15 Genius Spring Cleaning Products That Will Get Through the Season

Apr 04, 2017

With the season in full swing, we’re sure you’ve got your spring cleaning checklist printed out and plenty of plans to refresh your space. Whether those plans include a full-on deep clean, or just a little tidying up, we’ve got a couple of #genius products that’ll have you making up for lost time. From dusters that extend to those hard-to-reach spots to liquids that clear up *all* that stubborn residue, the must-have items below are here to take your space from grimy to shiny. Happy (spring) cleaning, all!

1. Fuzzy Wuzzy Microfiber Mitt ($6): This mitt cleans your home without all those harsh chemicals. Side one works to trap dust, while side two buffs *and* polishes. With this bad boy, you can guarantee your surfaces get the full treatment, all in one clean.

2. Reliable Steamboy 200CU Steam Floor Mop ($99): Say goodbye to the ol’ bucket and mop thanks to this steam-powered vac. It naturally sanitizes your floors to get them back to looking spotless. Did we mention it tackles carpets too?

3. Amazon Arms Length All Purpose Cleaning Glove ($17): Protect your hands — and arms — against *all* those tough cleaning solvents. These extra long gloves will keep you feeling soft and smooth, regardless of the duties at hand that day.

4. The Optimist Co. Rosemary And Mint Room & Air Spray ($7): Rosemary, mint, and essential oils give this cleaning product a serious aromatherapy kick when it comes to refreshing your room. Just one spritz will leave you in pure bliss.

5. Verilux CleanWave UV-C Sanitizing Wand ($150): Sanitize everything from toys to doorknobs with this techy tool. Its ultraviolet light kills germs and bacteria on impact, so you’ll be on your way to a cleaner home with just a few simple waves of the wand.

6. Downy Unstopables In-Wash Fresh Scent Booster ($12): Thanks to these scent-boosting beads, you can capture that fresh-from-the-dryer scent for up to 12 weeks. And we certainly won’t blame you for wanting to log extra time between loads.

7. Plant Therapy Cleaning Set ($35): If you *love* the way your home smells after a good scrub-down, then this essential oil set is for you. With just some basic household ingredients and a few drops of these, you can create a variety of everyday cleaning substances that not only smell amazing but pack a powerful germ-killing punch.

8. Replenish Multi-Surface Cleaner ($8): Clean green with the refill system that turns a disposable container into a reusable tool. This handy product attaches directly to a refill pod, so even if you’re doing an entire home cleanse, your bottle casualties will be kept to a minimum.

9. Master Herbalist English Lavender Scented Drawer Liners ($17): Keep that feel-good freshness with you by lining your drawers with this lavender-scented paper.

10. Oxo Electronics Cleaning Brush ($5): You know that grime wedged between your computer keys drives you nuts. Use this wedge-tipped pen to clear out those crevices and get your electronics back to their user-friendly state.

11. Clean Mama Microfiber Cleaning Cloths ($16, set of four): Tackle any cleaning task with this highly absorbent cloth that works on all grimy surfaces.

12. Zep Miracle Foaming Microwave Cleaner ($11): This option does all the dirty work for you. Simply cover your microwave with the foaming formula, power it on, and let the steam activate to work away on your toughest microwave messes.

13. Oxo Microfiber Extendable Duster ($15): Hard-to-reach spots just met their match thanks to this extendable duster. It rotates and locks in at multiple angles so you can finally give those hidden nooks and crannies a much-needed scrub down.

14. Magic Stainless Steel Cleaner ($7): Your appliances are the pride of your kitchen. Keep them in their best state with this cleaner that uses a protective shield against all those future smudges and fingerprints.

15. iRobot Braava jet 240 Mopping Robot ($200): Who doesn’t love a constantly clean floor? Designed to wet mop, damp sweep, or dry sweep hard floors, this little robot will quickly become your new cleaning BFF.

Looking for more ways to maximize your spring cleaning? Follow us on Pinterest for additional inspo!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

Is Butter Bad For You? Here's The Number 1 Way It's Impacting Your Health

There's nothing more tasty than a fresh slice of buttered sourdough in the morning. But new research suggests you might want to pass on this delicacy to extend your longevity. So isbutter bad for you? Here's what recent studies found!

Scroll to see how your bread & butter intake may be impacting your health!

Felicity Tai

A recent study conducted by Harvard University and Mass General Brigham found that people who consumed more butter had a 15% higher risk of early death compared to those who used it in moderation. On the flip side, people who preferred plant oils had a 16% lower risk of mortality.

