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Important Note: We updated this article in December 2022 to remove The Laundress Wool and Cashmere Shampoo, which was recently included in a list of recalled products by the company. Visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website for more information on this recall and a full list of affected products.
The results are in for this year’s Good Housekeeping Best Cleaning & Organizing Awards! Because it’s hard to keep a home clean without a little organization, for our fourth annual Cleaning Awards, our experts decided to include cleaning and organizing products. With over 1,000 of our GH+ consumer testers, our experts evaluated 209 products across dozens of different categories, including vacuum cleaners, washing machines, laundry detergents and dish soaps, plus organizers for your kitchen drawers, closet organizers and more. Here are our 65 all-star winners.
MEET THE EXPERTS
Carolyn Fortè
Jodhaira Rodriguez
Alec Scherma
How We Tested
Our Institute experts and 1,036 of our consumer testers worked their way through 209 submissions to choose the winners of this year’s Cleaning & Organizing Awards. In our Home Care and Cleaning Lab, we spent just over three months testing every single product, using testing protocols that have been adopted from industry standards and developed by our experts, including how well a robot vacuum cleans different types of flooring, a stain remover removes stains and a grill cleaner cuts grease and grime from grill grates. Each product submission also included an application, which was carefully reviewed with special attention paid to responses to questions about innovation, consumer appeal and breakthrough features. We even reviewed product labels and company websites for ingredients and suspicious claims.
Products were also shipped to our consumer testers who provided extensive feedback about how well they worked, what they loved, didn’t love and pictures from their testing too. In all, over 18,000 data points were collected, reviewed and tabulated to select only the best of the best in cleaning and organizing.
Top Kitchen Champs
Pre-moistened wipes are a convenient way to clean, but leaving them out for quick jobs is usually not the most decorative option. Biom has changed that with its discreet and chic refillable canister, which comes in four colors.
LAB RESULTS: We found Biom’s plant-based wipes are a great solution for grease-splattered counters and cooktops. The stylish canister’s magnetic lid keeps the wipes moist and refills cut down on plastic waste too.
Kitchen smells have a way of wafting well beyond the heart of the home. Just leave and come back and you’ll remember the bacon you made for breakfast. The new Febreze Air kitchen spray tackles tough kitchen and food odors.
LAB RESULTS: With a light spritz, it zapped the smell of fish, and a spray in the trash made stinky garbage odors history too. A tester said it nixed garlic and onion odors pronto.
Countertops take a beating in busy kitchens. To keep them up to the task and looking good, they should be cleaned and protected. Granite Gold’s formula cleans and polishes and works on granite, quartz, marble and more.
LAB RESULTS: It not only cleaned dirt and stains, but also left test surfaces super smooth and with a subtle sheen. It works along with your sealer, and on our lab tables, spills beaded up after we used it. Said one tester, “The final result was beautiful!”
No sooner do you clean your kitchen sink than spots and stains are back. But Hope’s Perfect Sink will make you rethink how you care for all the sinks in your home.
LAB RESULTS: In our tests, its non-scratching formula cleaned away grime and marks fast and rinsed off without leaving a gritty residue. It left our stainless steel and solid-surface sinks shiny and helped water drain faster to repel water spots.
A sticky issue with kitchen cabinets is that you don’t realize how tacky they can be until you touch them. Parker & Bailey’s cream cuts grease while protecting the finish.
LAB RESULTS: A longtime GH and consumer favorite, this silky formula easily restored a smooth feel and a warm glow to a wooden range hood surround that was laden with greasy dust.
Popular in kitchens, stainless steel is stunning — when it’s clean. Use the wrong cleaning product, though, and all you see are streaks. Therapy Clean zaps existing marks and helps ward off new ones.
LAB RESULTS: This plant-based stainless steel cleaner, formulated with lavender oil, cleaned without a lot of buffing. It even helped a fridge that wasn’t fingerprint-resistant stay cleaner longer.
Garbage disposals can get smelly fast, stinking up not just your sink but the space around it too. Lemi Shine‘s garbage disposal cleaner requires no scrubbing, has a pleasant citrus scent and is done in less than five minutes.
