Hate cleaning? These time-saving cleaning tricks will be helpful next time you move. Or people are coming over.
The thing with cleaning hacks is that sometimes they … just aren’t. They either don’t work or leave you a bigger mess than you started. Not ideal! Because if you spend time cleaning your house, you want something to show for your efforts, right!? We want to help! And so, we’ve rounded up 35 of our best, most brilliant cleaning hacks — including the easiest and laziest way to de-clutter your home, the secret to getting roast remnants out of your Dutch oven, and the DIY vacuum attachment that lets you reach the teeniest cracks and crevices.
Ready, set, clean!
01. Clean Your Oven With A Dishwasher Tablet
The humble dishwasher tablet can be used for much more than cleaning dishes. We love it as a tool for cleaning ovens. And even toilets. Seriously.
02. Use Vinegar To Unclog Faucet Heads
If you have hard water where you live, you may find that the faucet on your kitchen sink or even your shower head gets clogged occasionally. Just soak the faucet in vinegar and then let the water run. It’ll clear up on its own.
Joe Lingeman
03. Squirt Some Dish Soap Down The Drain
Finding your drain, a little slow to, um, drain? Squirt a little dish soap down there and run the hot water. Dish soap is formulated to cut through grease. Usually, that grease is on your dishes and cookware, but it can also accumulate in your drain/pipes.
Joe Lingeman
04. Use Oven Cleaner On The Outside Of Your Stained Dutch Oven
According to Reddit users (and confirmed by us here at A&D!), oven cleaners can remove cooked-on grease and other stubborn residue from the outside of enamel Dutch ovens without damaging the color or finish.
Joe Lingeman
05. Add A Steamer To Your Cleaning Caddy
Technically meant to de-wrinkle your clothes, a steamer can also help clean grimy stovetops, cabinet doors, and more.
Ashley Poskin
06. Cut A Corner Off Your Sponge
You know that sponge you use to clean the dishes with? And the other sponge you use to wipe down the walls? Keep track of which one is which with this clever trick: Just cut off the corner of the sponge you use for the dirty work.
Joe Lingeman
07. Put A Cotton Ball In Your Trash Can
Garbage stinks. It’s a fact of life. But here’s a trick to make it a little less smelly — or, instead, stinky in a good way. Take a cotton ball, soak it in essential oil, and drop it in your bin (underneath the liner or the bag). It’s an easy and inexpensive odor-fighter that helps keep your trash from getting too intense.
08. Try The Laundry Basket Method
If you’ve got little piles of clutter everywhere, a laundry basket (you can get a cheap one from the dollar store) is a brilliant way to consolidate all the things that are out of place. If you’re in a hurry (say, company’s coming), stash the laundry basket out of sight; if you’ve got time, walk around with the basket and put everything back where they belong.
09. Set A Timer
This trip was a game-changer for one of our writers. The idea is simple: Set a timer and work until the buzzer goes off. You may finish the dishes early, and, at the very least, you’ll know exactly how long you have to subject yourself to some mundane tasks.
Lauren Volo
10. Polish A Stainless-Steel Sink With Flour
If you have a stainless-steel sink, the best thing you can do for it is polish it with flour. Wash and dry the sink, sprinkle the whole flour, and then get to buffing. You’ll be surprised at how sparkly the metal gets!
Joe Lingeman
11. Harness The Power Of Cooking Spray
A weird-but-effective way to clean your bathroom? PAM cooking spray. Not only will it remove soap scum from your tub, but it can also shine your faucets, clean your glass surfaces, and even stop your bathroom door from squeaking!
Hayley Kessner
12. Keep Some Chalk In Your Kitchen
Here’s something we bet you didn’t know: Chalk is super-absorbent, which makes it an excellent stain stick. Remove excess food and oil from the soiled garment with a clean paper towel — and cover the entire spot with chalk. Then, before you toss your oil-stained item in the laundry, rub the area with a little stain remover or laundry detergent, wash it in hot water, and your oily spot should be gone.
Joe Lingeman
13. Keep A Dish Brush In Your Shower
The secret to a clean shower? Cleaning it regularly. And the secret to cleaning your battery regularly? Having a soap-loaded dish brush ready in your shower caddy.
Julia Steele
14. Use Your Dishwasher To Dry Hand-Washed Dishes
Skip the dish rack — it takes up too much precious counter space — and use your dishwasher’s empty racks to dry your hand-washed dishes. Your dishwasher will hold more than a dish rack so you can clean a sink full of hand-wash-only words in no time.
15. DIY Pot Scouring Pads Using Mesh Produce Bags
Do you know those meshes produce bags you get when buying a dozen lemons? Or a whole lot of potatoes? Well, don’t toss them! Instead, place an old sponge inside the bag, secure it with a zip tie, and clip the ends. Voila: You’ve got a DIY pot scrubber.
Joe Lingeman
16. Use A Mesh Laundry Bag … In Your Dishwasher
The next time you run the dishwasher, gather up all those small items — water bottle tops, lids to tiny food storage containers, etc. — and put them in a mesh laundry bag. The bag keeps small and fragile items from getting lost in the fray while allowing hot water and soap to do their magic.
Joe Lingeman
17. Add A Bowl Of Vinegar To Your Dishwasher
If you live in an area with hard water, you are probably frustrated with dirty-looking dishes from your dishwasher. Put a bowl right-side-up in your dishwasher and pour in some vinegar. Run the dishwasher — the vinegar will help combat that hard water so your dishes look spotless.
Joe Lingeman
18. Simmer Baking Soda And Water In Your Le Creuset
This method for cleaning your enameled cookware is so simple and so effective. Just boil water, add baking soda, and give everything a good stir. After a few minutes of simmering, use a wooden spoon to scrape off any baked-on bits.
