The most genius home hacks we learned this year
Let's just say, 2017 was good for our homes
Use the tag on fitted sheets.
If you've ever struggled putting the fitted sheet on your mattress, listen up: Thanks to , we learned the always goes on the bottom right side of your mattress. Genius.
PHOTO: Lauren Smith + Betsy Farrell
Clean dishes faster.
The wrap-around design of cleans both sides at once, helping you save major time. It'll also make washing knife blades easier and safer. We'll take two.
PHOTO: JOSEPH JOSEPH
Polish copper with ketchup.
If your copper item is looking tarnished, squirt some ketchup on a rag, then sprinkle salt on top. on your item and repeat until you've covered every inch of the surface. Rinse it off and your item will be as shiny as ever. Watch and see how it's done .
Dry dishes the Finnish way.
, people install over-the-sink cabinets that, instead of having shelves on the inside, feature so you can put wet dishes away and let them drip dry in to the sink. This means they don't have to hand-dry anything, and you'll save serious counter space.
PHOTO: outdance the devil
Restore white sneakers with baking soda.
One of 's tweets went viral this year because it showed the astounding of her white Converse shoes. Even better: All it took was a little baking soda and laundry detergent.
PHOTO: Getty
Use foil as a scrub brush.
When in a pinch, you can use foil to help you around the house for much more than food storage. Here, it's balled up and being used as a dish scrubber, but it can also polish silver, protect pie crust from being burnt, .
Trap hair with this $12 tool.
Fixing a clogged drain in your shower is never fun, which is why people went nuts over . It captures hair and other debris and all you have to do is remove the gadget once a month and wipe it clean with a tissue.
PHOTO: ShowerShroom
Use towel bars as a lid rack.
Your storage doesn't have to be used in the way it was originally intended. Instead of hanging towels that look cluttered on this rack, looks streamlined and polished.
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING
Clean brass with ketchup, vinegar, or lemon.
When you have company coming over last minute, brass is one of the easiest metals to polish with what you already have on-hand. All three of these pantry staples will do the trick. Don't believe us? for yourself.
Invest to tackle corners.
Hard-to-reach spots, like under your refrigerator and baseboards, are no match for this . Its flexible head bends and swivels to fit into any space.
PHOTO: MILES KIMBALL
Hang pots and pans.
Instead of taking up with these clunky items, use Command Hooks to hang them on an unused wall, . Start by hanging the biggest items first, then incorporate the medium-sized ones and finish with the smallest items.
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING
Organize storage containers by size.
Many people find intimidating to corral, but makes it look easy by using a riser to separate round shapes on top and square ones on bottom.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Make your cleaners smell fresh.
White vinegar is a super hero when it comes to cleaning — after all, it . But if you want to make it even better, infuse it with a hint of citrus, eucalyptus, .
Nestle silverware together.
What's key to making a utensil drawer functional is investing in caddies for every kind of utensil, as well as size. To save space, nestle your forks and spoons into each other.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Put heavy items down below.
Items like cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens should always go in the , partly because it's safer to pull them out that way and you also won't have to worry about the shelf they're sitting on collapsing under their weight.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Add storage to your sink.
Instead of leaving your wet sponge in the sink after washing dishes, use , which features draining slots that'll help it dry up between cleanings.
PHOTO: buytra
Flip your wine glasses.
Most people have strong preferences if their glasses face up or down, but we say do both. This trick will help you fit way , since they can nestle more closely together.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
File serving dishes.
This is ideal for heavy serving platters, cutting boards, and trays because it of the cabinet and won't wiggle as you pull items in and out.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Look up for storage.
If you're running low on counter storage, add shelves to your walls as high as you can go. This leaves tons of surface space for chopping and prep work.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Keep an empty shelf.
Keeping tabs on the food you already have is all about creating . Here, snacks go on the bottom shelf, while breakfast foods and sweets go on the second shelf. The third is left .
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Use the tag on fitted sheets.
