So I’m just gonna come out and say it—I know this probably won’t sound relatable at all, but I actually don’t mind cleaning. Oddly enough, sometimes I even enjoy it, especially when discovering new cleaning hacks. It somewhat calms my brain. I don’t know if it’s the same as cooking, but there is something about the process, whether it’s the repetitive tasks or just the visible progression that feels… I don’t know… calming?
But also, let’s keep it real, I don’t have the time to undercut the hours of scrubbing and dusting baseboards for the sake of more cleaning time (and yes, I can’t believe I just admitted to wishing I had more time to clean, but here we are). So, needless to say, I became slightly obsessed with cleaning shortcuts. Not in a lazy, cutting corners kind of way, but in a ‘what’s the quickest way I can complete this task and not look like I quit halfway?’ way.
Anyway, I brainstormed and put together 20 cleaning hacks that are actually kind of ridiculous. Like, I thought a few of these were fake until I tried it! Well, here they are!
1. Remove Hard Water Stains
This might make you think twice about drinking Coca-Cola, but pouring some in the toilet bowl will help to break down hard water stains on the porcelain.
2. Remove Dead Bugs
This is genius. If you hate touching dead bugs when trying to remove them, use a lint roller and simply toss out the sheet afterwards.
3. Clean Lampshades
And on the topic of lint rollers, you can roll one along your lampshades to pick up dust, hair, and other debris.
4. Prevent Water Stains On Faucets
To prevent water drops from forming and staining chrome faucets, wipe them down with a sheet of wax paper. It helps the water to bead up and roll off instead!
5. Scrub The Tub
Looking for an effective yet natural way to clean your shower base or bath tub? Slice a grapefruit in half and cover the fleshy side in coarse salt, using it as a scrub brush. The acid and the salt are great for removing stubborn grime and other residue.
6. Cleaner Dishes
Are your dishes coming out cloudy and not as clean as you would like? Pour some baking soda into the dishwasher detergent compartment along with the detergent to see a big difference!
7. Easily Dust Blinds
Dusting the blinds is one of my least favorite chores. Solve the problem with a pair of cooking tongs, some elastic bands, and two rags. Genius!
8. Clean Stainless Steel Sinks
Shine up a stainless steel sink by sprinkling it with baking soda, then pouring some distilled vinegar on top. When the solution makes a fizz, scrub the sink and rinse with plain water.
9. Clean A Wood Cutting Board
To clean a wood cutting board, slice a lemon in half, cover the fleshy side in coarse salt, and scrub, scrub, scrub!
10. Dust A Ceiling Fan
The easiest way to dust a ceiling fan? Slip an old pillowcase over each blade, trapping all of the dust inside.
11. Clean Dirty Grout
When it comes to cleaning dirty grout, all you need is baking soda! Make a paste with baking soda and water, apply it to the grout, and scrub with an old toothbrush.
12. Locate Small Items
Trying to find an earring or other small item that was dropped on the floor? Put pantyhose over the end of the vacuum cleaner to find it without sucking it up!
13. Wash A Shower Curtain And Liner
You can toss both your shower curtain and the plastic liner in the washing machine – just be sure to wash on a cold water cycle, and don’t put the liner in the dryer afterwards.
14. Remove Water Stains
To remove water rings from wood furniture, place a tea towel over top and slowly move a hot iron over the tea towel. It may sound odd, but it works! Click here for more detailed instructions.
15. Deodorize A Mattress
To deodorize a mattress, strip all bedding and sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the mattress. Let it sit for a couple of hours, then vacuum it up.
16. Hide Wood Scratches
To make scratches on wood furniture less noticeable, rub over them with a walnut. This is such an old-school hack, but it really works!
17. Broken Glass Catcher
Need to pick up a bunch of tiny shards of broken glass? Use a piece of bread – trust me, it works.
18. No-Effort Microwave Cleaning
To clean and deodorize your microwave, fill a bowl with water and a few lemon slices. Set the microwave on high for about two minutes. The steam from the lemon water will coat the inside of the microwave, making it easy to wipe down with a damp cloth.
19. Dust-Free Baseboards
Dust your baseboards with a dryer sheet! Not only will the sheet trap dust, but it will also prevent dust from settling there in the future.
20. Deodorize The Garbage
So, if you want to make sure that your garbage doesn’t smell like… well, garbage, here’s a somewhat strange but actually effective trick: put a couple of cotton balls with a couple of drops of essential oil into the bottom of a new garbage bag. That’s all there is to it. It doesn’t solve all problems, obviously, but it does help take the edge off. Citrus oil works, peppermint too—whatever doesn’t smell like, you know, disgusting rotting food.
Anyway, yeah. I hope some of these little tricks make cleaning a little less of a drag. Or at least quicker, so you can move on to doing literally anything else.
