55 Must-Read Cleaning Tips & Tricks

I’ve been cleaning for as long as I can remember, but apparently I’ve been doing a lot of things wrong! Or, the hard way, I should say. And it’s not always necessary to buy the expensive bottled stuff to get your home clean, not when things like baking soda, peroxide and vinegar actually do a better job. Although, I can’t seem to break my habit of the Mr. Clean Gain scented cleaner. Who can resist the smell of fresh laundry in every room?
Spring is right around the corner, and I figure it’s as good of a time as any to get started with the annual deep cleaning. Things like my lent traps, ceiling fans, and other places in the home that get forgotten about. I like to break it up so I don’t get overwhelmed – tackle just a few things a week. I’ve compiled a list of household cleaning tips and tricks from around the web that I really found useful! Some of these are just plain genius.
1. Sanitizing Sponges
I kind of get grossed out by sponges. Do you? I just feel like they are perfect for harboring millions of germs. I do like the sponges with the rough side for scrubbing out hard-to-clean pots and pans, but end up throwing them out before their life cycle is over. What a waste! Instead, put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes and watch as the microbes sizzle away.

2. Kitchen Cabinet Gunk Remover
Have you taken a close look at your cabinet doors lately, especially around the handles? You’d be surprised at how much gunk can accumulate over time. To be honest, I’m not sure that I’ve ever given my cabinet doors a good scrub. Yikes! This cabinet cleaner only requires 2 ingredients, and you probably already have them right in the cabinet that needs to be cleaned.

3. Clean Small Toys In A Laundry Bag
I’ve never thought to wash anything in my washing machine other than clothes, but I suppose a laundry bag can make it possible to clean so much more, including small lego pieces! You could also use this concept in the dishwasher.

4. Cookie Sheet Miracle Cleaner
I actually have a few cookie sheets that look just like that – gross! They seem to rust and get grimy really fast. I just cover them with foil before doing any actual baking. Time for a cleaning? I think so. Not only does this cookie sheet miracle cleaner only require two ingredients, but there’s also no scrubbing required! Just let it sit and do it’s job while you tackle other things.

5. Clean Fan Blades With A Pillow Case
If you’re anything like me, you have about a dozen extra pillow cases laying around in a spare closet. Wait, is that just me? Use one to slide onto the blades of your ceiling fans, and then wipe the blades off inside the case. No more dust in your face! So quick and easy, too.

6. Cleaning Between Oven Glass
Bet you didn’t know you could go there, did ya? I didn’t! That double paned window on your oven somehow manages to collect grime over time, and it would seem impossible to even attempt to clean it, but it’s easier than you might think! Especially if you already happen to have a wire hanger, Windex wipes, and a few rubber bands handy.

7. Removing Labels In A Flash
Why must ceramic manufacturers use the stickiest labels they can possibly find? WHY? I recently encountered this problem after I replaced all of my old dinnerware, and then spent 30 minutes trying (trying!) to remove the labels. Next time, I’ll remove them the easy way with Oxi-Clean! Wish I had know this years ago.

8. Use Salt To Clean Your Iron

Salt? Yep! Pour salt on your ironing board (Perhaps cover with a pillow case or something to make clean up easier), and then iron the salt with the steam option off. The dirt on your iron will stick to the salt, making for an easy clean!

9. Squeegee Hair Picker Upper

A new use for an old item! Turns out your squeegee has a brilliant use other than getting your windows squeaky clean. Use one as a quick and easy way to wipe pet hair off of your carpets and rugs.

27. Removing Hard Water Stains

…the natural way! Hard to believe that a lemon can be so powerful. Not only that, but you don’t have to deal with that harsh chemical smell, only the scent of fresh lemons! This is a heck of a lot cheaper, too!