Here's what made us look this week

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What made us look today

Sleep

Why Hotel Pillows Feel Different (It's Not What You Think)

Most of us assume there's an expensive mattress behind that check-in-night feeling. There usually isn't. It comes from a handful of small habits, and you can copy almost all of them tonight.

By the Made Us Look team · October 19, 2026 · 4 min read

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  1. HomeQUIZWhich Is Dirtier? 7 Germ Spots at HomeHands scrubbing a part under the tap at a kitchen sink, with a sponge on the edge
  2. BodyQUIZFoot Facts or Fiction? 7 SurprisesBare feet standing on a warm wooden floor in soft daylight
  3. GadgetsQUIZTravel Myth or Fact? Before You FlyA window seat on a plane with a pillow and a bottle of water
  4. SleepQUIZSleep Myth or Fact? 7 Things We Get WrongA cozy bedroom at night, lit by a warm bedside lamp next to an unmade bed
  5. KitchenQUIZHow Long Does Your Food Really Last?An open home refrigerator with leftovers, eggs, soup and a pie inside
  6. Sleep · Partner storyThese Antimicrobial Sheets Changed My LifeA bed with light grey sheets turned back in soft morning light

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Bare feet standing on a warm wooden floor in soft daylightNew this week

This week’s quiz · Question 1 of 7

True or false: your feet can get bigger as you get older.

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This week

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An open dishwasher neatly loaded with plates, bowls and glasses

Kitchen

The Dishwasher Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes

Rinsing first, cramming it full, never touching the filter. Small habits explain most cloudy glasses and gritty plates, and fixing them costs nothing.

3 min read

A glass jar of cotton swabs on a white bathroom shelf

Body

The Surprising Science of Earwax (And Why Cotton Swabs Are a Bad Idea)

Earwax isn't dirt. It's a self-cleaning system your ears run all on their own, and the most popular way of 'cleaning' them can actually cause problems.

3 min read

Bare feet standing on a warm wooden floor in soft daylight

Body

Why Your Feet Hurt More After 30

You didn't do anything different, but suddenly a day on your feet hurts more than it used to. Your feet change with age in ways most of us never hear about.

3 min read

A neatly made bed in a quiet hotel room at night with one bedside lamp on

Sleep

Why You Sleep Worse the First Night Somewhere New

Hotel, guest room or holiday rental: the first night is almost always the worst. It isn't the mattress. Part of your brain is quietly keeping watch.

3 min read

An open carry-on suitcase neatly packed with rolled clothes and packing cubes

Gadgets

The Travel Hacks Flight Attendants Actually Use

People who fly for a living have turned packing, sleeping and surviving long days in the air into a routine. These are the habits cabin crew mention again and again.

3 min read

A stack of soft, fluffy white and grey bath towels on a bathroom shelf

Home

Why Your Towels Stopped Being Fluffy, and How to Fix It

New towels feel like a hotel. A few months later they're stiff, flat and somehow less absorbent. The cause is usually in the washing machine, not the towel.

2 min read

One thing a day that made us stop scrolling.

Made Us Look is a small team testing the everyday habits, tools and tricks that make home life easier, from better sleep to a kitchen that works with you. To keep Made Us Look free and keep finding new ways to improve your days, we partner with brands we trust. Those stories are always marked, and we may earn when you buy through them.

  • Free to read, alwaysNo paywall and no sign-up to read a story or take a quiz.
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