from Simplehuman fit the bill. More

My bench scraper is my go-to kitchen tool. It makes all my baking blunders, stuck-on dough, or boiled-over sauces disappear in an instant. But what I didn't realize is that using it before I clean instead of after saves me tons of time and money! More

I love these old antique crocks, which can be had for a song at flea markets, antique shops, and even thrift stores. And here's a smart way to put one of these substantial crocks to use: Stash your kitchen linens! More

If you would have asked me five years ago if I would have cared about the trash can in my kitchen, I would have most likely laughed and walked away. Investing in a quality (or even funky) trash can is a wonderful idea! More