Enter Reddit user Kismai, whose detailed approach to laundry has earned him something of a cult following. He’s not a professional spokesperson or a detergent-brand insider—just someone who spills a lot and has spent years refining a laundry system that fans say completely transformed the way their clothes look and feel.

At the center of his method is an often overlooked ingredient that most of us never think about adding to laundry, if we’ve even heard of it at all. I took a closer look at how it works with Jennifer Ahoni, a principal scientist at Tide, and put it to the test myself. Here’s what to know, including easy steps to use this method yourself.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What detergent ingredient is an absolute must for cleaner laundry?

Lipase is what people are chasing when they want their laundry to actually be clean, not just look the part. At the risk of making your laundry sound like a biology lab, let’s cover the basics. For starters, lipase is part of a broader class of detergent ingredients called enzymes.

“Enzymes, which are biological catalysts, are a class of ingredients in detergents used to break down complex stains into smaller, water-soluble pieces that can be more easily washed away,” Ahoni says. Lipase, in particular, accelerates the breakdown of greasy substances, so she says it’s especially useful for tackling body-oil buildup on clothes, as well as cooking fats like oils and butter.

She adds that removing these types of stains is particularly important for “modern synthetic fabrics, which tend to trap these body soils and greases more than natural fabrics.” (If you’ve ever had workout gear that seems clean but soon starts to stink again—yeah, lipase can help.)

Is lipase a common detergent ingredient?

Nope, lipase isn’t in every detergent, and it’s not always easy to find. That’s because in the United States, we tend to use liquid detergent, and enzymes are more stable in powder form. (That said, you can find lipase in select liquids and pods, as well as powders.)

“The most common detergent form [in the U.S.] is liquid, where manufacturers historically have leveraged advanced surfactants for grease and oil cleaning,” Ahoni says. “These surfactants work by lowering the surface tension of water and surrounding grease molecules, allowing them to be more easily lifted and suspended in water.”

If you’re not using lipase now, don’t despair. “A robust system of anionic and nonionic surfactants is also highly effective at removing greasy soils,” Ahoni says, referring to detergents with negatively charged ions (anionic) and uncharged ions (nonionic). “However, we are indeed seeing a growing inclusion of lipase in detergent formulas, likely driven by a consumer demand for a deeper clean and for odor removal,” she says.

Where can you find lipase-based detergents?

You don’t need to go to a special store to find lipase-based ingredients, but you can’t just grab any old product off the shelf. Because the U.S. market heavily favors products that are less likely to contain lipase, Kismai created what he calls the “Lipase List,” a public Google sheet of detergents, pretreaters and boosters sold in North America that contain lipase.

A few popular detergents on the list include:

• Tide + Ultra Oxi (and other Tide powders)
• Ariel (2X, Ultra Oxi)
• Gain (powder formulas)
• ECOS Laundry Detergent with Enzymes
• Everspring Ultra Concentrated
• Dropps (Odor + Stain or 4-in-1 Plus Oxi)
• 365 by Whole Foods Concentrated Detergent

How do you use lipase-based detergent in the wash?

You use lipase detergent like you would any other, but Kismai’s method is really about stacking the odds in your favor to get the best results.

It’s not complicated, but it’s not the “stuff my clothes in the machine and hope for the best” laundry routine. If you want to follow in the footsteps of the internet’s laundry folk hero, here’s what Kismai does:

1. Separate your laundry. Cotton sheets, towels and regular, everyday clothing (even synthetics) must be washed separately from delicates like wool and silk. Separate lights and darks for best results.
2. Group items based on soil level. Kismai says this gives you more control over how each load gets washed.
3. Treat visible stains. Use an enzyme-based pretreater before washing. Kismai calls this his “not-so-secret weapon,” especially for food and body soils, and recommends letting it sit for at least 30 minutes so it has time to work.
4. Treat heavier, greasy messes. Pretreat spills like motor oil or thick, waxy buildups with a liquid detergent rich in surfactants, as Ahoni suggests. (Enzymes alone may not cut it.) Work it into the fabric before tossing it into the wash.
5. Don’t overload the machine. Clothes need room to move so the detergent can actually do its job. Aim for a full but not crammed load—something I am very guilty of!
6. Wash in warm water. Kismai leans toward warm water, using a normal cycle and longer agitation, along with extra rinses to help fully remove detergent and any loosened grime.
7. Dry on a gentle cycle. Kismai recommends gentler settings for most clothing, saving higher heat for sturdier items like towels.

So what happened when I put this seemingly magical ingredient to the test?

Guess what: Lipase works!

I used the Kismai-approved 365 by Whole Foods Concentrated Detergent, which comes in a liquid form. I ran multiple loads throughout the week, and I found it especially effective on gross and greasy food stains, as well as my workout gear, just as Ahoni and Kismai said.

Here’s what I tested lipase detergent on, and what I found:

Stained kitchen towels

I like to think I’m a sustainable girlie, so in my kitchen, I use reusable “paper towels,” which are really just a pile of neatly folded, aesthetically colored rags. Sometimes one of those little cloths can last me all day long. But when I’m cleaning counters or cooking dinner (I’m a messy cook!), I’m running through five or more of those suckers in an hour. So there is usually a fat stack of greasy, grody towels piling up in my sink—and they all need a deep clean.

The verdict: I washed my reusable towels using Kismai’s method, and the food stains—from a blob of oil to the remnants of a puddle of sauce—lifted noticeably, no lingering crunchy spots or shadowy discoloration.

Workout clothes

After my grimy towels, I tackled my grubby workout clothes (I am, unfortunately, a heavy sweater). So I had plenty to test this method on! Fellow athletes, you probably know that even if you immediately toss your gear into the wash after a strenuous session, it’s really difficult to get body-oil-based grime out of synthetic materials. And workout clothes can sometimes hold onto that faint, baked-in sweat smell, no matter how quickly you get them into the wash.

The verdict: My workout gear came out smelling neutral and clean, with no lingering odor. And since I went for an unscented detergent, there wasn’t any perfumy scent either.

Any bad news?

There was one clear drawback: Finding a lipase-based detergent wasn’t exactly easy. The 365 detergent was one of the more accessible options near me (thanks, Whole Foods down the street), but depending on where you live, you may have to order online or hunt around a bit.

Will I keep using lipase detergent?

Yes! Lipase detergent is officially being added to my laundry rotation.

At around $12 for 100 fluid ounces, it was a bit more expensive than the detergents I usually go for. But if it continues to keep my kitchen rags from getting permanently gross and my workout clothes from holding onto the scent of sweat, I’m willing to pay a little extra.

It’s not a miracle cure, though. As Ahoni points out, no single ingredient can tackle every type of stain, so a well-rounded routine still matters. But for greasy buildup and body oils, which often stick around no matter how many times I wash, lipase made a noticeable difference.

So if your biggest laundry frustrations involve oil, odor or that “why doesn’t this feel clean?” problem, it’s absolutely worth a shot. Just be prepared to do a little digging to find the right formula—and don’t expect it to solve every laundry problem overnight.

RELATED:

• Debate Settled! Here’s Whether You Really Need to Wash New Clothes Before Wearing Them
• Here’s How to Get the Fluffiest Comforter Ever—You’ll Feel Like You’re Sleeping on a Cloud!
• You’re Probably Not Cleaning This Part of Your Washing Machine, but You Really Need To

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Jennifer Ahoni, principal scientist at Tide; interviewed, March 2026
• Vox: “The mysterious Redditor who’s changing the way we do laundry”
• Dirty Laundry: “Laundry 101 With Kismai”
• AAPS PharSciTech: “Stability Improvement of a Liquid Enzyme Product”

How Often to Wash Your Winter Coat

What Do These Laundry Symbols Mean?

Hand-Wash Clothes the Right Way

The post People Are Going Absolutely Feral for This Secret Laundry Ingredient—I Tried It Out, and My Clothes Are Cleaner Than Ever appeared first on Reader's Digest.

So wear it I did. To church. On a completely ordinary Sunday. Was I slightly overdressed? Absolutely. Did multiple women stop me to compliment me? Also yes. Did I feel, for the first time in a long time, like a human being who takes care of herself rather than someone who hoards nice things for a hypothetical future that never quite arrives? Um … more on that below.

If you’re honest with yourself, you probably have a version of this same dress in your life. Maybe it’s the china your grandmother left you, still in the cabinet. The cashmere wrap still in the bag. The fancy olive oil you’re “saving” for a special recipe. The perfume you’re rationing like it was distilled from a rare alpine flower that blooms once a decade. We save our best things for the “right moment,” and somewhere along the way, we stop living in the moments we actually have.

“The skill we learned as children to delay gratification becomes counterproductive to prioritizing joy during adulthood,” says clinical psychologist Melissa Gluck, PhD. She adds that this is ironic because adulthood is the time when we actually have the money to buy nicer things and our free time is at a premium, so it makes even more sense to enjoy them.

She’s right, and the psychology backs her up. As it turns out, there are some very real, measurable benefits to using your best stuff on a regular old Tuesday. Keep reading, because it’s time to set the table with the good china—even if you’re just eating pizza.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more cleaning, psychology, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What’s the problem with saving your “best” items for special occasions?

Just like my nonexistent black-tie event proves, the special occasion rarely comes, and the items you’ve been saving go unworn, unused and eventually out of style, expired or guiltily given away. That’s a lot of waiting for something that may never materialize, as well as a lot of wasted money and lost storage space.

There’s a genuine mental glitch happening here, according to Jenny Martin, PhD, a Chicago-based clinical psychologist. “People imagine a future moment that will be more meaningful than the present one, so the item stays in waiting,” she says. “But the perfect moment rarely arrives. Instead, people end up living alongside things meant to bring joy without actually experiencing them.”

Here’s a closer look at how that plays out.

It’s a waste of money

Look at it through a cost-per-use lens. Consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch says to think of “buying a designer handbag that you only use for a special occasion once a year versus one that you use on a daily basis. The latter offers a better value given the amount of use and enjoyment you’ve had from it.” The math is hard to argue with: A $300 item used once costs $300 per use. Used 60 times? $5. Suddenly, that feels like the smartest purchase you’ve ever made.

It takes a mental toll

Over time, things you’re “saving” begin to create quiet pressure and guilt because they represent something meant to be enjoyed that isn’t actually being enjoyed. Psychologically, Martin says, the habit “reinforces the idea that ordinary life is not worthy of pleasure.”

That sentence stopped me cold, because I genuinely have a box—a full cardboard box—of gifts people have given me over the years that I’ve decided are “too nice” to use yet. Expensive skin care. Fancy teas. Decadently soft socks. You guys, I’m a daily journaler, and I’ve been writing my precious thoughts on a generic spiral notebook left over from my kids’ school supplies, when this whole time I could have been using a leather book embossed with gold cabbage roses and actual lines to write the date, given to me by a beloved friend.

Now I understand why I feel so sad every time I see that box. It’s not a collection of nice things. It’s a collection of moments I’ve quietly decided I don’t deserve.

What are the benefits of using these items more regularly?

Here’s the upside, for me and for all of you with your own box of delayed dreams: The fix is both free and immediately enjoyable. Here’s what happens when you stop saving your best for later.

It signals to your brain that you’re worth it

This isn’t a shampoo commercial platitude; it’s actual psychology. “The primary benefit is creating the notion that you are worthy of the best and what you crave,” Gluck says. Martin echoes this: “When people start using their favorite items regularly, something subtle shifts. It signals to the brain that everyday life is allowed to contain beauty and enjoyment. That mindset is linked to greater life satisfaction because it encourages people to engage with the present rather than constantly postponing enjoyment.”

And research consistently shows that small sensory pleasures woven into daily life are more effective for sustained well-being than big, infrequent rewards. There are plenty of small, science-backed ways to be happier, and it turns out that using your nice stuff is a really easy one.

It makes everyday moments feel like occasions

On stressful days, which can feel like almost every day, this is the mental reframe you need. Gluck suggests “trying to find moments of indulgence and luxury throughout the day. This might look like brushing your hair with that nice boar-bristle brush or using your best silverware just for yourself.” She’s careful to clarify: “A life that prioritizes quality does not mean a life of overspending, but rather encourages the belief that one is worthy of luxuriating in moments to oneself with some favorite items.”

I normally drink out of mason jars. I’m not trying to get all cottagecore Instagram aesthetic; I just somehow ended up with a lot of mason jars, and I drink a ton of water. This week, I used my actual nice glasses. Water tasted fancier. Dinner felt more intentional. The glasses survived. What I noticed most was how little effort it took to make an ordinary meal feel like more of an event—not because anything changed about the food, but because I decided the moment was worth honoring. I’m learning that the thing that makes a moment special isn’t the occasion; it’s the attention you give it.

It can actually save you money (and energy)

This sounds backward, but stick with it. Woroch explains that when you regularly use what you already own and love, you’re far less likely to spend money hunting for substitutes. Gluck adds that people who use their best items “may spend less time and money trying to find more affordable substitutes.”

Think about how many “good enough for now” versions of something you’ve bought while the nicer version sat untouched at home. I bought three “normal” olive oils in the time my fancy one was waiting. Three. The math is not in my favor.

How does using your “good” items help you declutter?

When you start using the things you genuinely love, you can suddenly see, with striking clarity, what you don’t love—and you realize you’re allowed to let it go.

“Once people stop treating objects as sacred artifacts for some future moment, it becomes easier to see what they actually value and what they do not,” Martin explains. That perfectly adequate $12 mug looks very different sitting next to the mug that makes your morning feel like a ritual. One of them is going in the donate pile, and it’s not the one you love.

This is the opposite of the decluttering spiral where you feel guilty getting rid of things because they’re “nice.” You’re not getting rid of nice things—you’re using the nice things and clearing out the placeholders, the backups and the “good enough for now” substitutes. The result is a home that actually reflects your real taste rather than a house full of contingency plans and deferred decisions.

Can this help you declutter mentally too?

Yes, and the mental decluttering might be the biggest payoff of all. Saving things you love but aren’t using creates a low-grade psychological weight that’s easy to dismiss until it isn’t. Every time you open that cabinet, closet or yes, cardboard box full of things that are “too nice” to use, you’re receiving a quiet signal that you’re not quite there yet—that the good stuff is for a future, better-deserving version of you.

Martin offers a beautifully simple reframe: Treat nice items as “tools for living rather than things to preserve. If something is meaningful to you, the most respectful way to honor it is to actually use it.” She also suggests a question worth sitting with whenever you find yourself “saving” something: “What am I waiting for?” Often, she says, “the answer reveals that the imagined moment is already here.”

That shift—from preservation mode to living mode—tends to ripple outward in ways you don’t expect. It changes how you approach your wardrobe, your home and your daily routines and habits in ways that make ordinary life feel genuinely richer and you feel less stressed. Which is truly the whole point.

Ready to start using your fancy stuff?

Good. Then it’s likely time to start purging some of those placeholder items that are not actually worthy of you. How do you like that mindset shift? Once you’ve committed to using what you love and releasing what you don’t, you may find the whole process feels less like loss and more like making room.

As for me, I’m not stopping this experiment. The fancy tea is steeping on my counter right now. The journal is open. The dress has been worn twice now—to church and a Tuesday lunch—and I’ve decided that “overdressed” is just a word people use when they’re a little envious of your choices. Use your good stuff. Life is the special occasion.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Melissa Gluck, PhD, psychologist and founder of Gluck Psychology Collective; interviewed, March 14, 2026
• Jenny Martin, clinical psychologist and founder of Gemstone Wellness; interviewed, March 14, 2026
• Andrea Woroch, consumer savings and budgeting expert; interviewed, March 15, 2026

How to Declutter After Death or Divorce

The Best Online Thrift Stores for Every Style

How to Avoid Scams on Facebook Marketplace

The post Here’s Why You Should Eat Dinner on Your Fanciest China Tonight appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Some of that gap has narrowed over the years, but not by as much as you might think, and not in the same ways across every task. New data from the Pew Research Center takes a closer look at how those hours break down, tracking how much time men and women spend on housework each day. And no, it doesn’t all come out in the wash.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

How did Pew researchers determine time spent doing housework?

To get a clear picture of daily life, researchers at Pew analyzed data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), a long-running dataset from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that tracks how Americans spend their time over a 24-hour period. Participants log everything from paid work to child care to chores, creating one of the most detailed portraits of daily routines available.

What is housework? In this case, it includes tasks like cleaning, cooking, laundry, yard work and household management. While the data is self-reported, it’s widely considered a gold standard for time-use research because it captures behavior in real time rather than relying on memory or perception.

Pew averaged data from the three most recent ATUS surveys (2022, 2023 and 2024). One important nuance: The survey captures a single day in the lives of participants. But when aggregated across thousands of people, consistent patterns emerge. For example, recent data shows that, on any given day, 86% of women and 71% of men report doing some form of household work—and that’s before you even start the clock on individual tasks.

How much time do American men and women spend doing housework?

The short answer: Women still do more—and by a meaningful margin. On average, women spend 2 hours 19 minutes per day doing housework, while men spend 1 hour and 34 minutes, according to Pew.

While that gender gap has narrowed over the years, it hasn’t disappeared, and it’s a statistically significant difference that adds up to several extra weeks of unpaid labor for women a year. Long-term research shows the ratio of women’s to men’s housework has gone from roughly 1.8-to-1 in the early 2000s to about 1.6-to-1 today, so it remains persistent.

Some of the imbalance comes down to longstanding expectations around gender roles. Even as women’s participation in the workforce has increased dramatically, their share of unpaid labor at home has not declined at the same rate. Research shows that women still spend more time on housework and caregiving, while men spend more time on leisure activities.

There’s also a broader time gap at play. Research from the Gender Equity Policy Institute finds that women spend twice as much time as men, on average, on child care and household work, which results in women having 13% less free time than men. Unpaid labor has real economic value as well. The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that unpaid care and household work performed by women alone amounts to roughly $10 trillion globally each year—about 13% of global GDP.

In other words, it’s not just about who does the dishes tonight. It’s about who keeps coming back to them day after day.

How does housework differ across generations?

Younger men are doing more housework than previous generations, marking a shift that researchers have tracked steadily over the past two decades. In fact, the gap in core tasks like cooking and cleaning has shrunk by roughly 40% since the early 2000s, driven largely by men increasing their participation, according to a recent report in Science News.

But even among younger groups, the balance isn’t equal. Traditional roles established decades ago often remain in place, and women still spend more time on chores overall, according to the Pew report. Here’s how the data shakes out by age:

• 20s: Women (1:43), Men (1:02)
• 30s: Women (2:17), Men (1:25)
• 40s: Women (2:21), Men (1:29)
• 50s: Women (2:30), Men (1:41)
• 60s: Women (2:49), Men (2:05)
• 70s: Women (2:53), Men (2:15)

Interestingly, time-use data also shows that younger women are doing less housework than women in previous generations, but not enough to fully offset the imbalance.

What counts as “housework,” and what doesn’t?

Not all chores are created equal, and not all are distributed the same way. Studies like Pew’s consistently find that men and women tend to take on different types of tasks. Men are more likely to handle intermittent or outdoor work, like yard maintenance, home repairs or car care. Women, meanwhile, are more often responsible for daily, recurring chores like cooking, cleaning and laundry.

And as seen in the ATUS data, those daily tasks add up quickly: Women spend nearly twice the amount of time on food preparation and cleanup than men—about 52 minutes per day versus 28 minutes—and nearly three times the number of minutes doing laundry (14 minutes a day versus 5 minutes).

There’s also the question of “invisible labor,” which means the planning, remembering and staying one step ahead of what needs to be done next. While harder to measure, studies suggest women are more likely to carry that mental load as well, from tracking grocery lists to scheduling appointments.

Why does this even matter?

Most people don’t think of housework in terms of hours. It’s just part of the day that gets folded in alongside everything else. But if you want to better divvy up household chores—or highlight the invisible labor you do—this breakdown can help. Put numbers to it, and it stops feeling invisible. The work has always been there. The difference is seeing it.

RELATED:

• I Tried the Productivity App That Was Named iPhone App of the Year—Here’s What Happened
• “Financial Flexing” Is a Top New Gen Z Money Habit. Are You Guilty of It?
• My Partner and I Tried the Scandinavian Sleep Method, and We’re Never Going Back

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: “American Time Use Survey”
• Pew Research Center: “How Do U.S. Men and Women Spend Their Time?”
• Socius: “Who’s Doing the Housework and Childcare in America Now? Differential Convergence in Twenty-First-Century Gender Gaps in Home Tasks”
• Gender Equity Policy Institute: “The Free-Time Gender Gap”
• Science News: “Married men are doing more cleaning and laundry than in the past”
• Pew Research Center: “Among U.S. couples, women do more cooking and grocery shopping than men”
• McKinsey: “For mothers in the workplace, a year (and counting) like no other”

Soft Saving Makes Room for Little Luxuries

This Is the Best Grocery Store in America

Debate: More Money or More Vacations?

The post Here’s How Much Time Men and Women Spend Doing Housework—How Do You Compare? appeared first on Reader's Digest.

In moments like these, decluttering can feel overwhelming—or even painful. But experts say it can also be an important step toward moving forward. That’s what makes decluttering after a major life change so different from a normal cleanout. It’s not just about organizing your closets. It’s about figuring out what still belongs in your life now and what really needs to go.

I spoke with experts who study why people have such a hard time letting go of possessions, a psychologist who treats those dealing with loss and a professional organizer who works with clients sorting through their homes during both emotionally and physically labor-intensive moments. Together, their advice points to the same idea: When life changes, adjusting the physical space around you can help your emotions catch up. Here’s how to make the process a little easier.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Life is a mess, so why bother cleaning?

Decluttering after a major life event may seem overwhelming, but making small physical changes is key to coping with the bigger emotional shifts.

It can reset your brain

“Our nervous systems respond deeply to our surroundings,” says psychologist Jody Carrington, PhD, a mental health and human connection expert and the bestselling author of Feeling Seen: Reconnecting in a Disconnected World. “When a big life event hits—death, divorce, a move, the kids leaving home or any major transition—it can feel like your entire nervous system has been shaken. The world you knew yesterday no longer exists in quite the same way today. And often, the physical space around you still reflects that old life.”

That mismatch can make it harder to adjust emotionally. But rearranging furniture, removing items tied to painful memories or simply creating a space that feels calmer and more intentional signals your brain that a new chapter has begun. “That environmental shift can bring a surprising sense of relief.”

It’s an important form of self-care

“We tend to think of self-care as bubble baths, eating kale and vacations,” explains Carrington. “But real self-care is anything that helps regulate your nervous system and reconnect you to a sense of control.”

Major life changes often come with feelings of helplessness. Deciding what stays and what goes in your home can restore a sense of direction and agency.

It’s a helpful distraction

“One of the hardest parts of big emotional experiences is feeling overwhelmed by them,” Carrington says. “Sorting through belongings gives your brain something concrete to focus on. It engages your hands and your attention in a way that can regulate intense emotions.”

That doesn’t replace grieving or processing feelings—humans are wired to heal through action, connection and meaning. “Sometimes folding clothes, sorting photos or packing boxes becomes a quiet way to sit beside your emotions rather than run from them.”

It can help you move forward

Therapist Melissa Legere, LMFT, the co-founder and clinical director of California Behavioral Health, says the emotional weight of objects is often what makes decluttering difficult—but also what makes it meaningful. “Decluttering after a life transition is about slowly making room for a new chapter of life,” she explains.

How do you even motivate yourself to begin?

“When you’re overwhelmed, your brain wants to avoid the task altogether,” Carrington says. “So the goal isn’t to tackle everything at once.” The key is shifting your mindset: This isn’t something you have to rush through or get perfect. In fact, experts say the most important thing to remember is that healing—and decluttering—doesn’t follow a schedule.

“Decluttering after a major life event is not a race,” Carrington says. “It’s a way of gently acknowledging that your life has changed and that you deserve an environment that supports where you’re going next.”

That perspective can take a lot of pressure off the process. Instead of seeing decluttering as one big task you have to finish, it becomes something you can approach slowly and compassionately. “Give yourself grace. Take breaks. And remember that every small decision to keep something meaningful, to let something go or simply to try again tomorrow is part of moving forward,” she adds.

Healing rarely happens all at once. More often, it unfolds quietly, through small moments like a calm afternoon spent sorting through belongings, a small pile of things you’ve chosen to release and the realization that you’re still here, still growing, still rebuilding and writing the next chapter of your story.

How can you make this as painless as possible?

Decluttering during a major life transition requires both emotional awareness and practical strategies. Here’s what the experts recommend:

Start small

Professional organizer Marisol Rivera of Sparkly Maid Austin says trying to declutter an entire home at once is one of the biggest mistakes people make.

“No matter the reason—whether it is death, divorce, a cross-country move, downsizing or an empty nest—my universal advice is the same: Do not try to tackle the entire home at once,” she says. “One room, one closet or even one drawer per session keeps the process manageable and prevents the burnout that causes people to quit halfway through.”

Go slow

Carrington advises setting a timer for 15 minutes and giving yourself permission to stop when the timer ends.

Tackle the least emotional items first

“I tell my clients to start with areas and items that carry the least emotional weight, like the medicine cabinet, the junk drawer, expired pantry items,” says Rivera. This builds decision-making stamina without immediately overwhelming you with sentimental objects. By the time you get to the harder things, like clothing, photographs or jewelry, you have already proven to yourself that you can do this.

Create a “transition box”

Legere cautions against rushing the emotional side of the process. “People should permit themselves to keep certain meaningful items without feeling pressured to ‘be strong’ or move on quickly,” she says.

For items that are too difficult to get rid of right away, experts agree you should put them in a labeled box, store the box out of sight and revisit it in three to six months. Giving yourself some distance from sentimental items can make the decision easier. After some time, you may have a better idea of which belongings you’re ready to let go of and which ones still feel meaningful.

Use simple sorting categories

For items you are ready to let go of, sort into four categories: discard, donate, keep for yourself or pass along to family or friends, advises Rivera. Having a framework takes the open-endedness out of the process.