LAB RESULTS: The foaming action made it easy to tell when clean up was done and it even flushed gunk out from under the rubber collar of a tester’s disposal at home.
Savvy Storage Solutions
Clear containers make finding what you need easy. And when they are as gorgeous as these from Ball, you’ll want them in full view.
LAB RESULTS: Wide mouths and flat tops make these glass jars easy to fill and stack. The seal is airtight, so foods stay fresh — it’s so tight, in fact, that not a speck of dust from one tester’s kitchen reno got inside.
Keep your flatware orderly and accessible with Oxo’s expanding drawer organizer.
LAB RESULTS: This plastic caddy extends nine inches, so serving utensils stay handy too. Removable inserts make it easy to take forks, etc., from the drawer to the table without handling them.
If you’re not careful, a bottom freezer can quickly turn into a bottomless pit. YouCopia’s sturdy bin comes with four adjustable dividers to hold frozen snacks, veggies and more so they are easy to sort, see and grab.
LAB RESULTS: We filled it with ice cream treats, tossed the bulky boxes and freed up tons of space for other items.
Best Bathroom Performers
Organizers with divided sections are helpful, but ever wish you could configure them to better fit your own stash? Now you can. Poke A Dot’s box comes with eight mini dividers you position where you need them to hold makeup, desk tools, craft supplies and more securely in place.
LAB RESULTS: We like the flexibility this box offers and that it can be readjusted to hold new items. The tight lid makes it good for travel.
Sensitive Home offers cleaners for those with respiratory, skin and other sensitivities. This work-saving spray is fragrance-free and 100% USDA Certified Biobased and EPA Safer Choice certified.
LAB RESULTS: A quick spritz every day kept a tub clean, shiny and without a speck of soap scum for weeks. We were impressed, and our consumer testers agreed, rating it a top cleaner in the bathroom category.
Though it’s not exactly a cleaning product, we’re recognizing Outlines here for all the cleaning it saves! You receive a new liner every three, six or nine months (depending on your subscription preference), snap it in place and return the used one for recycling. Smart!
LAB RESULTS: We’re huge fans. It is easy to install, comes with or without hooks and doesn’t billow into the tub.
Disinfecting wipes are a must-have in any cleaning arsenal, especially in the bathroom, and these new ones from Lysol are made from 100% plant-based fibers. They sanitize hard surfaces in 10 seconds and disinfect in four minutes, killing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.
LAB RESULTS: We liked the size and cleaning power and that they are 95% USDA Certified Biobased.
This new spray from Clorox uses a refillable bottle and pod system. Buy the bottle once, add water, then twist on the pod to release the concentrate into the bottle.
LAB RESULTS: Other refillable bath cleaners we’ve tested haven’t impressed us, but Clorox is a bathroom cleaning expert, and this system helps reduce plastic waste by 80%.
These pesky marks pop up wherever moisture lingers and, while most common in the bathroom, can surface anywhere. CLR’s formula tackles stains in minutes.
LAB RESULTS: CLR did a great job zapping mildew stains in bathrooms and even on a painted garage wall. One tester who used it on her boat said she practically sailed through cleaning it without hard scrubbing.
Mini toiletries, tweezers and other utensils make organizing a bathroom challenging. mDesign’s clear plastic pantry drawers are right at home in this room too, corralling small tubes, jars and more so they stay neat and handy.
LAB RESULTS: We found these stackable drawers life-changing in a bathroom vanity cabinet. They come in multiple sizes, but even the smallest is roomy and maximizes space.
First Place Floor Faves
This new category is taking floor cleaning by storm. Now you can pick up dry debris and wet spills and wash your floors at the same time.
LAB RESULTS: A winner in our last review of vacuum mops, the Dreametech picked up spills quickly and ramped up suction when it needed to. It was also quiet, had a long run time and was easy to maneuver.
While it’s safe to occasionally wet-clean hardwood floors, it’s important to use the right solution. Bona knows how to care for wood, and this new formula is specially designed to work in all the newest wet/dry vacuum mops.
LAB RESULTS: In our tests, this Bona formula cleaned and shined our test hardwoods, dried quickly and left no residue.
