With spilled drinks and splattered sauces, kitchens can get messy fast. Luckily, we discovered which all-purpose cleaners work best to tackle tough messes.

OLE extract—known as p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD)—derives from the leaves of lemon eucalyptus trees and is chemically synthesized. Usually, OLE comes as a spray but is also found in lotions.

Mary Dumont picks the lemon verbena for this fabulous, puckery tart from her kitchen garden, just outside her restaurant's back door. The cape gooseberries grow in the yard all summer long.