4 tools that make dreaded tasks easy
4 unexpected tools to tackle your most dreaded to-dos |
 | | NYT Wirecutter |
In life, there are plenty of messes that demand immediate attention: big spills, a sink full of dishes, trash ready to be taken out. But there are also those less pressing to-dos that tend to pile up: finally fixing that wiggly towel bar or dealing with the pile of dust you know is waiting for you under the fridge. Many of these messes are actually easier to sort out than you might think — with the right tools. Here are a few we swear by: - For dusting under your fridge, washer, and other heavy appliances: This $20 tiny airbag can lift hundreds of pounds for hours at a time. It's great for leveling the legs on heavy pieces or sliding a duster underneath. Writes home-improvement expert Liam McCabe: "It's like an extra set of hands that can slide into the tiniest gaps."
- For the wobbly towel bar or toilet paper holder: These $1 bolts are great for hanging stuff in hollow walls — and the butterfly design keeps things really secure. Liam says: "When I dry my hands now, all I feel is terry cloth. No wobbling, no worrying about how and when I'll get around to fixing the bar when it inevitably comes loose."
- For the chaotic Tupperware shelf: If you've ever tried to pull just one food storage container lid out of your cabinet, only to have a whole avalanche come tumbling down around you, consider this lid organizer. It's ingeniously designed to keep wayward lids neat and easily accessible.
- For keeping grout glistening white: This teeny little cleaning brush is good for just about anything, but our cleaning expert Caroline Mullen especially likes it for scrubbing grout. Its angled shape also makes it good for getting into hard-to-clean nooks and crannies, the rim around the toilet bowl, and more.
|
We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more ›
More useful tools for life's most annoying messes |
Today's great cleaning deal: Save $50 on a powerful canister vacuum we love |
|  |
In our tests, we've found this canister vacuum is exceptionally effective on bare floors — and gentle on delicate hardwood. Plus, it's lightweight and low-profile, which makes it easy to maneuver under furniture and into corners.
Get the deal here→ | |
READ THE REVIEW The best vacuum for hardwood floors→
One last thing: We smacked a dishwasher with a hammer |
 | | Andrea Barnes/NYT Wirecutter |
One last home-improvement project you may be putting off? Fixing those dents in your stainless steel appliances. There's a good chance your sleek, brushed stainless steel fridge or dishwasher has at least one unsightly dent in its otherwise pristine metallic surface. In search of an answer on how to best remove them, we spent an afternoon smacking a dishwasher with a hammer — and then testing out some of the internet's most popular dent-removal hacks and products. Here's what (kinda) worked→ | |  | Sign up for The Recommendation. Independent reviews, expert advice, and intensively researched deals from Wirecutter experts. Get it in your inbox |
| |
Thanks for reading. You can reach the Wirecutter Newsletters team at newsletters@wirecutter.com. We can't always respond, but we do love to hear from you. Was this email kindly forwarded to you? Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. |