Robot mops and vacuums are getting smarter, but Dreametech’s model is like nothing we’ve seen. It sucks up dry dirt, wet-mops with two spinning pads and washes and dries the pads when it’s done. Move over, Rosie!
LAB RESULTS: We couldn’t contain ourselves. Beautifully designed, the Dreametech worked like a charm and was easy to use.
Full-Featured Canister Vacuum Cleaner
Kenmore Pet Friendly Pop-N-Go Canister Vacuum
Now 10% Off
A versatile vacuum is a must for homes with lots of different surfaces to clean. This Kenmore canister vacuum stashes all its attachments — even a motorized tool for pet hair — on board and has a floor brush that pops up with the press of a button. No more lost tools!
LAB RESULTS: This machine aced our floor-cleaning tests. Simple controls, big wheels and a telescoping wand made it easy to use. Its disposable dust bag and sealed system are a plus for allergy sufferers, as they keep dust where it should stay, inside the vacuum.
Stick vacs are convenient but messy to empty, and the tools are, well, who knows where? LG’s CordZero All in One solves these issues and more.
LAB RESULTS: We applaud its design and performance. The dust is emptied automatically, the tools stash inside and it charges a second battery. One tester said, “I think I have a new love, and it’s a vacuum.”
About the size of a small cooler and as easy to carry, Miele’s Boost sets a new standard for compact canisters. Its jumbo wheels make it very maneuverable, and a large dust bin is easy to empty.
LAB RESULTS: We were wowed by its pick-up performance and all the high-end features packed into this vacuum. Bravo for the HEPA filter, cord rewind, parquet floor brush tool and extendable wand.
The first vacuum in Eureka’s new Innova line, the NEU700 has large wheels, a 30-foot cord, headlights to illuminate your cleaning path and washable HEPA filter. It’s easy to maneuver and comes packed with tools.
LAB RESULTS: Our consumers loved that this vacuum was ready to go after a quick, easy assembly. In our lab tests, it picked up debris well on low- and medium-pile carpets and bare floors and nabbed every crumb even along the edges that are hard to reach.
This little guy from Lupe packs a lot of charm in a small box. It can be used as an upright or handheld vacuum, comes with three attachments to tackle messes from floor to ceiling and on-board storage for all the included tools. Built to last, most parts and accessories can be purchased online as needed.
LAB RESULTS: This lightweight (just over 10 lbs as an upright, 1 lb as a handheld) vacuum wowed our expert with its powerful suction, easy to use attachments and sleek look. One consumer tester said, “I would 100% buy this.”
Super Stain Busters
This new Method spray has plant-based ingredients and tackles stains and odors on household fabrics like carpet and upholstery.
LAB RESULTS: Just spritz, wait 10 minutes and blot. For one tester, it removed old stains nothing else could. Two others said they would definitely buy it.
We’ve known for years that the Bissell Little Green carpet and upholstery cleaner is a winner, and now — thanks to TikTok — it’s back in the spotlight.
LAB RESULTS: It’s easy to tote and store, with strong suction that pulls spills from carpets fast, and it cleans furniture without overwetting it.
Spot-Chasing Deep Cleaner
Hoover SmartWash PET Complete Automatic Carpet Cleaner
Now 16% Off
Cleaning carpets at home usually means first having to find and pretreat stains. Hoover’s new carpet cleaning machine ends the bending once and for all.
LAB RESULTS: The pullout spray wand with its on-board container of oxy stain solution is genius. Now it’s easy to zap stains as soon as you see them.
Ace Laundry All-Stars
GH Seal star Tide once again came out on top of all detergents we tested. This new Power Pods version has oxi stain fighters and odor eliminators.
LAB RESULTS: Tide Ultra Oxi did better than the other detergents in our test at erasing grass, wine and chocolate syrup from our cotton test swatches in warm and cold water. Testers praised it for its ability to remove odors. One said, “Made a huge difference. Amazing product!”
GE Profile’s new washer and dryer do everything short of loading the clothes for you. The washer is Alexa-enabled to help with stains, handle hard-to-wash fabrics, set the dryer, play a song and more. The dryer dispenses fabric freshener and syncs to the washer via the intuitive app.
LAB RESULTS: These large-capacity machines were easy to use and have technology to help prevent tangles. No more knotted sheets!