Try a mental trick

New research from the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business suggests a helpful psychological strategy: Think about belongings in categories rather than as unique items. Instead of focusing on a specific memory or feature, like “this is the dress I wore to my cousin’s wedding,” think of the item as part of a category, like “this is just one of several dresses I own.”

Research shows that this mental shift can make belongings feel less irreplaceable—and easier to part with. “The strategy is to mentally ‘zoom out,’” says Jing “Alice” Wang, PhD, a professor of marketing at the university and a co-author of the study. “It reduces the sense that each object is one of a kind.”

Keep meaningful items—but be selective

It’s worth hanging on to items that carry memories or emotional ties. Just don’t go overboard. “You don’t need to keep all the pictures your child drew in elementary school,” says Catherine Cole, PhD, a professor of marketing at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business and a co-author of the study with Wang. “Instead, lay them all out on the bed and select one that you like the best.”

Take a photo before letting something go

Some belongings help preserve memories, identity and continuity. So you may want to hang on to those meaningful items. That can be both healthy and valuable, says Wang.

“The challenge is that when too many possessions are treated as irreplaceable, they can begin to create clutter and make it harder for people to live comfortably in the present,” she explains. “Taking a picture of the item often makes it easier to let go of it.” Plus, it takes up zero space in your home.

Imagine someone else using it

Another way to ease the emotional hurdle is to think about where the item might go next, says Cole. “It’s easier to let go of something if you think that the recipient will use it in the way that it is supposed to be used.”

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Jody Carrington, PhD, founder and principal psychologist at Carrington & Co., host of the Unlonely podcast and author of books such as Feeling Seen: Reconnecting in a Disconnected World; interviewed, March 2026
• Melissa Legere, LMFT, co-founder, chief operating officer and clinical director of California Behavioral Health; interviewed, March 2026
• Marisol Rivera, cleaning expert and professional organizer at Sparkly Maid Austin; interviewed, March 2026
• Jing “Alice” Wang, PhD, professor of marketing and Henry B. Tippie Research Fellow in the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa; interviewed, March 2026
• Catherine Cole, PhD, professor emeritus of marketing at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business; interviewed, March 2026
• Psychology & Marketing: “Seeing the Closet or the Clothes: How Thinking Abstractly Versus Concretely Shapes Disposition Decisions”

Experts' Best Home Organization Tips

Online Thrift Stores for Every Budget

Organize the Messiest Spots in Your House

The post How to Declutter After Death, Divorce or Any Other Major Life Event appeared first on Reader's Digest.

CRASH went the sculptures … and I burst into tears.

I don’t think of myself as super sentimental, so this was unexpected. But the sound of their first creations bursting to smithereens unleashed all kinds of feelings. Including—you guessed it!—guilt.

Even if you’re not a hoarder, sentimental clutter can really get its hooks into you. Whether it’s kids’ artwork, old birthday cards or family heirlooms and cast-offs, objects with sentimental meaning are tough to purge. This is especially true if you feel a deep emotional attachment to, well, everything.

We hang onto sentimental stuff because it reminds us of our favorite people and times, notes Matt Paxton, the extreme-clean-out expert on Hoarders and the author of Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff. “It’s not the stuff that we love. It’s the people attached to it,” he says. “It’s not the chair—it’s the grandfather who sat in the chair.”

That doesn’t mean you need to keep it all, though. To pare down memory-laden objects, you have to figure out what no longer serves you and what still does.  ”It’s about getting rid of the stuff that doesn’t matter, so you have space for the stuff that does,” Paxton explains.

To find out how to do that, we talked to Paxton as well as Sarah Seung-McFarland, PhD, a therapist who specializes in the psychology of design, and Tracy McCubbin, the founder of dClutterfly and the author of Make Space for Happiness: How to Stop Attracting Clutter and Magnetizing the Life You Want. Keep reading for their clever, easy and immensely helpful strategies that will help you declutter without feeling guilty—or losing the memories.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more cleaning, travel, tech, humor and fun facts all week long.

Figure out your organizing goal

It sounds basic, but this is the first—and maybe most important—step. Knowing why you’re organizing your home is key, says Paxton, because it tells you how ruthlessly to edit. Do you need to completely clear out your house to sell it? Are you making room for a baby or an in-law? Or are you just streamlining a closet or freeing up space in your attic? The answer will help you know how much to donate or toss.

If you need to go scorched earth, try to be gentle with yourself. “It can be difficult to let go of sentimental clutter, because it feels like you might be losing the emotional connection along with the clutter,” says Seung-McFarland. But try to remember that “memories actually live within us, not within the objects,” she adds.

Lean in to the stories

By far, the hardest belongings to release are those we inherited from family and friends no longer with us. How do you honor these amazing people without drowning in memorabilia? To start, Paxton recommends making “a legacy list” of the five most important sentimental objects in your home. You might include things like your grandmother’s old charm bracelet, your mom’s vinyl collection and your dad’s trumpet. Next, share the stories behind them, or write them down. “Talk about the things you love,” Paxton says. “That’s how you let them go.” That’s the dining room table where my grandparents started their business! This is the baseball my dad got signed by Nolan Ryan! 

“You’ll find once you share those amazing stories and memories, the item isn’t as important anymore because you’ve celebrated that person,” he says. At the same time, you may find there are a few cherished hand-me-downs you totally love and don’t want to let go of just yet.

Treasure (and display) the keepers

The goal isn’t to give it all away. (Phew!) Instead, it’s to identify a select few objects that have real significance and you want around. Maybe you want to keep one (or three) items from each category or person. You might say, “I’m going to hang onto one piece of furniture from each of my grandparents’ homes.” Or, “I’m going to keep one of my aunt’s groovy ’70s jackets.”

Letting go is less painful when you celebrate those hand-me-downs that have extra-special meaning and even put them on display. Instead of stashing Mom’s typewriter in the attic, place it on a shelf in your office. When Paxton remarried, he went from being a single dad of three kids to a married father of seven. To make room for his expanded family, he weeded through everything he had inherited. “I found my most meaningful item was my grandfather’s fishing rod, so I put it front and center in my living room,” he says. “People ask me about it every time they come in. He’s been gone 25 years, and I still get to share that story.”

Another tip Paxton swears by: Create a family wall of fame filled with favorite photos and mementos, old and new, then rotate it every few years. “Your home shouldn’t be a museum,” he says. “It should be a living museum.”

Create a “maybe” pile

Let’s face it: It’s hard to commit yay or nay on mementos from some of your favorite people ever. That’s why a “maybe” pile or bin is essential when organizing sentimental clutter. Store it in a halfway place like the garage or basement, as a way to dip your toe into the water of releasing it. “ You’ll know when it’s time to get rid of it,” Paxton says. “And if you’re not able to yet, then you are not ready and that is OK.”

This half-step can be especially helpful for people who grew up with scarcity and find security in stuff, Seung-McFarland says. If this is you, “start in steps,” she says. “You might pack certain items away and see how your space feels without them. Often, you’ll feel lighter or more comfortable without the extra objects around.”

Snap a photo so you never have to lose the memory

I’m not the only parent who gets all choked up about their kids’ art and first short stories. There’s a really good reason why so many of us cling to bins of infant clothes and baby toys in the attic (even though our kid is already driving): They remind us of happy times we can’t help but miss. “You see them and remember what it felt like when they came home from the hospital and they were so sweet,” says McCubbin.

That’s a rush you don’t have to give up. Just snap a photo of anything special, and add it to your 26,600 shots in the cloud. Then release the clothes, by donating them or trashing them if they’re stained. “If you understand you’re keeping it for the feelings and that you can conjure up those feelings by looking at a photograph of it,” McCubbin says, “it makes it easier to let go because you’re not really giving away the feeling.”

Or steal Paxton’s trick: “If it’s a work your child really likes, take a video of them telling the story of the art.” Awww.

Break free of aspirational clutter

The good silverware we never use. The leather-bound Shakespeare editions collecting dust. The big picnic basket that’s too heavy to hike with. The elliptical strewn with laundry. It’s all lovely—and making you miserable.

“Aspirational clutter reflects the life we imagine we should be living rather than the one we’re actually living,” says Seung-McFarland. The problem? It’s taking up precious space, for one. But worse, it nags at you. (“I really should be … reading The Tempest, hosting fancy dinner parties, improving my resting heart rate, and so on.) Who needs that?

To free yourself from this draining clutter, think about your priorities, goals and tastes, then ask yourself: Does this object support them? You may decide the crystal candlesticks you use only at Thanksgiving and Christmas actually do, but the silver platters taking up oodles of space (and turning black) don’t. “If the item doesn’t actually fit your life, letting it go can create space for the things that better support who you are now,” Senug-McFarland says. Bye-bye, elliptical. Hello, pilates reformer!

Pay it forward

If you have pangs about throwing out Grandma’s perfectly good midcentury lamp or the leather jacket your dad wore in college, pass them along to someone who wants them, through a charity or local Facebook “buy nothing” group. You’ll be entrusting them to someone who truly wants them. “It’s kind of like paying it forward,” Seung-McFarland says. “Knowing that something meaningful can still bring joy to others makes it easier to let it go.”

And if you have a wedding dress and veil all boxed up and languishing in the attic, consider passing it on to a local bride or even donating it to an organization like Brides Across America, which gives away wedding dresses to military and first-responder brides.

Don’t fear the wrath of dead people

Why does it feel so traumatic to throw out so much as a T-shirt or tea towel from someone you truly loved? “What’s going on is guilt—death guilt,” Paxton says. “And so a lot of us waste years holding onto stuff because we don’t want our dead mother to get mad at us.”

Paxton remembers one client who was struggling to chuck her grandfather’s boxers. “We’re literally holding onto our dead grandfather’s underwear, which sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud,” Paxton says. If this is you, recognize that you’re just having magical thinking when you worry you’ll be dishonoring them by not keeping everything they ever owned. Think of it this way: Would you want someone hanging onto your undies?

Give each family member a treasure chest

As you’ve probably noticed, not everyone in a family has the same attachment to stuff … or opinion on what’s a treasure vs. trash (see: Pokémon cards and flatscreens that no longer work). Paxton has a practical solution: In his family, each member gets their own locker, where they can store whatever they want. “What you put in your locker is nobody’s business,” he says. “It just can’t spread beyond your private storage into family space.” An easy variation: Give everyone in your crew a large storage tub to keep in the attic or basement.

Upcycle it

Upcycling is the perfect way to take something that was once special to someone you loved and make it relevant for you right now. Inherited jewelry that isn’t quite your taste? Take it to a local jeweler and reset it to your liking. You can make it into something else entirely: An ornate pearl brooch can become simple earrings. Upcycling works with passed-down furniture too. Reupholster Grandma’s wing chair or settee in a modern fabric you love and you’ll have a piece that reflects Grandma and you. Or strip your great aunt’s mahogany dresser and finish it with a nontoxic sealant to have a raw wood piece that feels more your vibe.

One of the best ways to upcycle is to take a relative’s favorite everyday item and turn it into a meaningful new treasure. Paxton worked with a family who transformed the grandfather’s beloved flannel shirts into a pillow for each grandchild. As he notes, “It’s just a really cool way to keep the memory going.”

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Matt Paxton, author of Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff, cleaning expert on Hoarders and host of Filthy Fortunes; phone interview, March 12, 2026
• Sarah Seung-McFarland, PhD, therapist who specializes in the psychology of design; email interview, March 12, 2026
• Tracy McCubbin, founder of dClutterfly and author of Make Space for Happiness: How to Stop Attracting Clutter and Magnetizing the Life You Want; phone interview, March 9, 2026
• Brides Across America: “How to Donate a Dress”

How to Avoid Scams on Facebook Marketplace

This 3-Minute Task Can Boost Your Mood

Things a Professional Organizer Would Toss

The post How to Declutter When You’re Too Sentimental to Throw Anything Away appeared first on Reader's Digest.

I have a few of those clutter hot spots in my apartment: my kitchen junk drawer, full of spare screws and lost chargers long adrift from their original home. My closet, stuffed with T-shirts I haven’t worn in 10 years and dresses I’ll never have an occasion for. And my bathroom vanity, crowded with serums and mascaras that are surely past their expiration dates.

Cleaning them out never feels like a priority. Every day, I open a drawer or pass a shelf and give it a longing look. If only I had the time! Too bad, so sad. Gotta run and ignore that mess for another day.

When I started hearing about the 10-10 decluttering method, a trick that supposedly helps you chip away at clutter in just a few minutes, I was curious. Cleaning can sometimes feel like an overwhelming chore that requires an entire Saturday (probably Sunday too). But what if I treated it differently? If I tackled small messes as part of my daily routine, squeezing in a quick reset here and there, would it actually be easier to manage?

I had to give it a try. If nothing else, I was hoping for a little extra closet space. Here’s how it all went down—and whether you should add it to your organizing arsenal too.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What is the 10-10 method?

The 10-10 decluttering method is exactly what it sounds like: You set a timer for 10 minutes and remove at least 10 items from a single space. It’s really simple, no need for complicated categories or color-coded bins, and you don’t have to spend hours organizing everything.

The idea is to create a clear starting point. Ten minutes is short enough that it doesn’t feel intimidating, and choosing 10 items gives you a concrete goal instead of the vague instruction to “declutter.”

You can stop whenever the timer goes off, or you can keep going if you’re feeling motivated. But the beauty of the system is that you don’t have to; even one short round can make a difference.

Some people also use a slightly more ambitious variation called the 10-10-100 challenge, in which you repeat the 10-minute, 10-item process until you’ve removed 100 items total. For my test, though, I stuck with the simpler version.

How does the 10-10 method work?

The 10-10 decluttering method is effective because it gets rid of two major things that stop us from cleaning up: not having enough time and being too indecisive.

Rather than trying to tackle a whole room at once, which can be a pretty overwhelming task, you can focus on just one small area and give it a quick burst of attention. This way, you can make some real progress without feeling like you’re in over your head. By breaking it down into smaller, more manageable chunks, you can get started right away and see some tangible results, rather than putting it off until “someday” when you might have more time or energy.

Here’s the approach I followed:

1. Pick something specific that you want to focus on, like a messy drawer, a cluttered shelf or even your packed pantry. It could be the kitchen counter, which always seems to have stuff piled up on it, or that one chair in your bedroom that inevitably transforms into a clothes rack.
2. Set a timer for 10 minutes.
3. Get rid of 10 things from that area. You can toss them, give them away or move them to where they’re really supposed to be.
4. Once the timer’s up, finish up fast: Collect all donations in a bag, then grab the trash and take it out.

You can do a 10-10 decluttering session as often as you like. Just taking a few minutes out of my lunch break or setting aside a bit of time after work is enough. And even if I do it only a few times a week, it still makes a big difference—and faster than I thought it would.

What happened when I tried the 10-10 decluttering method?

The 10-10 decluttering method really made tidying up feel like a breeze, and it was simple to squeeze into my daily routine. I didn’t wait for the mythical “perfect moment” to clean. I just used any spare 10 minutes I had to tackle small, messy areas.

In three 10-minute sessions, I tackled the problem areas of my home: my bathroom vanity, my closet and my kitchen junk drawer. Each round was small, but when I looked at the bigger picture, I could tell it was starting to make a real difference.

Here’s how it played out.

Bathroom vanity

When I tell you I’ve been putting off cleaning my vanity for years, I mean it. There were products in there with expiration dates I don’t dare disclose. When was the last time they touched my skin? Who can say.

It didn’t even take me the full 10 minutes to find 10 things to toss. Between nearly empty bottles and expired products, I actually said goodbye to 16 items in one go.

Already, the space feels calmer.

Closet

My closet was a little trickier.

The timer helped me move faster than I normally would, but it also forced some snap decisions I might have otherwise lingered over. Didn’t I still look cool in the T-shirt from my college roommate’s friend’s band? A pink, fringey skirt I wore once to Mardi Gras clashed with pretty much everything else in my wardrobe … but what if I go to another Chappell Roan concert someday? And can you really have too many oversized button-ups?

These are the kinds of internal debates that usually convince me to keep everything. It’s also how I end up cramming my dresser drawers so full that the particle board starts to protest.

On the 10-minute timer, though, I didn’t have the luxury of overthinking. Does it spark joy? Can I immediately imagine an outfit for it? More than one outfit? No, no and no. Straight to the donation pile.

Before I knew it, the timer was up and my closet had breathing room I hadn’t seen in years.

Give me a couple weeks, and I’ll probably fill it again.

Kitchen junk drawer

The junk drawer was the challenge I doubted I could overcome in 10 minutes. It’s a graveyard for wandering objects. Furniture parts, mystery cords and tools that lost their purpose long ago all live there together in darkness, only seeing daylight when a new item is hastily shoved inside.

Originally, the drawer was supposed to be helpful, a home for miscellaneous things so I could find them when I needed them. Over time, though, it became something closer to chaos.

With 10 minutes on the clock, I hoped to at least make a dent.

I can’t report that this was a total victory. There are still strange screws in there and chargers I’m afraid to throw away. But I did uncover user guides for gadgets I don’t even own anymore, half-dead batteries and a box of spilled thumbtacks that made the process feel like a dangerous game of Operation, among other things.

Now the drawer is 10 items lighter. And the next time I have 10 minutes to spare, I’ll chip away at it again. Maybe someday we’ll get back to that intended purpose.

So will I keep using the 10-10 method?

Yes, this quick cleaning hack is definitely entering my decluttering toolbox.

For me, the biggest benefit was how manageable it felt. The 10-10 decluttering method didn’t magically organize my entire house in an evening, but it did lower the barrier to starting, which is often the hardest part. It gave me a clear end point, so I knew I wouldn’t feel pressure to keep going until every drawer is perfect.

Ten minutes helped me clear out expired makeup, part with clothes I hadn’t worn in years and finally make a dent in the jumble of my junk drawer. None of those tasks felt overwhelming once I broke them into smaller bursts.

If I keep chipping away like this, the progress will probably add up faster than I think. Maybe someday I’ll even graduate to the 10-10-100 challenge.

But honestly? For now, I’m just enjoying the small victory of opening my vanity drawer without wondering if anything in there is old enough to vote.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Washy Wash on TikTok: “Declutter 10 Items in 10 Minutes: Transform Your Wardrobe”
• Be More with Less: “The 10-10-100 Decluttering Challenge: 10 Spaces, 10 Minutes, 100 Things”

How Decluttering Does Away with Stress

How to Donate Pretty Much Anything

Secrets of Personal Organizers

The post I Tried the 10-10 Decluttering Method, and It’s the Easiest Way to Squeeze Tidying Up into a Busy Week appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Better yet, several different shapes and materials mean that there’s a Coop pillow for every position and sleep concern. Four editors with very different sleep styles took Coop’s perfect pillow quiz and received different results. Then, to see whether these pillows live up to their stellar reputation, we spent a month testing out our top recommendations. Here’s what we learned throughout the process.

We Tried It

Coop Adjustable Pillows

Four editors tried a Coop pillow and loved their cushy comfort and customization. There's a pillow for every type of sleeper!

Shop on Coop Sleep Goods

Shop on Target

Shop on Amazon

What is a Coop pillow?

Coop pillows aren’t your run-of-the-mill memory foam pillows. Instead of a single insert, each Coop pillow comes with a combination filling made from cross-cut memory foam mixed with fluffy filling. This not only allows for more airflow (hello, hot sleepers!) but also a near-perfect balance between comfort and support.

Where Coop pillows really shine is in their distinctive shapes and customizable fill. Three shapes—normal rectangle, crescent and cutout—offer a range of options for all sleep styles and positions. Additionally, each pillow arrives with additional fill, allowing anyone to customize the loft to their preferences.

How we tested Coop pillows

Pillows are subjective. After all, everyone has different environments, positions, and bedding preferences for achieving a good night’s sleep. To fully evaluate Coop pillows, we sent four options to four different product testers based on the results of the Coop perfect pillow quiz.

Original Adjustable Pillow

On Sale

Best for All Sleepers

Original Adjustable Pillow

$119 at Coop Sleep Goods

Shop on Target

89.0020% OFF$71.20 at Amazon

$85 at Kohl's

Whether you’re seeking the best pillows for side sleepers, stomach sleepers, back sleepers or all of the above, Coop’s original adjustable pillow is the perfect place to start. The hypoallergenic, nontoxic blend of cross-cut memory foam and microfiber has great sinkability and the bounceback is slow, much like a memory foam mattress. Like the rest of the pillows we tested, the original pillow arrives with an extra half pound of fill, a separate pillow cover and instructions.

“We lost our pillows during the move, so I originally replaced them with cheap pillows. They weren’t overly comfortable, but they did the job. However, since having a baby, I frequently wake up with stiffness and soreness in my neck and back,” says tester Mary Henn. “I was worried that the Coop pillow might be too soft for me, but it’s been really nice. I feel like I sink into it, but it also provides an ample amount of neck and head support.”

While Mary often sleeps on her side, she also shifts to her back throughout the night. Overall, she finds that both positions feel equally supportive with this all-around option. Additionally, while the pillow arrives with extra fill and instructions on finding the right loft, she notes that it arrived with just the right amount of filling for her liking.

“I might add some additional filling after the pillow wears down a bit with more use,” says Mary. “I fluffed my pillow up in the dryer after opening as recommended, and that worked nicely! The pillow looked and felt much fuller after tumbling in the dryer on low heat for about 10 minutes.” While it gave an unpleasant off-gassing smell at first, Mary notes that this only lasted through the first night she used it.

Long-term update

Mary still sleeps with her Coop Pillow every night and has found that it consistently prevents stubborn neck pain while providing enough comfort and support for a deep, restful sleep.

“It hasn’t deflated or flattened much over the past year, likely because it’s filled with cut foam rather than a single solid piece,” she says. She does occasionally need to add some filling, but she notes that Coop sends an additional bag from the start, which is a nice bonus.

“Like Katie, I use a pillowcase with mine. Since the pillow already has its own soft fabric cover, it can fit a bit awkwardly inside standard pillowcases. Still, I prefer it to match the rest of my bedding and stay clean. It’s a minor thing, though, since it stays tucked under my decorative pillows.”

Eden Adjustable Pillow

On Sale

Best for Hot Sleepers

Eden Adjustable Pillow

$119 at Coop Sleep Goods

Shop on Target

109.0020% OFF$87.20 at Amazon

Shop on Walmart

Finding the right cooling pillow for your bed means more than just securing a breathable pillowcase. The Eden adjustable pillow offers two distinct cooling features that work to make it the best pillow for hot sleepers. First, the cooling pillowcase is cool to the touch and always feels like you’re on the “cold side” of the pillow. Second, the memory foam design is noticeably more breathable than other foam pillows. But according to tester Nicole Doster, that’s not the only thing to love about the Eden pillow.

“I sleep on my side and stomach,” she says. “Oftentimes, my pillows are too fluffy for me to sleep on my stomach. The Eden Cool+ has a firmer side with a gel insert and a softer side (no gel insert), which I thought was nice. I go back and forth between which I like better.”

Additionally, like other Coop pillows, the Eden pillow includes a zippered inner lining inside the cover that holds the fill, so the filling doesn’t spill out everywhere when you open the pillow to adjust. And, just like the others, adjusting the fill is a matter of personal preference.

“It took me about a week of sleeping on the pillow to gauge the fill I needed,” notes Nicole. “Lots of trial and error, which is nice because I didn’t have to go return a pillow to get a new one or wait until it was broken in. I just removed the filling as needed. Because I usually opt for thinner pillows. I think I have enough extra fill to create a whole new pillow from, which I might try given how expensive the pillow is. Two for one!”

“Being real, I feel like there are a lot of bedding products we’ve tested that claim they have cooling properties, but this pillow has a very noticeable cooling effect when you use the case directly,” Nicole concludes. “I was very impressed.”

Long-term update

After six months, the Coop pillow has become Nicole’s favorite pillow by far. A few weeks after her initial test, Nicole realized that she had understuffed the pillow, and ended up adding more of the filling back into it. It’s been sweet dreams ever since. “The cooling case has been especially nice in the warmer months in Florida, and I feel like I sleep better and even experience less of a stiff neck when using it,” she raves. 

Original Adjustable Cutout Pillow

On Sale

Best for Side Sleepers

Original Adjustable Cutout Pillow

$119 at Coop Sleep Goods

119.0020% OFF$95.20 at Amazon

Shop on Walmart

The best pillow for side sleepers might just be Coop’s original adjustable cutout pillow, according to tester Katie Bandurski. Crafted with a clever cutout, the original Coop cutout pillow contours to the body, perfectly aligning the neck and spine. According to Katie, she and her neck are not friends, so she normally struggles to maintain a position that keeps her supported throughout the night.

“As a side sleeper, the neck support I need doesn’t always fit in the gap between my head and shoulders,” says Katie. “I’ve bought so many pillows over the years, and I’ve never found the perfect fit. I love that the Coop Pillow allows me to customize every inch of stuffing for the perfect amount of support. While the cutout is a little big, it makes it much easier to supply support without strain.”

At first, Katie was surprised at how thin and flimsy the pillow felt. However, after a spin in the dryer as per the instructions, it puffed up perfectly—almost too perfectly. “When I first laid down on the first night, the pillow felt very soft and supportive. But as the night went on, I could tell there was too much stuffing for my liking,” she says. It took some trial and error for her to find the right loft. When she did, though, it was game-changing.

“Depending on how my neck is feeling on a given day, I want more or less support. I love knowing that I can make adjustments in real time,” raves Katie. “I’ve bought probably a dozen cheap pillows in the past five years, and while this one from Coop is an investment, you can’t put a price on customization. The cutout is a little deep for me, but being able to support my head as a side sleeper without putting all the pressure on my shoulder is a huge bonus. And, when I occasionally shift to my back or stomach, it’s still very comfy.”

