Of course you are a professional at forging a clean house in minutes. But when you’re faced with a major spill or cleaning problem, we want you to be armed and ready. That’s why we’ve rounded up the 20 best cleaning hacks * everyone * should have in their back pocket, from cleaning your bathtub with a grapefruit to using dryer sheets on streaky shower doors.
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There’s nothing worse than trying to get wrinkles out of a blouse and accidentally stain it again. This hack calls for running the hot iron over salt, which will stick to the buildup and dirt. Once the iron has cooled down, you can immediately wipe off the dirt.
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Your favorite piece from Le Creuset is still rocking the not-so-pretty remnants of last week’s dinner. Tackle it by filling the pan with water, adding vinegar and bringing it to a boil. Then add the baking soda, let it do its thing and sand until it looks like new.
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Your trusty skillet has certainly seen better days. Bring it back to its former glory by rinsing it in the sink while it’s still hot, drizzling it with kosher salt, and scrubbing your heart out. Then rinse off the salt, dry the pan to prevent rust and top it off with a wipe of vegetable oil.
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Believe it or not, it is entirely possible to clean your oven * without * triggering the smoke alarm. There is no need to use the automatic high-temperature cleaning function if you can simply cover the shelves and the interior with a baking soda paste. Leave it on overnight before finishing with vinegar and a swipe.
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It turns out you have favorite drink another magical power. Place coffee grounds (new or used) in a bowl on the top shelf of your fridge and they will soak up all the funky smells. Just replace them every two months.
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No really. Vodka can have an intense odor when you smell it straight from the bottle, but when you add it to a spray bottle with water in a ratio of one to three, it can give a clean, neutral scent to your home.
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Have you ever dusted a lampshade to clean it … only to become totally exhausted by all the dust in the air? A lint roller solves that problem. It also works wonders on pet hair.
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It goes without saying, but this hack is our favorite. It’s as easy as stretching your arms the width of your blanket, skydiving it flat, sliding out from under the covers, and smoothing it out.
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You and your iced tea made the trip from the kitchen to the living room just fine … until the glass hit the floor. It turns out that bread doesn’t just soak up the spill, but also all those tiny shards of glass that you might not see at first glance.
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Who knew this citrus fruit could be more than beautiful and delicious? It makes a great tub cleaner when sprinkled liberally with salt. Plus, it smells a lot better than vinegar, doesn’t it?
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Don’t you believe us? The paper and ink act like a gentle abrasive, which when dipped in DIY cleaner will give your windows a streak-free shine. PS: Mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar with 1 liter of water and a squeeze of lemon or liquid soap if you ever run out of Windex.
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Glass shower doors can be a pain: one day they are a bit smudged and the next day they are completely covered in film. Your drying rack is the unlikely hero here. Once damp, it can soften soap scum in the same way as fabric.
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OK, with this hack sticky notes go from handy to just plain genius. Just feed the sticky part between the keys of your keyboard to catch dust, crumbs and anything else hiding between them.
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Seriously – it’s the secret cleaning weapon you never knew you needed in your life.
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Yes, it can do so much more than her. To remove water stains on a wood table, turn your dryer on a cool to warm setting and blow the stain a few inches away until it starts to fade.
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Admit it, yours had smelled like popcorn for weeks. To neutralize odor or clean a hard-to-reach mess, fill a bowl with white vinegar and place it in the center of the microwave. Close the door and let it run for five minutes. Wipe away the dirt with a paper towel and … voilà!
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Oil stains on furniture, mattresses and beyond are notoriously difficult to treat, but cornstarch is your secret weapon. Mix it with water, apply the paste to the oily area and leave it overnight. Brace yourself for surprise.
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These pantry staples will polish your furniture like sunshine. A few drops of apple cider vinegar pulls the dirt out of the wood, while olive oil conditions it.
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Not only is this trick super handy, but it’s also essentially clutter-free (meaning no clumps of dust will float on the floor). Just slide a clean pillowcase over each sheet and slide it off to catch dust.
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Like the vent of your hair dryer, your coffee grinder, blinds and baseboards – plus those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies between your faucet and bathroom tiles.
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1. Clean your remote with hand sanitizer.
Squeeze a dime-sized drop onto a paper towel and wipe the entire surface. Get extra squeaky sounds by using a Q-tip between buttons.
2. Prevent goo from sticking to your garlic press.
Spray it with cooking spray before use so that any garlic residue will slide off easily later.
Shine your cookware with ketchup.
Squeeze a dollop on a cloth and rub it over your pots and pans to remove deposits.
Rinse your blender with soap.
After making a smoothie, fill the dirty blender with water and a pump of washing-up liquid. Spin on high speed and then rinse.
5. De-energize your coffee machine.
Fill the machine with equal parts vinegar and water and run it for a few cycles.
6. Deodorize your garbage disposal with a lemon.
Cut the crust and place one piece in each slot of an ice cube tray. Throw the frozen cubes into the waste bin and grind them while the tap is running.
7. Vacuum up pet hair with a squeegee.
The rubber blade picks up the fur in a flash.
8. Deodorize your carpet with baking soda.
Sprinkle baking soda on your rug or carpet, let it sit for an hour and vacuum it away.
9. Clean dust under your furniture with stockings.
Wrap a pair of stockings around the head of a broom and use the handle to get under your sofa or closet. The static charge of the stockings acts like a magnet for dust.
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