Household

Cleaning takes up far more time than anyone would like. If we don’t spend a significant amount of time cleaning, we suffer for it with dirt and clutter and unpleasant smells around the house. Happily, there are plenty of ways to cut down on your cleaning time, and we’ve gathered over a dozen right here.

Some involve tricks that will speed up otherwise slow cleaning processes, some are recipes that will clean more efficiently than commercial cleaners (or at least save you a trip to the store), and some are advice on how to clean cleaning supplies, so you don’t waste time trying to clean with something dirty. All are valuable. Check them out below.

Gas Grill Cleaning

In the summer months, gas grills get a lot of use. Most people remember to clean the grate, but neglect the rest of the grill. To have a grill that looks top notch, and not like a grimy mess, you’ll need to clean the whole thing regularly. You’ll need several things to get started, and make sure you wear old clothes because you are sure to get a little messy, but this tutorial will show you exactly how to do it.

 

Microfiber Couch

Microfiber is very tricky to clean, and a lot of your standard cleaners should not be used on it. Rubbing alcohol, though, can be safely used if you are careful, and it will remove most spots and stains. This “how-to” post will explain exactly how you can clean that dirty microfiber couch and will answer some common questions about cleaning couches.

 

Carpet Stains

Carpet stains can be a disaster, particularly if they are something extra stainings, like red wine or Kool-Aid. But you don’t need expensive commercial stain removers, just make your own carpet stain remover and you can truly get even that tough stain off your carpet. All you need is some clear Windex, a towel, and an iron. This method works with even set-in stains. Check it out.

 

Bleach Gel

Bleach gel is great for spot removal on white laundry. Just remember, since it contains bleach, you don’t want to use it on any colored items. Just keep a bottle handy for whenever you need it. You can make your own for hardly any money with this handy recipe. All you need is bleach, cornstarch, water, and a container with an applicator.

 

Pack N Play

If you have a young child, chances are you have a pack-and-play. You may wipe it down regularly, but that is not enough. You need to wash them thoroughly now and then. These directions will tell you exactly how to get your pack-and-play clean. Depending on where you live (humid vs. dry) and the material the mattress is made out of, you may want to forgo soaking the bed as well.

 

Greasy Floors

If you cook a lot, you know your kitchen is prone to greasy floors, even if you clean frequently. Grease is one of the toughest things to get out of floors, so your standard floor cleaning supplies might not do. This recipe is specially designed to cut through grease on floors and get your kitchen floor cleaner than it’s been in a long time.

 

Toilet Hard Water Stains

Hard water stains in your toilet can make your toilet look disgusting, and they are so hard to get rid of. Plus, even when you do, the minute your back is turned they reappear. It’s a constant struggle. This article has the perfect way to get rid of hard water stains (without using harsh chemicals). All you need is a pumice stone.

 

Smell-Fresh Towels 

One of the best things about washing towels is the comforting clean smell afterward, but so often that fresh-clean smell from just-out-of-the-dryer towels you remember from your childhood (or just last week) isn’t there. It’s probably your detergent or fabric softener, but a little baking soda and vinegar can fix it right up and make those towels smell great again. Check out how here.

 

 Microwave Cleaning

No matter how hard you try to prevent it, microwave stains happen. Before you know it, your microwave has all sorts of gross things inside it. Cleaning all the stuck on gunk is awkward and difficult, but there is an easy way to do it. You just need a bowl and some vinegar to start. Check out these directions to see how easy cleaning your microwave can be.

Tubs

If you have ever tried to clean tubs with stuck on rings, you may have noticed that despite all the commercial brands’ claims, it is extremely difficult to remove those rings. A lot of scrubbing and cleaner is involved, if they ever come off at all. But this amazing bathtub trick actually lets you get rid of those rings without any scrubbing at all. All you need is Dawn dish soap and vinegar (and about an hour to let it sit).

 

Bathroom Upkeep

Dish wands are also great for bathroom walls and surfaces. You’ll need to rinse everything off after, but they are perfect for a quick wipe down and good for harder to reach places. They are especially great for quick cleaning of the bathtub. Just keep it on hand for easy access. See exactly how to use them to clean your bathroom right here.

 

Dusting

Sure, commercial brand dusting spray has been around for a long time. That’s how Pledge became a household name, after all. But you can make your inexpensive dusting spray that works wonders right at home. This tutorial will teach you exactly how to whip this great spray up. It’s easy!

 

Grout

If you have a toothbrush and some homemade staples, like baking soda, cleaning grout isn’t hard to do. While many of us overlook grout, shining up those spaces between the tile can make a huge difference to how clean your floor looks. This guide will give you an easy homemade recipe for cleaning grout and tell you step-by-step how to do it.

 

Stove Burners

The more you cook, the scarier your stove burners become. Since all that gunk is burnt on, it may seem impossible to get it all off, at least without exhausting yourself and making your fingers bleed with all the scrubbing. But this no-scrub method will have those burners like new in no time, with minimal effort from you!