Long-term update

“I’ve been using the Coop Pillow every night for a year, and it’s still going strong,” Katie reports. “I love that it’s easy to wash and fluffs up beautifully in the dryer. I’ve refilled it with a little extra foam once—it’s so handy that the pillow comes with extra. I haven’t noticed any major signs of wear, outside of a little pilling.”

While she notes that she does have to rearrange the filling a few times a week, it’s easy to do: “The weight of my head in the center tends to push it out towards the edges after a few nights, but it’s a quick 30-second task.”

Cool+ Adjustable Crescent Pillow

On Sale

Best for Stomach Sleepers

Cool+ Adjustable Crescent Pillow

$179 at Coop Sleep Goods

159.0020% OFF$127.20 at Amazon

Shop on Walmart

Cutout pillows (like the editor-loved ear pillow) provide the perfect contour for side sleepers. Much like the cutout shape that Coop offers, their crescent-shaped Cool+ pillow offers a little extra room for side sleepers’ shoulders and neck. I used my Coop pillow for about a month, and I can say with certainty that this is the best pillow I’ve ever used—especially considering my chaotic sleep style.

As a side sleeper who often rotates to her stomach and her back, finding a pillow that works for all positions isn’t easy. Normal rectangular pillows tend to offer too much loft for me, making my neck hurt when I wake up. The wide crescent cutout helps with this by shrinking down the surface area of the pillow, which reduces the spread of the fill. Not only can it accommodate my shoulders when I’m on my side, but it also gives me room to rotate around in my sleep.

The fact that it’s adjustable is another bonus. For my first night with the pillow, I opted to try it with the standard fill. While this was excellent for side sleeping, it was a little too much for my usual stomach position. Taking out about 25% of the fill offered the perfect balance for both positions. Interestingly, the fill for the Cool+ pillow comes in these little “plus sign” shapes rather than the shreds found in the other options. This does make it a bit easier to add and remove filling, and I believe it also offers a bit more support.

As a hot sleeper I was also curious how the Cool+ pillow holds up to my furnace-like body heat. My verdict? Impressively! When I lay down at night the pillow feels genuinely cold, as if its filled with ice cubes. Throughout the night it does heat up a smidge, but only enough to be comfortable. It doesn’t trap heat like my previous pillow, which I attribute to its remarkably breathable materials.

Long-term update

The Coop pillow has held up exceedingly well! Initially, it didn’t require much filling to work for my sleep style. This has remained mostly true, though I appreciate having extra fluff to pop in every so often when it feels a bit flat. The shape works well for all my sleeping positions. I have tried to sleep with “normal” pillows while traveling, and that really highlighted exactly how much my neck pain has dissipated since using my Coop pillow. Overall, I’d say this is a worthwhile investment. It truly is a pillow that lasts through the years!

What to look for in a pillow

According to former radiologist and current Mattress Firm Sleep Expert, KD Houseman, pillows are one of the most important parts of a good night’s sleep—second only to finding the best mattress. “A pillow supports 25% of your overall body, making a pillow the bed for your head,” she says. “Due to this, it is vital that your pillow be the perfect combination of height, shape and material to ensure that your head and c-spine are properly supported while you sleep.”

Dr. Michael Eng, an orthopedic surgeon with the Hoag Orthopedic Institute, agrees. “The right pillow for you is going to keep your head and neck aligned with your spine,” he explains. “This is going to mean different things for everyone. Side sleepers usually need a thicker, firmer pillow; back sleepers benefit from medium thickness and firmness; stomach sleepers need a thinner, softer option.”

Dr. Eng goes on to add that the right pillow should leave you waking up refreshed and rested and not with aches and pain. “I suppose the benefit of adjustable pillows like Coop is that you can really get the support just right by accessing your sleep experience and adjusting,” he says. “As opposed to being stuck with a pillow that may have been the wrong purchase.”

Shape and size

Houseman notes that when it comes to shape and size, what works for person A does not always work for person B, so it is important to keep in mind what position you sleep in for the ideal pillow. “In the bedding industry, we call the height of a pillow ‘loft,’ and the position you sleep in will impact what loft will work best for you. Back sleepers can range from a low-medium loft pillow, stomach sleepers will be low loft pillows and side sleepers, depending on where your arm is, will be a low, medium or high loft,” she says.

Material

The material of a pillow could make or break the way a pillow feels overall to you, according to Houseman. “The bedding industry uses a few different materials like cotton, down, down alternative, fiber, gel, memory foam, latex and Tempur material to construct pillows,” she says. “If you prefer a squishy feel to your pillow, cotton, down, down alternative and/or fiber are going to be what you will enjoy. If you prefer a firmer feel to your pillow, memory foam, latex and/or Tempur material are going to be what you will enjoy.”

Position considerations

Dr. Kin Yuen, sleep medicine specialist at the University of California San Francisco and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, notes that there are several considerations based on sleep position as well:

• “Stomach sleepers should try to avoid thick pillows, opting for a fairly thin, soft pillow to help avoid strain and provide gentle support. Neck strain and back strain are common among stomach sleepers, so finding a pillow that reduces discomfort and helps you get a restful night’s sleep is paramount.”
• “A traditional rectangle pillow is great for a back sleeper. A back sleeper may also benefit from a contour pillow, which has a curve at the base of the pillow to help support the neck and promote proper spinal alignment.”
• “Side sleepers may consider using a body pillow, contour pillow, traditional rectangle pillow or a gusseted pillow, which features a reinforced side panel to keep the pillow’s shape and provide consistent height.”
• “In terms of the position of the pillow, it should extend enough to support the neck, but those with shoulder pains may also wish to have some support for their shoulders. They may need a larger-sized pillow for that purpose, whether back or side sleepers. In that case, I would size up, such as getting a king-size pillow.”

There are also additional considerations for side sleepers, leading to innovations like the editor-loved Pillow Cube. “With side sleeping positions, you want to keep in mind not only the length of your collar bone, but where your arm is placed. Men normally have a longer collar bone, resulting in more medium-high loft pillows,” says Houseman. “Women normally have a shorter collar bone, resulting in more low-medium loft pillows.”

Body position also matters. “Some folks will sleep with their arm in front of them, some folks will sleep with their hand under the pillow and some folks sleep with their arm under the pillow. Having the arm in front of the body will result in needing a thicker loft, having a hand under the pillow will result in needing a medium loft pillow and having the arm under the pillow will result in needing a thinner loft pillow,” Houseman notes.

Cooling

The last thing you will want to consider when shopping for a pillow is whether you’re a hot sleeper. Just like cooling sheets, blankets and comforters, lot of pillows offer breathability, including cooling within the material and/or cover.  Some pillows also offer firmer materials with ventilation holes.

Final verdict: Are Coop pillows worth it?

According to feedback from our testers, yes, Coop pillows are worth it if you’re tired of restless nights and floppy filling. While they’re on the pricey side, their fully customizable fill means there’s no need to replace your pillow after heavy use, meaning more years of restful sleep. This also ensures that you can always adjust your pillow as-needed—no trial and error purchases required!

Where to buy a Coop pillow

We Tried It

Coop Adjustable Pillows

This way to better sleep! No matter your sleep style, a Coop adjustable pillow provides the perfect fit.

Shop on Coop Sleep Goods

Shop on Target

Shop on Amazon

Customers can snag their own Coop pillow from the Coop website, Target or Amazon. We highly recommend purchasing directly through the Coop website to take advantage of their 100-sleep guarantee. Plus, purchasers receive points towards the Coop Rewards program, which translates to savings or exclusive products.

FAQ

Is the Coop pillow worth it?

After testing four of Coop’s offerings, our editors agree that the Coop pillow is indeed worth the price. It is highly favored by side sleepers, back sleepers and stomach sleepers alike—there’s even a camping pillow that works well for travel. Although its visual appearance may not be groundbreaking, as the saying goes, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

How long does a Coop pillow last?

Not only are the Coop pillows customizable to every sleep style, but they also come with an extra half-pound bag of fill. This ensures that it’s always just the right height.

What are coop pillows filled with?

Coop pillows come with a cross-cut memory foam and microfiber fill. It’s cozy, customizable and sustainable. In fact, the Coop pillow holds CertiPUR-US and Greenguard Gold certifications, ensuring the absence of harmful chemicals. Its case incorporates a proprietary Lulltra fabric that combines viscose rayon and polyester for a breathable experience. Plus, each pillow incorporates repurposed materials, further promoting sustainable living.

Why you should trust us

As a shopping editor for Reader’s Digest, Emily has covered everything from the coziest pajamas to skincare and bedding. A high school trip to Western Europe sparked her interest in travel. Now, she’s always interested in exploring new ways to pack her (normally bursting) suitcase. She has written for Family Handyman, Taste of Home and Reader’s Digest. Previously a sales and deals editor, Emily is passionate about locating the best products at prices that readers can afford. Her expertise lies in product testing and exploring viral products from Tiktok and Instagram.

For this piece, we spoke to Dr. Kin Yuen, a sleep medicine specialist at the University of California San Francisco and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. We also spoke to Mattress Firm Sleep Expert, KD Houseman. Houseman has been a Mattress Firm sleep expert that has been part of the bedding industry for 11 years. She also has a background in radiology, giving her insight into specific parts of the skeletal system.

The post Coop Pillow Review: Our Editors Tested 4 Pillows for Every Sleep Position appeared first on Reader's Digest.

All that inside time can add up to a house that feels stale, though. So when I came across the viral idea of “house burping” to combat that stuffiness, I was intrigued. Could this be a simple solution to feeling stuck?

I spent a week—and this is a sentence I never expected to write—burping my house. From the history of the trend to the benefits and drawbacks, I’m covering it all ahead. So read on for my honest opinion.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more home tips, cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What in the world is house burping?

House burping is a social media spin on a German habit called lüften, which translates to “air out.” In Germany, it’s common practice for people to ventilate their homes once or twice daily. The fresh air, they say, can improve air quality and potentially reduce mold’s ability to grow.

Germans have been doing it for centuries, and it’s such a big deal that they’ve even broken it down into two types: Querlüften (which translates to “cross-ventilation”) is for the whole house, while stosslüften (which means “shock ventilation”) is for a specific room. They take it so seriously that landlords sometimes include lüften in leases to ensure tenants keep the home in good shape.

At the end of 2025, the internet did what the internet does, which is give the time-honored tradition a catchy new name. Forget “airing out.” We’re all “house burping” now.

The rebranded trend went viral on TikTok and Instagram, with tens of thousands of videos now showing people burping their homes.

How does house burping work?

While there are no formal written guidelines for house burping, you can follow these steps to give your home a much-needed dose of fresh air, the German way:

1. Pick a day without precipitation.
2. Fully open two windows in your home that are situated opposite each other, such as one in the living room and one in the kitchen.
3. If you don’t have an open floor plan, open all interior doors.
4. Leave the windows open for up to 15 minutes, depending on the season, so air can circulate.
5. Close your windows.
6. Shut the interior doors if necessary.

How often (and for how long) should you do it?

The general consensus is that once a day, every day, is the way to go. This daily dose of lüften will ensure the freshest air is circulating in your home. That said, some people do it several times a day in short bursts when it’s humid to reduce the chance of mold growing.

You can leave your windows open for anywhere from three minutes during the coldest months to 15 minutes on a relatively nice day.

Is this good for your health?

Yes, there is some evidence that house burping is good for your health. Which means you’re not inviting the winter chill into your home just for fun. Here’s how your house and health may benefit.

Lower VOCs

The Environmental Protection Agency has acknowledged that ventilation can reduce levels of household volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gases emitted by certain household items, from dry-cleaned clothing to disinfectants to paint.

Reduced carbon dioxide

The simple act of opening your windows can also lower carbon dioxide levels in your home. And that might even improve your sleep quality, which in turn can improve cognition.

Less opportunity for mold

Mold loves closed, moist spaces, and science has shown that better ventilation can reduce its ability to grow. That’s good news for your health because mold exposure can lead to allergic reactions, irritation and asthma.

Fewer germs

As we learned during the pandemic, fresh air can help reduce some airborne viruses and bacteria. A 2021 study on the COVID-19 virus notes that opening windows for 10 minutes every couple of hours can reduce the virus’s spread … without turning you into a popsicle in winter.

Is there a downside to the practice?

The goal here is to improve your indoor air quality—not make it worse. So house burping may not be for you if the air outside is worse than the air indoors. In other words, if you live in an area with heavy pollution or high pollen levels, house burping might not be good for your health.

What happened when I tried house burping?

Despite one major drawback (more on that below), I was impressed with the practice!

I have a smart thermostat that “rates” my air quality, and for the past few weeks, it’s been giving me a “fair” rating based on VOC and carbon dioxide levels in my home. One of its suggestions for improving air quality? Opening a window. House burping seemed like an easy, free way to try to boost my air quality.

I gave myself a week to test it out. I live in the South, where the weather is unpredictable, so I chose afternoons as my sweet spot because the forecast called for temperatures in the 50s and 60s all week.

My test

The daily steps were very doable—quick and easy to follow.

• Open the living room window and the back door in the kitchen.
• Give it about 10 minutes (real talk: sometimes that ended up being longer because I simply forgot about it, especially on warmer days).
• Close the window and kitchen door.

The results

The air-quality reader on my thermostat reported that my air was cleaner each day after burping my house. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer solid data points as to how it arrived at that conclusion, which would have been nice to know.

My take

Unfortunately, I live in a high-pollen area and have extreme seasonal allergies, so house burping would work for me only during certain times of the year. I would also be interested to see how it affected my energy bill, especially during the summer months, when it regularly crosses 90 degrees here.

One appealing aspect: House burping might help reduce some moisture during the sticky summer months. (My dehumidifier works overtime from May to October.) I’d be interested to see what the trade-off would be between my energy bill and the humidity and pollen levels later in the year.

So will I keep house burping?

This was free, easy and effective, so I’ll likely keep house burping during months when the weather is good and the pollen count is low. I imagine the effect on my energy bill is low, but that’s something I’ll have to test later in the year. If you’re cranking the heat at the height of winter in the Northeast and leaving your windows open for 10 minutes a day, your energy bills might see a bigger spike right now.

Setting a daily timer is a smart move I plan to adopt, at least until the process becomes second nature. If you want to try out the trend but worry you’ll forget to close your windows, this simple step could do the trick. At the very least, you may lose that precious heat or air conditioning for a shorter time frame than if you forgot the crucial closing step.

Still on the fence? If you feel like your air quality is poor or stale, I’d definitely recommend house burping.

RELATED:

• I Tried the Viral Snow-Removal Hack—And I’ll Never Go Back to Shoveling
• We Tried the Viral Oven-Cleaning Hack That Uses Just 1 Ingredient—Here’s What Happened
• Should You Put Aluminum Foil in Your Dishwasher? I Tried the Viral TikTok Hack

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• New York Times: “Should We All Be ‘House Burping’?”
• EPA: “Volatile Organic Compounds’ Impact on Indoor Air Quality”
• Building and Environment: “A field intervention study of the effects of window and door opening on bedroom IAQ, sleep quality, and next-day cognitive performance”
• EPA: “A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home”
• National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health: “Carbon Dioxide in Indoor Air”
• Pathogens and Immunity: “Evaluation of Interventions to Improve Ventilation in Households to Reduce Risk for Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2”
• Environmental Health Insights: “COVID-19 and Ventilation in the Home; Investigating Peoples’ Perceptions and Self-Reported Behaviour”
• National Library of Medicine: “WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould”

Cleaning Pros' Best Tips Ever

Ways to Lower Your Household Bills

How to Get Rid of Dust in Your Home

The post I Tried the Viral “House Burping” Trend—It Sounds Absolutely Wild, but I’m Convinced Everyone Should Be Doing It appeared first on Reader's Digest.

I’m always down for trying tricks that make life in cold climates more bearable, so I grabbed a tarp—the only tool you need—and put this viral trend to the test during the recent snowstorm that hit much of the country. The results weren’t exactly what I expected, but there were a few tricks that helped make this hack more effective. All in all, this method definitely changed how I’ll prepare for winter storms in the future.

Read on to find out exactly what this hack is, how to do it and what happened when I tried it out during the most recent snowfall. Pro tip: Bookmark this article to come back to when the next snowmageddon hits.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more winter-weather tips, cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What snow-removal hack promises to save time and effort?

The snow-removal hack taking over social media involves laying a tarp down on your walkway before a big snowfall, then removing the tarp (and the snow) once the storm has passed. Proponents of this method love that it’s a faster, more efficient way to clear snow with very little effort required. Plus, there’s no need to spend money buying a snowblower.

What type of tarp do you need for the snow-removal hack?

You’ll need a heavy-duty plastic tarp for this hack. This could be either a heavy-duty clear plastic tarp or one of the green or blue tarps typically used for camping.

Why is a heavy-duty tarp key? A tarp made of thin plastic could rip, which would defeat the purpose. A canvas tarp, or one made of another fabric, can get wet from the snow and become too heavy. A heavier plastic tarp, on the other hand, is the sweet spot between sturdy and waterproof.

How, exactly, does this hack work?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brittany Renous (@bjrenous)

Snow is in the forecast, and you’re already dreading the post-storm process of digging yourself out. Need a better plan? Here’s how to use the tarp method instead:

What you’ll need

• A heavy-duty plastic tarp
• Someone to help lift the tarp after snowfall if you need a hand
• A walkway, set of front steps or other place you want to clear snow

Directions

1. Before it snows, lay the tarp on your walkway, front steps, sidewalk or anywhere else you’d like to quickly clear.
2. Make sure the tarp is flat and pulled tight.
3. Wait for the snow to pile up on the tarp.
4. When it stops snowing, take one end of the tarp and pull it away from the area you want to keep clear.
5. Make sure you don’t dump the snow into a neighbor’s yard, a move that could get you fined.
6. Continue pulling on the tarp until all the snow is emptied onto your own front yard.
7. Voila! The snow is gone—no shoveling necessary.
8. Repeat as needed.

Does the snow-removal tarp hack actually work?

This snow-removal hack does work. But something important I learned in my test? It’s not ideal for every kind of snowstorm.

For example, the snow that hit my neighborhood in Denver came in the form of a squall. When I saw wind and snow in the forecast, I decided to use large rocks from the yard to hold the tarp down along the edges. I wasn’t sure if this was part of the hack, but I knew the tarp didn’t have a chance of staying put without the extra weight. The snow came soon after I placed the tarp, bringing heavy winds with it, but the rocks held the tarp in place. The snow continued falling as it got dark, so I decided to leave the tarp overnight.

The next morning, it had stopped snowing, and there were a few inches of snow piled on the tarp. I knew it would be too heavy to remove the tarp with the rocks still on, so I had to remove them first. After that, I pulled the tarp up and dumped the snow onto one side of the yard to reveal a clear pathway beneath. We didn’t get more than a few inches of snow, so it wasn’t too heavy to remove the tarp myself. I shook the tarp off and laid it on the porch to dry, then rolled it back up and put it away.

I was surprised by how dry the space beneath the tarp was and how quickly I had a clear walkway. I didn’t even pick up a shovel!

What kind of weather is the snow-removal hack best for?

This tarp trick is best for a scenario in which it won’t be windy. If it is windy, you can use rocks or bricks to hold the tarp down—but only if there’s less than 6 inches of snow expected.

Why? Because the extra weights used to hold the tarp down, in addition to the snow, would make the tarp too heavy to lift. It wouldn’t be easy to remove the weights first either; they’d be lost under the snow. Digging around in the snow looking for the rocks sounds almost as annoying as shoveling.

In a winter snowstorm with little wind, I expect the snow would pile up more quickly, helping weigh the tarp down on its own. In this case, however, a significant amount of snow could make for a heavy tarp, requiring two or even three people to help roll it and the snow away.

Are there other hacks for removing snow without a shovel or snowblower?

This tarp hack for walkways and sidewalks isn’t the first snow-removal method to go viral. Here are a few other ways to clear snow without a snowblower or shovel.

Lay a tarp over your car

Another popular strategy also involves using a tarp to catch snow—but on a car. Social media users say this method of covering a car with a tarp before a snowstorm helps remove snow quickly and easily.

It can also make roads safer by preventing people from driving around with heaps of snow on their car roofs, which can fall off in front of another vehicle. It’s not just a driving hazard either. If you fail to clear off your car, you could get fined.

Push snow away with plywood

People have also been excited about the plywood snow-removal trick that went viral in 2024. This hack is for flat surfaces such as a driveway and involves holding a sheet of plywood at an angle (with the bottom touching the snow) and pushing it across the surface. Just run straight, and you’ll clear the snow as you go.

Use chemical ice melt

You can use chemicals such as calcium chloride, often sold as “ice melt” pellets, to melt snow and ice without a shovel or snowblower. They are considered more effective than regular salt, although they are more expensive. The biggest drawback to using a chloride formula is that it can be damaging to landscapes and may harm your pet’s paws or cause skin irritation in humans. Calcium chloride can also be harmful if it is ingested by pets.

Would I try the snow-removal hack again?

Overall, this snow-removal hack saved me enough time and frustration that I’d definitely do it again. I think this would be especially helpful in situations where it’s too cold outside to shovel or you have to leave the house early after a big pileup. It would also be an easy hack if you’re expecting snow but want to help a neighbor or two—you can remove the snow quickly without expending a lot of effort, leaving everyone happy.

As for me, I liked how simple this hack was to set up, and I appreciated how quickly it got rid of the snow. Finally, a solution to my snow-shoveling woes!

RELATED:

• We Tried the Viral Oven-Cleaning Hack That Uses Just 1 Ingredient—Here’s What Happened
• Get Extra Legroom on Your Next Flight for Free with This Viral Travel Hack
• Should You Put Aluminum Foil in Your Dishwasher? I Tried the Viral TikTok Hack

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Instagram: @bjrenous
• Instagram: @subtleaceawareness
• TikTok: @hangwithhope
• National Capital Poison Control: “Pets, kids and ice melt products”

How to Build the Perfect Snowman

Vintage Winter Photos Big on Nostalgia

Snow-Covered Towns Around the World

The post I Tried the Viral Snow-Removal Hack—And I’ll Never Go Back to Shoveling appeared first on Reader's Digest.

The problem is, one hasty decision can cross a line you didn’t even know existed. In some places, it can lead to fines, warnings or even bigger issues. We check in with Thomas Simeone, an attorney based in Washington, D.C., who not only knows the law, but he’s shoveled more than his fair share of snow. Before the next winter storm hits, it’s vital you understand a common cold-weather misstep that can cost you more than sore arms.

Keep reading to learn what you’re supposed to do, and what you’re definitely not, so you can avoid running afoul of the law this winter.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more winter tips, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What common shoveling mistake could result in a fine this winter?

Are you ready for this? You have to keep the snow you shovel on your side of any property lines. Not the alley, not the neighbor’s side yard—and definitely not the street.

Shoveling or blowing snow into the road or onto someone else’s yard may feel like harmless problem-solving, but in many towns and cities, it’s expressly prohibited. Municipal codes across the United States make it clear: Snow cleared from your driveway or sidewalk must stay on your property to protect traffic flow and pedestrian safety.

Simeone says homeowners are often surprised by how far those rules extend. “It isn’t just about clearing your own walk,” he explains. “Where you move the snow matters. If you shovel it into the street, your town or city can issue a citation—and in places with strict ordinances, they do.”

What are the consequences of ignoring this rule?

Usually, it’s a fine (we’ll bring you those details coming up). But even if you avoid the long arm of the municipal code enforcers, Simeone says there’s another risk many people don’t consider: civil liability. Pushing snow onto a neighbor’s property without permission can be considered trespass, especially if you step onto their property.

“The minute you trespas, you’re responsible for damages,” Simeone says. And in some cases, things could quickly escalate. “If a neighbor slips and falls on snow you put there, you may be held responsible,” he adds, especially if the danger was foreseeable. (And let’s be honest, piling a soon-to-be melting and refreezing pile of snow onto your neighbor’s property, particularly a walk or driveway, probably qualifies.)

“And if your neighbor can prove damages, you’re on the hook,” Simeone says. The legal concept is similar to dumping yard waste over a fence. Placing anything, including snow, onto another person’s land without consent can expose you to responsibility for what happens next.

How much could you get fined?

Local snow ordinances vary widely, but they’re far from rare. Cities and towns across much of the Northeast, Midwest and Mountain West—anywhere winter weather is routine—have rules that prohibit dumping snow into streets, sidewalks and other public rights-of-way. In many places, enforcement starts with warnings, but fines can escalate quickly, especially for repeat violations.

In New York City, for example, failing to properly clear snow and ice from sidewalks can result in fines of $100 to $150 for a first offense, increasing to $350 or more if the violation continues. Other cold-weather cities, including Boston, Chicago and Minneapolis, also issue citations for pushing snow from private property into public spaces. In Maine, some towns explicitly warn residents against placing snow into public ways, with fines reaching up to $500. In extreme cases, where snow obstructs traffic, additional penalties can apply.

And cities are only part of it. “If you live in a community with a homeowners association, they often have their own snow-removal rules,” Simeone says. Your HOA may issue warnings or levy fines for failing to clear walkways properly or for piling snow where it doesn’t belong—sometimes regardless of whether the town gets involved. “I’ve personally received a warning letter,” Simeone adds, underscoring how common enforcement can be.

So what should you do with all that shoveled snow?

The basic rule of thumb is simple: Keep it on your property. Push snow onto your lawn or side yard—not across the sidewalk, not into the street and not onto adjacent properties. Spread it out where it won’t block sight lines or refreeze into an ice hazard.

If you simply have too much snow (a common situation after a heavy storm), consider professional snow removal or coordinate with neighbors to alternate shoveling duties. A few communities even promote using a buddy system, encouraging neighbors to spread the workload around while keeping everyone compliant.

What else should you keep in mind?

Snow has a way of testing patience and neighborly goodwill. Clearing it is necessary, and placing it thoughtfully keeps you from a fine or an awkward encounter with your neighbor come spring. Here’s what to do:

• Know your local laws. Snow-removal and placement rules vary by municipality; many towns post their ordinances online, and code enforcement is often happy to answer questions before issuing fines.
• Talk to your neighbors. A friendly heads-up about snow piles can prevent disputes before they start.
• Be cautious with shared driveways or stoops. These areas often have additional rules or neighbors who feel particularly protective of the shared space. Work together!

