14 Awesomely Helpful Cleaning Tips
July 17, 2019
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I don’t mind cleaning the majority of areas within my home, but there are certainly times when I wish the job was easier. Thankfully, there are tons of little-known cleaning tricks out there that will make cleaning easier and more effective. Here are 14 genius cleaning tips that will turn your home into a neat and clean oasis.
1. Glass Light Fixtures
If you have glass globes or covers from light fixtures, make them clean and shiny by popping them in the dishwasher! Just be sure that the fixture is completely made of glass, as the water may damage metal, wood, and other accent materials.
2. Find Small, Lost Items
If you drop an earring or other tiny item on the floor and can’t seem to find it, attach a piece of pantyhose over your vacuum’s nozzle. When you turn on the vacuum, it will suck up small items but get stopped from actually entering the vacuum due to the pantyhose screen.
3. Knife Block
Over time, your knife block will become full of dust, crumbs, and other residue. Just use the skinny attachment on your vacuum to suck out all of that gunk!
4. Grout
If you don’t want to use bleach or another chemical-filled agent to clean your grout, make a paste using baking soda and distilled vinegar. Apply the paste to the grout, let it sit for about an hour or so, then rinse or wipe it off.
5. Hard-To-Reach Crevices
Although some vacuum attachments will fit inside window tracks and other hard-to-reach places, not all will. To vacuum in small or awkward spaces, place an empty paper towel or toilet paper roll over the end of the vacuum. You’ll be able to bend the end of the roll accordingly to fit in all nooks and crannies.
6. Dishwasher
Think of all the leftover food and bacteria your dishwasher is exposed to on a regular basis. Get in the habit of cleaning it every couple of weeks by placing a cup or bowl of distilled vinegar on the top dishwasher rack and running it on a hot water cycle. Do this without dishes or dishwashing detergent!
7. Carpet Dents
If your carpet is now showcasing some dents from moving furniture around, place an ice cube on each dent. When the ice cubes melt, run your vacuum over the spots. This will encourage the fibers to return to their original shape.
8. Lightbulbs
To clean dust from lightbulbs, all you need is a pair of soft, cotton gloves! Simply put the gloves on and use them to wipe down lightbulbs and other glass fixtures.
9. Ceiling Fans
You wouldn’t believe how dusty the blades of your ceiling fan will get in a short amount of time. To clean them without getting the dust all over your room, slip an old pillowcase over each blade. The pillowcase will act as a dusting cloth, but will also trap the dust.
10. Towels
To remove that musty, mildew smell from your towels, all you have to do is add a cup or so of distilled vinegar to your washing machine and wash as usual.
11. Microwave
Add a few lemon slices to a bowl of water. Place the bowl in your microwave for about 30 seconds. The lemon and water will create steam which will clean and disinfect your microwave while loosening hard food residue. Then, just use a damp cloth to wipe clean.
12. Hard Water Stains
Is your toilet bowl lined with unsightly orange hard water stains? This may sound crazy, but dump some Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl. The Coke will eat away at the hard water stains. Let it sit for about 15 minutes before flushing.
13. Dusting
Dust high or hard-to-reach places by fastening a microfiber cloth over the head of your broom with an elastic band.
14. Broom
Speaking of brooms, they all need to be cleaned and disinfected every now and then. Soak your broom in a bucket of hot, soapy water for a couple hours before rinsing and placing outside to air dry.