Coco Morante
19. Clean Your Silver With Aluminum Foil
Here’s what you need: a glass baking dish lined with aluminum foil or an aluminum baking dish, baking soda, salt, and boiling water. The science-project-like reaction should begin to remove the tarnish immediately, although heavily tarnished pieces may need to soak a little longer.
20. Finally, Get Rid Of Those Pesky Coffee Stains
Do your coffee mugs have stubborn brown stains that don’t want to come out? Try baking soda: Sprinkle some onto the bottom of your stained cup, add enough water to form a paste and scrub. The gentle abrasion of the baking soda will eliminate stains in minutes. Then, rinse and wash the way you usually would.
Anjali Prasertong
21. Banish Sink Odors With Baking Soda And Lemon Juice
When you think of all the gross stuff that goes down your drain, it makes sense that it’ll start to smell eventually. Try this DIY de-clogger to keep your pipes clear of gunk and smelly pretty(ish): Flush your drain with hot water, then slowly pour a cup of baking soda down. Finish it with about a cup of lemon juice and wait for the fizzy chemical reaction.
Christine Han
22. Clean Your Disposal With Vinegar And Lemon Ice Cubes
If your sink still stinks and you have a disposal, make a bunch of ice cubes from white vinegar and small chunks of lemon, put one or two down the drain, and run your disposal. It’s an instant deodorizer — don’t plop one in your cocktail.
Ashley Poskin
23. Use A Potato To Clean Your Rusty Cast Iron
You can use this trick on other rusty things, too. Here it works: Cut the potato in half, dip the cut end in dish soap or baking soda, and rub it over the rusted area. If the end of the potato gets slick, slice it off and dip the newly cut end. Repeat until the rust is removed!
Anjali Prasertong
24. Clean Your Microwave With Lemons
Here’s what you do: Measure about 1/2 cup of water into a measuring cup or bowl. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the water. Drop the lemon halves into the bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and nuke on high power for three minutes so the liquid comes to a boil. Let stand for five minutes. Do not open the microwave door; the steam trapped inside will help loosen food gunk. Once that timer buzzes, then you can wipe it down!
25. Clean Your Oven Racks In The Bathtub
Washing oven racks in the sink can be annoying and messy — especially if you have a smaller sink! Do it in the bathtub instead. Our method does most of the work for you while you sleep.
Gina Eykemans
26. Clean Up Broken Glass With A Piece Of Bread
It happens: You gesture a little too enthusiastically, and down goes your wine glass. The big pieces are easy enough to pick up, but the tiny shards? Not so much — or are they? All you need is a slice of bread. Press it gently over the glass, and the little fragments will stick to the soft dough. (They don’t call it Wonder Bread for anything.)
27. Use Rubber Kitchen Gloves To Remove Pet Hair
Rubber kitchen gloves are suitable for more than protecting your hands while doing dirty work. They’re also great for opening jars and removing excess pet hair. Just slip on a glove and rub over whatever you want de-fuzzed. The rubber does a surprisingly good job of gathering up hair! Who knew?
Joe Lingeman
28. Use Wax Paper To Keep The Tops Of Your Cabinets Clean
If there’s a space between your upper cabinets and your ceiling, consider lining the surface with sheets of wax paper. The paper acts like a magnet to collect dust and grime. You can change it a couple of times a year, and it’s way easier than getting up there to clean the cabinets by hand. Note: You can also use newspaper, which will decompose quicker in a landfill.
Joe Lingeman
29. Get Rid Of Garlicky Hands By Rubbing Stainless Steel
Chopping garlic is smelly work — and while some people love the smell of garlic on their hands, others might not enjoy it so much. There are tons of hacks out there for getting rid of the stink, but the easiest one is just rubbing your hands on your sink faucet or anything that’s stainless steel.
Maria Siriano
30. Clean Your Blender In 30 Seconds (Really)
Fill your blender halfway with warm water, add a drop of dish soap, and whisk away. It’ll clean itself! If your blender has buildup or is looking a bit dull, you can also add a drop of vinegar or some lemon.
Faith Durand
31. Use Cream Of Tartar To Get Scratched Dishes Looking Like New
Buff scratched dishes with a generous amount of cream of tartar, and they’ll look as good as new. Add a few drops of water and gently rub with a wet dishcloth. Let the dish sit for a minute, scrub, and wash the plate with soap and water.
Emma Christensen
32. Clean All The Things In Your Dishwasher
You already know you can use your dishwasher as a dish-drying rack (see number 9), but did you know there are other things (besides dishes) you can clean in your dishwasher? Flip flops, hairbrushes, sponges, plastic toys. Yup, they can all go in there.
33. Use Dryer Sheets To Clean Your Cookware
Have you got a scorched pot? Look to your laundry room. Dryer sheets can do so many things — most notably, soaking one in a pool can help un-stick burnt messes. Some other ideas: Use dried ones to clean up spills and freshen your trash can!
Joe Lingeman
34. DIY A Vacuum Attachment With A Squeeze Bottle Top
Chances are, your vacuum came with a bunch of different attachments. And chances are that even the slightest passion still doesn’t help you with teeny-tiny crevices. Here’s how to fix that: Remove the extension on your vacuum cleaner’s hose and put the top of a squeeze bottle in its place. Now you’re ready to tackle all those hard-to-reach spots.
Joe Lingeman
35. Microwave Your Cleaning Rag Before You Get To Work
So, you probably don’t microwave your sponges anymore (because it’s pretty ineffective), but you should zap your cleaning rag. Just ensure it’s damp before you put it in, and figure out how long it needs to be nuked to be hot but not scalding. Once it’s steamy and hot, the rag will be way more powerful when cutting through messes in the kitchen.
Seksun Guntanid
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