If you've ever struggled putting the fitted sheet on your mattress, listen up: Thanks to , we learned the always goes on the bottom right side of your mattress. Genius.
PHOTO: Lauren Smith + Betsy Farrell
Clean dishes faster.
The wrap-around design of cleans both sides at once, helping you save major time. It'll also make washing knife blades easier and safer. We'll take two.
PHOTO: JOSEPH JOSEPH
Polish copper with ketchup.
If your copper item is looking tarnished, squirt some ketchup on a rag, then sprinkle salt on top. on your item and repeat until you've covered every inch of the surface. Rinse it off and your item will be as shiny as ever. Watch and see how it's done .
Dry dishes the Finnish way.
, people install over-the-sink cabinets that, instead of having shelves on the inside, feature so you can put wet dishes away and let them drip dry in to the sink. This means they don't have to hand-dry anything, and you'll save serious counter space.
PHOTO: outdance the devil
Restore white sneakers with baking soda.
One of 's tweets went viral this year because it showed the astounding of her white Converse shoes. Even better: All it took was a little baking soda and laundry detergent.
PHOTO: Getty
Use foil as a scrub brush.
When in a pinch, you can use foil to help you around the house for much more than food storage. Here, it's balled up and being used as a dish scrubber, but it can also polish silver, protect pie crust from being burnt, .
Trap hair with this $12 tool.
Fixing a clogged drain in your shower is never fun, which is why people went nuts over . It captures hair and other debris and all you have to do is remove the gadget once a month and wipe it clean with a tissue.
PHOTO: ShowerShroom
Use towel bars as a lid rack.
Your storage doesn't have to be used in the way it was originally intended. Instead of hanging towels that look cluttered on this rack, looks streamlined and polished.
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING
Clean brass with ketchup, vinegar, or lemon.
When you have company coming over last minute, brass is one of the easiest metals to polish with what you already have on-hand. All three of these pantry staples will do the trick. Don't believe us? for yourself.
Invest to tackle corners.
Hard-to-reach spots, like under your refrigerator and baseboards, are no match for this . Its flexible head bends and swivels to fit into any space.
PHOTO: MILES KIMBALL
Hang pots and pans.
Instead of taking up with these clunky items, use Command Hooks to hang them on an unused wall, . Start by hanging the biggest items first, then incorporate the medium-sized ones and finish with the smallest items.
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING
Organize storage containers by size.
Many people find intimidating to corral, but makes it look easy by using a riser to separate round shapes on top and square ones on bottom.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Make your cleaners smell fresh.
White vinegar is a super hero when it comes to cleaning — after all, it . But if you want to make it even better, infuse it with a hint of citrus, eucalyptus, .
Nestle silverware together.
What's key to making a utensil drawer functional is investing in caddies for every kind of utensil, as well as size. To save space, nestle your forks and spoons into each other.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Put heavy items down below.
Items like cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens should always go in the , partly because it's safer to pull them out that way and you also won't have to worry about the shelf they're sitting on collapsing under their weight.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Add storage to your sink.
Instead of leaving your wet sponge in the sink after washing dishes, use , which features draining slots that'll help it dry up between cleanings.
PHOTO: buytra
Flip your wine glasses.
Most people have strong preferences if their glasses face up or down, but we say do both. This trick will help you fit way , since they can nestle more closely together.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
File serving dishes.
This is ideal for heavy serving platters, cutting boards, and trays because it of the cabinet and won't wiggle as you pull items in and out.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Look up for storage.
If you're running low on counter storage, add shelves to your walls as high as you can go. This leaves tons of surface space for chopping and prep work.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Keep an empty shelf.
Keeping tabs on the food you already have is all about creating . Here, snacks go on the bottom shelf, while breakfast foods and sweets go on the second shelf. The third is left .
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Use the tag on fitted sheets.
If you've ever struggled putting the fitted sheet on your mattress, listen up: Thanks to , we learned the always goes on the bottom right side of your mattress. Genius.