Almost like having a dry cleaner in your laundry room, Samsung’s Air Dresser steams, dries and sanitizes clothing and household items like plush toys and pillows.
LAB RESULTS: We love having this in the Lab. Easy to operate, it requires no plumbing and has many cycle options, and the mirrored front is perfect for primping. In our tests, it smoothed wrinkled cotton and even linen garments and dried wet ones thoroughly.
This pretreater from Carbona attacks stains on contact with help from its scrubber brush top. You can leave it on for 10 minutes before laundering.
LAB RESULTS: Carbona’s enzyme formula erased grass, red wine and ink stains on cotton swatches in warm and cold water. One tester exclaimed, “Thank you for introducing me to a new stain remover that works amazingly well.”
This innovative bottle from The Laundry Lab has three leak-proof compartments big enough to carry liquid laundry detergents, packs and fabric softener for multiple loads. The compartments are interchangeable and the handle can be used with just one or two compartments attached, if that’s all you need.
LAB RESULTS: We turned these upside down and shook them in all directions and had no leaks. Perfect for college dorms, trips to the laundromat or down the hall to your building’s laundry room, you can tuck in coins or anything else you need to tote along. And always keep it out of reach of children during use and when stored.
Closet Clearing Champs
Cove’s cool two-piece hanger system keeps long dresses in shape and off the closet floor.
LAB RESULTS: The one-click mechanism of this hanger was super simple and our reviewers thought so too, with one commenting “I have never seen another product like this. Ingenious idea!”
Neat Method’s slim, sturdy hangers, made from recycled plastic, maximize closet space. The rubbery coating grips slippery fabric.
LAB RESULTS: With four different color finishes and three size options, these hangers work well in closets with many different needs. We love how neat they made our closets look.
Dish-Cleaning Dynamos
Great-to-the-Last-Drop Dish Soap
Dawn EZ-Squeeze Platinum Dishwashing Liquid Dish Soap
Dawn is a time- and expert-tested top cleaner that carries our GH Seal. With its new EZ-Squeeze bottle, none gets wasted.
LAB RESULTS: This upside-down bottle works much better than others we’ve tested. It’s super easy to squeeze, even one-handed, and it’s simple to control how much is dispensed. Not a drop dripped on our counters.
Until now, automatic dish detergents were a hard nut for “green” brands to crack, as powerful chemistry is needed for good dishwasher cleaning and drying. Method has changed all that.
LAB RESULTS: In our tests, this plant- and mineral-based formula dissolved 48-hour-old dried-on soils. Two testers vowed to switch to it.
Drying dishes by hand is never fun, especially when you use a wimpy towel. Skoy’s 100% recycled polyester kitchen towel is like none we’ve ever seen. It’s hefty in your hand and dries items so fast, you’ll be done in no time.
LAB RESULTS: We think this towel is amazing, and our consumer testers did too. It left glassware sparkling and spot-free, held up well to washing and comes in nine colors and designs.
Leave it to Palmolive to shake things up in the dish-cleaning category. To make this DIY dish liquid, fill the bottle with warm water, pour in the gel concentrate and shake side to side to mix. So cool to see!
LAB RESULTS: The gel turns into 20 oz of dish soap with lasting suds that both cleans well and cuts grease. The reusable bottle is made of 100% recycled plastic.
Many consumers never remove their dishwasher filter to clean it. Beko fixed that by putting rinsing jets inside its dishwasher filter. Just press a button to start them. The lower spray arm goes deep into the corners for better coverage, and there are tons of other extras.
LAB RESULTS: In our tests, this dishwashing machine did a great job cleaning our crusty cookware. Loading was easy, and we fit in an extra nine glasses and one dinner plate in addition to our standard test load!
Washing dishes by hand has gotten greener thanks to dish sprays. Gone are the days of wastefully running the water. 9 Elements uses vinegar to battle hard-water minerals, cut grease and remove spots. Simply spray, wipe and rinse.
LAB RESULTS: It’s dispensed as a fine mist for great control, coverage and cleaning. When the bottle is empty, keep the sprayer to use with a refill.
Sponges get tossed regularly, which can be wasteful. Scotch-Brite’s new Greener Clean option is made from 100% plant-based and recycled materials.