RELATED:

• Here’s Why People Are Freezing Their Blankets Outside—And Whether You Should Try It Too
• 15 Warm Winter Vacations for Families That Won’t Break the Bank
• Do You Really Need to Rake Your Leaves? We Asked a Lawn-Care Expert, and the Answer May Surprise You

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Thomas Simeone, personal injury attorney and adjunct law professor in Washington, D.C.; interviewed, January 2026
• City of New York: “Snow Removal: Your Responsibilities”
• City of Boston: “Rules on Clearing Snow”
• City of Chicago: “Sidewalk Snow Removal”
• City of Minneapolis: “Snow Clearing Guidelines”
• MPR News: “What to know to avoid getting fined for not shoveling your sidewalks”
• City of Portland: “Winter Sidewalks”

How Often to Wash Your Car in Winter

How to Build a Snowman in 6 Steps

The Best Time to Buy a Snowblower

The post If You Make This Common Mistake When Shoveling, You Could Get Fined Up to $500 Each Time appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But over the next three years, rates crept back up—to a high of 7.79% in October 2023, a rate we hadn’t seen since 2000. Combine that with astronomically high house prices, and homeownership felt out of reach for Americans. Inflation went up. Rents skyrocketed.

Fast-forward to 2026. Even if rates aren’t at historic levels, they’re still too high for many people to afford a home. So when can would-be home buyers expect mortgage rates to drop?

A new report by LendingTree predicts that this year will finally bring interest-rate relief. How low will they go? We talked to Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst at LendingTree, to bring you all the details, including when you can see those lower rates. Whether you’re financial flexing like Gen Z or downsizing so you can afford to retire, mortgage rates matter to your bottom line. Keep reading to see what 2026 has in store.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more money, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Why are mortgage rates an important consideration when you’re buying a home?

Mortgage rates are important because they impact your monthly payment. Even the difference of a single percentage point might shock you.

Using LendingTree’s mortgage calculator, we determined the monthly payment for two theoretical homes costing $400,000 and $300,000. The numbers are based on a 30-year term with a 20% down payment and include average property tax and homeowner’s insurance costs. (It’s important to note that taxes, insurance and overall affordability vary significantly by location.)

• If you buy a $300,000 home at a 6% mortgage rate, your monthly payment will be approximately $1,839. At a 7% mortgage rate, that payment goes up to $1,997.
• If you buy a $400,000 home at a 6% mortgage rate, your monthly payment will be approximately $2,452. At a 7% mortgage rate, that payment goes up to $2,662.

How do interest rates fluctuate from year to year?

Here is the yearly rate breakdown of 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages over the past six years, including the differences between the highest and lowest weekly average annual percentage rates (APR), courtesy of LendingTree, using FreddieMac data.

• 2025: 7.04% (highest) – 6.15% (lowest) = 0.89 points (difference)
• 2024: 7.22% (highest) – 6.08% (lowest) = 1.14 points (difference)
• 2023: 7.79% (highest) – 6.09% (lowest) = 1.70 points (difference)
• 2022: 7.08% (highest) – 3.22% (lowest) = 3.86 points (difference)
• 2021: 3.18% (highest) – 2.65% (lowest) = 0.53 points (difference)
• 2020: 3.72% (highest) – 2.66% (lowest) = 1.06 points (difference)

And though 2022 is an outlier, this kind of fluctuation is common. “Since 2000, the gap between the year’s highest and lowest weekly average APRs has never been lower than a half-point,” Schulz said in a press release.

How do interest rates fluctuate from the first week to the last week of the year?

Not only do interest rates change year to year, but they also fluctuate within the calendar year. From January to December, rates move up and down, though Shultz says in the LendingTree report that the gap between the year’s first and last weekly averages “tends to be significantly smaller than the one between the yearly high and low.” (It’s been a quarter-point or less 10 times since 2000, according to LendingTree.)

There are outliers, like 2022, when the Federal Reserve raised rates seven times. That year, the difference between the first and last weeks was close to four points.

How low are mortgage rates expected to drop in 2026?

Shultz expects mortgage rates to dip under 6% in 2026, and you could see that lower rate early in the year. (As of Jan. 9, 2026, Bankrate, the personal finance website, puts the average rate at 6.16%.)

“I think we may see rates drop just below 6% in the first quarter of 2026, though I don’t think they’ll stay there,” Schulz said in an interview. “What seems more likely to me is rates may dip below and rise above 6% a few times this year.”

What other predictions are experts making about the 2026 home-buying market?

In addition to mortgage rates hovering around 6%, Schulz has two additional predictions about the 2026 home-buying market.

There will be an increase in refinancing

Homeowners who are locked in at the super-low, post-pandemic rates are unlikely to give them up, but people paying mortgages with interest rates over 7% will probably look to refinance when rates dip below 6%. “When it first happens, we could see a significant number of people choose to refinance their high-interest mortgages,” Schulz says.

We won’t see alternative mortgages anytime soon

You may have heard about President Trump’s suggestion to ignite the lagging housing market with 50-year mortgages. Longer mortgages reduce monthly payments, but experts say buyers would pay way more interest over the life of the loan, and building home equity would be slow. The idea didn’t take off.

Another alternative to traditional mortgage structures is the idea of the portable mortgage, which means that you can take your current mortgage rate with you if you move and buy another house. This would allow homeowners with a low rate to move when they want to instead of waiting for rates to drop.

“We won’t see portable or 50-year mortgages as an option in 2026,” Schulz says. “Even if they become a reality here eventually, it’ll likely take years, and that certainly doesn’t help struggling homeowners today.”

So what will help? Keeping an eye on mortgage rates. If Schultz is right, you’ll see them hit below 6%, giving you a good opportunity to refinance or lock in a lower rate on a new home.

RELATED:

• These Are the 10 U.S. Cities Where a $100,000 Salary Goes the Furthest
• Ouch! New Study Reveals the Top 10 Cities Where Residents Are Hardest Hit by Inflation
• This One Common Habit Could Be Depleting Your Retirement Savings—Just Before You Really Need the Cash

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst at LendingTree and author of Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More: How to Take Control of Your Financial Life; email interview, January 2026
• LendingTree: “From Rate Cuts to Rising Debt: What 2026 Will Look Like for Your Wallet”
• Federal Reserve: “30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States”
• LendingTree: “Mortgage Calculator”
• Federal Reserve Bank of New York: “Household Debt and Credit Report (Q3 2025)”
• Bankrate: “30-year mortgage rates decrease – When should you lock? | Today’s mortgage and refinance rates, January 9, 2026”

How Much Salary You'll Have After Taxes

New: The 10 Happiest Cities in America

Get More Bang for Your Buck in this City

The post Savings Alert: Experts Predict <i>This</i> Will Be the Lowest Mortgage Rate of the Year. Find Out When to Lock Yours In appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Even after I returned to the U.S., I missed the life I lived while in Spain. Today, I find myself looking up the visa requirements for various countries at least once a month and fantasizing about starting over in a city full of culture, history and, of course, food. New data suggests I’m not the only American who feels this way.

A Gallup poll released last month noted that approximately 20% of Americans say they would like to move abroad permanently. According to the data, one of the most common reasons for wanting to make such a change is lower confidence in U.S. institutions. A 2024 report conducted by Expatsi, a company that helps people move abroad, found that one of the top contributors to U.S. citizens’ relocation dreams was a desire for increased adventure, enrichment and growth.

Women between the ages of 15 and 44 appear to be among the most eager to make a change. When surveyed by Gallup, 40% of them said they would relocate to another country permanently if the opportunity arose, a 300% increase from 2014.

Below, we break down the best countries for Americans to move to, plus the reasons these places are so attractive to expats.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more news, travel, tech, cleaning, humor and fun facts all week long.

How were the best countries for expats determined?

Earlier this month, International Living released its Annual Global Retirement Index, a data-driven approach to determining the best places for expats to retire. Even though the list may be aimed at older Americans, many of the takeaways are applicable to younger generations.

International Living considered a number of key factors when compiling this year’s index: the cost of living, housing affordability, visa requirements, access to health care, climate patterns and the country’s development and government. The team then turned to readers and its network of experts to find out where they’d be willing to move. They crunched all that data to identify the top 10 countries for expats.

What are the best countries for expats?

With more than 100 countries in the world, it can be difficult to determine which locations offer the best lifestyle for expats. But regardless of whether you’re prioritizing quality health care, great weather or community-based living, you’ll find a place to call home among the top spots.

Read on for the 10 best countries, along with some of their key benefits.

10. Malaysia

Known for: A friendly, welcoming community

Average monthly rent: $900 (four-bedroom apartment)

While Malaysia may be thousands of miles from the continental U.S., the welcoming nature of the locals allows you to build a community with relative ease. Rather than rushing around, residents tend to take their time, making it the perfect place to land if you’re looking for a slower pace of life.

What’s more, Malaysia is incredibly affordable. According to the index, a high-quality local meal will cost you the equivalent of about $2. Interested in buying property? Expats can do that, and once you purchase a home, apartment or lot, property taxes are relatively low. All types of health care—from minor surgeries to clinic visits—are cheaper than the same services would be in the U.S.

9. Thailand

Known for: Diverse climates and affordable living

Average monthly rent: $1,000 (two-bedroom house)

If you’re searching for a location that prioritizes ease of living, Thailand may be the ideal location. You can complete most tasks—from getting a taxi to ordering groceries—through one app, Grab. Plus, whether you’re searching for a sunny beach or a rugged mountain, you’ll find it in Thailand, which is marked by topographical diversity.

Utilities, groceries and rent are all relatively cheap. With affordable, world-class hospitals, you’ll pay approximately one-third of what you would pay for the same medical expenses in the U.S. However, health care in Thailand goes beyond simply visiting the doctor once a year. The country has walking paths, sunrise yoga classes and numerous gyms, making it the perfect spot for wellness enthusiasts.

8. Spain

Known for: Affordable, high-quality health care

Average monthly rent: $1,350 (one-bedroom apartment)

Dreaming of slower mornings, high-quality health care and a welcoming community? If that’s the case, consider relocating to Spain. While some expenses, such as rent, have increased in recent years, other key costs, such as groceries, utilities and public transportation, remain relatively low.

The health-care system is one of the best in the world. After you’ve lived in the country for a year, public care is available for a monthly fee that’s less than $200. Additionally, the country offers a non-lucrative visa option for those who can show adequate savings or passive income. However, you can also apply for a digital nomad visa as a remote worker.

7. France

Known for: Prioritizing quality of life and wellness

Average monthly rent: $1,000 to $2,000 (two-bedroom apartment)

If you find yourself dreaming of spending your days sipping a cafe au lait at a French bistro, you’re not the only one. Luckily, there are a number of good reasons to relocate to the European country, including the health-care system, affordable rent and a straightforward path to permanent residency.

Buying property is also relatively simple in France. Unlike other countries, the process typically wraps up within three months of issuing the initial agreement. Purchasing a house outside of the major cities, such as Paris and Toulouse, is also about 30% cheaper than it would be in the U.S., according to the index.

6. Italy

Known for: Vibrant expat communities

Average monthly rent: $400 to $925 (one-bedroom apartment)

Beyond the cuisine, atmosphere and history, Italy offers many positives for those seeking a fresh start in a new country. Head to the Dolomites for some of the world’s best skiing and cooler days—or migrate to Sicily for palm trees and warmer temperatures. Even though the European country may be only the size of California, it features a range of climates.

If you’d rather not rely on a car, Italy offers fast and affordable public transportation. As you move from place to place, you’ll likely encounter a number of friendly locals. The country is well-known for its vibrant expat communities, as well as its general hospitality. Whether you’re trying to find the grocery store or simply the best place for an aperitivo, Italians will be eager to assist you.

5. Mexico

Known for: Affordable living

Average monthly rent: $500 (one-bedroom apartment)

Mexico is a stunning country, and its prices make it a perfect spot for expats. Whether you’re booking a flight or buying groceries, you’ll notice that costs are significantly lower than they would be in the U.S. Plus, temporary and permanent residents get a number of discounts, including free entry to museums and $4 movie tickets. And instead of waiting months for a doctor’s appointment, most medical professionals are able to see you within 24 hours, ensuring that you receive high-quality care when you need it.

4. Portugal

Known for: Good quality of life

Average monthly rent: $1,760 (one-bedroom apartment)

With gorgeous beach towns, vibrant communities and markets overflowing with fresh fruits and veggies, it’s no surprise that Portugal is one of the best places for Americans to move to outside the U.S. The landscape is stunning, the people are warm and welcoming, and the universal health-care system ensures you won’t have to stress about medical bills.

The D7—passive income visa—is a great option if your finances allow for it. However, that’s not the only way you can legally reside in the country. The D8 visa, which is aimed at digital nomads looking to work remotely, is another path you can take.

3. Costa Rica

Known for: Low property taxes

Average monthly rent: $600 (for a studio or a two-bedroom house, depending on the area)

If you’re curious about living in Costa Rica but don’t want to commit to obtaining a visa, you’re in luck. The country permits U.S. and Canadian visitors to stay for up to 180 days—no visa required. However, if you do choose to move, the process for obtaining residency is relatively easy and straightforward.

Those searching for year-round warmth will fall in love with this Central American country. With tropical beaches and lush jungles, Costa Rica allows you to spend your weeks exploring the great outdoors.

2. Panama

Known for: Quality benefits

Average monthly rent: $550 to 1,000 (one-bedroom apartment)

Just like Costa Rica, Panama allows Americans to spend an extended period living in the country—up to six months—without having to obtain a visa. Its usage of the U.S. dollar makes transitioning to the country easy for expats. Retired residents in Panama get access to an array of high-quality government benefits, including discounts on utility bills, movie tickets and medical visits.

If you’re searching for a metropolitan area that feels like a tropical oasis, check out Panama. With luxury apartments, beach access and a plethora of golf courses, it’s the perfect spot for those who want a laid-back way of life that still includes all the amenities of an urban center.

1. Greece

Known for: Year-round sunshine

Average monthly rent: $820 (two-bedroom house)

Offering community-centric living, diverse climates and more than 300 days of sunshine a year, Greece is the ideal place to relocate to. From thousands of miles of coastline and bustling cities to the scenic mountains and renowned vineyards, this European country has something for everyone.

But this isn’t just a sightseeing adventure. Aside from the beautiful surroundings, you’ll get plenty of perks: You can cut down on health-care costs, save money on rent and enjoy fresh local produce on a regular basis. Instead of navigating the grueling world of medical scheduling, you can land an appointment when you need one. Plus, many of the doctors speak English, ensuring that you won’t have to stress about a language barrier during a time of crisis.

RELATED:

• New Study: This Is the No. 1 U.S. City for People with Disabilities
• New Report: This Is the No. 1 City for Singles in the U.S.
• New Report: These Are the Best States in America

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• International Living: “Best Places to Retire in 2026: The Annual Global Retirement Index”
• Gallup: “Record Numbers of Younger Women Want to Leave the U.S.”
• Expatsi: “Results from the 2024 Expatsi Report”

U.S. Cities with the Highest Rents

Cities Where Your Salary Goes Furthest

The Top States to Raise a Family In

The post Curious About Living Abroad? This New Report Ranks the Top 10 Countries for Expats appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Social media is the perfect place for inspiration, though I had to wonder if it was even possible to get those looks in real life. After all, those trees look like they belong in a magazine. Can regular people pull that off? I’m here to tell you that they can! Nestled in with the pretty pics and videos where people are clearly just showing off, I found a few incredibly simple and surprisingly cheap hacks that will make any tree more cohesive and Instagram-worthy.

Ready to work a little Christmas magic on your tree? Read on to learn some creative ways to spruce up your spruce for just a few dollars—or nothing at all.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more holidays, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

1. Create chic ornament clusters with pipe cleaners

@whatlololikes My favorite tip to step up your Christmas Tree Game! #ChristmasTree #ChristmasTreeDecorating #ChristmasOrnaments #HolidaySpirit #ChristmasHack ♬ original sound – 🤍✨Lauren✨🤍

Ornament hooks can be unwieldy. The ornaments dangle freely from them, making it easy for them to fall and shatter if, say, an errant toddler or pet knocks into the Christmas tree. Plus, those single ornaments can create sparse areas and a disjointed feel. Enter: the pipe cleaner hack. You basically use an ordinary pipe cleaner to link together ball ornaments, creating sturdy decor that looks super posh.

TikTok creator @whatlololikes calls this “the key to a stunning Christmas tree,” since “you can tie them on your tree exactly where you need them. … They just look so much better, definitely fills up the tree easier.”

Here’s how to do it:

1. Take a pipe cleaner—either in the same color family as your ornaments or as the tree, so it blends in—and slide three to five ball ornaments of various sizes on it. In the video, @whatlololikes sticks with a red, silver and white color theme, but you can get creative with your own look.
2. Bundle the ornaments on the pipe cleaner, clustering the balls together in the middle as you pull the ends of the pipe cleaner together. Arrange them as you like, in varying heights, to make them pop.
3. Finally, tie the pipe cleaner ornament bundle securely to your chosen tree branch, either under or over it.

And that’s it! Minimum effort, maximum results.

2. Customize ornaments with a simple wrap-around

@designsbydylanpChristmas Ornament Hack♬ original sound – Designs by Dylan

You know how some ornaments come with a long string? Well, TikToker @designsbydylanp has some harsh words about that. “Nothing is trashier, in my opinion, than having that long string like that,” he says. Ouch! When those long strings are attached to heavier ornaments, they can also weigh down a tree’s branches, making it look even worse over time.

Well, luckily, there’s a quick—and completely free—fix for this. By wrapping that long string around a branch, the ornament string is no longer exposed and instead sits flush against the branch.

This is so easy, we probably don’t need to provide directions, but here you go:

1. Place the ornament on the desired branch.
2. Hold the top of the string in place while you wrap the ornament and remaining string around the branch until it’s snug.

You can either wrap the ornament further into the tree to fill in holes or add more visual interest, or keep the ornament closer to the outside, depending on how you want your tree to look. One important note: This only works for ornaments on strings, not hooks.

3. Use a hidden wire to craft an ornament garland

@marinamcavoyYou will need ornaments (Shatterproof only) Floral wire, floral wire cutters. I used scissors and it was fine. Start by cutting about 2 to 3 feet of floral wire, then thread the first ornament through. You will secure that ornament by giving the floral wire a twist at the top of the ornament. Now start adding the rest of the ornaments. I did all different sizes. It will take shape on it’s own. Make sure to leave some Floral wire at the bottom and at the top. That’s what you will use to secure the ornaments to the tree. I added each section one by one. I also added some other decor to fill in the tree. You can do this with any color of ornaments. Also, please don’t feel the need to buy new ones if you have some use what you have. I think it turned out so cute and different. ❤️✨🌲 Hope you try it too. 🙌🏻🌹♬ Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee

Ornaments fashioned into garlands? Why not! This is a different form of ornament cluster, courtesy of TikTok creator @marinamcavoy. She goes for a monochromatic red look with oversized ornaments in various textures, which really packs a visual punch.

Her secret ingredient? Floral wire. This stainless steel thread, which you can get on Amazon or at craft stores, usually provides structure and support in—you guessed it—floral arrangements. But it’s also the hero of many a DIY project, including this elegant creation.

1. Cut about 2 to 3 feet of floral wire with scissors or wire cutters.
2. String the first ball ornament through the wire, securing it by twisting the wire at the top of the ornament. Make sure to leave a little bit of wire at the top and bottom to be able to secure it to the tree.
3. Add the rest of your ornaments, as many as it takes to make the wire feel full. You can go for different sizes, colors or shapes—it’s up to you!
4. When the wire is filled, secure the garland section to the tree by wrapping the free ends of the wire to branches at the top and bottom.
5. Repeat with the next section of garland until your tree has a cascading garland from top to bottom!

After the garland is attached to the tree, try filling in the rest with florals and other choice ornaments to pull the whole look together. Fancy—for cheap!

RELATED:

• Here’s Everything You Need to Know About the 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
• “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” Turns 25 This Year. Here are 9 Things You Never Knew About the Jim Carrey Classic
• 12 Christmas Carol Lyrics That Make No Sense—Explained!

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• @whatlololikes on TikTok: “Christmas Decorating Hack”
• @designsbydylanp on TikTok: “Christmas Ornament Hack”
• @marinamcavoy on TikTok: “DIY cascading ornament garland”

Christmas Themes for a Merry Celebration

Amazing Gingerbread House Ideas

Fun and Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids

The post 3 Easy—And Practically Free—Hacks for Hanging Ornaments That Will Take Your Tree to the Next Level appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Key Takeaways

• Options like rubbing alcohol, vinegar or WD-40 work wonders—just apply to a clean cloth and scrub gently.
• Let your chosen solution sit for a minute to soften the glue before you start scrubbing.
• Always try your method on a hidden spot to ensure it won’t damage the surface.

How to remove super glue from plastic

Acetone can be pretty harsh on many fabrics, so it’s usually best to avoid it when removing super glue from clothing. Instead, Peters says rubbing alcohol will work for fabrics like cotton and polyester. “Even wool can handle some rubbing alcohol, but leather will require a different approach,” he adds.

For leather, consider using vinegar, which is less harsh but still effectively removes the super glue. “You might need to give it more time than some other compounds and work it in a bit more vigorously, but it should get the job done,” says Peters.

Another, more surprising option? WD-40. “The WD-40 loosens up the glue so it can be removed. But the reason this option is one of my favorites is that WD-40 is actually good for leather in general and can be used to soften it up,” Peters reveals. So not only can you remove the glue, but you can also give your leather a bit of a tune-up.

Whether you’re using rubbing alcohol, vinegar or WD-40, apply a small amount to a clean cloth and scrub vigorously until the super glue starts to come off.

How to get super glue off upholstery and carpeting

Removing super glue from upholstery will depend on the type of fabric, but for the most part, you’ll need to avoid acetone. The solvent helps get paint out of clothes, so it should come as no surprise that acetone can remove color from fabrics and carpeting. “Acetone can wash out color from carpet, so you could go from a stiff spot of super glue to a bleached-out circle,” Peters points out.

He also suggests avoiding vinegar on carpets—it could easily soak in, and you’ll be left with the smell for quite some time.

So what works? Rubbing alcohol is a better cleaning solution. It’s your best option for upholstery, and most carpets can also handle it without issue. But as always, test in a hidden spot first.

How to remove super glue from metal

Metal is usually one of the easier items to remove super glue from, as it’s tough enough to withstand acetone without issue, according to Peters. “Just be careful when applying the acetone that you don’t get it on another nearby material,” he says.

How to remove super glue from wood

The first thing to consider is whether or not the wood is finished or unfinished. “Unfinished wood is easy—just apply our trusty acetone,” Peters says.

However, finished wood or wooden furniture is a little trickier because the acetone can remove the finish. “Not only will this end up looking strange, but it could impact the life of the wood,” he explains. “If you’re very careful, you can try using a Q-tip with acetone on it to apply to the super-glued area. This works great for small spots.”

If you don’t want to risk it, try a product with nitromethane. “It’s specifically designed to remove glue and nothing else,” Peters says. You can also try mineral oil, which can help loosen up the glue so you can scrape it off.

Expert tips for removing super glue

As a professional cleaner, Peters doesn’t just know how to dissolve Gorilla Glue, Krazy glue and all other forms of glue. He also knows how to do it effectively and efficiently. As you follow the steps above for removing super glue from various surfaces, keep these additional expert-backed tips in mind.

Scrape away the glue

Before you attempt to remove super glue from your item with a solution, Peters suggests starting by manually removing as much as you can. “While this can be a little risky, sometimes the best option is to try and scrape the glue off,” he says. “With something pliable like cloth, you can stretch and wiggle the fabric to break up the glue.”

For harder materials like wood, metal and some plastics, you can scrape the glue off with a razor blade or even sandpaper. But skip this step if you’ve super-glued your skin.

Make use of cotton swabs

Q-tips can be a great way to apply acetone or other solvents to small areas of super glue. “Q-tips will let you get plenty of acetone on the area, but there will also be very little risk of using too much,” says Peters. “If you’re careful, you can use this technique to remove glue from sensitive surfaces like plastic and finished wood by only getting the acetone on the actual glue. But be careful!”

FAQs

Can you peel super glue off your skin?

It’s best not to peel it off—you might remove skin along with the glue. Instead, soak it in warm soapy water and scrub gently until it flakes away.

What is the best way to dissolve Gorilla Glue on plastic?

Nitromethane is your best bet. It’s specifically designed to dissolve strong adhesives without harming most plastics. As with super glue, you’ll want to avoid using acetone, as it may damage plastic.

Wondering how to dissolve Gorilla Glue on other materials? First, remember that Gorilla Glue is a brand that makes super glue and other strong glues. So you can use the same methods to remove it that you’d use on super glue. Scroll up to find the surface that fits your situation—say, skin or clothing—then follow the steps for removal.

Can vinegar help dissolve Gorilla Glue?

Yes, vinegar can help soften Gorilla Glue, especially on fabrics and leather. It may take more time and effort than acetone, but it’s a safer choice for delicate materials.

Is WD-40 safe for removing super glue from fabric?

WD-40 can work well on leather, conditioning it while loosening the glue. However, it’s not recommended for most fabrics, as it can leave an oily stain. Stick to rubbing alcohol for fabric and upholstery.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Guy Peters, owner and founder of Mop Stars
• The Original Super Glue: “Super Glue Remover”
• Krazy Glue: “How do I remove crazy glue from my counter tops?”

How to Get Coffee Stains Out of Carpet

Get Rid of Red Wine Stains

How to Get Rid of Sweat Stains

The post How to Remove Super Glue from Almost Anything appeared first on Reader's Digest.

