The 15 Cleaning Hacks I Swear by
Hey! Since I love to clean, I thought I would round up some of the best and most favorite cleaning hacks I’ve learned.
Most of these use everyday products you probably already have around your house! And the best part is, you can pick up and do them on a whim. Like when you suddenly find you have an extra 10 minutes to kill. OK, 5 minutes. Let’s be honest.
My Favorite Cleaning Hacks
Here are some of my favorite cleaning hacks to help keep your home in tip-top shape. I hope this helps you!
1. Freshen your disposal with lemon
We always have lemons in the house. We use them for adding to water and recipes, and they are just so dang pretty in bowls on your counter! I always cut one of mine up and throw it down the disposal. It smells so good and will freshen your disposal for you.
2. Use fuzzy socks to dust whatever whenever
If you have those {super comfy fuzzy socks}, they are perfect for throwing over your hands and dusting blinds, tables, ceiling fans, etc. The dust sticks right to them! You can even dampen them a bit to up the sticky factor. Then, throw in the wash when you’re done.
3. Hack to Clean Oven Racks
For those oven racks caked with brown grease, fill a tub with dryer sheets, hot water, and dawn soap (dawn is optional) and let it sit for a few hours. The dryer sheets break down the grease, so you only need to scrub a bit and dry! Read all about how to clean your oven racks here.
4. Clean your Drain Easily
Pour hot water down your drain, followed by baking soda (I dump it down, but if you want to be precise, about a half cup or so). Let it sit a minute.
Then, pour vinegar down your drain and cover quickly with a drain plug or wet washcloth. You want the bubble mixture to stay below the surface (not like my lovely picture is showing you.) Let it sit for 5 minutes. Follow up with more hot water. This should loosen all that gross grime hanging out down there.
5. Use Microfiber Cloths around your Swiffer
Forget those Swiffer thingys; take a {microfiber cloth} and push it into the slots of your Swiffer. It works like a charm and picks up so much dust. Just throw it in the wash when you’re done!
6. Put PineSol in the bottom of your toilet brush
I have a toilet brush hidden in all my bathrooms for quick cleaning. But we all know how icky and gross it is every time we pull it out. I pour a cleaner on mine over the toilet bowl and let it air dry with the wand under the toilet seat (so any drips fall into the toilet).
But I just started adding a little {Lemon Pinesol} to the bottom of my toilet brush holder, and it makes a world of difference in terms of the ick factor and gives it a pleasant smell. Genius! NOTE: Ensure your toilet brush is locked away and out of reach of any children.
7. Freshen your towels like this…
Baking soda and vinegar to the rescue again. Are you guys noticing a pattern here? So to get those smelly towels clean and fresh again, you need to do two hot water washes.
First, wash the towels in hot water with vinegar in the softener dispenser. Then, do a second wash in hot water with 1/2 cup of baking soda in the drum. Don’t use detergent in either wash – this is strictly hot water/vinegar and hot water/baking soda. Dry the towels thoroughly afterward. Your towels are fresh and springy again!
8. Clean your Keurig with vinegar
Coffee tastes so much after using this cheap descaling solution on your Keurig.
9. Clean your toilet bowls like this…
This one is so easy! I keep a stash of vinegar and baking soda in each bathroom. You pour baking soda all over the bowl (make sure to get under the rim, too – it takes some finesse.) Then pour some vinegar into the bowl and close the lid for an hour.
When you get back to it, take your toilet brush and scrub. Voila! Clean toilet bowl! (By the way, if you have that stubborn hard water ring around your toilet – try this Pumie Toilet Bowl Ring Remover.)
10. Use this Cheap Solution for Sparkling Stainless Steel & Mirrors
I have tried it all when it comes to cleaning stainless steel appliances. I have learned that not all stainless steel is the same – some finishes are different and certain methods won’t work. I’ve tried the vinegar mixture, the Windex, plain dawn soap, different types of cloths – even mustard (don’t even get me started on that)!
What works best for me? Half water and half Rubbing Alcohol in a spray bottle. Spray and wipe down with a microfiber cleaning cloth. Works on your mirrors too!
11. Use this in your fridge to soak up odors
Yes, you can use those fridge and freezer baking soda boxes, but what about when you are out, or do you want to try something else? Fill a small bowl with dry coffee grounds and stick it in your fridge. The grounds will soak up odors and give off a fresh coffee scent. If you don’t like the smell of coffee, then not sure this is your solution. 🙂
12. Clean your Baseboards with This
Oh, baseboards. Dirty baseboards skeeve me. Keeping them clean is a matter of staying on top of them. And you can do that easily with the Ocedar Microfiber Mop. Read all about how to clean your baseboards right here!
13. Clean Sunbrella Cushions with Bleach and The Sun
Every year the winter and Spring pollen season destroy my Sunbrella cushions (even on my screened-in porch). Most people are surprised to learn you can clean Sunbrella with bleach and a little sun power! Learn how to clean them in this post here.
14. Clean Terracotta Pots with This
If you love to garden, keeping your pots clean is essential! This can hurt your plants in the long run. What is the easiest way to do it? A little vinegar is all your need. Get the full tutorial for this cleaning hack right here.
15. How to Remove Carpet Stains
I found the holy grail of carpet and upholstery cleaners. Remove stains and freshen them up quickly with this Bissell Tool. Here’s a hack; you don’t necessarily have to use a cleanser with them. I use the tool’s suction, hot water, and a separate stain remover, which works magic. Read all the details about this stain-removal system here.
16. Deep Clean your Mattress like this
A little baking soda and a vacuum are all you need to keep your mattress smelling fresh. Here’s why and how you should deep clean your mattress.
17. Clean your Microwave
Cleaning your microwave is fun, yes, fun! when you have Angry Mama. Fill her with vinegar and water and even some essential oils, and she’ll soften the caked-on grime and food so you can wipe it away. Discover more of my favorite cleaning gadgets here.
I use these cleaning hacks all the time. I hope these tips help you! Happy Cleaning!
xo Karen