I Tested This Space-Saving 2-in-1 Cleaning Tool, and It’s a Game Changer for Wiping Out Kitchen Messes

One thing you can’t avoid in the kitchen — no matter how careful you are — is making a mess. Whether that’s a knocked-over cup of coffee, splatter from cooking bacon, or juice from a particularly ripe lime, you’re always going to need to have some household cleaning products on hand to take care of business. Unfortunately, these aren’t the most pleasant home products to look at, so most of us end up stashing our cleaning gear in a cabinet, under the sink, in a closet, or in another room altogether. However, while the unattractive bottles of Windex and bulky cylinders of Clorox wipes are out of sight, that also means that these products aren’t always within reach for quick cleanups. Recently, I found a gadget from the genius team at Simplehuman that lets you keep a spray bottle of household cleaning solution right on your countertop — without anyone knowing. Allow me to introduce you to the new Paper Towel Pump.

While cleaning gadgets aren’t exactly the most exciting products to test and review, I’ve gotta say, I can’t think of any cooler addition to my apartment’s cleanup arsenal than this bad boy. It’s essentially the same sleek, single-arm paper towel holder that you know and love from Simplehuman, but with one secret twist: The center core of the paper towel rod pops out and serves as a spray bottle for household cleaning solution! Now, whenever I inevitably spill something on my countertop, I just grab a paper towel, pop out the hidden spray bottle, and take care of business. 

The gadget also rocks as just, well, a paper towel holder. Until I snagged the Paper Towel Pump, I was using a dinky little metal rod situation that I picked up for a buck at IKEA when I moved into my place. That meant I had to hold it steady every time I wanted to rip off a sheet, and it still ended up tearing and unraveling all the time. With the Paper Towel Pump, the solid base and tension arm put a stop to both of those things, with just enough resistance to tear off one sheet at a time with one hand. The pump is super easy to use, too, with a smooth action and a 6-ounce pump reservoir that holds over 175 pumps. And, you don’t have to worry about accidentally knocking over the base and having the pump roll away, since the tube locks in place with a simple push-to-lock, push-to-unlock mechanism. 

And, if you’re not in the mood to precariously pour a bottle of store-bought cleaner into the neck of the inner pump (guilty) you can pick up a pack of Simplehuman’s concentrated citrus grapefruit multi-surface cleaning tablets, which completely dissolve in water to make a powerful solution that’ll make short work of errant grease and grime, and also be safe for all household surfaces.One cleaning tablet makes 6 ounces of cleaner, too, which is precisely how much the pump’s reservoir holds. (No measuring!)

If you’re ready to upgrade your countertop cleaning gear — and save some space while you’re at it — there’s no better move than picking up Simplehuman’s new Paper Towel Pump. It can’t prevent you from dropping an entire bowl of cereal at 1:00 a.m., but it will help you clean it up in style.