LAB RESULTS: This little toughie in Scotch-Brite’s classic wavy shape was comfortable to hold and cleaned everything from grimy cookware to bathroom soap scum with ease and without scratching.
The gold standard other dish detergents aspire to, Cascade Platinum Actionpacs leave dishware, cookware, flatware, glassware and everything in the load clean and shiny even after foods have dried on. Plus, there are ingredients to aid rinsing, prevent etching and keep the dishwasher clean, too.
LAB RESULTS: We’ve used these in our Cleaning Lab and GH Test Kitchen regularly for years because they leave dishes noticeably cleaner. “I thought our previous dishwasher detergent was cleaning our dishes well but these ones made our glasses sparkle,” said one of our testers.
Gift-Worthy Dish Soaps
Long known for its incredible fragrance blends, this Caldrea dish soap combines extracts of pear blossom and agave with melon and citrus. The suds really last, and it cuts grease very well.
LAB RESULTS: Our consumer testers loved more than just the lovely scent of this dish soap. One tester said it was “extremely easy to use and looks nice on the counter.” After washing a full sink of dishes, this left our expert’s hands very soft too.
Homecourt, from Friends star Courteney Cox, is perfume for your home. We tested Steeped Rose (there are three other scents). It’s a great soap in a stunning bottle, and the pump top is a nice touch.
LAB RESULTS: The sleek look of this dish soap was noted by five of our consumer testers. It cleaned dishes well and was a pleasant addition to our kitchen counter.
Treating yourself to a little pampering doesn’t have to be expensive. Safely’s Rise scented dish soap is invigorating and uplifting. In our test, it cleaned well and a little went a long way and the price is right!
LAB RESULTS: This dish soap was a favorite in one of our experts’ homes. And one tester raved “We will be using it on a regular basis. Thank you!”
Awesome Outdoor & More Solutions
There are disinfecting sprays for hard surfaces, sanitizing sprays for fabrics and deodorizing sprays for the air. Clorox’s multi-surface mist does it all.
LAB RESULTS: This easy-to-apply fine mist kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, on hard surfaces in 10 minutes and sanitizes soft ones in five. We found that it covered evenly without overwetting or leaving residue. Our testers even used it in the car and on patio cushions.
Maker’s Clean does it again with a double-duty microfiber cloth that’s really more like a towel. It not only is large, but also has a short nap on one side for cleaning and a terry nap on the other to sop up spills.
LAB RESULTS: This absorbent cloth is a workhorse and keeps going when others quit. Testers loved it for dusting, cleaning the car and even drying the dog.
Patios and decks need cleaning often to keep them guest-ready all season. Carbona’s oxy-powered foam formula with its built-in brush easily removes stains, mildew, dirt and more.
LAB RESULTS: We cleaned planters, furniture covers and even vinyl siding with Carbona without needing extra brushes or cloths. One tester gushed, “Love it!”
Cleaning pastes are making a comeback, as they offer more muscle than sprays. Norwex is safe to use on many surfaces, and with the brand’s microbial-resistant cloth, it’s a dynamic duo.
LAB RESULTS: Testers loved the cloth, and we used the paste to zap scrapes from paint that even an eraser sponge couldn’t budge.
Degreasing your grill doesn’t have to take hours or lots of elbow grease. Rock Doctor’s new formula cleans cold grates in five minutes. Note: This product is temporarily unavailable but expected back in stock soon.
LAB RESULTS: It was easy to use and effective; we cleaned grimy porcelain and stainless steel grates from gas and charcoal grills and even a smoker with little effort. One of our testers raved, “It did a great job on my grill, which needed a major cleaning!”
Different surfaces have different cleaning needs, but what to use where? E-Cloth has got you covered. Its eight-piece set has task-specific cloths to clean and shine windows, mirrors, stainless steel, countertops, furniture and more.
LAB RESULTS: We like having the right cloth for the job. All these microfiber marvels excelled at their assigned tasks. The glass cloths amazed us! They washed and dried well, too.
Clean indoor air is important for the entire family, not just allergy sufferers. The H13 True HEPA and other filters in Levoit’s Core 600S air purifier can purify mid- to large-size spaces quickly. Air-quality monitors provide feedback via the display and the VeSync app.
