Ah yes, cleaning the house – that activity we all must get around to, whether we like it or not. If you’ve been looking for ways to cut down on the amount of work cleaning your home can bring, check out these insanely practical tips for hacking your cleaning list.
1. If you have a front-loading washer, get rid of mold with water, a bit of bleach and a towel.
It’s surprising how much gunk can build up in a small, unacknowledged area!
2. Your iron can be made smooth and shiny again (meaning cleaner, fresher, crisper clothes) with some salt.
Just take some salt and gently but firmly rub the face of your iron in the pile of salt. Your clothes will be happier, it won’t be an eyesore, and you’ll be back to ironing shirts in no time.
3. Mattresses can be made far cleaner (and will smell better) with a sprinkling of baking soda.
Check out the instructions here.
4. You can actually use an iron and a few other materials to remove extremely stubborn stains from carpet.
Who knew you could create your own “heat press” so easily?
5. Lightbulbs can be dusted using a clean paintbrush. This way, you don’t have to remove and refit them!
This method is much easier and faster than taking all your lightbulbs out and putting them back in.
6. Use a bit of vanilla extract in your oven to kill a bad odor throughout your entire home.
Hopefully you never have to deal with a terrible smell throughout your entire house, but if you do, this tip is a cinch!
7. If you’re cleaning your bathroom, fill your bathtub with a few inches of the hottest water you can draw.
This will drastically improve the effectiveness of your existing cleaning materials.
8. Use a hair catcher to keep your drains and piping from getting clogged.
It’s easy to not think about, but as soon as you consider it, it’s a natural choice!
9. When cleaning windows, use newspapers instead of window cloths or “standard” cleaning rags.
Your windows will remain streak- and residue-free!
10. To deep clean your toilet, take the toilet seat off and use a screwdriver with a Clorox wipe for the hard-to-reach sections.
Who knew it could be this easy?
11. Get dried sweat, face gunk and saliva stains off your pillows with hot water and bleach.
Ahhh! Clean, fresh and crisp once more!
12. Clean ceiling fan blades with an old pillowcase (use a ladder, too!).
Now when your fan is actually in use, you won’t have to worry about dust microbes being spread around the room!
13. Using Lemonade Kool Aid in the detergent holder for your dishwasher.
Apparently this works just as well, if not better than other soap-like materials!
14. Baseboards can be wiped clean with used dryer sheets.
Just remove it from the dryer when the load is done and wipe your baseboards clean.
15. Scuff marks on floors can be removed with WD-40.
WD-40, one of the most universally applicable substances, can loosen up the particles of scuff marks and leave your floor much cleaner.
16. Your drying machine vent will be far cleaner, and you’ll prevent the chance of a fire, if you clean it out every six months.
You can do this with a pipe cleaner.
17. Use a dish wand to clean your shower while you’re in it.
It’s much more straightforward than having to worry about a squeegee and other materials when your shower is dry.
18. Dirty window blinds can be cleaned with an abandoned sock, a bit of water and vinegar.
This removes dust and dirt, and the vinegar acts as an anti-buildup agent.
19. Window tracks can be cleaned with a cotton ball or swab and some white vinegar.
Vinegar comes to the rescue once again, breaking down the chunks of dirt, grime and dead organic matter.
20. A bagel can be used to safely clean old paintings.
Yes, it’s definitely random, but it also works!
21. Clean your washing machine once a year with a full load of hot water and a dash of bleach.
This acts as a disinfectant for the large container that is your washing machine, where thousands of germs and microbes enter and exit on a monthly or even weekly basis.
22. Give your sink drain the best cleaning of its life with hot water, lemon slices and a toothbrush.
The pipeways of your home will deeply appreciate it, and you won’t have to worry about nasty problems further down the road.
23. Use the largest binder clip you can find to hold your sponge.
Such a convenient use for an office tool!
24. Your kitchen sponge can be microwaved to remove 99.9 percent of germs.
According to a fair amount of research on the subject, this works far better than putting it through the dishwasher.
25. Salt can be used to clean cast-iron pans.
Salt, one of nature’s best cleaning agents, is back in action to clean this type of cooking pan. Check out details here.
