Cleaning around your home can be such a time-consuming process. Couple that with a busy schedule, and you could find yourself short of time when you need to clean your house. But what can you do to ensure that your house stays clean while also living up to your other daily obligations?
Luckily, you have a few hacks at your disposal designed to make cleaning easier. All it takes is some specific know-how on what works and you are set. But what exactly are these miracle cleaning methods?
By following some simple cleaning hacks, you can have your home clean in no time. Whether you need to clean your kitchen, the dreaded bathroom, or the rest of your house, these cleaning hacks allow you to easily clean your home in truly unexpected ways. The next time you find yourself needing to clean, try one of these amazing hacks to get your home spotless.
1) Use Lemon to Freshen Your Garbage Disposal
Garbage disposals can become stinky and unpleasant after a while. Cut a lemon in half, and then shove it down the disposal — run the blades for 10 seconds with the water running. It’s citrus fresh! You can even dispose of some ice cubes at the same time to sharpen the blades.
Used dryer sheets are great for cleaning around the house. You can use dryer sheets when cleaning bathroom mirrors, fixtures, shower doors, and removing the ring from inside the toilet. In addition, you can use dryer sheets to clean the fixtures in your kitchen and your baseboards.
3) Use Coconut Oil to Shine Cutting Boards and Other Wood
Wooden surfaces can dull and become less lustrous compared to what they once were. Add some instant shine to wooden cutting boards and countertops by rubbing in some coconut oil with a soft cloth. Some other items you can use instead of coconut oil include beeswax, mineral oil, and Tung oil.
Smoothies and other concoctions can create a nasty build-up in the nooks and crannies of your blender. After you’re done using it, fill it halfway with water and two drops of dish soap. Run the blender for a couple seconds, and rinse. You’re all set!
A clogged drain can really put a dampener on your cleaning efforts. Loosen up grime and sludge in your drain within five minutes. Head over to Crunchy Betty for a super easy tutorial on how to fix the blockage using baking soda, lemon, and water.
Our excitement over the cleaning qualities of vinegar can easily be said about lemons as well. Rub half a lemon over stainless steel baking trays to easily remove stuck-on grease. They’ll be nice and shiny too!
7) Use Vinegar and Baking Soda to Deodorize Kitchen Towels
Is there anything that vinegar can’t do?! Kitchen towels can become dirty and smelly with all of the wiping and rinsing we do. Add them to your washing machine with some baking soda, vinegar, and optional essential oils for fragrance. No more odors!
Cleaning the baseboards in your home might seem like hard work, especially if you have built-on dirt. Attach a rag to a broom with a rubber band to scrub away stuck-on dirt, and then vacuum. You can also use a wet cloth to follow up and remove any dirt or dust that remains.
9) Use Lemon and Salt to Sanitize Your Cutting Board
Over time food can build up in the grooves of your cutting board. These two simple ingredients can make your wooden cutting board as good as new. Check out these other amazing ways, including using hydrogen peroxide, bleach, and vinegar to clean your cutting boards.
Irons can accumulate burn marks on the bottom over time. You can easily remove them by warming up the iron and using a soft cloth to rub some salt over the burn marks — they should come up easily. Afterward, wipe the iron down with a damp cloth.
Fill your coffee machine’s chamber with equal parts of vinegar and water. Run the machine as normal. Afterward, run the machine two more times with only water. You’ll be sanitized and ready to go for your next fresh batch of joe.
Glassware can develop water stains and spots over time. Just rub your glasses with a soft cloth that has been dampened with a bit of vinegar. After the glass dries, the smell will dissipate and the glasses will sparkle.
If a cheese-grater isn’t cleaned immediately after using it, the cheese can harden and become stuck, making it difficult to clean. No problem! Just grate a small potato, and it will force all of the hardened cheese from the grater — and it has cleaning properties as well.
To clean your air vents, use a vacuum with the soft brush tool attached. The soft bristles should scrub the dust and dirt off, allowing the vacuum to suck them up. If you still have dust or dirt remaining, attach a clean rag soaked in cleaner to a butter knife to clean the vents.
Head on over to PopSugar to see how you can easily clean grease and grime from your oven using only baking soda, vinegar, lemon, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap. You probably already have these ingredients inside of your kitchen cupboards.
16) Clean Your Stainless Steel Appliances Using Rubbing Alcohol
Stainless steel appliances look great but are notorious for picking up fingerprints and kitchen spills. Use rubbing alcohol to clean your stainless steel appliances and make them shine. Add a few drops of olive oil for even more cleaning power.
To keep your shower looking nice and clean and free of grime, fill a dish wand with vinegar and dish soap. You can either use the wand when cleaning each week or right after you finish taking a shower to keep it looking spotless.
Over time, your couch can develop musty or worse smells. To remove stinky smells from your sofa, sprinkle on a little baking soda and let it sit for 20 minutes. Finally, vacuum the baking soda up using the brush attachment on your vacuum.
To remove grease stains from your carpeting and other surfaces, mix four parts rubbing alcohol with one part salt. Apply the mixture to the stained area, and allow it to sit until dry. Clean any remaining salt up with a vacuum.
To remove dust, crumbs, and other debris, simply use a lint roller. This works on almost every surface in your house, including on your fabrics, lamp shades, and other hard surfaces. Alternately, you can use tape for smaller areas.
Breaking a light bulb or other glass item can leave behind tiny pieces and shards of broken glass. Instead of trying to pick up these pieces by hand, which can leads to cuts, use a piece of soft bread instead. Press the bread down into the area with the glass for easy and safe removal.