PHOTO: Lauren Smith + Betsy Farrell
Clean dishes faster.
The wrap-around design of cleans both sides at once, helping you save major time. It'll also make washing knife blades easier and safer. We'll take two.
PHOTO: JOSEPH JOSEPH
Polish copper with ketchup.
If your copper item is looking tarnished, squirt some ketchup on a rag, then sprinkle salt on top. on your item and repeat until you've covered every inch of the surface. Rinse it off and your item will be as shiny as ever. Watch and see how it's done .
Dry dishes the Finnish way.
, people install over-the-sink cabinets that, instead of having shelves on the inside, feature so you can put wet dishes away and let them drip dry in to the sink. This means they don't have to hand-dry anything, and you'll save serious counter space.
PHOTO: outdance the devil
Restore white sneakers with baking soda.
One of 's tweets went viral this year because it showed the astounding of her white Converse shoes. Even better: All it took was a little baking soda and laundry detergent.
PHOTO: Getty
Use foil as a scrub brush.
When in a pinch, you can use foil to help you around the house for much more than food storage. Here, it's balled up and being used as a dish scrubber, but it can also polish silver, protect pie crust from being burnt, .
Trap hair with this $12 tool.
Fixing a clogged drain in your shower is never fun, which is why people went nuts over . It captures hair and other debris and all you have to do is remove the gadget once a month and wipe it clean with a tissue.
PHOTO: ShowerShroom
Use towel bars as a lid rack.
Your storage doesn't have to be used in the way it was originally intended. Instead of hanging towels that look cluttered on this rack, looks streamlined and polished.
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING
Clean brass with ketchup, vinegar, or lemon.
When you have company coming over last minute, brass is one of the easiest metals to polish with what you already have on-hand. All three of these pantry staples will do the trick. Don't believe us? for yourself.
Invest to tackle corners.
Hard-to-reach spots, like under your refrigerator and baseboards, are no match for this . Its flexible head bends and swivels to fit into any space.
PHOTO: MILES KIMBALL
Hang pots and pans.
Instead of taking up with these clunky items, use Command Hooks to hang them on an unused wall, . Start by hanging the biggest items first, then incorporate the medium-sized ones and finish with the smallest items.
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING
Organize storage containers by size.
Many people find intimidating to corral, but makes it look easy by using a riser to separate round shapes on top and square ones on bottom.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Make your cleaners smell fresh.
White vinegar is a super hero when it comes to cleaning — after all, it . But if you want to make it even better, infuse it with a hint of citrus, eucalyptus, .
Nestle silverware together.
What's key to making a utensil drawer functional is investing in caddies for every kind of utensil, as well as size. To save space, nestle your forks and spoons into each other.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Put heavy items down below.
Items like cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens should always go in the , partly because it's safer to pull them out that way and you also won't have to worry about the shelf they're sitting on collapsing under their weight.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Add storage to your sink.
Instead of leaving your wet sponge in the sink after washing dishes, use , which features draining slots that'll help it dry up between cleanings.
PHOTO: buytra
Flip your wine glasses.
Most people have strong preferences if their glasses face up or down, but we say do both. This trick will help you fit way , since they can nestle more closely together.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
File serving dishes.
This is ideal for heavy serving platters, cutting boards, and trays because it of the cabinet and won't wiggle as you pull items in and out.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Look up for storage.
If you're running low on counter storage, add shelves to your walls as high as you can go. This leaves tons of surface space for chopping and prep work.
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Keep an empty shelf.
Keeping tabs on the food you already have is all about creating . Here, snacks go on the bottom shelf, while breakfast foods and sweets go on the second shelf. The third is left .
PHOTO: Kathryn Wirsing
Let's just say, 2017 was good for our homes
Improving one's home is a never-ending cycle. That's why people are constantly on the lookout for faster ways to or — and 2017 was no exception. These are the highlights of what we learned this year and will embrace for years to come.