35+ House Cleaning Tricks For People Who Hate Doing Chores
1. Get Your Mattress Drunk
Source: lonehomeranger.com
We spend 1/3 of our lives laying on a mattress that can’t be washed. Or can it? Pour vodka into a spray bottle, spritz lightly across your mattress and leave it to air-dry. The alcohol kills odor-causing bacteria while it disinfects the mattress.
2. 5-Minute Microwave Cleaner
Source: stackingthecool
Halve a couple lemons and put in a glass dish with water. Zap until the water starts to boil. Let it sit and steam for a minute before opening. The gunk can now be wiped away with little effort. You might want to share this one with that co-worker who’s always exploding spaghetti in the break room.
3. Fool-Proof Ceiling Fan Cleaner
Source: thehouseonhillbrook.com
Hook an old pillowcase over one fan blade at a time and slowly wipe it backward. The blade will be clean and the dust will be trapped inside (instead of in your hair).
4. Grease Stain Fixer
Source: onelittleproject.com
Got greasy fingerprints on the walls? Cover the stains with white chalk, wait a few minutes and then wipe the chalk away with a damp cloth. Works on clothes too!
5. Quick-Dry Wet Shoes and Gloves
Source: indieclectic
Shoes and gloves soaked through from rain or snow? Shove some crumpled newspaper inside to soak it all up. A sachet of plain uncooked rice works too.
6. Pet Hair Squeegee
Source: emlii.com
Do you live with a four-legged friend who loves to shed? Sweep your carpet with a rubber squeegee (or run your hand over it while wearing a rubber dish washing glove) and prepare to be horrified by what comes up.
7. Speed Up Drying Time
Pressed for time? Throw one clean dry towel in with wet clothes before starting the dryer. 15 minutes later, take it out. The dry towel will actually absorb some of the excess moisture floating around and speed up drying time.
8. No-Fuss Blender Cleaner
Source: theburlapbag.com
Love smoothies but hate cleaning the blender? Just fill it with warm water and a drop of dish soap, then turn it on and blend for a few seconds. Dump, rinse with clean water, and dry.
9. Butter Knife in the Air Vent
Source: homesweethomebodies.net
Cruddy air vent or A/C intake? Moisten a clean towel with your favorite cleaner and wrap around a butter knife. Now you’ve got the perfect tool to clean the narrow grate.
10. Revitalize Leather Furniture
Source: fibrenew.com
Buff worn leather furniture with shoe polish. Scrapes and scuffs will disappear.
11. Onion Grill Cleaner
Source: wonderhowto.com
Halve a white onion and use a fork to rub it back and forth over the grates of a hot grill. The onion will clean the grates and add a little extra flavor.
12. Easy Lipstick Remover
Source: stephanieheva
Spray the spot with hairspray, let it set for 10 minutes, dab with a damp washcloth, and wash as normal.
13. Pot and Pan De-Scorcher
Source: bsicleaningservices.ca
Fill the bottom of the pan with water and add a cup of white vinegar. Simmer. Take the pan off the stove and add 2 tablespoons baking soda. Empty the pan and scrub lightly to remove burn marks.
14. Clean a Coffee or Spice Grinder
Source: marthastewart.com
You can’t put this appliance in the dishwasher and cleaning by hand will likely result in a cut-up hand. Instead pulverize bread or uncooked white rice to remove old odors. Then grind 1 tablespoon baking soda to clean, and wipe thoroughly.
15. Lampshade Duster
Source: creeklinehouse.com
16. Overnight Oven Cleaner
Source: mommysavers.com
17. Shower Head Saver
Source: areal-lifehousewife.com
18. Glass Sparkler
Tired of spotty, cloudy glasses? Just spray with some white vinegar and wipe with a paper towel.
19. Glass Dish Revitalizer
Source: emlii.com
20. Dryer Sheet Redux
Source: happymoneysaver.com
21. Splattered Stove Shortcut
Source: onegoodthingbyjillee.com
Remember this kids: oil attracts oil. Next time your bacon breakfast makes a mess of the stove, add a few drops of vegetable oil to paper towel, then wipe the greasy surface and watch the oil disappear!
22. Microfiber Couch Miracle
Source: dimitrajc
There’s nothing grosser than a couch that looks like you pulled it out of the alley. Use a spray bottle to cover your couch with rubbing alcohol, then use a clean white sponge to rub the couch. Fluff the fibers with a hard bristle brush when done, and it’ll look good as new.
23. Dishwasher Deep Cleaner
Source: thepinjunkie.com
Even though it cleans other things, occasionally your dishwasher needs to be cleaned as well. Run it on its hottest cycle with nothing but a container filled with white vinegar in the top rack. Then, sprinkle some baking soda on the bottom, and run it again on a short-hot cycle. Be prepared to shield your eyes from the sparkle.
24. Soap Scum Annihilator
Source: kitchendaily.com
25. Quick Fix for Slow Drains
Source: houselogic.com
26. Easy Bathtub Ring Remover
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
27. Sock Puppet Blind Cleaner
Source: devablinds.co.uk
28. Water Ring Reverser
Source: homemademamas.net
29. Amazing Carpet Stain Lifter
Source: homemakerchic.com
30. No-Scrub Coffee Pot Cleaner
Source: thekitchn.com
31. Never Polish the Silver Again
Source: theholisticingredient.com
If you have actual silver cutlery or dishes, you know polishing it can be a pain. Line a large dish with aluminum foil, add a 1/2 cup of table salt and a 1/2 cup of baking soda. Fill the foil-lined sink with hot water, and then dump in all your silver. After a 30 minutes soak, the tarnish will be gone. Just rinse and wipe dry.
32. Vacuum Up Vomit
Source: veronicascreativespot
If your kid (or roommate) hurls on your sofa, don’t panic. Make a paste of baking soda and water, and take a spatula or spoon, generously spreading it onto the affected area (be sure to hold your breath or you might vomit too). Let it dry overnight, and you’ll be able to easily vacuum the whole thing up. Also works for urine and carpets (hooray).
33. Two-Step Foreman Grill Cleaner
Source: angsays
If you don’t clean it right away, you’ll never get all the gunk out of the tiny ridges of your Foreman grill. Try this instead: When you’re done cooking, unplug it, and press a couple of damp paper towels between the lid and the surface. The leftover heat will steam clean the grill. Wipe it dry with another paper towel and you’re done.
34. Zero-Effort Toilet Cleaner
Source: thediyguineapig
Scrubbing the toilet sucks, especially if more than one person has been using it. Instead of scrubbing, “fill a mason jar with vinegar. Punch a couple of small holes in the metal lid with a nail. Drop that jar into your toilet’s water tank upside down. With each flush, a little vinegar will seep out of the jar and keep your toilets clean and yucky growth-free!,” explains Organic Authority. No mason jar handy? Snip off a section of one of those Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponges and drop it right in the bowl before you go to sleep. In the morning, the ring will be gone! Just be sure to get it out before you flush.
Source: organicauthority.com
35. Simple Sponge Sanitzer
Source: momsagainstcooties.com
36. Broken Glass Magnet
Source: realsimple.com
There’s nothing worse than stepping on a tiny remnant of that glass you broke last week. Carefully press a piece of white bread all over the area to pick up even the tiniest shards.
Source: Distractify