Hard water can leave stains on some kitchen surfaces, especially on your glassware. You can easily remove them by rubbing a small amount of vinegar onto them — they’ll disappear right before your eyes. Check out Maid Brigade for even more tips on how to remove hard-water stains.
23) Place your Sponges in the Microwave to Sanitize Them
Over time, a kitchen sponge can start to harbor bacteria and other germs. In fact, kitchen sponges can be some of the most germ-infected items in your entire home. Stay healthy and keep your family safe by zapping your sponge in the microwave for 2 minutes every week.
Food splatters can build up on your microwave’s interior over time. To easily clean, steam a bowl of vinegar mixed with water in the microwave for 10 minutes. Simply wipe it down afterward for a sparkling, clean microwave.
25) Use Vegetable Oil to Clean Up Grease Splatters on Your Stove Top
Grease splatters can stick all over an oven’s surface; it can be hard to clean. Take a soft cloth, and add a few drops of vegetable oil. Then scrub the caked-on, old oil, and it will come right off. Wipe down with a clean cloth afterward.
If you have gum stuck in your carpeting or on your furniture, use this method for easy removal. Place ice in a Ziploc bag and apply to the gum. Then, once hardened, use a scraping tool to scrape the gum up. Once removed, vacuum the area and use a wet sponge to dab the area, working in a circular motion. Finally, use a clean, dry rag to blot the area dry.
27) Clean Your Coffee Grinder With Rice and a Slice of Bread
To clean a bladed coffee grinder, simply pour in some uncooked rice and turn it on. If you are having trouble cleaning out the last of the coffee grounds from your coffee grinder, take a piece of soft bread and rub it along the bottom of the grinder to pick up any remaining pieces.
It’s happened to everyone — you take your eye off the stove for just a moment and all of the sudden you’ve burnt your favorite pan. That’s okay! Just fill it with water and two cups of vinegar and then bring it to a boil. Take it off the heat, and add a couple of teaspoons of baking soda. Let it stand for two minutes, and then give it a good scrub. The stains should come right off.
It’s important that you give your dishwasher a cleaning of its own every single month. You can easily do this by filling two mugs with white vinegar and set them in the washer right-side-up, nothing else should be in the dishwasher. Run the cycle as normal, and your dishwasher will sparkle like new.
It’s well-known that dish soap should never be used on a cast-iron skillet. The soap is said to wash away the oils used to season the cast-iron pan over time. Instead, use a steel scrubbing pad with some sea salt and water to easily get rid of grease.
Breaking out the vacuum every time you want to clean up some pet hair can be a little annoying. Instead, buy a squeegee and rake it across your carpet to easily gather and throw away the fur. Attaching an old mop handle allows you to get to hard-to-reach areas.
To remove wine stains from surfaces, start by blotting the area with water. Follow this up with three percent hydrogen peroxide or a detergent and water solution, using the same blotting motion as before to keep the stain from spreading.
33) Use Aluminum Foil to Clean Glass Baking Dishes
Burnt-on food on your glass baking dishes can be a chore to clean. To easily clean, crumple up a bit of aluminum foil and use it, with some dishwashing liquid and water, to scrub off any baked-on food from glassware baking dishes. Rinse thoroughly, and allow to air dry.
Get rid of gunk build-up on your cabinet doors by making a simple cleaning mixture from vegetable oil and baking soda. The full tutorial can be found here. You can also use other oils, such as coconut oil, if you prefer.
35) Get Rid of Refrigerator Odors Using Coffee Grounds
Most people think of baking soda when they think of a deodorizer; however, freshly ground coffee on a plate does the trick just as well. Placing some used grounds in a bowl works as well. Plus, if you like the smell of coffee, it smells heavenly.
Invest in a few pairs of chenille socks and wear them while you walk around your hardwood floors. Your socks will collect dust wherever you walk. Of course, you’ll want to wash them frequently, but it’s an excellent way to clean your house without even realizing it.
Narrow-necked bottles can be difficult to clean. While you can find brushes specially made for this purpose, what do you do when you don’t have access to one? Simply add a bit of uncooked rice, water, and dish soap to the bottle and give it a vigorous shake — problem solved!
To clean and remove mineral deposits from your shower head, pour a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar into a plastic bag. Then, attach the plastic bag to the shower head using a rubber band. Allow to sit for 20 minutes, and then remove the bag.
Coffee can stain ceramic and other porous glass surfaces; dish soap might not be able to remove them. Sprinkle some baking soda and a bit of water on the stains; let it sit for 10 minutes. Scrub the paste into the surface to watch the stains lift away.
Rub half of a peeled onion over the grates of your hot grill to deglaze and clean your grates. It also adds a nice flavor to your next meal! Head on over to How to Clean Things for the tutorial.
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So, the next time you find yourself needing to give your home a good cleaning, think of these helpful cleaning tips. Best of all, most of them use items you probably already have in your home. You can use these cleaning hacks to get your home spotless with less effort, giving yourself some much-needed rest and relaxation.
40 Unexpected Cleaning Hacks
Cheryl Knight
08.02.18
Cleaning around your home can be such a time-consuming process. Couple that with a busy schedule, and you could find yourself short of time when you need to clean your house. But what can you do to ensure that your house stays clean while also living up to your other daily obligations?
Luckily, you have a few hacks at your disposal designed to make cleaning easier. All it takes is some specific know-how on what works and you are set. But what exactly are these miracle cleaning methods?
By following some simple cleaning hacks, you can have your home clean in no time. Whether you need to clean your kitchen, the dreaded bathroom, or the rest of your house, these cleaning hacks allow you to easily clean your home in truly unexpected ways. The next time you find yourself needing to clean, try one of these amazing hacks to get your home spotless.
