The Spruce

The Spruce is an innovative home-focused website that provides useful, everyday advice and inspiration to help you build your ideal living space. Whether you want to update your bathroom tiles, enhance your baking abilities, master a new craft, or just get through your chores, The Spruce is here to guide you. We make transforming your home enjoyable and straightforward. Together, we can refresh your surroundings, elevate your cooking, and brighten up your life.

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I Swear By This $6 Cleaning Spray That Makes My Home Smell Like Flowers for a Week

21 hours ago | thespruce.com | Jane Kim

Cleaning can often feel like a dreaded chore when you think about the long list of places you need to tackle and what tools you're going to need. However, when you have one tool you can rely on for everything, it makes the whole process a lot simpler and streamlined. My one go-to tool for tackling every single room in my home is Mrs.Meyer's Lavender Probiotic Multi-Surface Cleaner.
The Best Firm Mattresses of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

1 day ago | thespruce.com | Heather Adams

The Spruce “Firm” doesn’t sound very inviting, but a firm mattress can be surprisingly comfortable for those who frequently wake up feeling achy. As we discovered firsthand while testing more than 40 mattresses over the last three years, firm doesn’t always mean super firm. Rather, the best firm mattresses blend supportive bases with softness and body-conforming cushioning to keep you aligned, comfortable, and wonderfully well-rested.
We Tested the 6 Best Keyless Door Locks to Keep Your Home Safe

1 day ago | thespruce.com | Anton Galang

In This ArticleOur Top PicksHow We Tested the Keyless Door LocksWhat to Look ForStandout FeaturesOne More ThingWhy Trust The Spruce Most traditional types of locks still serve their purpose throughout our homes, but keyless door locks can add a lot of exciting benefits for the modern household.
This One Mulching Mistake May Cost You Your Plants This Spring, Gardeners Say

1 day ago | thespruce.com | Jane Kim

Mulching too much directly onto your plants can lead to excess moisture that can result in fungal diseases and unwanted pests. Always leave enough space around your plant, like around 1 inch, when mulching to give some additional airflow. Leave the grass clippings alone from the first time you mow your lawn, so they can act as a natural mulch. Mulch is a gardening material that often helps protect tree roots, controls weeds, prevents erosion, and helps retain moisture levels.
I Visited Martha Stewart's Favorite Botanic Garden and I've Never Seen a Greenhouse Like It

3 days ago | thespruce.com | Jenny Hughes

Last week, garden and cooking maven Martha Stewart made a visit to the Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. Nothing about this surprised me—Longwood Gardens is one of the top botanic gardens in the United States. US News and Reports named it number one only a few weeks ago. In her blog post, Stewart encouraged her readers to visit, and I couldn’t agree more. Last spring I made a trip to Philadelphia and set aside a few hours to go see the Longwood Gardens. Here’s why it’s worth the trip.
Dwarf Rhododendrons Bloom More Than Their Taller Versions—14 Varieties You Should Grow

4 days ago | thespruce.com | Tessa Cooper

Dwarf rhododendrons may be small in stature, but their bold and beautiful blooms command attention. While some rhododendron varieties can grow as tall as 20 feet, these petite plants only tower one to three feet at full maturity. Sometimes referred to as dwarf azaleas, these shrubs are great for adding height variance to garden beds with taller plants scattered in. But just be sure these shrubs don't get overshadowed.
Are You Harvesting Your Chives the Right Way? What to Know Before Your Next Batch

4 days ago | thespruce.com | Barbara Gillette

You can harvest chives once they're about 6 inches tall. You can harvest chives more than once, and herbs in their first year of growth actually thrive after being cut a few times. Freshly harvested chives can be kept fresh in a glass container for up to 10 days. Chives are perennial herbs that infuse mild onion or garlic flavor into just about any savory dish prepared in your kitchen.
The Buck Stops Here: 7 Ways to Keep Deer Out of Your Yard So They Don't Eat Your Plants

4 days ago | thespruce.com | Barbara Gillette

Your garden is an irresistible buffet for foraging deer, especially in spring and autumn. An adult white-tail eats up to ten pounds of vegetation every day. Discouraging hungry deer is a challenge, particularly in urban areas where they've gotten used to human traffic. But they are skittish, frighten easily, and flee when startled. Here are 7 methods to help keep your yard and gardens safe. Want more gardening tips?
We're Not Washing Towels Even Close to Often Enough—What a Laundry Pro Recommends

5 days ago | thespruce.com | Cori Sears

How often you wash towels varies by the type of towel. Pool and beach towels should be washed after every use. Hand and kitchen towels should be washed every other day or so. Bath towels can be washed every three to five uses as long as they dry out completely between uses. From hand towels in the kitchen and bathroom to bath towels and more, we come into contact with towels regularly throughout the day.
8 Gravel Driveway Edging Ideas for Instantly Better Curb Appeal on a Budget

5 days ago | thespruce.com | Cori Sears

Gravel driveways offer an affordable, practical, and long-lasting alternative to asphalt or poured concrete. They are particularly advantageous for homeowners with long, winding driveways. Proper installation and maintenance are key to creating an attractive and durable gravel driveway, which includes edging. Luckily, edging your gravel driveway doesn’t have to cost a fortune (even if you’ve got lots of ground to cover!).