Blog Posts by Good Housekeeping

Keep your home germ-free with these tips for cleaning your home1. Underside of Rugs
To remove dust and dirt that's gone deep down into the rug, simply flip it over and vacuum the underside.

2. Blinds
The material they're made of - metal, wood, or fabric - determines how you dust them. For metal blinds, wipe with a sock lightly dampened with water or multi-purpose cleaner. For wood blinds follow the same procedure using only a little tap water. Do not overwet the wood and be sure to buff dry right away. For fabric blinds, go over the blinds with a dry microfiber cloth.

3. Credit Cards
These everyday essentials get handled by lots of people, and germs can lurk in the crevices around the numbers. Give debit and credit cards a quick cleaning with an alcohol wipe and let them air dry before placing them back in your wallet.

Related: How To Speed Clean Your Bathroom In Just Minutes

4. Kitchen Trash Can
Clean your can or the plastic liner in your utility room sink, the shower, or outside. (Be sure to

Try these helpful hints for a successful marriageEveryone knows successful marriages take work but wouldn't it be great if we could uncover a secret formula to marital bliss? It turns out, researchers have done just that! Read on to discover small yet powerful ways to improve your marriage.

Your "how-we-met" story speaks volumes.
Next time someone at a dinner party asks, "How did you two meet?" pay attention to how you respond. Your answer can predict whether your marriage will make it, says John Gottman, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Washington, Seattle's Family Research Laboratory (aka "The Love Lab").

Gottman took oral histories from 52 couples married an average of five years, analyzed their stories and physiological responses, and checked back with the couples in three years. Their story predicted with 94 percent accuracy which couples would stay together. (The figure was 88 percent in a separate study in which Gottman followed newlyweds.) Happy couples spoke with laughter and nostalgia, even when

Tea KettleYear-round, we drink tea-the beverage that results from steeping leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in water. The plant, native to Asia, has been consumed in China for at least 3,000 years. Of course, tea has since spread to the west, and in the U.S. dozens of jars of tea leaves line the shelves of specialty shops. Still, a mystique clings to tea. We drink it for health, taste, warming in the winter, and cooling in the summer. Here are five things you may not have known about the ancient beverage:

1. All tea comes from the same plant.
White, green, and black teas all come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, an evergreen. Leaves are picked every one to two weeks, depending on the kind of tea desired. Whether the tea is white, green, or black depends on how the leaves are processed and oxidized. Herbal teas, such as mint or chamomile, are a separate category (tisanes). So are red teas, made from a shrubby plant native to South Africa.

Related: 5 Drinks to Warm You Up

BreadThat's the question on many people's minds considering everyone from The New York Times reporters to Miley Cyrus are pondering the merits of a GF diet. But the answer, it turns out, isn't so simple.

For some people, about 1% of the population with celiac disease, eating foods with gluten causes severe damage to the lining of their intestines, which can lead to a host of uncomfortable symptoms as well as an increased risk of cancer. For them, avoiding gluten is crucial and no amount is safe. Families living with someone who has celiac disease have to take special precautions to avoid cross-contamination, say by devoting a toaster to gluten free foods and by taking care not to use the same serving utensils for dishing out foods that contain gluten along with foods that don't.

Far more people suffer from gluten sensitivity, a condition with complaints that range from headaches to fatigue to diarrhea. Doctors aren't sure why, but these people also feel better after removing

Sleep BetterScientists like their zzz's just as much as you do - and have put their (hopefully well-rested) brains to studying what really helps you get a good night's sleep.

1. Pump it Up
Regular aerobic exercise - bicycling, walking at a moderate pace, swimming laps - for 30 to 40 minutes, four times a week, improves sleep quality. You can break it up into two 20-minute sessions if that fits better into your life. But don't schedule it in the evening; while exercise helps regulate your sleep/wake cycle, the stimulation that comes from a workout in the three hours before bedtime may cancel the benefit.

2. Combine Carbs and Proteins
Carbohydrates help your brain use tryptophan, an amino acid that causes sleepiness. And proteins help your body build tryptophan. Get the duo in a light bedtime snack of peanut butter on toast or low-fat cheese and crackers.

3. Choose Cherry
The fruit is rich in melatonin, which helps the body regulate its sleep/wake cycle. When study participants drank eight

These 18 terms will help you know more to maintain healthy hair.1. Amino Acids
Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are commonly found in shampoos, conditioners, and leave-in products. The acids are small and make up keratin, the key structural component of hair and nails, allowing them to penetrate deep into the hair shaft to repair and strengthen.

2. Beeswax
Beeswax is a common ingredient in pomades and creams. "It can also be used to help with emulsification to provide rich cream formulations of many uses," says Rolf Mast, chemist with Number 4 Haircare. Beeswax protects hair from moisture loss and environmental damage, while also providing volume and sheen.

3. Blow-dry Cream/Thermal Protection
Often sold as a cream or gel, it's a must-have product for anyone who styles hair with heat three to five times a week, as repeated use of hot styling tools depletes hair of moisture and natural oils over time. A blow-dry cream offers stronger protection than a traditional leave-in conditioner.

4. De-tangler

Personally, I don't understand people who dislike chocolate. Alas, they're out there and I always think about them this time of year. Valentine's Day is a chocolate-lover's dream! But what if your someone special doesn't find something special about a beautiful box of chocolate or handmade truffles?

No need to panic. I'm faced with this question every February, as my dashing boyfriend is not a chocolate eater. Here are some chocolate-free Valentine's Day treat ideas I've accrued over time. Whip up 1 (or 3!) to show your sweetheart just how much you love them…weird food aversions and all!

Rice Krispie Treat

1. Giant Rice Krispies Treat Heart (my personal favorite!)

Melt 1/2 stick unsalted butter in a large pot. Add 1 bag mini marshmallows and cook until melted. Remove from heat. Fold in 6 to 7 cups Rice Krispies cereal. Pour out onto a parchment paper-lined surface and shape/flatten into a giant heart with greased hands. Decorate as desired. Mine was 15-inches wide at the top!

2. Mini

We found designer pieces we love (and their more affordable alternatives) to help you create a beautiful home on any budget.

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