A minority of kitchen habits remain just as ingenious two decades after they first aired. However, not every tip comes from Martha Stewart.
A resurfaced archival video from Martha's Turkey Hill home in Westport, Connecticut, shows the original influencer making light work of her kitchen cleaning. Her secret? A rubber scraper, metal scraper, and warm towel power trio.
'As with all household chores, there are utensils that are available that make the job easier and are right for the job. If you have a messy counter after you've rolled out pastry or made bread dough, it's easy to clean up if you have one of these scrapers,' Martha says.
'This kind of metal scraper [like this one from Amazon] is excellent for cleaning butcher block countertops or bread boards. It just scrapes it clean.'
Martha then tackles marble or metal kitchen countertops, much like the stainless steel surfaces in her own home.
'If you have a metal or marble countertop, use one of these little rubber scrapers [similar to this one on Amazon]. Just push everything into a pile. This does not scratch. It doesn't mark. Just pull it all off into your hand, and throw it away,' she says.
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Alongside using a scraper to easily clean up cooking debris, Martha recommends wiping down our counters with a classic towel, just like this chip option from Target. What we shouldn't use, she says, is a paper towel.
'Remember, we think about the environment and about ecology. I always use a damp towel like this – a damp dish towel to wipe up my counter. I keep it rinsed and warm at my side while I'm working in the kitchen,' Martha explains.
'These kitchen appliances last a lot longer and look a lot better if they are cleaned up after every use. So this dish towel and those scrapers make clean up very simple.'
You can shop for Martha's essentials, and some of our favorite kitchen towel picks below.
The starting tool you need to tidy your counters in seconds. This scraper is made from food-grade silicone and ABS, with both durability and practicality in mind. The uses, as Martha demonstrates, are endless.
Crafted from thickened stainless steel, this heavy-duty bench scraper is rust-resistant and built to withstand years of use. Made from knife-grade steel, it features a precision-beveled edge that strikes the perfect balance between sharpness and safety.
Crafted from 100% cotton, this kitchen towel combines a soft feel with impressive absorbency. Perfect for everything from drying dishes and glassware to tackling spills and everyday kitchen tasks, it's an indispensable staple.
For those who prefer to refresh their dish towels regularly, this Amazon set is an easy choice. The lightweight, basket-woven cloths are exceptionally absorbent, dry in a flash, and tackle spills without leaving behind lint or streaks.
This eco-friendly alternative to traditional paper towels comes with our seal of approval. Each pack includes three beautifully patterned cloths, proving that sustainable kitchen essentials can be just as stylish as they are practical.
This set offers the best of both worlds: two solid towels crafted from highly absorbent cotton for tackling spills and cleaning tasks, alongside durable, cotton-rich towels that are perfectly suited to everyday chores in the kitchen.
Martha’s decades-old home ecology advice feels more relevant than ever today. Swapping out a never-ending cycle of paper towels for reusable alternatives is a win for both the environment and your counter's longevity. It's no wonder this tip has prevailed.
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