The results shed light on the ongoing question of whether butter or plant-based oils are the better choice for your health. Sadly for butter lovers, the findings suggest that replacing even two teaspoons of butter with the same amount of plant oil could lower the risk of early death by approximately 17%.

Polina Tankilevitch

For the study, the research team examined dietary data from three major studies: the Nurses' Health Study, Nurses' Health Study II, and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. They tracked over 220,000 Americans' butter consumption, including for both cooking and spreading, as well as their intake of various plant oils, like olive, soybean, canola, corn, and safflower oils.

Over the course of 33 years, the researchers gathered this information via food surveys every four years. Then, they used the data to calculate averages and gain a clearer picture of eating habits.

Nadin Sh

A total of 50,932 deaths occurred throughout the study, with 12,241 from cancer and 11,240 from heart disease. The team adjusted for variables such as age, physical activity, weight, alcohol consumption, and smoking, which revealed a distinct trend.

Higher butter intake was associated with increased death rates; meanwhile, higher consumption of plant oils was tied to lower death rates. However, not all plant oils had the same effect, as corn and safflower oils showed no significant benefits.

Mareefe

Still, increasing plant oil intake by roughly two tablespoons a day was linked to an 11% reduction in cancer death risk and a 6% decrease in the risk of dying from heart disease.

"Replacing three small pats of butter (approximately 15 grams) with one tablespoon of plant-based oil (approximately 15 grams) in the daily diet could contribute to lowering the risk of premature mortality," the team wrote.

Kaboompics.com

Now, this doesn't mean you need to cut out butter entirely. In fact, the study actually found that butter used for baking or frying wasn't strongly linked to mortality risk. This may be because it's used in smaller quantities or less often.

Butter being spread directly on foods, like bread, showed the strongest connection. So, the researchers suggest making small switches, like swapping out butter for olive oil or canola oil, to maintain taste and enhance your health.

"Even cutting back butter a little and incorporating more plant-based oils into your daily diet can have meaningful long-term health benefits," concluded Dr. Daniel Wang of Harvard's Department of Nutrition.

To read the study's complete findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine, visit the link here.

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Trader Joe’s Easter Items Are Here — 11 Picks To Add To Your Baskets This Year!

Trader Joe’s current lineup of Easter goodies is better than ever. They’ve got so many sweets on deck – including chocolate bunnies, of course – as well as festive spring snacks that simply make the perfectEaster basket additions! This year, there’s really no shortage of fun TJ’s finds to brighten up your season.

Scroll on for 11 Trader Joe’s Easter finds that are totally worth grabbing before they’re gone!

Trader Joe's

Milk Chocolate Bunny Bar

This adorable bunny-shaped chocolate bar is topped with tons of bright candy gems and rainbow nonpareils (which are crafted with dyes from natural ingredients) to liven up your Easter snack collection! This limited-time item will definitely not last long on shelves, so run to TJ's soon!

Trader Joe's

Peas & Carrots Sour Gummy Candies

Shaped like tiny little peas and carrots, these bites are far from actual veggies. In fact, they're made of a delicious gummy candy tinged with just the right amount of sourness that balances out the sugary goodness.

Trader Joe's

Break Apart Bunny

This is not your average chocolate bunny. While still hollow like most traditional treats, this one's actually loaded up with a handful of carrot-shaped gummy candies – like a perfect little (and edible!) Easter-themed piñata. Your Easter basket recipients won't be able to resist breaking it open!

Trader Joe's

Chocolate Truffle Eggs

Ooh, fancy. Perfectly packaged for Eastertime gifting, this collection of egg-shaped chocolate truffles boats 7 distinctive flavors that feel oh-so bougie. You're def going to want to grab one for yourself – we're absolutely eyeing that pistachio egg. 👀

Trader Joe's

Raspberry Mousse Cakes

These lil' cakes are almost too cute to eat! Each one starts with a base of moist vanilla cake that's topped with raspberry-flavored mousse. The batch then is covered in a sweet confectionary coating (including an edible leaf!) to emulate the sheer magic of raspberries on one easy-to-eat treat.

Trader Joe's

Italian Chocolate Eggs

Add these eggs to your Easter candy bowl, stat! This pack comes with 4 decadent flavor pairings encased in colorful coatings so you can easily sneak in a bite of springtime joy throughout the day.

