Once those cabinet tops are thoroughly cleaned (a mix of distilled white vinegar and warm water should do the trick), you’ll be happy to know there’s a simple way to prevent airborne grime from ever coating them again.

Clean Cabinets in One Step

The buildup on your cabinet tops may not accumulate as quickly or heavily as it would in a high-traffic area, such as the floor space beneath your fridge, but it certainly adds up over time. These surfaces don’t just collect dust; they also get seriously grimy, mostly due to cooking humidity combined with oil splatter and other minor kitchen messes.

So, how can you keep the tops of kitchen cabinets clean with minimal effort? You line them with aluminum foil. (You can also use parchment paper, newspaper, or wax paper if you have it on hand — any disposable liner works.) Simply measure and cut pieces of foil to fit the size and shape of each cabinet top. Then, lay the sheets flat across the surface with a slight overlap to prevent any gaps. Once in place, the foil can be left there for weeks or months — replacing it is the only cleaning required.

What Makes Aluminum Foil a Top Choice?

Why foil? For starters, you can easily mold it to fit the contours of any cupboard top with minimal cutting or folding. You can also quickly wipe it down if it gets dirty. When it’s time to replace the foil, scrunch it into a ball and toss it in the recycling bin, or hang it outside to keep birds and other pests away from your garden.

Load Back to Front

In the restaurant world, which is where this pro advice comes from, dish racks are filled from the back to the front. Why, exactly? When you place items at the front first, you may have to move them and risk knocking into other things each time you add something new. The folks who’ve done dish duty know this instinctively.

Group Plates by Size and Place Large Items at the Back

When it comes to plates, the trick is to line up those of the same size next to each other. That means all the dinner plates together and all the salad bowls together; this speeds up the unloading process and makes it more organized.

Always put large bowls, casserole dishes, and any tall or bulky items toward the back of the rack. This ensures they won’t block other dishes or the appliance’s spray arms. If an item does end up blocking the spray arms, you should wash it by hand rather than risk everything else in the load remaining dirty.

The Top Rack Is for Delicates

Cups, glasses, mugs, and smaller bowls belong on the top rack. The water pressure here is gentler, which helps prevent chipping and etching. Remember to angle cups slightly so water doesn’t pool on top.

Plastic items also go on the top rack to avoid warping, especially if your dishwasher has an exposed heating element at the bottom.

Organize Your Silverware Basket

To keep things efficient for unloading, group like silverware together: spoons with spoons, forks with forks, and knives with knives. To prevent nesting, which hinders a thorough clean, place spoons and forks in alternating directions. Crucially, for safety reasons, knives should always be inserted blade-down. It’s also a good idea to make use of the silverware basket’s slots: this separation ensures a better clean and helps prevent unsightly water marks.

While you can always stop at a gas station to try to wipe down the vehicle, scrubbing away every single stain can be difficult — especially those that have been caked on and baking in the sun. But don’t worry: We have a hack that can easily solve this issue and leave any car splatter-free.

Dryer Sheets to the Rescue

You’ve probably tried dedicated bug removal products or even coated your car in WD-40, hoping the stains would slide right off. But the true solution lies within your laundry room. Dryer sheets do so much more than soften fabric and fight static — they also help to remove that buggy splatter from your car’s windshield, bumper, and grille. To try this hack for yourself, all you’ll need are some standard dryer sheets and a water supply.

Begin by pouring or spraying water onto any splatter-affected areas of the car. Then, dampen a dryer sheet with water and wipe away the insect residue. (This is important because a dry dryer sheet can leave behind residue or even scratch the surface.) You’ll be amazed at how easily the gross splatter comes off — in fact, you probably won’t need to apply any additional elbow grease. After the mess is gone, rinse the area with water and car wash soap to leave it sparkling clean. Beyond bug splatter, this method is also effective for removing tar and tree sap.

Word to the Wise

While this trick may seem too good to be true, it does come with a major caveat. Despite their soft appearance, most dryer sheets are actually quite abrasive, which is why they remove bug splatter so effectively. For this reason, you shouldn’t scrub too hard, or you risk scuffing the paint, glass, or metallic features of your vehicle. As long as you stick to using a light touch and a damp dryer sheet, you can avoid causing damage.

A Supplementary Solution

In addition to looking quite disgusting, the acidic nature of bug splatter can damage your car’s paint job. So, before it ever gets that bad, consider applying a ceramic coating to your vehicle. You can either apply it yourself or bring your car to a local detailer for a more professional job. This coating protects the paint from breaking down easily if it comes into contact with bug splatter. Even so, it’s a good idea to wipe down the car regularly to keep the finish in good condition.