LAB RESULTS: We set up the Levoit in minutes and found it quiet with intuitive controls and a sleek design.
Nothing’s easier for quick cleanups than a handheld vacuum, and this Ryobi is at home in the house, garage or car. The battery and charger are not included, but it uses the same removable batteries that power other Ryobi tools.
LAB RESULTS: In our tests, it picked up well and was easy to use. We got 14 minutes of cleaning on one charge with the 2Ah battery, and it fully recharged in less than an hour. Its extra-long crevice tool is handy for the car.
This tried-and-true furniture polish from Guardsman cleans wood surfaces and leaves them with a warm glow and a light scent. With its long history in furniture care, Guardsman is a favorite brand of fine furniture manufacturers. The UV protective ingredients it contains help protect wood from drying, discoloration and fading from sunlight too.
LAB RESULTS: Guardsman was a top performer in our previous test of furniture polishes and its performance now is just as good. It buffs away easily so there’s no smeary residue to mess with.
Cleverest Clutter Busters
Nothing utilizes dead cabinet space better than a turntable, and YouCopia’s Crazy Susan sports features others don’t. Three removable sections have high sides to contain items and handles for easy grabbing, and nonslip feet keep the turntable in place.
LAB RESULTS: It spun smoothly and was easy to disassemble for cleaning. A tester called it “much better than others.”
Labeling canisters and bins is any pro organizer’s number one rule, so a good label maker is a must-have. Brother’s P-touch Cube Plus works with your phone or computer and a Brother app or P-touch software to make labeling easy.
LAB RESULTS: Once we started making labels with the P-touch Cube Plus, we couldn’t stop! It makes labels up to one inch wide with lots of color and design options.
All-Star Scanner
Epson FastFoto FF-680W Wireless Photo and Document Scanning System
Now 12% Off
Remember photo film? You do if you have boxes of pictures lying around that you never put into an album and never look at. With the Epson FastFoto high-speed scanner, you can digitize and organize photos, cards, documents and more quickly and easily!
LAB RESULTS: Connecting the FastFoto wirelessly was easy. It scans both sides so notes are preserved, and it even corrects color and red-eye.
Genius Gadget Tray
Joseph Joseph DrawerStore Kitchen Drawer Organizer Tray
Now 15% Off
Flatware is pesky, but it’s the gadgets that get you when sorting kitchen drawers. Joseph Joseph’s DrawerStore Organizer handles both.
LAB RESULTS: This organizer expands on both sides and has two square spots for mini items like peelers and pastry brushes that can get lost. Tiered sections make it easy to grab cutlery. A tester loved that it filled her drawer.
Wall-mounted caddies maximize often-unused space, but unless you permanently affix them, many can fall off. But not Command Brand’s new one, which holds up to 10 lbs.
LAB RESULTS: We installed ours in the Lab and filled it with cans, and it’s still there. It is roomy and works in the house or the garage. And you can remove it and reattach it without damage.
Sturdy bins are a must for storing everything from books to extra bedding, but you don’t always have the closet space to stash them. No worries here. Scout’s Rump Roost bins are too pretty to hide and are rigid enough to double as seating. They come in two sizes and many colors and patterns, and they flatten for storage.
LAB RESULTS: We were wowed by their capacity, the wipe-clean fabric and the solid lids and handles. A tester said, “Too good for the basement!”
Jewelry can easily become a tangled mess, and storing items in little boxes is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Enter The Container Store x KonMari’s Linen Jewelry Bento Box. It has four large sections and a removable tray with nine small ones to hold rings, bracelets, earrings and more.
LAB RESULTS: It’s compact and pretty enough to leave out; your go-to pieces will be ready when you are.
Home Care & Cleaning Lab Executive Director
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute‘s Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
Home Care & Cleaning Lab Reviews Analyst
Jodhaira (she/her) is a product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Care & Cleaning Lab, where she tests and writes about home appliances, cleaning products and cleaning tips. Prior to joining GH in 2021, she graduated from Hofstra University with a bachelor’s degree in forensic science and spent two years as an analyst in an environmental lab in Queens.
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