The thing is, those buttons are confusing. And even though we’re supposed to read those appliance instruction booklets from cover to cover, we’d venture to say that little manual is rarely even opened, let alone memorized or referenced on a daily basis. Still, if you’re skipping these buttons, you may be missing out on features that could make your microwave even more useful—and make both your leftovers and newly nuked food even more delicious.

To sort out this button conundrum, we spoke with home economist Paula Rhodes, who specializes in developing recipes for microwaves, and Steph Chen, the founder of Anyday, a cookware company designed specifically for use in microwaves. Read on to get the real deal on those microwave preset buttons—and find out how they just might transform your cooking for good.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more home tips, food news, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

How do the preset buttons work?

Unfortunately, the preset buttons are not all-knowing, and there aren’t any scales, scanners or cameras inside the microwave. “These buttons are based on averages, like a typical portion size, starting at fridge temperature,” says Rhodes. That said, your standard portion size isn’t always going to align with what the microwave has been programmed for. “Food isn’t always ‘average’ or the same shape, which can affect cooking time, so the results can be off,” says Rhodes.

What’s more, different brands of microwaves will use different systems to determine the presets. “Some microwaves use a simple timer for presets, while others use more advanced sensors. For example, Auto Reheat or Auto Defrost might measure food weight, steam released or even surface temperature to decide when to stop,” explains Chen. “The challenge is, you don’t know which system your microwave is using, and even with the best sensors, it doesn’t know key details, like the thickness of your food, starting temp or whether you’re using a cover.”

Why don’t all microwaves have the same buttons?

“Honestly, it’s more marketing than science,” says Rhodes. “Every company wants to look different.” Indeed, including different buttons than a competitor is a great way for microwave companies to grab customers who may be looking for a preset for a specific food.

The bottom line: It’s another way for them to stand out on the shelf and share with you additional foods you can microwave … but it doesn’t make things any easier for the average person trying to decipher them.

What do the microwave’s most common buttons mean?

We’re about to give you the keys to the kingdom, my friend. Below, Chen explains what will likely happen if you press one of the following common microwave buttons, plus how to maximize your results for optimal taste and texture—and a few buttons you may want to just skip trying altogether. We have also included an estimated time for each button, so you’ll know how long your food will be cooking if you decide to use this feature.

Potato

According to Chen, this button is designed to cook one or more raw, medium baking potatoes. (Your microwave may ask you to input the number of potatoes you are cooking.) Since this is relatively simple, it will likely be just a set timer. That said, if you cook one potato successfully, choose potatoes that are the same size going forward to guarantee the same results.

Time range: 4–7 minutes per potato

Pro tip: “Pierce the skin first so [the potato] doesn’t burst,” advises Chen.

Popcorn

The Popcorn button will run a preset amount of time based on a standard 3.2-ounce bag of microwave popcorn.

Time range: 2–4 minutes

Pro tip: Don’t rely on the Popcorn button alone. “Listen for pops slowing to about two seconds apart, and stop then—even if there’s time remaining,” says Chen. The longer you let it go beyond that, the more burnt pieces you’ll end up with.

Pizza

“This is meant for reheating a slice or two, but it’s often too strong,” Chen says. Plus, reheating pizza in the microwave won’t restore a crispy crust.

Time range: 45–90 seconds per slice

Pro tip: “I always think reheating pizza is best on a pan, low heat, covered, so that it steams and crisps,” says Chen. If you have a bit more time, you could also pop it in the toaster oven or regular oven. “But if you use the microwave,” she adds, “use 50% to 70% power for gentler reheating and better texture.”

Frozen Dinner

Besides the Popcorn button, the Frozen Dinner button is probably the most self-explanatory: It assumes that you are heating a traditional, 10- to 12-ounce frozen entree.

Time range: 4–6 minutes

Pro tip: “Don’t microwave [your meal] in plastic,” says Chen. “It will release billions of microplastics into your food.” Instead, transfer the food into a glass dish with a lid before you microwave it.

Beverage

This preset is meant to warm a cup of liquid, but Chen cautions that if you set it and simply return when it’s done, your sip will likely be way too hot. Why? The microwave doesn’t know how big your mug is or how full it is.

Time range: 30–90 seconds

Pro tip: “I wouldn’t bother with this one,” Chen says. Instead, if you’re often reheating your coffee or tea, simply figure out the amount of time it takes to reach your preferred temperature and stick with that. Depending on your microwave and how cold your sip is, it will likely be somewhere between 20 and 60 seconds.

Soup

Similar to the Beverage button, the Soup button is meant to warm liquid. It will likely heat for longer since a bowl of soup is bigger than a mug of tea.

Time range: 1–2 minutes

Pro tip: Chen suggests stirring halfway through the time to ensure even cooking. Also, make sure the bowl is covered to prevent pops and splatters.

Defrost

This is one of the preset buttons that adjusts the power and sets a cooking time. “Defrost uses low power to thaw frozen food gradually,” Chen explains, adding that you will typically need to input the weight or volume of food as well.

Time range: 1–2 minutes per half pound of food

Pro tip: If you don’t know the weight or volume of your food, guessing can be difficult and can lead to overheating. That’s why Chen recommends estimating the weight and then entering half that, plus pausing often to flip the food or separate pieces as they thaw. Just be aware that this one is tricky, and many chefs actually steer clear of the defrost button.

Reheat

“This is a general setting for leftovers,” says Chen. “It often uses medium power.” High power can overheat the exposed portion of food while the middle or bottom remains cold, but medium power can heat food more gradually and evenly.

Time range: 1–3 minutes

Pro tip: “Cover the food with a vented glass lid for the best texture,” Chen says. This will create steam to support more even cooking.

Frozen Vegetable

The Frozen Vegetable button assumes you are putting a bag of frozen veggies in the microwave to cook. You may be asked to input the size of the bag, but the microwave won’t know what vegetables are inside it.

Time range: 2–4 minutes per cup

Pro tip: Just as with a frozen dinner, take the extra step to put the food in a microwave-safe dish instead of cooking it in the plastic bag. Chen also recommends microwaving for less time than the package calls for to avoid overcooking. Start with a minute or less per cup, and then check it.

Fresh Vegetable

This button is meant to cook raw veggies, but it’s impossible for the microwave to know what you are cooking or what size the pieces are.

Time range: 2–5 minutes per cup

Pro tip: “Cover with a vented glass lid, and undercook slightly—they’ll keep steaming after,” says Chen.

Which button is the most important?

This is going to depend on who you ask, but ironically, it’s none of the presets noted above. For Rhodes, it’s the “add 30 seconds” button. “I use it every day,” she says. “It’s flexible—you can always add more time, but you can’t un-cook something. Also, it often means you don’t have to hit the start button again.” If you’re worried that 30 more seconds is too long, you can always hit the button and then watch and check early; it will still be easier than setting the microwave all over again for 10 seconds at a time.

Chen says she also uses the “add 30 seconds” button frequently but thinks the most important and most often overlooked is the power level button. “Think of it like the knob on a stovetop: You wouldn’t cook everything on the highest heat,” Chen explains. “In the same way, lowering your microwave’s power lets food heat more evenly and gently instead of blasting it at full force. It’s the key to better texture and also necessary for cooking things like rice from scratch.”

What else should you keep in mind when using preset microwave buttons?

Here are some additional general tips from our experts to keep in mind when you’re using the preset microwave buttons or doing any cooking with your microwave:

• Use presets as a starting point. “Check your food often,” says Rhodes.
• Know that some presets are better than others. “Popcorn usually works OK since manufacturers assume you’re using standard microwave popcorn bags,” Chen says. “Others can be more hit or miss.”
• Stir, stir, stir. “While you’re checking, stir or rearrange the food for more even cooking,” Rhodes suggests.
• Learn your appliance. “Microwaves are not standardized like a conventional oven. Wattage and levels of power vary greatly. The cooking pattern of every oven varies,” says Rhodes. “Once you learn yours, you’ll know what works.”
• Cover your food. “A vented glass lid helps trap steam and heat evenly,” says Chen.
• Underestimate weight. If a preset button asks for the weight of your food, always guess on the low end. “Enter about half the actual weight so you don’t end up with overcooked food,” suggests Chen.
• When in doubt, start short and slow. You can always add more time, but you can’t un-explode a bowl of oatmeal.

RELATED:

• Never Store This One Item in Your Refrigerator Door
• This Part of Your Refrigerator Is Probably Overdue for a Deep Clean
• This Clever Aluminum Foil Hack Can Keep a Very Dirty Part of Your Kitchen Clean

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Paula Rhodes, founder of Salad in a Jar; email interview, August 2025
• Steph Chen, founder of Anyday; email interview, August 2025 and October 2025

The No. 1 Mistake with Thanksgiving Dinner

Kitchen Mistakes That Cost You Money

Warning: Toss Black Takeout Containers

The post Here’s What All the Buttons on a Microwave Really Mean—And How to Use Them the Right Way appeared first on Reader's Digest.

As you (carefully) wipe away your tears, you can’t help but wonder why this is happening and if there’s any way to avoid it. Well, you can guess where we’re going with this: Researchers at Cornell University recently discovered a new reason we cry from onions—and a way to prevent it. I reached out to one of the researchers, as well as a neuroscientist, to get the details. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know before you head back into the kitchen.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more food, science, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What are the tear-inducing compounds in onions?

When you slice or dice an onion, you break open the onion’s cells. The problem? You’re releasing sulfur compounds in the process. “Breaking open the cells allows certain compounds [called syn-propanethial-S-oxide molecules] to form, which become a gas,” says Alicia Walf, PhD, assistant professor of cognitive science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. The gas then gets in your eyes and makes you miserable.

However, this type of “crying” is distinct from what you normally experience when the waterworks start. “The crying from chopping onions is not the same as from negative emotions,” Walf notes. “It’s a protective response rather than an emotional one.”

How do onions make us cry, exactly?

Once that gas gets in your eyes, it “likes to combine with water, such as the fluid your eyes are bathed in to keep them moist,” Walf says. “When the gas combines with the lubricating tears in your eyes, a sulfuric acid is formed, which irritates your eye and causes pain.”

This uncomfortable situation kicks your eyes into full-on protection mode. How do your eyes protect themselves? You guessed it: by pumping out tears! “Your eyes reflexively tear up to wash away what is irritating to them,” Walf says. “In this case, that’s the sulfuric acid, but a similar reaction occurs with any irritant, such as an eyelash or smoke.”

But that’s not the whole story. As it turns out, there’s another scientific reason for the tears, according to a brand-new 2025 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. “We found in our study another important factor: The droplets splash upward into the air when the onion tissue is compressed,” says Sunghwan (Sunny) Jung, PhD, a professor of biological and environmental engineering, the director of graduate studies at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and one of the co-authors of the study. “As a knife compresses the tough outer skin of the onion, the underlying soft mesophyll is squeezed. When the skin ruptures, the compressed liquid creates droplets that can splash high into the air.” This makes them more likely to land in your eyes.

Do certain factors make the problem even worse?

Yep! It’s not just how sensitive your eyes are on any given day or how fresh (or, um, not fresh) the onions are. It’s all about the knife you’re using. The study found that blunt knives cause more droplets to form, according to the recent study. “The knife sharpness matters,” says Jung. “A sharp knife reduces tissue compression and droplet spray.” Translation: Sharpen those knives for a less-weepy onion interaction!

That said, not everyone “cries” while slicing and dicing onions. “Some of us have a lower threshold to engage the defense mechanism,” Walf explains. “We are more sensitive to the effects of the irritant.”

And not all onions are equal offenders. “Onions vary with how much of these compounds they have,” Walf adds. “And there are usually more of them in the section of onion near the root.” Noted!

What’s the other unexpected problem with cutting an onion?

This will also give you something to cry about: Cutting onions could spread bacteria around your kitchen, since they sometimes contain E. coli and salmonella. In fact, in 2024, a major E. coli outbreak that hospitalized 34 people and killed one person was tied to onions from McDonald’s, according to the CDC.

And using a blunt knife is an additional culprit that causes more bacteria to fly around your kitchen. After all, if those droplets are contaminated, you’ll have more of them when you use a blunt knife.

This is a pretty big discovery—and an important one to remember when chopping onions. “Droplets can carry pathogenic entities like bacteria or fungi, so understanding this finding helps reduce contamination risk,” Jung says.

Is there a way to minimize the tears?

Make sure you’re using the sharpest knife in the drawer! “Our findings show that the radius of curvature should be less than 7 micro meters,” Jung says. But he acknowledges that the measurement won’t mean much to most of us. So the takeaway is to just remember to sharpen your knives.

Does anything else work to reduce tears?

Unfortunately, all those old-time hacks you may have heard—like rinsing the onion in cold water before cutting it—don’t actually hack it. The Cornell scientists tested a few, including running onions under cold water and chilling them in the refrigerator, but these strategies didn’t reduce tear-inducing compounds or droplet spray, Jung says.

While not a hack, having a physical barrier does make a difference. For instance, some people with contacts don’t tear up as much, Walf says. “You can also use a barrier method like safety glasses,” she adds, “to protect your eyes from having contact with the irritating gas in the first place.”

But if you really want to keep the waterworks away, sharpen before you slice.

RELATED:

• If You See White Stuff Coming Out of Your Chicken, This Is What It Means
• You’ve Been Eating Cheese Wrong—Here’s the Right Way to Enjoy It
• This Is the “Right” Time to Eat Thanksgiving Dinner, According to Experts

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Sunghwan Jung, PhD, professor of biological and environmental engineering and director of graduate studies at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Ithaca, New York; email interview; Nov. 16, 2025
• Alicia Walf, PhD, assistant professor of cognitive science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York; email interview, Nov. 17, 2025
• Proceedings of the National Academy of Science: “Droplet outbursts from onion cutting”
• ACS Chemical Biology: “Enzyme That Makes You Cry—Crystal Structure of Lachrymatory Factor Synthase from Allium cepa”
• CDC: “E. coli Outbreak Linked to Onions Served at McDonald’s”

What Is the White Stuff on Baby Carrots?

What Is the Red Stuff on Lettuce?

Here's Why Some Bananas Are Blue

The post Finally! Scientists May Have Found Out Why We Cry When Cutting an Onion—And the Simple Secret to Stopping the Tears appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Sophia (played by the late, great Estelle Getty) always carried her signature straw bag, even when she was just walking around the house. It was kind of like her security blanket … but with storage. It always made me laugh, but decades later, her quirky habit is shockingly similar to the house-purse hack currently making its rounds on the internet. And I have to say, it sounded like a genius way to stay organized.

Since I could always use some help keeping myself and my house organized, I decided to give this a go and see if it was truly as life-changing as TikTok promised. Instead of Sophia’s small purse, I upgraded to a large canvas tote bag, followed the internet’s house-purse rules and carried it around—yep, inside my house—for a week.

Weird? Yes. Helpful? Also yes. Here’s how my test went—and whether you should also try the house-purse trick to get your life in order.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more news, home hacks, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What is a house purse, exactly?

A house purse is exactly what it sounds like: It’s a purse (or other type of tote) that you carry around your house. Just as you would fill up an “outside” purse or bag with all the things you’d need while you’re out and about, a house purse contains everything you’d need while you’re in and about.

Think about it: How much time do you spend on any given day looking for your phone or lip balm? With a house purse, all you have to do is reach in and grab what you need. Total time-saver!

Does it have to be a purse?

@cindellkimbrough Replying to @Bailey Chisholm Consider it done ✅ I relate more and more to Sophia as I get older 😅 #goldengirls #housepurse #housecaddy ♬ original sound – Riot Ten

As I alluded to above, no. I opted for a roomier tote, and shower caddies are also an option, as seen in this viral video that documents the trend. It could also be a cart, fanny pack, backpack or any number of other things you can fill and tote around easily to get the job done. The bottom line is that it’s less about fashion than function, although having a cute house purse will probably make you smile a little more. (Bonus!)

While the house purse is being touted as a “new” trend, various iterations of it have been around for years. In fact, the shower-caddy video reminds me of those stair baskets you keep on the bottom or top step to fill with small items (discarded socks and abandoned toys, anyone?) so that you can bring everything up, or down, together at the end of the day. So, no, the concept isn’t new, but you’ll never hear me complaining about old organizational hacks being repurposed for a new generation.

What sorts of things should you put inside a house purse?

It’s a matter of personal preference, but in my little experiment, I used a canvas tote that I received with my subscription to the New Yorker. Here’s what I loaded it up with:

• A notebook and a planner
• Pens
• My glasses
• My reading tablet or current book
• A pack of tissues
• AirPods
• Lip balm or gloss
• A bottle of hand lotion
• A water bottle
• My phone

What happened when I tried it?

If it sounds like I was commuting to work in my own house, you wouldn’t be too far off. I do work from home, and these were the basic necessities I kept with me to avoid wasting time looking for them or, even worse, cluttering up my various at-home workspaces. In fact, when I wrote this article, I was camped at a small writing table with a hook on the side. I hung my house purse from it, and it kept the table clear of all those little items so I could work freely.

The house purse is handy in other ways too. There were times I walked around the house with an empty tote. I’d go from room to room, either picking up errant items (gloves, toys, books) or putting them away, with the ultimate goal of having an empty bag again. It turned out to be a great way to declutter and get organized before cleaning.

If you have kids, it could also be a fun way to get them to help you clean the house. I’d suggest passing out those reusable totes from the grocery store as house purses and giving them the task of relocating their toys and other items to their rightful places.

Another surprise perk of my house purse? My lips and hands are now incredibly well moisturized. Every time I reach into my bag, I grab either balm or lotion and apply it. I might actually escape chapped lips and hands this winter!

So does the house-purse hack actually work?

It sure does. It’s like having an extra set of hands because I can now carry around a bunch of stuff that I would otherwise be running from room to room or floor to floor to retrieve. Those minutes add up. I’d say I save at least 30 minutes a day with my house purse, mostly because I no longer roam the house in search of my phone, AirPods or lip balm. Sure, it cuts down on my steps per day—in fact, I’ve noticed my Apple Watch has been nudging me to stand up more lately!—but it saves me from distraction and keeps me on task.

If there is one drawback, it’s that I had to get used to walking around the house with a bag. It feels like I should be getting ready to leave for the grocery store rather than going down to the basement to watch a movie with my husband. Once I’m down there on the couch, though, I love that I don’t have to run back upstairs to get something. Assuming I’ve packed my house purse well, it’s already with me. I’ve even taken to throwing some of my husband’s stuff in there so we’re both set for movie night.

So, yes, the house purse hack is definitely worth a try. Just pick a bag or container you have lying around. Maybe it’s the same style of bag you like to carry when you go out, or maybe it’s something completely different. Either way, the ideal bag for you is one that carries everything you need (or need to discard) during the day, and it’s a super-simple way to add some organization to your life.

RELATED:

• Here’s How the 5×5 Cleaning Method Makes Your House Sparkle—Almost Effortlessly
• This Clever Aluminum Foil Hack Can Keep a Very Dirty Part of Your Kitchen Clean
• We Tried the Viral Oven-Cleaning Hack That Uses Just 1 Ingredient—Here’s What Happened

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Utility Closet Organizing Ideas

How to Organize Your Pantry

How to Organize Your Refrigerator

The post Does the Viral “House Purse” Hack Actually Make Organizing Easier? I Put It to the Test appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But there’s one state that people want to move to more than any other. How do we know? MoveBuddha, which tracks moving trends and builds tech tools for those moving, crunched the data. Its 2025 moving trends report shows which states Americans want to move to—and which ones they want to move out of.

To learn more about why people keep looking to the No. 1 state, we talked to two Realtors who specialize in helping people move there. Keep reading to find out America’s biggest relocation destination and which state we’d like to leave in the rearview.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more relocation advice, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

How were moving trends determined?

MoveBuddha used data collected from 2020 through Oct. 1, 2025, from searches made through its proprietary Moving Cost Calculator. Researchers analyzed trends and determined what they call an “in-to-out ratio,” which compares the number of people who want to move to a place with the number who are thinking about leaving. To calculate each state’s ratio, MoveBuddha divided the number of searches for moves into a place by the number of searches for moves out.

What state are people relocating to?

South Carolina is the No. 1 state people want to relocate to, with an in-to-out move ratio of 1.97. That means there are almost twice as many people looking to move to South Carolina as there are trying to move away. Even more impressive is the fact that South Carolina has been at the top of MoveBuddha’s searches for six straight years.

Why are people moving to South Carolina?

“If I had to pick one major reason people move here, it’s the way life feels in South Carolina,” says Christina Galbreath-Gonzalez, broker-in-charge at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hilton Head Bluffton Realty, which operates in the state.

Jessica Hazzard Stone, a Lowcountry native and Realtor at Carolina One Realty Co. on James Island, had similar thoughts when asked why she moved back to her home state after a few years away. “I missed the Lowcountry lifestyle,” she says, speaking of the coastal counties in the southeastern corner of the state. She says it’s so appealing that more than 40 people move to the Charleston area every day—and it’s been that way for years.

Let’s take a closer look at what Stone missed about South Carolina and what brought Galbreath-Gonzalez to the area.

Perfect climate

Galbreath-Gonzalez explains that the climate is a big draw, especially for people who want to be outside almost all year while still experiencing different seasons. “Golf, boating, pickleball, biking, beaches and outdoor dining become part of your weekly routine, not a vacation treat,” she says.

“We have winter,” Stone says. “But we don’t get snow, and Northerners love that they can leave their shovels behind.”

Reasonable cost of living

“South Carolina’s property taxes are low, and the overall cost of living is manageable, especially compared to many of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states people are moving from,” Galbreath-Gonzalez says.

There are definitely expensive properties in South Carolina, but you also get a lot more for your money than you do in major metropolitan areas or the notoriously costly states in the Northeast. And there are lots of hidden gems. “You just have to know where to look,” Stone says.

Educational opportunities

South Carolina’s overall education ranking is not stellar (World Population Review ranked South Carolina’s schools 38th in 2024), but there are plenty of districts that are competitive, and things are getting better. Stone told us that Charleston County School District’s superintendent has been steadily raising teachers’ salaries, and that next year’s starting salary will be $65,000, which will help with teacher recruitment and retention.

And Galbreath-Gonzalez says South Carolina’s higher-education network is stronger than many realize. “Clemson and USC have national reputations for academics and athletics, and MUSC is one of the leading medical and research institutions in the Southeast,” she says. “Add in respected schools like the College of Charleston, Furman, Wofford, Coastal Carolina, The Citadel, Winthrop and USC Beaufort, and families see long-term opportunity here.”

Cultural vibrancy

South Carolina is known for music, food and that signature Lowcountry culture, and nods to the diverse history of the state are everywhere. “Gullah-Geechee culture is the main contributor to the beautifully unique experience of living in coastal South Carolina,” Stone says.

The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission is a nonprofit that works with the U.S. National Park Service to preserve and promote the unique culture, history and natural resources of the Gullah Geechee people. The organization offers events with lively music, traditional food, arts, crafts and storytelling, ensuring that this vital part of South Carolina’s history isn’t lost.

Galbreath-Gonzalez says that as the region grows, the cultural opportunities expand. “We’re seeing more concerts, festivals, sporting events and arts programming every year,” she says.

The location is great

“This area really is for nature lovers,” Stone says. “You can be on the ocean or the marsh, and then in a few hours you can be exploring in the mountains.” Overall, South Carolina is well situated in the country, and popular spots like Charleston and Myrtle Beach have small but busy airports that can get you where you want or need to be.

Many new residents tell Galbreath-Gonzalez they vacationed in South Carolina long before they considered living there. “Whether it was Myrtle Beach, Charleston or Hilton Head, the connection usually starts early,” she says. But don’t overlook less well-known places: “Border regions like Fort Mill, Greenville, Lake Wylie and Rock Hill offer access to major metros with South Carolina’s pace and affordability,” Galbreath-Gonzalez says.

Southern hospitality

The pace in South Carolina is definitely slow, but Stone says it’s getting faster every day with so many new residents. The Southern hospitality is a draw, she says. “You don’t even know you crave it until you’ve experienced it.”

“The true hallmark of a Southern gentleman or woman is making people feel comfortable and welcome,” Stone says, adding that everyone is welcome in South Carolina, but she hopes the place never gets so big and busy that it loses the warmth and friendliness that’s embedded in the fabric of the place.

Where else are people moving?

While South Carolina has a six-year lock on the top spot people are moving to, other places in the U.S. are experiencing serious growth, and only half are in the Sun Belt. Here’s the full top 10 list:

1. South Carolina
2. North Carolina
3. Idaho
4. Alaska
5. Tennessee
6. Maine
7. Delaware
8. South Dakota
9. Alabama
10. Arkansas

What state is seeing the most people leave?

More people are leaving California than any other state—it has a 0.63 in-to-out move ratio, though New Jersey isn’t far behind, with a 0.64 ratio. These states have been the top exit states since 2020, primarily due to high housing costs and property taxes, as well as grueling, lengthy commutes. Connecticut and New York are also losing residents faster than they can attract new ones.

RELATED:

• These Are the 10 U.S. Cities Where a $100,000 Salary Goes the Furthest
• New Study: This Regional Accent Is Considered the Most Trustworthy in the U.S.—And the Results Will Really Surprise You!
• New Report: This Is the Safest Place to Travel in the World—And It’s Packed with Loads of Bucket-List Attractions

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Jessica Hazzard Stone, Realtor at Carolina One Real Estate; phone interview, November 2025
• Christina Galbreath-Gonzalez, broker-in-charge at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hilton Head Bluffton Realty; email interview, November 2025
• MoveBuddha: “2025 Moving Trends Report: Where are Americans looking to move right now?”
• U.S. Census Bureau: “Sun Belt Cities and Towns Led Nation in Population Growth”
• Britannica: “Sun Belt”
• World Population Review: “Public School Rankings by State 2025”

The Most Stressful Job in the Country

Most Mispronounced Words by State

The Most Affordable States for Retirees

The post New Report: More Americans Want to Move to This State—And Out of This One—Than Any Others appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Most people probably have a clear plastic container or two lying around their basement or attic, though the contents might be a mystery to you at this point. But what if we told you that there’s one use for clear plastic containers you simply shouldn’t ignore, especially with kiddos? We spoke with three professional organizing experts to learn the one thing that makes the most sense to store in a clear plastic container—and which items you definitely shouldn’t.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more organizing, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Which item should you always store in a clear plastic container?

