25 years of great advice from REAL SIMPLE

In honor of our silver anniversary, we scoured the archives to bring you the smartest, most surprising advice from our pages. We hope these tips make your life a little, well, simpler.

- MELISSA MATTHEWS

Our Best CLEANING ADVICE

Fix Sticky Baseboards with a Dryer Sheet

Bathroom baseboards are magnets for dirt, dust, and hair, especially if you use styling products that attract schmutz. The solution: Wipe your baseboards with a microfiber cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol, which helps break down tacky residue. (Test a small patch first to make sure the alcohol doesn't damage the finish. If you're concerned, just use a bit of water-and do a little more scrubbing.) After the area is clean and dry, run a dryer sheet along the baseboard. It'll leave behind a waxy coating that helps repel staticky hair.

Turn Packing Tape into a Duster

Fabric lampshades are notoriously hard to dust. You could vacuum them, or you could use packing tape, says Maeve Richmond, founder of the organizing company Maeve's Method in New York City. Press a piece onto the shade and pull it back up. Bonus tip: Make a ring around your hand with the sticky side out and tap along the bottom of a drawer to pick up crumbs.

Clean Your Shower Right After You Use It

Immediately after you towel off, spritz and wipe down your shower. This way, the soap scum won't have a chance to settle in, and the steam from your shower will have loosened any grime and mildew.

Give Wooden Cutting Boards a Salt Scrub