This Could Be the Smartest Cleaning Tool That We’ve Seen Yet

The majority of the time, I swear by tidying up my kitchen, bathrooms, car, and windows with my stack of affordable, effective, and reusable microfiber towels. But I admit that there are many occasions where I still reach for paper towels. 

Yes, I know they’re not the most sustainable choice in the cleaning universe. But there are some jobs in which I’m wiping up things that I’d rather not toss into the laundry with my pajamas and jeans, say, bacon grease, raw meat drippings, gloppy nut butter and jam, red wine, or oil splatters and spills. Thankfully, social media knows me better than I know myself sometimes, and when a brilliant cleaning tool came across my for you page in 2023, I knew I had found my new kitchen clean-up best friend. 

Simplehuman Standing Paper Towel Holder

I first spotted simplehuman Standing Paper Towel Holder with Spray Pump in February 2023 when Claire Edwards (@theclairenecessities) clued her followers in about “the star of her last cooking video” — this $70 paper towel holder. I know, $70 is a lot for a paper towel holder.

But stick with me here. I, too, was skeptical at first glance, but after watching Claire’s demo and seeing other TikToks about the tool, this is pure genius. In fact, this is certainly the most elegantly-designed paper towel holder I’ve come across in all of my 37 years on this planet. In addition to doing exactly what you might guess, holding a roll of paper towels, it also has several brilliant bonus features.

The first two are visible at first look: The balanced tension arm provides just enough resistance so it’s a breeze to rip off just as many pieces of my select-a-size roll as needed — with a single hand and without unraveling the whole roll. And secondly, the hook finger loop atop the center spoke makes it easy to tote the paper towels to wherever the mess is — only one index finger required.

But I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet. The real magic is hiding in that center pole. And here’s where the $70 price starts to feel like a value. Press that down, and you’ll discover a hidden 6-ounce spray pump that is designed to produce a continuous fine mist of cleaning spray. To use this feature, I just add a multi-surface cleaning tablet to the reservoir, top it off with water, and once the tablet is dissolved, I have enough for over 100 sprays. The brand notes that this multi-surface cleaner is safe on all home surfaces, and I’ve had great success with using it on everything from granite to stainless steel to the glass shelves in my refrigerator.

This genius paper towel holder comes in four stainless steel colors — black, brass, brushed, and white, so it can match any kitchen’s decor. I love that it looks like a regular old paper towel holder, but it’s so much better.

And while you still might be thinking that $70 for a paper towel holder is far too much, I have to say: It’s quite possibly the best $70 I’ve ever spent. 

Shop More Cleaning Tools at Amazon: 

10-Pack Swedish Dishcloths

Cuisinart Grill Brush

O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop

Black+Decker Dustbuster

Scrub Daddy 3-Pack

At the time of publishing the price was $70.