Kids have all sorts of stuff that’s likely cluttering your house, but the one thing that makes the most sense to store in a clear plastic container? Toys.

“Being organized doesn’t just mean putting things away; it actually means being able to retrieve said things easily when we want them!” says Amelie Saint Jacques, a San Antonio–based professional organizer and owner of Amelie Organizes. “When kids can see the contents of the bin, they know where to find their toys, and it will be easier for them to put the toys back in the right place when they are done playing.”

It might seem obvious, but I can assure you, as someone who owns a toy chest that seemingly has no bottom (and who rarely has any sense of what’s in there), this toy organization hack might change your life. OK, maybe that’s ambitious, but it will definitely help organize your kid’s toys so you can actually see what’s in the bin without a full-on toy dump in the middle of your living room.

Does sizing matter?

Yes! Keep sizing in mind when you’re using clear plastic containers, says Saint Jacques. The worst is trying to find a single tiny Barbie shoe in a giant container filled with other toys. “Large bins are best for large, lightweight items,” she says. “I like using dividers or small containers in bins to corral small items.” (We’re talking Lego bricks and those Barbie shoes I was just lamenting.) Your bare feet will thank you!

Why is this such a smart idea?

When kids can see what’s inside a container, it allows them to only take out the specific toy they want—and know exactly where it needs to be returned. Doing so can help teach kids to be responsible for their own belongings early in life.

“Kids need to be in control of their toys as soon as they are able,” says Cathy Orr, co-founder of The Uncluttered Life in Arlington, Texas. Orr adds that learning where to find their toys reduces frustration and teaches kids the responsibility of caring for their things. “This gives them a sense of pride in their ability to manage their possessions,” she says. “It also teaches them that they will know where to find things, which creates a feeling of calm, confidence and predictability.”

What else should go in a clear plastic container?

Toys aren’t the only things that can benefit from being stored in clear plastic containers. There are a host of other items around your home that should be stored this way too.

Seasonal decor

All of the organizers we spoke with agree: When it’s time to take down the holiday decorations, storing them in clear containers is the way to go. This way, you’ll be able to easily see what lives where the next time you pull them out.

I am all-in on this advice: As my holiday decor collection has grown, so too has my plastic bin collection, but it’s customized to the size and type of decor going in there. For instance, I have a plastic storage bin with dividers that make storing my holiday ornaments a cinch; it keeps them safe from breakage and tidy all at once. Try it!

Craft supplies

Craft and art supplies are perfect for clear containers, says Olivia Parks, owner and lead organizer of Nola Organizers in New Orleans. Pencils, markers, paper, you name it. No more guessing whether you’re sticking your hand into a bin full of crayons—or bright pink glitter.

Individually wrapped snacks

While it doesn’t make sense to decant every pantry item, individually wrapped snacks (think granola bars or apple sauce pouches) work well in clear plastic containers. “This allows the contents to be clearly visible all at once, and it’s easier to keep track of inventory—you will no longer be reaching for a cardboard box only to realize that it’s empty and no one noticed it,” Saint Jacques says.

One final pro tip: When using clear plastic containers, make sure they have lids. “They are easily stackable and keep dust, moisture and pests out,” explains Parks. “I’d also suggest sticking with the same brand of clear bins; that way, you can easily stack them so they lock together and don’t topple over.”

Which items should you never store in a clear plastic container?

Now, while it’s really helpful to see what you’re storing, sometimes clear plastic containers actually work against you, depending on the type of object or material inside. Here are a few things you should find other storage solutions for:

• Photos and keepsakes: These can warp or fade if exposed to too much light. Keep photos in archival-quality boxes to protect them from heat and light, says Parks.
• Candles: Candles (and other scented items) can melt, fade or even lose their fragrance. Store candles in a cool, dark cabinet or drawer where the temperature is a little more regulated and heat or light exposure isn’t a problem, according to Parks.
• Leather: Leather should be kept away from direct light, so a clear container isn’t ideal. It also needs airflow; an airtight plastic container will cause leather to dry out and discolor. Keep leather items in a breathable material, like a fabric bag.
• Wood or other items made of natural materials: You’ll want to keep wood and other natural items out of airtight plastic containers because the plastic can trap moisture, leading to mildew, says Parks. Keep the lid off containers or use a breathable bin with no lid.
• Spices and oils: Spices and oils are very sensitive to light and heat, says Saint Jacques. You can keep them in clear plastic containers if you also store those containers in a dark pantry or closet, but if they’ll be out on your kitchen counters, go with a different storage option.
• Wedding dresses: Heirlooms like wedding dresses can be discolored by light, so be sure to choose archival-quality storage to protect these memories.
• Linens: Fabric can benefit from airflow, so Saint Jacques doesn’t recommend clear plastic containers for items like sheets. Instead, choose breathable fabric bins.

RELATED:

• You’re Probably Not Cleaning This Part of Your Washing Machine, but You Really Need To
• You Should Always Add This One Pantry Staple to Your Dishwasher
• Here’s How to Get the Fluffiest Comforter Ever—You’ll Feel Like You’re Sleeping on a Cloud!

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Amelie Saint Jacques, owner of Amelie Organizes; interviewed, November 2025
• Cathy Orr, co-owner of The Uncluttered Life; interviewed, November 2025
• Olivia Parks, owner of Nola Organizers; interviewed, November 2025

The Laundry Mistake Everybody Makes

What Ikea Product Names Really Mean

Never Store This in Your Refrigerator Door

The post This Is the One Thing You Should Always Store in a Clear Plastic Container appeared first on Reader's Digest.

“Yeah, it’s basically controlled chaos,” laughs Eben Pingree, 43, the middle son, who’s been living in the Beacon Hill building for the past 13 years. “But it’s the best kind of chaos.”

The Pingrees are part of a growing trend. Multigenerational homes—households with three or more generations living together—are becoming increasingly common across America as families seek financial relief, stronger support systems and deeper connections in an age of isolation. Keep reading to find out how they make it work … and how you could too.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more relationships, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Living with family isn’t just for sitcoms

Pingree and his two brothers all grew up in this building, went to the same college in Western Massachusetts, moved together to California for their early careers (as one does when you’re that close) and then all eventually boomeranged back to Boston. And then? They all moved back in with their parents.

Pingree and his younger brother each took vacant apartments in the family complex, while his older brother found a place in a nearby neighborhood. Now the setup looks like this: Pingree, his wife and their three kids (ages 11, 7 and 4) live on the top floor. His younger brother, his wife and their three kids (ages 10, 8 and 4) live on the bottom floor. Their parents are sandwiched in between on the middle floor. And Pingree’s big brother lives nearby with his wife and four kids (13, 11 and 8-year-old twins).

That’s 10 cousins, all attending the same neighborhood school their dads went to, all within shouting—or in the case of the 4-year-olds, sprinting—distance of each other.

“My 4-year-old can literally open the door and run downstairs to see his best friend whenever he wants,” Pingree says. “How many kids are that lucky?”

But the decision to move back wasn’t entirely straightforward. After finishing graduate school 13 years ago, Pingree admits he had reservations about moving back in with his parents, and his wife was similarly hesitant. But the draw of a centrally located apartment with reduced rent in one of the most expensive cities in the country helped them overcome their worries.

“Looking back, both of us are so glad we did it,” he says.

His brothers felt the same pull. The close relationship they’d always shared made the arrangement feel natural rather than awkward. “I think the fact that we grew up best friends is the main reason our arrangement works as well as it does,” Pingree says.

Multigenerational homes are on the rise

Pingree is passionate about the benefits of multigenerational relationships. “Way too many people overlook how important extended family is to our mental, emotional and physical well-being, especially for children,” he says. “The U.S. Surgeon General declared an epidemic of loneliness. People are becoming more and more isolated, and living with family is one of the most powerful ways to combat that.”

Pingree’s conviction reflects a broader shift happening across America. The number of people living in multigenerational households has quadrupled over the past 50 years, according to Pew Research Center—that’s nearly 60 million Americans, or about 1 in 5 people. The jump is even more striking among young adults: a quarter of those ages 25 to 34 now live with parents or grandparents, compared with less than 1 in 10 back in 1971.

And the trend keeps growing. The National Association of Realtors reports that 17% of homebuyers in 2025 specifically purchased multigenerational homes—up from 14% just a year earlier. Gen X is leading the way, with 21% choosing to live with extended family.

A response to the housing crisis

Why the surge? The math is pretty simple: Housing has become crushingly unaffordable. Home prices have climbed to six times the median income—double what they were 20 years ago. Americans now need to earn about $141,000 to buy a median-priced home, but the average salary is roughly half that. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. households are priced out of today’s housing market entirely, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

“Financially speaking, it is economical and saves money to have a multigenerational household,” explains Isabel Tom, author of The Value of Wrinkles: A Young Perspective on How Loving the Old Will Change Your Life and creator of the Grandkid Investigator Kit.

An answer to child and elder care needs

It’s not just about housing affordability (or the lack thereof). The cost of child care has skyrocketed, often rivaling mortgage payments. And senior housing and care facilities carry price tags that put them out of reach for many families. Generational living eases the burden.

“Senior housing is costly, so financially speaking, it is economical and saves money to have a multigenerational household,” explains Tom. “It also makes it convenient for the adult child to support their parents as they age. Many families see the benefit of having grandparents help with child care, which saves on child care expenses. In many ways, it’s a win-win.”

Tom knows firsthand—she lived with her grandparents from birth until age 26, when they passed away at ages 98 and 102.

A page out of other cultures’ books

Of course, this arrangement isn’t new everywhere. Many cultures around the world—from Latin America to Asia to parts of Europe—are familiar with big families living under one roof. Multigenerational living has always been the norm there.

It’s primarily in the United States where the nuclear family model became standard in the mid-20th century. Now, economic pressures and a renewed appreciation for family support systems are bringing Americans back to a more traditional living arrangement that much of the world never abandoned.

There are major perks of sharing a space with family

For the Pingrees, the benefits have been both expected and surprising—it’s so much more than just shared Wi-Fi.

Cheaper housing

This may be the top appeal for many people, and it’s true—combining households often leads to lower living expenses, whether rent or a mortgage. While the brothers do pay rent to their parents, they get it at a lower-than-market rate.

“I have to acknowledge how lucky and privileged we are to have this opportunity,” Pingree says. “The financial benefits are incredible. But honestly, the social, emotional and practical benefits are what make it more than worth it.”

Shared expenses

The financial benefits extend past rent and into utilities, child care, grocery bills and beyond. The Pingrees split all their household bills, including internet, utilities, streaming services, grocery deliveries, tools and yes, even refrigerator space sometimes. Small savings add up quickly when you’re pooling resources across three households.

Help with little ones

With six other adults in the immediate vicinity, school pickups and last-minute child care needs aren’t the logistical nightmares they are for most parents. “Today, actually, my parents are picking up the kids from school because my wife and I both have meetings,” Pingree says. “It’s so nice not to have to stress about scheduling as much as other parents.”

Built-in best friends

The brothers were inseparable growing up, and they’ve passed that bond to their kids. Ten cousins means built-in playmates, quadruple the toys and enough people to make a small sports team.

A village of role models

With grandparents, aunts and uncles constantly around, the kids have multiple sources of attention, wisdom and love. “Kids require so much attention, and parents often feel spread thin,” Pingree says. “Having other adults who love them just as much really helps.”

Tom experienced this growing up. “As a child with ADHD, I so appreciate having [had] two additional adults in my life to nurture and encourage me,” she says. “My grandparents gave me an extra layer of love, attention and availability.”

Opportunities to work together

Learning how to work well with others—communicate, compromise, compliment—is a major life skill and one Tom also credits her grandparents with teaching her. “Some of the benefits were that, as a child, I learned that life did not revolve around me simply by living with older people. In many ways, it teaches you how to work and live with people who are very different from yourselves.”

Elder care

Pingree’s parents, now in their 80s, need extra support—especially since Grandma Pingree was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2022. Having three sons and their families nearby means help is always available for groceries, repairs and daily tasks. Pingree’s oldest child has become particularly close with his grandmother, helping keep her company most days.

“There aren’t many hobbies my mom can do anymore, but just having the little ones playing around her brings her so much joy,” Pingree says.

An in-house expert for everything

Between the three families, you’ve got two doctors, a nurse practitioner, an architect, a financial advisor, a carpenter and an entrepreneur. Middle-of-the-night fever? Covered. Burst pipe? On it. The kids get to learn from professionals in every field imaginable—no Google required. (Plus, there is a shared workshop in the basement with plenty of communal tools.)

Cultural legacy

Tom discovered additional advantages she hadn’t anticipated as a child. “Culturally speaking, living with my Mama and Yeye is the only reason I can speak Cantonese because this is the language my grandparents spoke,” she says. “While I always loved my grandparents, I didn’t fully appreciate this gift until I became an adult and parent myself.”

Maximum flexibility

When Grandma Pingree’s needs increased, the families simply switched apartments. Pingree’s growing family moved up to the more spacious top floor, while his parents moved to a ground-floor unit that the architect brother renovated to meet their aging needs. Try doing that when everyone lives in different ZIP codes.

But the arrangement has its challenges

Let’s be real: Cramming three families into one building isn’t always harmonious. It’s not all Sunday dinners and shared Netflix. People living in multigenerational homes, like the Pingrees, still clash from time to time. The factors below are all common challenges.

The eventual role reversal

“Sometimes there are concerns about how much time kids are spending at—and messing up—one house or planning for my mom’s increasing medical needs,” Pingree admits. “These can be really difficult conversations, and we’re not always the best at having them.”

The role reversal has been particularly hard on Pingree’s father. “He and my mom worked hand-in-hand as the co-heads of the family. With her decline, he’s had to learn to trust us to handle things, to be more patient.” Now, Pingree manages his parents’ finances and serves as their dedicated tech support (a role every millennial child knows well).

Unavoidable personality clashes

And of course, nobody knows how to push your buttons quite like your siblings. There are squabbles. There are disagreements. There are probably moments when someone’s thinking, Why did we agree to this again?

Tom is candid about the challenges. “Living with others is hard,” she says. “Multigenerational living is extremely challenging because any time you add another adult into a living environment, relational dynamics in the home get more complex and complicated. It is also hard to set boundaries when you live with others and when you’re from the same family.”

Fuel for unresolved issues

She adds that unresolved family issues can make things particularly difficult. “Everyday life is particularly challenging and involves a lot of conflict when family members come into a multigenerational living situation with unprocessed emotions and unresolved conflict,” she explains. “I think it is the most challenging and stressful for the adult child.”

Even Tom, who looks back fondly on living with her grandparents, remembers difficult moments. “While I always loved my grandparents, at times I resented them and did not like the attention my grandparents gave me,” she admits. “I was the highlight of their day, and they would often hover over me.”

But for those who live in multigenerational homes, the challenges are well worth it in the end. “We all come together and work through it eventually,” Pingree says of his family’s conflicts. “We’re all invested in making this work.”

Living together can transform family relationships

Talk of multigenerational homes often hinges on economics—no big surprise, considering the high cost of living. But what often gets lost among all those numbers is the heart of the trend: the rich family relationships that form in a multigenerational home.

For Pingree, the arrangement has deepened bonds across generations. His children have relationships with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins that would be impossible to maintain with geographic distance. His parents get daily interaction and purpose. And the brothers, already close, have become true partners in navigating life’s challenges together.

“It’s influenced every aspect of my life in positive ways,” Pingree reflects. “It even shaped my work—it inspired me to start Kinsome.” Kinsome is a business originally dedicated to helping grandchildren maintain long-distance relationships with their grandparents and has since expanded to helping children with autism build meaningful relationships.

The experience has also taught the whole family important lessons about communication, patience and compromise. “We’ve had to learn how to have difficult conversations,” Pingree says. “We’re getting better at it.”

Multigenerational homes take work

After 13 years of trial and error, the Pingrees have developed their own set of best practices. Tom, drawing on both her personal experience and her work helping families connect across generations, offers similar advice:

• Set up separate spaces. This is nonnegotiable. Each family needs its own apartment with doors that lock. Privacy matters. “This is essential,” Tom emphasizes.
• Start with emotional health. “Multigenerational families are the healthiest and most successful when the adults in the house are emotionally healthy people and do not have unresolved conflict between each other,” Tom says. If there are long-standing family issues, address them before moving in together.
• Make sure both partners agree. “If adult children are married, they should only move into a multigenerational family situation if both parties are on the same page,” Tom advises.
• Have the hard conversations early. “Families should see it as a benefit to have as many difficult conversations as they can with each other before moving in together,” Tom says. “Parents and grandparents should discuss everything from expectations about finances, house responsibilities, boundaries and roles to end-of-life decision-making with each other. Honesty is so important.”
• Communicate constantly. The Pingrees use multiple channels—text, group chats, face-to-face communication—to stay coordinated. “Regular and consistent communication between parents, grandparents and children is essential in order to minimize the family drama that most people are afraid of,” Tom adds.
• Respect boundaries. Just because you can knock on someone’s door any time doesn’t mean you should. “An adult child would benefit if they evaluate and seek the counsel of close family and friends as to whether they are good at setting healthy boundaries or whether they are good communicators before moving into a multigenerational living environment,” Tom says.
• Make time for togetherness. Regular family gatherings keep everyone connected and help prevent resentment.
• Plan ahead when possible. Give advance notice for requests. Don’t assume someone’s always available.
• Practice basic courtesy. Ask politely. Say thank you. Repeat. Basic manners go a long way when you’re seeing one another every single day.

The future is the family

The Pingrees have no plans to change their living situation any time soon. With his mother’s health challenges and his father aging, Pingree expects they’ll continue this arrangement for the foreseeable future—and he’s happy about that.

“We didn’t exactly plan it this way,” Pingree reflects, “but it really ended up being the best of all worlds. I’m grateful every day that we did this.”

For families considering a similar move, both Pingree and Tom emphasize that while it’s not always easy, the rewards can be profound.

“Now as an adult and parent, living with my grandparents is one of the greatest blessings I’ve been given in life,” Tom says, looking back on her 26 years in a multigenerational home.

In an era of increasing isolation and economic pressure, perhaps the Pingrees and families like them are showing us a path forward—one that looks a lot like the way humans lived for most of history, with multiple generations sharing not just a roof but also their lives.

Why trust us

For over 100 years, Reader’s Digest has explored the nuances of relationships, working with such luminaries as Dr. Ruth Westheimer, John Gottman, PhD, and Leo Buscaglia (“Dr. Love”). We ran a decade-long relationships column and have published a compendium of features, Love and Marriage: The Reader’s Digest Guide to Intimate Relationships. For this piece on multigenerational homes, Charlotte Hilton Andersen tapped her experience as a longtime journalist who regularly reports on relationships for Reader’s Digest to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We support this information with credentialed experts and primary sources such as government and professional organizations, peer-reviewed journals and our writers’ personal experiences where it enhances the topic. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Eben Pingree, founder of Kinsome, who lives in a multigenerational home; phone interview, Nov. 5, 2025
• Isabel Tom, author of The Value of Wrinkles and creator of the Grandkid Investigator Kit; phone interview, Nov. 7, 2025
• Pew Research Center: “Financial Issues Top the List of Reasons U.S. Adults Live in Multigenerational Homes”
• Pew Research Center: “The demographics of multigenerational households”
• Pew Research Center: “Young adults in U.S. are much more likely than 50 years ago to be living in a multigenerational household”
• National Association of Realtors: “2025 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report”
• Econofact: “Hitting Home: Housing Affordability in the U.S.”
• HUD: “Housing Affordability Across the Country,”
• National Association of Home Builders: “Nearly 75% of U.S. Households Cannot Afford a Median-Priced New Home in 2025”

Tips for a Multi-Gen Vacation to Disney

Must-Read Novels About Siblings

How to Steal Alone Time Over the Holidays

The post They Created a Family Compound—And Now Have a Built-In Village appeared first on Reader's Digest.

It’s not as simple as turning the heat down or the AC off and walking out the door. Set it too low, and you could return to a house that feels like a walk-in freezer. Too high, and you’re basically paying to heat (or cool) empty space. Somewhere in between lies the sweet spot—a number that keeps your home comfortable and protected and saves you real money.

I talked to Cassie Pound, the co-owner of Quality Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric in Tulsa, Oklahoma, about the right vacation temperature settings for your thermostat. It turns out that most of us are getting it wrong, so keep reading to get it right.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more home, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What’s the right temperature when you’re home?

Let’s start with your baseline. Most energy experts recommend keeping your home around 68 degrees when you’re at home and awake. It’s warm enough for comfort but energy-efficient enough to keep your utility bill in check. Dropping it a few degrees while you sleep or layering up with a sweater can stretch those savings further.

Winter tends to give us all an overheating impulse, and it’s tempting to start fiddling too much with your thermostat to feel a bit more cozy. But you can avoid some of the most common thermostat mistakes by following a few simple rules, especially when you’re headed out of town.

What temperature should you set your thermostat to when you’re away in the winter?

“If you’re leaving for a few days or weeks, aim to keep your home between 60 degrees and 65 degrees,” Pound says. “That’s warm enough to prevent frozen pipes, but cool enough to save energy.”

Many people make the mistake of turning their heat way down—or off entirely—assuming it’ll save money. But that can backfire fast. “If your house drops into the 40s, it can take a long time for your heating system to catch up once you’re home,” Pound explains. “And worse, you’re risking frozen pipes.”

Why is this the ideal temperature for cold weather?

It’s all about balancing efficiency with keeping your most important (and expensive) asset safe from harm. Your home’s ideal temperature may vary a little based on how well it’s insulated or where you live, but that sweet spot of around 60 degrees matters. Here’s why you should keep the temp stable:

Save energy

For every degree you lower your thermostat over an extended period, you’ll typically save about 1% on your heating bill, according to the Department of Energy. Keeping things around 60 degrees instead of your usual 68 can lead to noticeable savings without freezing your plumbing.

Prevent frozen pipes

When temperatures dip too low, the water inside your pipes can freeze and expand, leading to cracks or bursts. By keeping the temperature at a moderate level, you don’t have to worry about coming home to a major flood. For extra help in severe cold, open the cabinets (more on that below) and let faucets drip slightly while you’re gone.

Protect building materials

Uncontrolled indoor temperature swings can strain drywall, flooring and window seals. It’s not visible right away, but over time, you could start to see gaps, flaking paint, warping or other signs of deterioration. Maintaining a consistent, moderate indoor temperature protects your home against unnecessary wear and tear.

What temperature should you set the thermostat to when you’re heading out of town in the summer?

When it’s hot out, the instinct is often to shut off the AC completely, especially if you’ll be gone for a while. But that can backfire just as easily as turning the heat too low in winter. To protect your home (and your energy bill) during a summer vacation, aim to keep your home at about 78 to 80 degrees.

Why is this the ideal temperature for warm weather?

That’s warm enough to conserve energy but cool enough to prevent excessive humidity from creeping in. If you have central air, leave it running in auto mode, not off, advises Pound. This allows the system to cycle when temperatures climb too high and keeps air circulating.

“In Oklahoma, for example, you might see 80 degrees one day and 40 degrees the next,” she says. “Auto mode takes the guesswork out and keeps your house from overheating or getting muggy.”

Here are three important reasons to maintain your home’s temp when you’re away on summer vacation:

Prevent warped wood

Excessive moisture in the air causes wood floors, cabinets and baseboards to warp. Even finished wood responds to the relative humidity in your home by expanding and contracting, and over time, the changing moisture content inside the wood causes it to undergo exterior physical changes too.

Protect electronics

If you’ve ever tried to save your wet phone by putting it in a bowl of rice, you know that water and electronics don’t mix. But even changes in humidity due to an overheated home can affect your sensitive gadgets. Inside every appliance, phone and electronic device are metal connections, wires and components that can rust due to excessive humidity.

Prevent mold and mildew

Mold and mildew love warm, moist environments, and it takes only 48 hours for the spores to settle in and grow in ideal conditions—which, if you leave your home too warm in summer, definitely counts. Mold and mildew don’t just affect your bathroom grout either. Drywall, plywood, paint, appliances and nearly everything in your home can be affected by mold.

Should you ever turn off your system completely?

You should do this only if you’ve fully winterized or summerized your home—meaning no running water, no risk of frozen pipes and no pets, plants or electronics inside. Otherwise, Pound says, resist the urge. “People think they’ll save money, but shutting everything down completely can cause more damage than it’s worth.”

If you don’t have central air—say, you rely on window units or portable systems—it’s OK to turn them off, but close blinds and curtains to block direct sunlight. The key is to keep your home shaded and ventilated enough to avoid that stifling, oven-like heat buildup. A few ceiling fans on low or a smart thermostat (if your unit has one) set to “away mode” can help maintain balance while you’re gone.

What other home heating tips should you follow when leaving for vacation?

Maintaining temperature is just one of the ways to protect your home when you go on vacation. Here are other smart and expert-approved vacation tips:

• Open your cabinets: “If you have fixtures or pipes along exterior walls, keep those cabinet doors open while you’re gone,” says Pound. “It helps warmer air circulate.”
• Replace your air filter: A dirty filter makes your system work harder and less efficiently.
• Check thermostat batteries: A dead thermostat will stop your system from kicking in when temperatures rise or drop.
• Close curtains and blinds: They add a layer of insulation and help stabilize indoor temps.
• Seal drafts around windows and doors: This prevents cold air from sneaking in when you’re gone over the winter.
• Use a smart thermostat: Get one with a vacation or “away” mode; it can adjust automatically and even alert you if the temperature drops unexpectedly.
• Consider a whole-home humidifier: The humidity in your home should be kept between 40% to 55% to prevent wood warping and other issues. It’s smart to have a way to control the moisture level if you’ll be away for an extended period.

