If you want to whip up a meal like some of the best TV chefs it doesn’t hurt to equip yourself like the pros. Take Ina Garten’s go-to tools, for example. I’ve stocked up on her favorite olive oil and would be lost without my Le Creuset Dutch oven — the one she says is “great for soups, stews and braising.” She’s one of those chefs (and overall charming and inspiring personalities) I wouldn’t mind emulating all around. While I won’t be buying a gorgeous house in the Hamptons any time soon, I too can cook in comfy button-down denim shirts, make Cosmopolitan cocktails the size of my head and stock up on her favorite, luxurious hand soap by Molton Brown. Consider me an Ina-in-training.
Amazon
You’re gonna want to get your hands on this incredible-smelling soap. Ina’s favorite, the Orange & Bergamot fragrance, also happens to be the brand’s bestseller.
Washing your hands with Molton Brown’s fancy hand soap is like a little treat to yourself. It smells amazing, comes in a pretty container and it doesn’t leave a residue on your hands, so they feel really clean when you’re done washing. It comes in a range of invigorating scents like Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel, Mesmerizing Oudh Accord & Gold or Delicious Rhubarb & Rose. However, Garten prefers the citrusy scent of Orange & Bergamot, and she keeps it in her home to wash her hands in between cooking, of course.
“My friend Anna Pump always said, ‘Clean hands are a cook’s best tools. They’re never in the dishwasher or lost in a drawer,'” Garten told Food Network.
Fancy hand soap might seem a little over the top, but it may motivate you to wash your hands more often. One enthusiastic Amazon shopper even wrote in the soap’s reviews: “It makes you want to wash your hands forever!”
OK, yes, you can overdo it, but according to the CDC, washing your hands “before, during and after preparing any food” is important in preventing cross-contamination or spreading bacteria around your home. It also recommends washing hands after touching raw meat, before eating, after touching garbage, pets or pet food, after cleaning your counters or other surfaces with chemicals and even after wearing gloves to prep food.
Not to freak you out, but a 2023 study conducted by the USDA found that participants failed to wash their hands properly 97% of the time, and nearly half of them cross-contaminated their spice containers because of it. A small amount of participants (5% of people) even transferred bacteria to the salads they were preparing.
So, again, washing your hands is pretty important — and you probably already knew that — but a nice hand soap like Garten’s could encourage you to do it more often. It’s like when you get a new set of leggings as motivation to exercise or a cute, big Stanley tumbler to motivate you to drink more water. Sometimes developing healthier habits requires a little push, even if it’s in the form of purchasing Molton Brown’s Orange Bergamot hand soap at Amazon. And really, how easy is that?
Amazon
“It’s the only hand soap I use,” said another Amazon reviewer. “No residue after you’ve washed your hands so cleans well and smells amazing. Friends who stay over love it too.”
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