Trader Joe's

Sea Salt Brownie Bites

We are obsessed with these brownie bites. The added sea salt on top of 'em adds some extra flavor oomph that feels super elevated and perfectly fancy for a special occasion such as Easter.

Trader Joe's

Teensy Candy Bars

Basically like 'teensy' versions of a Snickers bar, these micro-sized candy bars are dangerously easy to snack on. Your little ones will adore them!

Trader Joe's

Chocolatey Drizzled Strawberry Kettle Popcorn

Drizzled with freeze-dried strawberries and chocolate, this kettle corn is unlike anything you've tried before. The fruity notes most definitely qualify it as a great spring snack, while the chocolate adds Eastertime decadence.

Trader Joe's

Organic Sparkling Rosé Tea Beverage

For something to sip on, this can is the epitome of spring flavors. It's made with a blend of four teas along with white grape juice, hibiscus flowers, orange peel, and rose hips for some insanely good floral and citrusy notes!

Trader Joe's

Tangerine Probiotic Sparkling Beverage

Crafted with probiotics, this bubbly bev contains a "light, refreshing, sweet-tart flavor" that'll have you hooked from first gulp.

Subscribe to our newsletter to discover more epic Trader Joe's items!

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Sophia Bush Finally Opened Up About Hilarie Burton & Chad Michael Murray Leaving 'One Tree Hill': "Stupid"

One Tree Hill fans were heartbroken (and a little bit confused) when season 6 ended and Peyton (Hilarie Burton) and Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) left without a trace. It had been a season of danger, life-threatening situations, and literal murder, and for two of the show's leads to just fall off the face of the earth felt inconsistent with how tight-knit the friend group had always been. And viewers weren't the only ones to think so.

"This is the problem: They didn't give us enough to make where our friends went make sense," Drama Queens host Sophia Bush said of the "unfortunate" decision to write Hilarie and Chad out of the show. (Hilarie has said in a previous episode of the rewatch podcast that both her and Chad were "treated badly, and he defended me...Chad was my teammate.")

Keep reading for what Sophia Bush, Bethany Joy Lenz, and Robert Buckley's thoughts on Peyton and Lucas leaving One Tree Hill.

Sophia Bush thought Peyton and Lucas leaving 'One Tree Hill' was "really weird."

Warner Bros. TV

One Tree Hill season 6 ended after Peyton almost died giving birth to her and Lucas' daughter, and after introducing baby Sawyer to the rest of the crew, they just...drive off into the sunset.

"I don't even remember where they moved. Where did they go?" Bethany Joy Lenz says, to which Robert Buckley replies, "They left in a convertible, so I'm gonna guess maybe the West Coast where it's a bit warmer and less rainy."

But no matter where Peyton and Lucas moved, the One Tree Hill cast can't quite wrap their heads around the fact that, in the story, Brooke literally never hears from Peyton again. "I used to ask, 'Why can't Brooke [Davis] be getting text messages from Peyton? Why can't you see them texting? Like, why am I not getting photo updates of this baby? It feels really weird.'"

And while Lucas returns for an episode in season 9, he was also radio silent for his three-season absence, as was his mom Karen. "Everybody, they just faded off into the distance," Bethany says. "I do wish they had kept that up in some more clear way. I don't think it would have been hard."

While Bethany Joy Lenz think is was because of "personal beef" behind the scenes.

But Bethany theorizes the onscreen confusion boils down to behind-the-scenes drama with creator Mark Schwann, whom the cast accused of sexual harassment in 2017. The women of the show wrote an open letter explaining how “many of us were, to varying degrees, manipulated psychologically and emotionally," and how "more than one of us is still in treatment for post-traumatic stress."

"I think it was some sort of personal beef behind the scenes," Bethany adds in the Drama Queens episode. "He was hoping the audience would just forget about them."

"Which seems so stupid because it's a choice rooted in ego," Sophia adds. "It's like, 'Dude, you wrote those characters, so you knew they were great. So why are we suddenly pretending they're not?'"

Fred Norris/Warner Bros. TV

Hopefully we'll see all our favorite Tree Hill Ravens return for a One Tree Hill sequel series. While the show hasn't been officially greenlit at Netflix yet, Hilarie Burton exclusively told Brit + Co that everyone involved in the show is "really proud of the work that we did back then too. And so to see the public support this little show we made 20 years later, that's so special and it's so rare."

You can stream all of One Tree Hill on Hulu now — and read up on Chad Michael Murray's Perfect Idea For The One Tree Hill Reunion.

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