The next time you’re zipping up your suitcase, don’t forget to give your thermostat a little attention. As Pound puts it, “You can’t control the weather while you’re gone, but you can make sure your home doesn’t feel it quite so much.”

RELATED:

• Do You Really Need to Rake Your Leaves? We Asked a Lawn-Care Expert, and the Answer May Surprise You
• You Can Still Buy a Home for Under $300,000 in These “Hidden Gem” Towns Around the U.S.
• This Is the Best Time of Day to Run Your Dishwasher, According to an Appliance Expert

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Cassie Pound, co-owner and vice president of Quality Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric and Stellar Garage Doors; interviewed November 2025
• Energy.gov: “Programmable Thermostats”
• Energy.gov: “Turn Down the Temperature, but Don’t Let Your Pipes Freeze!”
• Energy Star: “A Guide to Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling”
• American Standard: “What’s the Best Temperature to Set Your Thermostat to in the Summer?”
• Wagner Meters: “Relative Humidity and How It Influences Moisture Content”

Why Your House's Water Smells Funny

What Are These Tiny Triangles on Stairs

The Only Washing Machine Cycle You Need

The post Going on Vacation? This Is the Ideal Temperature to Set Your Thermostat To appeared first on Reader's Digest.

You may have heard that you’re supposed to close the toilet lid when flushing, but just how bad is it to keep it up when nobody is using the toilet? An uncovered toilet isn’t a home decor “do”—that’s for sure. But is it a health hazard?

As a science reporter, I love to uncover the places germs hide and discover crucial changes we need to make for our health (and the things that are just overkill). So I reached out to microbiologist Jason Tetro—better known as the Germ Guy—to find out if there’s any real harm in leaving the lid up. Keep reading to learn whether you should keep the lid on your toilet closed 24-7, or if a little air does a bowl good.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Why should you keep the toilet lid closed when flushing?

There’s no delicate way to say this: If you flush with the lid up, poo and pee fly everywhere. Flushing the toilet creates a “toilet plume,” the scientific term for a spray of aerosolized droplets of bacteria and viruses. (If that’s not a hidden home danger, I don’t know what is.) When you flush with the lid up, “the aerosolized droplets can end up as far as 6 feet from the toilet,” says Tetro. “Shutting the lid before flushing can prevent these aerosols from getting out into the room.”

While it’s not a perfect precaution, it makes a real difference. A 2020 study sampled aerosols after flushing with the lid up and down and found that doing it lid-down slashed the bacteria-containing aerosols by up to 50%.

Should you keep the toilet lid open or closed when the toilet isn’t in use?

You should still keep the lid shut, even when the commode is not in use. Here’s why: “When the lid is closed, you are preventing a potential vehicle for spread,” Tetro says. “Although the majority of spread happens during the flush, there may still be residual bacterial contamination that could potentially be a problem.”

No matter how clean your home is, your toilet bowl is teeming with germs. Your porcelain bowl may contain viruses like norovirus, and bacterial pathogens including E. coli and C. difficile (aka C. diff). “Fecal coliforms like C. difficile can be opportunistic pathogens,” Tetro explains, “meaning they can cause infections in areas that are not used to seeing them or in people who are unable to fight them off.”

But wait a minute, you’re thinking. How can those germs fly around when I’m not using the toilet? The main route is via your pet. As pet owners know, dogs, and even some cats, treat the porcelain bowl like it’s their own fancy water station. That’s not a good thing for a couple of reasons. Lapping up contaminated water can give your pet a gastrointestinal infection. And it could make you sick through fecal transfer, Tetro says. If your pup slurps up E. coli-laced water and then licks your face, you’re at risk of getting sick.

So can you actually get sick from this?

Yes, this can definitely make you sick. If your dog transfers pathogens to your face or hands and they get in your mouth, you can contract a GI infection or norovirus. If the germs hit your mucous membranes or skin, you’re at risk of getting a bacterial skin, sinus or eye infection.

Is this a bigger problem if someone has a stomach bug?

If someone in your house has norovirus—a bug that causes vomiting and diarrhea—be super careful about shutting the lid. One of the ways norovirus spreads is through contaminated toilets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition to closing the lid after use, it’s super important to disinfect your toilet if anyone in your household is sick (more on how to do that below).

Are there any other reasons to keep the lid closed?

There’s another reason to put a lid on it: It might help control the humidity in your bathroom. When the lid is open, it can make the bathroom slightly more humid, Tetro says. Since high indoor humidity is linked to mold growth, it’s a good idea to limit that in any way you can—including by shutting the pot.

What are some other ways you can limit bacterial growth in your bathroom?

At this point, we can all agree the toilet lid belongs closed, right? But beyond that, there are some simple steps you can take to keep germs to a minimum (and avoid the dreaded toilet plume effect).

After pooping, double flush

A follow-up flush reduces the bacterial levels in your bowl, according to a study that compared E. coli levels in toilet water after one and two flushes. “It’s not perfect,” Tetro says of the extra step, “but it helps.”

Give bathroom surfaces a once-over

Using warm, soapy water or a household cleanser, wipe down your bathroom surfaces (counters, handles, the toilet seat and more) on the regular.

Disinfect the toilet—especially if someone in your house has a stomach virus

Once a week, clean your toilet with a product that kills germs, such as a bleach-based bathroom cleaner. If someone in your house has a stomach bug, it is especially important to follow the CDC’s instructions for disinfecting:

• Wear disposable gloves and wipe the bowl with paper towels, then throw them in a trash bag and seal it.
• Prepare a disinfectant solution by mixing 5 tablespoons of household bleach per gallon of water.
• Wash toilet surfaces with the disinfectant.
• Let the disinfectant sit for at least five minutes.
• Clean the area with soap and hot water.

De-germ bathroom surfaces weekly

Wipe surfaces with a household spray daily. Once a week, use a disinfectant product, such as a bleach-based bathroom spray, to de-germ the counters and other surfaces.

Be anal about hand-washing

After touching bathroom surfaces, be sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water. Purell does not kill norovirus, so it’s key to use soap instead of hand sanitizer.

Get your toothbrush out of the line of fire

Make sure to get that thing you brush your teeth with every night out of the “plume” path. Stash it in the medicine cabinet or move it to a shelf that’s more than 6 feet from the can. Don’t you feel better already?

RELATED:

• This Bedroom Item Is Surprisingly Dirty—Here Are the Gross Things That Happen If You Don’t Clean It
• This Is the Dirtiest Part of a Cruise Ship, According to the CDC
• The Surprising Reason You Should Never Rest Your Head Against an Airplane Window

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Jason Tetro, microbiologist, author of The Germ Code and The Germ Files, and host of the Super Awesome Science Show podcast; email interview, Nov. 10, 2025
• CDC: “How Norovirus Spreads”
• Journal of Environmental Health: “Persistence of Bowl Water Contamination during Sequential Flushes of Contaminated Toilets”
• CDC: “Mold”
• Access Microbiology: “Real-time Monitoring of Aerosols Generated from Toilet Flushing”

The Germiest Item in a Restaurant

Why You Shouldn’t Wash Dishes by Hand

Your Fridge Is Overdue for a Deep Clean

The post Debate Solved! Here’s Whether You Should Leave the Toilet Lid Open or Closed 99% of the Time appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But where is the best place to put down roots for your family? New research from ConsumerAffairs analyzed all 50 states to identify where families have the best opportunities to flourish, and it has a new top spot for 2025. We spoke to ConsumerAffairs lead researcher Rebecca Sowell to learn which states offer the strongest foundation for family wellness from the standpoint of safety, affordability, health care access and more.

It turns out that location truly matters when it comes to raising a family. Keep reading to find out which states scored the best—and the worst.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more news, cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

How did the study determine the best state for families?

To find the best places to raise a family, the ConsumerAffairs research team looked at key metrics for livability in all 50 states, scoring them out of 100 points across five categories:

• Affordability: Child care, food and housing costs, and child tax credits (30 points)
• Safety: Violent and property crime rates (25 points)
• Education: School performance, funding, higher education quality and school safety (20 points)
• Health care: Pediatrician access, infant mortality, insurance coverage, preventive care and medical costs (15 points)
• Quality of life: Child poverty rate, number of parks and libraries, and good air quality days (10 points)

States were given a weighted score relative to the top performer in each category.

What is the No. 1 state to raise a family in?

The top state is New Hampshire! The Granite State rose from fourth place to first place this year, performing strongly in safety, affordability and quality of life. With abundant outdoor recreation and a strong sense of community, plus access to parks, libraries and clean air, New Hampshire is a standout family-friendly place to live.

Why did New Hampshire earn the top spot?

There are a number of key reasons why New Hampshire earned the top spot among all 50 states in the nation. Here’s a look at why this state is the best place to raise a family:

Low crime rate

New Hampshire is the No. 1 state when it comes to safety, reporting just 1.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents. “New Hampshire offers families peace of mind as the safest state to raise a family, with some of the lowest rates of violent and property crime in the country,” Sowell says.

Solid affordability

While the state ranked 34th in overall affordability, New Hampshire has a low child poverty rate of only 7%. Families also benefit from low weekly food costs (averaging $371), which allows them to more easily feed their families.

Excellent pediatric health care

In New Hampshire, “78% of children received preventative medical or dental care last year, the second-highest rate in the nation,” Sowell says. For overall health care, New Hampshire ranked seventh, which helped it climb to the top spot.

Great overall quality of life

Finally, New Hampshire ranks No. 3 when it comes to its quality of life score, due to its high number of state parks (6.6 per 100,000 people) and libraries (15.6 per 100,000 people). This allows families the chance to both get outside and learn together.

What other states are in the top 10?

Overall, the Northeast emerged as the strongest region in the United States for raising a family, claiming seven out of the top 10 states. The reason lies in three important factors: safe communities, great schools and quality health care.

“While [the Northeast] may not be the most affordable region, those strengths make it the best area in the country to raise a family—a trend that held steady in last year’s rankings as well,” Sowell says.

Here are the nine other states that made the top 10:

Maine

At No. 2 on the list, Maine ranks highly across safety and affordability metrics.

“Maine offers families the best quality of life in the country, with clean air, a strong public library system and the lowest child poverty rate in the nation,” Sowell says. “It also ranks among the safest states, making it an ideal place for families looking to plant their roots.” In fact, Maine ranks second in safety overall and has the lowest violent crime rate of all states, with just one crime per 1,000 residents.

Wisconsin

Coming in at No. 3, Wisconsin climbed three spots this year, largely due to strong affordability and low crime rates. Families spend an average of $352 per week on food, which is the lowest in the nation. The state also has a well-funded public education system that performs above the national average.

Vermont

Last year’s No. 1, Vermont maintains high rankings for both quality of life and health care. It leads the country with 25 libraries per 100,000 residents and ranks second in state and national parks. The state also has the lowest percentage of children missing preventive care.

New York

Although families spend about $472 per week on food, New York offsets this with a child tax credit and a top-ranked public education system featuring the highest per-student spending in the nation as well as highly qualified teachers. New York also ranks fifth in health care, with one of the highest concentrations of pediatricians in the nation.

Connecticut

Connecticut made one of the largest gains this year, rising from 25th all the way to sixth place—and it now ranks second in education and sixth in health care. The state reports one of the lowest percentages of children missing preventive care, and a high number of pediatricians per capita.

Wyoming

Wyoming is the only Western state that made the top 10 this year, and it’s because the state has the second-lowest childhood poverty rate (at 6%), strong air quality and low crime rates across both violent and property categories. Families also benefit from plentiful outdoor recreation and open space.

Virginia

Virginia stands out for housing affordability: The difference in cost between a one- and two-bedroom home is only about $35 per month. The state also ranks seventh in education and fourth for good air quality days, offering both economic and environmental advantages.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts leads the nation in health care, with abundant pediatrician access, a low infant mortality rate and one of the strongest public education systems in the country. However, families do face high child-care costs, averaging about $23,775 per year.

Pennsylvania

Rounding out the top 10, Pennsylvania combines safety, education and strong health outcomes. It reports 2.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, ranks 10th in public education and shows strong preventive-care access, with a relatively small share of children missing routine visits.

How do the other states compare?

While the Northeast prevailed with the most states in the top 10 for raising a family, the West ranked in the opposite direction. Those states occupied six of the 10 bottom slots for the worst states for families. Sowell says ConsumerAffairs also saw this trend in 2024.

“Many of these states scored poorly across key categories like safety, education and health care,” she says. “While states in these regions tend to be more affordable, that lower cost often comes with tradeoffs: higher crime rates, weaker education systems and a lower overall quality of life.”

Here’s the full list of 50 states, ranked from best to worst for raising a family:

1. New Hampshire
2. Maine
3. Wisconsin
4. Vermont
5. New York
6. Connecticut
7. Wyoming
8. Virginia
9. Massachusetts
10. Pennsylvania
11. Iowa
12. Idaho
13. Kentucky
14. Rhode Island
15. Illinois
16. Nebraska
17. New Jersey
18. Minnesota
19. West Virginia
20. Georgia
21. Utah
22. North Dakota
23. South Dakota
24. Ohio
25. Mississippi
26. Indiana
27. Michigan
28. North Carolina
29. Florida
30. Missouri
31. Delaware
32. Maryland
33. Kansas
34. Washington
35. Hawaii
36. Montana
37. South Carolina
38. Alabama
39. Tennessee
40. Oregon
41. Oklahoma
42. Colorado
43. Texas
44. California
45. Arkansas
46. Arizona
47. Louisiana
48. New Mexico
49. Alaska
50. Nevada

RELATED:

• Here’s How Much of a $100K Salary You’ll Really Have Left After Taxes in Each State
• New Study: This Regional Accent Is Considered the Most Trustworthy in the U.S.—And the Results Will Really Surprise You!
• New Survey: This Big City Ranks No. 1 in the U.S. Happiness Index—You’ll Never Guess Where It Is

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Rebecca Sowell, digital public relations manager at ConsumerAffairs; interviewed, October 2025
• ConsumerAffairs: “The best states to raise a family”

This Is the Happiest State for Retirees

The Most and Least Stressed States

This City Has the Lowest Cost of Living

The post New Report: These Are the Top 10 States to Raise a Family In appeared first on Reader's Digest.

To find out exactly where leaving your dishes to soak overnight ranks on a scale from “totally fine” to “seriously hazardous,” I consulted a microbiologist and a public health expert. Do they let us off the hook? It’s complicated. Keep reading for the full dirt—and some expert-approved sink sanitizing tips.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What’s the issue with leaving dirty dishes in the sink?

That humble kitchen sink is teeming with bacteria, especially if you’ve recently been prepping raw chicken or searing a steak. “As a microbiologist, I see the kitchen sink as a haven for microbes and microbial transfer,” says Jason Tetro, author of The Germ Code and The Germ File. “Studies have shown that the kitchen sink is the collection place for different types of unwanted bacteria, including fecal coliforms, foodborne pathogens and even skin bacteria.”

The microbes most commonly found in sinks include E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus (a type of staph bacteria). But you can also find salmonella in your sink, especially if you have prep bowls that held raw chicken.

The main reason your sink is a petri dish: The foods we eat often carry bacteria. It’s why we have to cook them to eat them safely.

But part of the reason kitchen sinks are one of the germiest spots in your home is precisely because pots, pans and dishes are left to soak in there. “Bacteria thrive in warm, moist environments, which is exactly what your sink is when you are soaking dishes,” says Brian Labus, PhD, associate professor in the school of public health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Is a wet soak worse than leaving dry dishes stacked in the sink?

It’s slightly worse to leave your plates in pools of warm, germy water than in a dry stack. After all, warm, moist conditions help bacteria flourish.

On the other hand, a dry sink isn’t great either, Labus notes. “Dry environments might keep bacteria from growing, but that doesn’t mean they can’t survive and grow later,” he says. “And if you have food sitting out, it can attract bugs that can spread bacteria to the rest of your kitchen.”

Can you get sick from this habit?

Leaving bacteria-rich reservoirs of water in your sink can make you sick, for sure. Bacteria like E. coli and salmonella are known for causing food poisoning and giving you GI symptoms, which can be serious and even infect your kidneys. And Staphylococcus aureus can cause nasty skin infections—a particular worry if you’re doing dishes without gloves and have so much as a snagged cuticle or paper cut on your hand.

How exactly do the bacteria make you sick? In most cases, we unintentionally transfer germs to our sponge, hands or water bottle. Bacteria in the sink can easily contaminate nearby surfaces and foods through the dirty water splashing up or from us directly touching it. “If you get a glass of water or fill a pitcher from the faucet and there are dirty dishes soaking, you are much more likely to come in contact with bacteria from those dishes,” Labus says.

And there’s another worry: The more nastiness sitting in your sink, the harder it will be to fully decontaminate the area. “If items are soaking in a pool of harmful bacteria, it makes it more difficult to kill all the bacteria during the cleaning process,” he notes.

So how should you deal with these dirty dishes?

If you have that modern appliance, you might as well use it. It’s really the safest way to clean your dishes, according to our experts. Set to a high or hot setting, a dishwasher ensures your grimy pots, plates and utensils will be completely sanitized and free of harmful germs.

Of course, some dishes, stemware and wooden boards can’t withstand a trip through a dishwasher. No problem, Labus says. Just carefully clean those delicates with hot, soapy water. Let them fully air-dry before putting them away. And don’t forget the final step: “Make sure to clean your sponges, either by putting them in the dishwasher or in the microwave,” Labus says.

Can you safely soak gunky pots and pans for a little while?

Hate to break it to you, but the answer is no. “Much like the five-second rule—which does not exist—there is no minimal soaking time that is safe,” Tetro says.

OK, but if any time is too much time for dirty dishes to sit, what should you do if you can’t drop everything to scrub up? (Some of us want to eat before doing the dishes!)

The fact is, there are times when you just have to let crusty plates sit. Maybe you have kids to get to bed or a dog to walk or a work email to answer—or all three at once. Maybe the food burned onto your pan truly won’t budge without a soak. Don’t sweat it too much, the experts say. Just get to your dishes as soon as you can.

How can you properly clean your sink if you’ve let the dishes sit?

It’s surprisingly easy to disinfect a kitchen sink. “Clean the sink with soapy water, then use an antibacterial spray or one with bleach,” Labus advises. “Don’t immediately rinse the spray off—let it sit on the surface long enough to kill bacteria.”

Check the bottle’s label to find out how long the product should sit. Rinse the spray off, and voila! You’re free to watch some Netflix … and forget you ever heard the words Staphylococcus aureus.

RELATED:

• This Bedroom Item Is Surprisingly Dirty—Here Are the Gross Things That Happen If You Don’t Clean It
• This Is the Dirtiest Part of a Cruise Ship, According to the CDC
• The Surprising Reason You Should Never Rest Your Head Against an Airplane Window

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Brian Labus, PhD, MPH, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; email interview, Oct. 29, 2025
• Jason Tetro, microbiologist, author of The Germ Code and The Germ Files, and host of the Super Awesome Science Show podcast; email interview, Oct. 30, 2025
• Journal of Food Protection: “Prevalence of Pathogens and Indicator Organisms in Home Kitchens and Correlation with Unsafe Food Handling Practices and Conditions”

Your Fridge Is Overdue for a Deep Clean

The Germiest Item in a Restaurant

Why You Shouldn’t Wash Dishes by Hand

The post Here’s the Gross Reason Why You Should Never Let Your Dishes Soak in the Sink Overnight appeared first on Reader's Digest.

A recent discussion with a registered dietitian set me straight. It turns out that certain items will spoil if stored in the refrigerator doors, including one very common cooking item. Here, I’m revealing the surprising food you should never store in the refrigerator door, plus where a registered dietitian says you should put it to make it last longer and to maximize the flavor and texture. Read on for the tips that have me rearranging my refrigerator!

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more food tips, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Which surprising item should you avoid storing in the refrigerator door?

There are a few items unfit for your fridge door, and you’ll find more of them below. But perhaps the most surprising is butter. Yes, butter!

Now, hold on just a minute, you may think. Isn’t there a shelf in the refrigerator door specifically designed for butter? Technically, yes. But that doesn’t mean you should use it that way.

“That little covered shelf was originally designed for butter that is used up quickly, within about a week,” says Kathleen Benson, a registered dietitian nutritionist at VNutrition. “If you go through butter fast, it is fine to keep it there short term.” But if it takes you more than a week to use up a stick, you might want to store it somewhere else.

What’s so bad about storing butter in this spot?

You may have heard that the temperature in the refrigerator door is not as cold as the temperature at the back of the fridge. While this is true, it’s not the main reason you should avoid storing butter here. The real problem lies with temperature fluctuations.

“Every time you open your fridge, warm air rushes in, and the door shelves are the first place that air hits. This repeated warming and cooling can cause butter to soften and firm up over and over again, which speeds up spoilage and rancidity,” Benson explains.

Spoiled or rancid butter won’t necessarily make you sick—illness-causing bacteria need protein in order to survive and multiply, and butter is mostly fat—but it’s not going to taste good. Benson says that these changes in temperatures can cause the butter to taste sour or old or develop a slightly grainy texture.

So where should you store butter?

“Keep butter on a middle or upper shelf toward the back of the fridge,” suggests Benson. “That area maintains a cooler, steadier temperature and helps protect butter from light exposure, which can oxidize fats and cause off flavors.”

This will help preserve the taste and texture of the butter, especially if it is kept in its original wrapper or in a tightly sealed container. “Keeping it tightly wrapped also prevents the butter from picking up odors from nearby foods,” she adds.

As we mentioned above, if you use up a stick of butter within a week or so, it’s fine to store it in the covered shelf in the door. But if you want it to last longer or you are buying boxes of four or more sticks, keep any extras on the interior shelves.

Just how long does butter last in the fridge?

According to Minerva Dairy, a family-owned creamery founded in 1894:

• Unsalted butter will stay fresh in the coldest part of the fridge for up to three months.
• Salted butter will likely stay fresh for up to five months.

You can even freeze butter for up to a year without compromising the flavor or texture.

But wait—can’t you store butter on the counter?

Technically, you can. But there are rules to remember. “Salted butter can safely sit out at room temperature for a few days if it is kept covered in a dish,” says Benson. “Unsalted butter or flavored butters, like those mixed with garlic or herbs, should not be stored on the counter since they spoil more quickly and can harbor bacteria more easily.”

What’s more, it’s not smart to keep butter at room temperature for a day or two, pop it back in the fridge for a week, then bring it back out to the counter. Just like with the refrigerator door, these changes in temperature can affect the texture of the butter and may make it spoil faster.

What else should you avoid storing in the refrigerator door?

Along with butter, there are several foods that Benson says require consistently cold temperature in order to prevent spoilage, so you shouldn’t store them in the door of the refrigerator. They include:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Raw meat
• Seafood
• Soft cheese
• Leftovers

If you can’t store all that in the refrigerator door, what can you store there?

“The door is best for foods that are less temperature-sensitive, such as condiments, pickles, jams and bottled drinks,” Benson says. It’s also good for items that need cool but not super-cold storage, such as certain probiotics, medicines or cosmetics.

But for foods that are more likely to spoil (like butter) or become contaminated, it’s best to tuck them away farther back in the fridge. And yes, it’s well worth the extra few seconds it takes to move things around to get these items out.

RELATED:

• This Quirky Trick Can Keep Your Bread from Going Stale
• Here’s Why Costco’s Butter Tastes So Good
• Here’s Why Costco Milk Stays Fresh Way Past Its Sell-By Date

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Kathleen Benson, CSSD, CPT, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist at VNutrition; email interview, October 2025
• Minerva Dairy: “How Long Does Butter Last in the Fridge?”

Why Restaurant Butter Is So Good

Surprising Ways to Use Butter

What Is Margarine, Exactly?

The post Never Store This One Item in Your Refrigerator Door appeared first on Reader's Digest.

“Smells can tell you a lot about what’s going on in your home,” says Scottie Pitts, a general contractor and the owner of Pitts Elite Contracting. He’s dealt with more than a few weird water smells in his 25 years of home construction and remodeling. “Sometimes it’s nothing serious, and other times, it’s a sign that something needs attention.”

Keep reading to learn how to decode your water’s oddest odors—and when it’s time to call in a pro.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more home tips, cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

If your water smells like chlorine

A sharp chlorine smell (similar to bleach in your laundry) is often just the result of municipal water treatment. “Most cities disinfect their water systems with chlorine; it’s usually not as harmful as people think,” says Pitts. The smell may be more noticeable during seasonal system flushing or right after maintenance.

Safety concerns: Chlorine-treated water is typically safe to drink, though letting it sit uncovered or running the tap for a minute can help the smell dissipate.

When to call an expert: If the odor is unusually strong or persistent, contact your local water utility to confirm maintenance schedules or request a quality test.

If your water smells like rotten eggs

That rotten-egg smell usually means sulfur gas, most often coming from your hot water heater. “It’s typically the anode rod deteriorating inside the tank,” Pitts explains. (Anode rods attract rust-producing ions from water, protecting your hot water tank.) As the element corrodes, it reacts with the water to produce hydrogen sulfide gas, which causes the odor.

Safety concerns: The smell itself isn’t dangerous, but it’s unpleasant and a sign your water heater may be nearing the end of its lifespan (usually seven to 13 years).

When to call an expert: If you consistently smell sulfur, especially if your water heater is older, call a licensed plumber who specializes in hot water heater maintenance. They will inspect the tank, replace the anode rod or recommend a full water heater replacement.

If your water smells like sewage

A sewer-like odor is often mistaken for bad water, but it could actually be coming from your drains. “It’s common in bathrooms or basement sinks that don’t get much use,” Pitts says. When the water in the P-trap (a part of the plumbing system with a u-shaped bend that helps block odors) dries up, it allows sewer gases to escape into your home.

Safety concerns: While unpleasant, it’s usually not a health hazard. Running water regularly keeps the trap filled and prevents the smell.

When to call an expert: If running water doesn’t solve it, call a plumber to inspect your traps or vents for leaks or blockages.

If your water smells musty or earthy

An earthy, damp smell can point to mold, mildew or mineral buildup, especially if you’re on well water or have older plumbing. “Iron and organic matter can collect in your pipes, and over time, it creates that musty scent,” says Pitts.

Safety concerns: The water is generally safe but may taste “off” or stain fixtures.

When to call an expert: If you live in an old home, a plumber experienced with wells and filtration systems can recommend the right water filter or iron-removal system for your home. “You don’t just want a wrench turner,” says Pitts, using the slang term for a general technician or handyperson.

If your water smells fishy

A fishy odor often means trace minerals, like barium and cadmium, are present in your water supply. They’re typically harmless but can affect taste.

Safety concerns: The water is safe for most uses, though some people prefer to filter it for peace of mind.

When to call an expert: If the smell bothers you, have a plumber or water treatment specialist test your water and install a filtration system if needed.

If your water smells metallic

A penny-like smell or taste points to corroded or aging pipes—common in older homes with lead or cast-iron plumbing. “As those pipes deteriorate, small amounts of metal can leach into the water,” says Pitts.

Safety concerns: Lead exposure, even in trace amounts, can be serious, especially if you have children in the home. Don’t drink or cook with the water until it’s tested.

When to call an expert: Contact a licensed plumber immediately. They can assess your system and discuss options for repiping with safer materials, like copper or CPVC.

If your water smells like gas

A faint gasoline or natural gas smell requires immediate attention. “Any time gas comes up, I get concerned about safety,” Pitts says. “If you think you smell gas in your water, stop using it right away.”

Safety concerns: Exposure can result in headaches, dizziness and lightheadedness. Do not run taps, light flames or use electrical appliances until the source is confirmed safe.

When to call an expert: Contact your gas utility right away. They can test for leaks or contamination and ensure your home is safe.

How to keep your water fresh year-round

Even clean water can develop smells without regular upkeep. Pitts recommends having a trusted plumber inspect your system once a year and flush your water heater periodically. “Nine times out of 10, when something’s off with your water, your plumber’s your best friend,” he says.

A whole-house filtration or water-softening system can also prevent odors, protect pipes and make your water taste fresher. If your home is older, don’t ignore subtle changes; your nose often knows before your plumbing does.

As Pitts puts it, “When you have someone who knows your home inside and out, that relationship is priceless. Because when your water starts to smell funny, you’ll want to call someone who’ll pick up.”

RELATED:

• Does Water Expire—And Just How Safe Is It to Drink Old Water?
• This 5-Second Household Test Could Save Your Life—Here’s What to Know
• The Surprising Item You Should Never Put in Your Garbage Disposal—And No, It’s Not Celery

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Scottie Pitts, owner of Pitts Elite Contracting; interviewed, October 2025
• EPA: “Protect Your Home’s Water”
• USGS: “What can cause our water to have an earthy odor or to smell like rotten eggs?”
• City of Richmond, Virginia: “Why is My Water Cloudy and Smelly?”
• University of Georgia: “Odors in Your Water”
• Culligan Quench: “Why Does My Water Smell Like Fish?”

Save Up to 15% on Your Electric Bill

Adjust Your Thermostat to Save Big Bucks

The Best Time to Run Your Dishwasher

The post This Is What It Means if the Water in Your House Smells Funny appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Still, it’s hard not to feel the urge to tidy up when your yard starts resembling an abandoned lot and your homeowners association gives you not-so-subtle clues you’re ruining the neighborhood’s vibe. So what’s the right move? Should you rake, mulch or let nature take its course? We asked an expert to settle the debate.

Leave any assumptions at the curb, and read on to find out what to do with your fallen foliage.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more seasonal tips, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Why shouldn’t you rake all your leaves?

Fallen leaves are good for the earth and its creatures, according to Spencer Campbell, the manager of the Plant Clinic at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. He’s spent years studying what really happens when leaves hit the ground and reveals that, for many environmentally minded homeowners, letting the leaves lie is less about laziness and more about smart stewardship.

Need more convincing? Below are three reasons he avoids raking up and bagging all of the fallen leaves on his lawn.

They’re good for your garden

When left in the right places, fallen leaves act as natural mulch, insulating the soil and protecting plant roots through fluctuating winter or dry-season temperatures.

“They’re like a cozy blanket for your plants,” Campbell says. As they decompose, they also enrich your soil with nutrients—essentially free, all-natural fertilizer. So your hands-off approach could actually help next summer’s garden bloom.

They support pollinators and wildlife

Those scattered leaves aren’t a mess—they’re a habitat. “Fireflies, butterflies and native bees rely on fallen leaves for shelter through the winter,” Campbell explains. “Leaving them helps support the insects that keep our ecosystems healthy.”

It saves time and energy

The most obvious perk? You can reclaim your weekends. “It’s easier than bagging them up and hauling them away,” says Campbell. “You can skip the bags entirely and still do something good for your garden.”

Why should you rake some of your leaves?

A totally untouched yard may create problems of its own. As much as naturalists and lawn experts support the hands-off approach to fallen leaves, they note that there are a few downsides to this method.

Leaves can smother your lawn

A thick mat of leaves may trap moisture and keep turf grass from growing. But you can still make an eco-conscious choice: Campbell suggests blowing or raking leaves off turf areas and into garden beds, then mowing over the rest. The shredded bits will eventually decompose safely and feed your lawn.

A leaf-covered lawn can reduce curb appeal

A thin layer of gold and red looks charming; a soggy, decaying pile, less so. Keeping walkways and front lawns clear helps your home look cared-for and prevents slippery surfaces after rain or frost. Plus, it keeps that pesky HOA off your back.

Leaves may attract pests

Piles of damp leaves near foundations or storm drains can invite insects and rodents. Keep those areas clear to avoid bigger headaches later.

What’s the best approach to raking leaves?

The best strategy is a mindful balance. “I blow the leaves from my lawn into garden beds,” Campbell says. “That way, I protect my plants and support wildlife.”

Don’t have garden beds? Rake your leaves into a discreet corner of your yard to create a compost pile. Your soil will thank you come spring.

If your municipality requires leaf collection, check whether the leaves are composted or landfilled. “If they’re composted, great,” Campbell says. “If not, using them at home ensures they go to good use.”

What else should you keep in mind when raking?

Before you hang up the rake completely, take a quick look around. Leaves can cause more trouble in the wrong places than on your lawn. Keep them out of storm drains, where they can clog gutters and contribute to local flooding. And move them away from your home’s foundation, where trapped moisture can lead to rot or mold (not to mention pests).

If you live in a dry or wildfire-prone region, think defensively: Clear a 5-foot buffer around your home, fences and sheds to minimize fire risk. And don’t forget your sidewalks. Wet leaves can be slick as ice—one more reason to rake with purpose, not perfection.

Should you bag your leaves?

If you can help it, skip the plastic bags. Once leaves are sealed up and hauled away, many end up in landfills, where they break down without oxygen and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Even paper yard bags don’t always guarantee a greener fate; some cities compost yard waste, others don’t.

“Bagging them means giving up a resource your yard can actually use,” says Campbell. “If you leave them to decompose or add them to a compost pile, you’re keeping those nutrients in your soil instead of shipping them away.”

If you must bag your leaves, check your local waste guidelines. Some municipalities offer seasonal leaf pickup or community compost drop-offs.

At the end of the day, don’t stress if your yard isn’t perfectly raked. “There’s a shift happening,” Campbell says. “People are realizing a yard doesn’t have to be spotless to be healthy.”

RELATED:

• Calling All Leaf Peepers! Find Out When Fall Foliage Will Peak Across the U.S.
• The Best Places to See New England Fall Foliage
• Why 60 Degrees Feels Colder in the Fall than the Spring

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Spencer Campbell, manager of the Plant Clinic at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois; interviewed, October 2025
• Mississippi State University: “To Rake or Not to Rake?”
• University of Minnesota: “Good Question: Do you really need to rake all those leaves?”
• University of New Hampshire: “Is It Absolutely Necessary to Rake the Leaves in the Fall or Can it Wait Until Spring?”

Your Fall Home-Maintenance Checklist

How to Prep Yourself for a Fall Reset

Fall Memes That Sum Up Autumn's Humor

The post Do You Really Need to Rake Your Leaves? We Asked a Lawn-Care Expert, and the Answer May Surprise You appeared first on Reader's Digest.

“Studies have shown that hardening the home against ember entry is the No. 1 action you can take to prepare your home against wildfire,” says horticultural educator Erik Blank, the garden lead at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants in Sun Valley, California. Some of that “hardening” includes removing particularly flammable plants and trees from the area immediately around your home and instead surrounding it with certain types of fire-resistant plants. These plants may actually help temper the damage from a wildfire, creating a barrier between the flames and your property.

So how does this work, exactly, and which plants can potentially protect you and your property? We spoke with landscape designer Judy Kameon, founder of Elysian Landscapes in Los Angeles, and Erik Blank from the Theodore Payne Foundation, to find out. Read on for all the details, including which plants to consider … and which to avoid.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more safety tips, knowledge, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What’s the danger with plants near your home?

Most plants provide the literal fuel to a fire, and they will quickly go up in flames—right next to your house. “Embers and small flames are the main way that the majority of homes ignite in wildfires,” according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

That’s why the NFPA recommends keeping anything combustible at least five feet away from the exterior of your home—and that includes plants. When plants are too close, they can create what’s called a fire ladder that provides a path for flames, allowing them to quickly move from low ground cover, up to shrubs, to low-hanging limbs and, ultimately, under rooftops and into the eaves of the home.

Since woody shrubs and dry thatch are basically kindling, a single spark could lead to major disaster if plants aren’t well maintained or trimmed far enough away from the building. Blank adds that leaf litter from nearby trees that ends up in the gutter can also pose a threat, as can dried pine needles or dried grasses. And Kameon warns that certain types of trees, like eucalyptus or palms with a lot of thatch, are also problematic in the event of a fire for the same reason.

What type of plants could actually protect your home from wildfires?

Succulents! These plants, which are fleshy and packed with moisture, can potentially provide some protection from flames. Think: plants like agave and aloe, as well as portulacaria, which can be found in both ground cover and shrub varieties, says Kameon.

Debra Lee Baldwin, author of the book Designing with Succulents, featured one homeowner who credits her fire-wise landscape for saving her home in a 2017 fire, while eight surrounding homes burned to the ground. This video shows the path of the fire through dried brush and trees, until you get to the lush succulent barrier between the blackened vegetation and the home, which appears unscathed.

How can these fire-resistant plants provide protection?

Succulents are commonly used in drought-prone areas because of their ability to hold water and sustain themselves for long periods without precipitation. Because of all of that stored-up moisture, they are less likely to ignite immediately when faced with fire, unlike vegetation that is dry and woody or has oily sap.

Many folks who credit their fire-wise succulent landscape for helping to spare their home in a wildfire say that the plants on the edge that faced the fire head-on seemed to cook rather than burn. Think of it in terms of a marinade: We add moisture to meat to keep it from drying out on the grill. In the same way, the moisture stored in most succulents prevents them from burning up completely before the fire moves on.

While you may think of succulents as easy-to-care-for potted plants for a desk or container garden, they propogate rather easily and can grow to become quite large and even tree-like. “The modern photographer Julius Shulman planted something like two acres of crassula as a fire break,” notes Kameon.

Ultimately, however—and this is important—there’s no such thing as a fireproof plant. Succulents are fire-resistant and create a fire break, which can potentially lead to a gap in the path of a fire that hopefully causes it to die out or move past your property.

What types of succulents work well?

The following succulents are often lauded for their fire-resistant properties, according to Kameon. Aim for a mixture of ground cover and shrub varieties using the landscaping practice called Defensible Space, which Blank explains aims to “create an obstacle course for embers.”

• Agave
• Aloe
• Crassula
• Aeoniums
• Euphorbia
• Opuntia (cactus)
• Portulacaria

Can you plant succulents anywhere in the U.S.?

Not all succulents will thrive everywhere in the United States. Most succulents prefer hot and dry regions, so folks living in areas susceptible to frost or heavy rainfall might not have as much success growing them outdoors. “Knowing the natural location of the succulent you’re working with will help you provide the optimum location in your garden,” says Blank.

Some succulents, like chaparral yucca, are adapted for extreme heat and sun exposure, he says, while others are more suited to milder environments. Kameon points out that some succulents can actually withstand frost or freeze. The iconic rosette “hen and chicks” succulent, for example, is known to be cold hardy in temperatures as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Some agave varieties (like Queen Victoria agave) can withstand even colder temps into the teens. Check with your local fire department or municipality to see if they have a list of recommended plants for your region.

Could any other plants provide protection from fire as well?

Some native plants are known as “ember catchers.” According to Blank, “the California Coast live oak is the poster child for ember catchers in Southern California” because they have thick leaves and tough bark and hold lots of moisture. These ember catchers will vary by region, so check with your local municipality for suggestions.

Blank notes that there’s a neighborhood called Christmas Tree Lane that has large deodar cedar trees lining the street, and many believe that these trees protected the homes from flying embers during January’s Altadena fire. “We often put it this way,” he says. “It’s easier to start a campfire with smaller, drier material than it is to start with large, green logs.”

The maintenance and hydration of your plants are what could make them fire-resistant, so you can certainly consider options beyond succulents. A garden that is frequently cleared of dry brush and thatch (including wood chips and pine straw, which could also serve as ignition sources) and watered to keep the vegetation green and thriving could be just as effective as a succulent garden if that’s what’s right for your area. “Lean, clean and green” should be the mantra that guides your planting decisions, says Blank.

Why else are native plants a good idea?

Native plants can be great to have in the event of a fire because even if they are scorched, they will likely regenerate. Plus, native plants are adaptive to the climate. According to Kameon, native plants that are garden tolerant (adapted to having irrigation) are going to be less flammable than some of the drier, more drought-tolerant options.

What types of plants should you avoid?

“Avoid plants with shredding or peeling bark,” says Blank, as that can be another ignition point in the event of a fire. “In California, we have a chamise (an evergreen shrub) called ribbonwood. As beautiful as it is, this is a plant I would think twice about putting on my high-fire-zone property.” Or, at the very least, keep it a good distance away from the house (much more than five feet).

Some herbs, like rosemary, contain lots of oils, which make them particularly flammable. Plus, they can get woody and dry. So be sure to keep your herbs well pruned, and keep them at least five feet from the exterior of your home and away from any flammable tree overhang.

What else will protect your home from fire?

• Aim to keep any vegetation (including tree limbs) at least five feet from the house.
• Fill those five feet with hardscaping, such as pavers or gravel.
• Avoid combustible materials for fencing and decking, particularly in fire-prone regions. Opt, instead, for steel or fiber board.
• Look into plants that are native to your region. “They may be more adapted to your natural weather patterns and require less irrigation to keep green,” says Blank. “They will also support local habitat.”
• The NFPA recommends incorporating driveways, paths and patios with hardscaping to break up groupings of greenery and provide a fire break.
• Man-made materials near the home can also be ignition sources. Think: umbrellas, doormats and vinyl gutters. Consider moving or replacing these with less combustible materials.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on fire-resistant plants, Stephanie Sisco tapped her experience as a longtime journalist and editor who specializes in home, design and cleaning. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Erik Blank, horticultural educator at the Theodore Payne Foundation or Wildlife and Native Plants; email interview, Sept. 16, 2025
• Judy Kameon, landscape designer and founder of Elysian Landscapes; phone interview, Sept. 15, 2025
• National Fire Protection Association: “Preparing Homes for Wildfire”
• YouTube: “Doctor’s Home ‘Saved by Succulents’ During Wildfire”

How to Prepare for a Tornado

How to Prepare for a Hurricane Right Now

How to Escape a Car That's Sinking

The post This One Type of Plant Can Actually Protect Your Home from a Wildfire appeared first on Reader's Digest.

A) Panic.

B) Google “what goes in an emergency go bag?”

C) Sprint around your house as you throw Goldfish crackers and your favorite child into a pillowcase.

Whatever you picked, no judgment—I’ve been there. My family was evacuated during the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado, and while I shouted at everyone to get in the car, my husband decided to go to Dave & Buster’s. (No joke.) We all handle a crisis differently, I guess. But that night, we drove around with four kids, two pets and a minivan full of random objects. The first two houses we tried to stay at had COVID (it was peak 2021), so we ended up having to stay in our car. And while I was relieved I’d grabbed baby scrapbooks and passports, I really wished I’d packed extra underwear, toothpaste and contact solution.

All of which is to say: If your emergency strategy is no strategy, I get it. But you need a better survival plan.

The right answer in that emergency scenario? D) Calmly grab your prepacked emergency go bag and head out the door.

What is an emergency go bag, exactly?

“An emergency go bag is your lifeline when disaster strikes without warning,” says Daniel Kilburn, founder of Emergency Action Planning and a retired U.S. Army senior infantry drill sergeant. “Whether it’s wildfire, earthquake, hurricane or civil unrest, the minutes you lose gathering essentials could cost you your life—or your child’s future.”

Packing an emergency kit might feel a little extreme, but having a grab-and-go plan is one of the simplest, smartest things you can do for your family, says Sean Gold, a professional emergency manager and the creator of the preparedness site TruePrepper. Even if you never use it—and we hope you don’t—you’ll sleep better knowing you could.

We talked to Kilburn, Gold, and Amber Batteiger, a disaster-relief expert who specializes in pet-focused response initiatives, to break down exactly what to pack, how to store it and what not to forget. (Spoiler: Your pet does need more than food and a leash.)

Read on to find out exactly what you need to pack in your emergency go bag so you’re ready for anything that may come your way.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more survival tips, travel, tech, cleaning, humor and fun facts all week long.

Why is an emergency go bag so important?

Disasters are not rare: More than 3.3 million U.S. adults were displaced by natural disasters in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey. And that’s not even counting kids and pets or disasters that aren’t natural. There’s a solid chance you will find yourself in an emergency situation. Now imagine trying to pick socks, snacks and social security cards while adrenaline is flooding your system like a busted fire hydrant. As I found out the hard way, it’s a recipe for disaster (or at least a really long night).

“Emergencies don’t allow time for sorting, only for moving,” Kilburn says. “A well-packed go bag isn’t just a collection of gear. It’s peace of mind in a backpack.”

What kind of bag should you use?

Look for a durable, lightweight, water-resistant backpack with padded straps and multiple compartments. Leave your roller suitcase in the closet, since it will pose problems if roads are blocked or you’re climbing through rubble, Kilburn cautions. It needs to be something you can comfortably carry for 20 to 30 minutes, at least.

“Any bag will work as a starting point for a go bag as long as it’s big enough to fit your emergency supplies and relatively comfortable to wear,” Gold says. “Preppers tend to prefer backpacking backpacks for their capacity or tactical backpacks for their organization, versatility and durability.” He adds that if you’re looking for a simpler approach, you can also find premade go bags in a wide range of prices, starting at around $35.

Once you have all your gear assembled, do a weight check. “Many assume they will toss their go bag in their trunk. But what if roads are closed or your car’s out of gas? You may have to hoof it,” Kilburn says. “Test your bag. If you cannot carry it comfortably for at least 20 minutes, it’s too heavy.” He says that 30 pounds is the recommended top end for weight. “Mobility saves lives,” he adds.

What to pack in your emergency go bag

You want to pack like your life depends on it—because it might. Think: survival kit, not sleepover bag. Here’s what our experts recommend including:

Food and water

• 72 hours’ worth of food (protein bars, jerky, MREs or emergency food pouches)
• Reusable water bottle (preferably stainless steel)
• Water pouches and purification tablets or filter
• Comfort snacks for kids (fruit snacks are emotionally stabilizing, OK?)

Personal-hygiene items

“Poor sanitation and hygiene can become an issue quickly if you don’t have a plan,” Gold says.

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Soap
• Baby wipes
• Trash bags
• Menstrual supplies
• Hand sanitizer
• Trowel and toilet paper (for … situations)

Clothing

“Clothing is survival gear, not fashion,” Kilburn says. “What you wear during a disaster can mean the difference between getting out safely or not getting out at all.” So yes, leave the Crocs.

• Moisture-wicking base layers
• Fleece or insulated jacket or packable puffer coat
• Spare underwear and socks (wet feet = blisters)
• An extra pair of sturdy walking shoes or boots (don’t trust that you’ll have the right shoes on your feet when you run out of the house)
• Wide-brimmed hat and UV sunglasses
• Heavy-duty work gloves

First-aid kit

“All kinds of accidents happen in emergencies,” Kilburn says. “Professional help may be delayed, so pack to handle both boo-boos and bigger injuries.”

• Basic bandages
• Trauma supplies, like a tourniquet, shears, compressed gauze and a CPR mask
• 14-day supply of prescription medications
• Over-the-counter medications, including allergy meds (like Benadryl)
• Personal medical items (e.g., EpiPen, inhaler)

Safety gear

“Light is safety,” Kilburn says. “But avoid using lights while walking in the dark—it actually hampers your night vision.”

• LED flashlight and extra batteries
• Emergency weather radio (ideally, one that uses a crank or solar energy and has phone-charging ability)
• Multi-tool or knife
• Whistle (so rescue teams can find you)
• Fire-starting kit
• Emergency blanket

Important documents

“A document bag is one of the most overlooked but critical items,” Gold says. Store everything in a waterproof or Ziploc bag.

• Copies of IDs, insurance and prescriptions
• List of emergency contacts
• Family photo (in case you’re separated)

Electronics

• Phone charger (solar, if possible)
• Power bank
• Flashlight
• Airtags for pets and kids (seriously!)

Cash

• $200 in small bills (denominations of $20 or less)

What additional items should you include for specific natural disasters?

“Prepare for your specific threat landscape,” Kilburn says. “Your ZIP code shapes your risk and your readiness.” The bottom line? Not all natural disasters are created equal—neither are go bags. Here’s what else to pack based on where you live:

Wildfires

“Air quality is a huge concern with wildfires, “Kilburn says, “and it’s one factor that people often don’t think to prepare for.”

• N95 masks
• Burn ointment and bandages
• Safety goggles
• Printed evacuation route
• Cloths you can dampen to wipe ash off skin and fur

Floods/Hurricanes

• Dry bags
• Rain gear
• Life jackets (yes, you should have these even if you don’t have a boat)
• Mosquito repellent

An additional consideration? “Keep pets away from standing water,” Betteiger adds. “It may be contaminated.”

Earthquakes

“These tools help if you need to clear debris or escape collapsed structures,” Kilburn says.

• Crowbar
• Dust mask
• Steel-toed boots
• Work gloves

Winter storms

• Hand and foot warmers
• Pet sweaters and jackets
• Portable thermos
• Thermal blanket

“Also pack pet-safe ice melt to clear bathroom paths,” Betteiger adds.

Does each family member need their own bag?

Yes. Even the 4-year-old who thinks gummy bears are a food group. “Every person in your household should have their own go bag,” Kilburn says. “That includes children and pets.”

For babies and toddlers, include diapers, wipes, formula, a favorite toy, a blanket and size-appropriate clothing. And update that bag every six months—kids grow faster than you think.

And pets have their own go-bag requirements. “Pets face the same risks as humans—hypothermia, dehydration and disorientation,” Batteiger says. “Don’t wait until a disaster is at your doorstep to plan.”

• 5- to 10-day supply of food
• Collapsible bowls
• Medication and vet records
• Comfort item (blanket or toy)
• Leash or carrier (practice with them!)
• GPS collar or Airtag
• Waste bags or litter box

Where should you store an emergency go bag?

Inside your home, near an exit—not buried in the back of your closet behind your wedding dress and tax files.

“I store my family’s bags high on hooks in our laundry room,” Gold says. “It connects to our garage and is easy to access.”

Avoid garages if they get too hot, and definitely avoid cars for long-term storage. Kilburn explains: “Long-term trunk heating will degrade the items in the go bag over time.” Store it inside your house, ideally near an exit, where you can grab it in 30 seconds or less.

How often should you check and update it?

Short answer: More than never.

Long answer: Review your bag every three to six months. Here’s what to check.

• Expiration dates on food and meds
• Battery function
• Seasonal clothing
• Updated sizes for kids and pets
• New medical or personal needs

“September is National Preparedness Month,” Gold says. “That’s a great annual reminder.”

Grab-and-go

Don’t forget: “All the gear in the world won’t help if you don’t know how to use it,” Kilburn says. Take a weekend afternoon to explore your emergency kit. Try the flashlight. Set up the tarp. See if your 4-year-old can carry their mini backpack without turning into a drama llama.

Another option is to take a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) or preparedness class in your neighborhood. That’s what my husband did, and he’s now certified to help as an emergency responder. (No more Dave & Buster’s!)

Because when it comes to emergencies, confidence is key—and confidence comes from preparation. As Kilburn puts it: “Disasters do not wait for your bag to catch up.”

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on what to pack in an emergency go bag, Charlotte Hilton Andersen tapped her experience as a longtime journalist who often covers knowledge, common curiosities and communication for Reader’s Digest. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Daniel Kilburn, founder of Emergency Action Planning, retired U.S. Army drill sergeant and disaster-readiness consultant; phone interview, Sept. 13, 2025
• Sean Gold, emergency management expert and founder of TruePrepper; phone interview, Sept. 13, 2025
• Amber Batteiger, animal-welfare and disaster-relief expert at Embrace Pet Insurance; email interview, Sept. 12, 2025
• AP News: “Survey: 3.3 million U.S. adults displaced by natural disasters”
• Ready.gov/kit

Lesser-Known Weather Terms to Know

Mistakes to Avoid During a Hurricane

How to Escape a Car That's Sinking

The post Here’s What You Really Need to Pack in Your Emergency Go Bag appeared first on Reader's Digest.

The post QUIZ: Would You Know What to Do During a Natural Disaster? Test Your Survival Skills Here appeared first on Reader's Digest.