 

Shower Head

After awhile, particularly if you have hard water, your shower head will get calcium deposits and need to be cleaned. In addition to looking pretty funky, calcium build up can affect how well your shower head performs, blocking some openings and causing others to spray in wild directions. Luckily, cleaning your shower head is easy. All you need is a baggy and some vinegar. Check out how with these directions.

 

Vodka Cleaning

Use vodka to clean windows, deodorize clothes, and shine kitchen sinks. And that’s only a few things vodka can be used before besides drinking. You can even use it to help preserve cut flowers and to kill weeds (just depends on how much you use and what you mix it with). Check out how to use vodka for these cleaning tasks and several others right here.

 

Clean Gas Stove Burners

If it’s been awhile since you took the burners and drip pans off your stove and gave the gas stove burners a good cleaning, you’re probably frightened by all the burnt on gunk that’s been hiding under there.

It may seem impossible to get off at first, but with a little baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, you can have them looking great again in no time.

 

Shower Mold

Mold in your shower is a scary thing, but with all the moisture and humidity, it’s incredibly easy to get. Cleaning regular with a good homemade shower cleaner can help the buildup of mold. Unfortunately, it is tough to get rid of. This tutorial will tell you how to remove the mold and keep it gone. Best of all, you just need two items: bleach and cotton beauty coils (cotton balls would also probably work, but depending how big the moldy area is, you’ll need a lot of them)

 

Vacuum Cleaners

Vacuum cleaners do a great job cleaning, but only if they are cleaned regularly themselves. Vacuum cleaners may appear to be difficult or time-consuming to clean, but they really aren’t! Each vacuum cleaner has a slightly different cleaning method, so be sure to check your instructions. If you have a Dyson, or if you just want a general vacuum cleaning guide, check this tutorial for detailed pictures and instructions.

 

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Kitchens are one room in the house that takes near constant cleaning to keep in any presentable shape (at least if you ever use your kitchen much). Most kitchen items are fairly straightforward to clean, even if they are a little tedious at times. However, there is a surprising number of things in the kitchen that are difficult to clean or that you simply forget to (or aren’t aware you even need to) clean until they are some degree of scary dirty. Never fear! There are plenty of simple solutions to your difficult kitchen cleaning problems, and we’ve gathered more than a dozen here for you.

Greasy Dust

Wipe the oven hood and other places that are prone to get that greasy dust on them with mineral oil when you clean them. It will easily remove all that sticky, gunky grease-dust from your surfaces or appliances. Then, wipe again with a cloth to leave a light coating of mineral oil that will help combat future greasy dust. To get the full low-down on this technique,

Then, wipe again with a cloth to leave a light coating of mineral oil that will help combat future greasy dust. To get the full low-down on this technique, click here.

 

Window Tracks

Window tracks are the bane of any clean kitchen. They are easy to overlook and how exactly do you get them really clean? Well, the process is a little involved.

You’ll need vinegar, baking soda, dish soap and some towels, but you can get even the dirtiest tracks clean with this method. Here is the tutorial so you can see exactly how it is done.

 

Fruit Life

An important part of keeping your kitchen clean is knowing how long that fruit you have in your fridge or on your counter will keep.

This handy chart gives you the approximate time popular fruits stay good after they are ripe, even once they are cut in half. Adhere to this chart, and you won’t have to worry about spoiled fruit in your kitchen.

 

Blinds

Kitchen blinds can be tricky to clean, especially when you just have to clean up all the dust cleaning the blinds created. To get the job done quickly and easily, wrap a pair of tongs in microfiber clothes and run those along the blinds.

The microfiber will pick up most of the dust, and the tongs will let you easy get between the blinds and do both sides at once.

 

Wood Cabinets

Cabinets are a pain to clean and keep looking good, but wood cabinets may be the worst of the bunch. In addition to just getting them clean, to have the wood look really good, it needs to be polished too. Murphy’s cleaner not only is great at cleaning wood it leaves a nice finish that keeps your wood looking good after.

Murphy’s cleaner not only is great at cleaning wood it leaves a nice finish that keeps your wood looking good after. Here is a comparison between four wood cleaners, and you can see why Murphy’s is the clear winner.

 

Wooden Cutting Boards

You don’t want to clean your wooden cutting boards with soap and water, and they definitely can’t go in the dishwasher, so how do you get them nice and clean? Although for everyday cleaning, just rinsing the board under warm water will do (never let it soak! That will hurt the wood), you need more deep cleaning methods as well. Kosher salt and lemon work wonder to get those boards spotless. Here’s how you use them.

 

Fridge Storage

Part of smart cleaning is taking steps not to need to clean as often, or as much). To help keep things in the fridge as fresh as possible for as long as possible (and thus reduce messy clean-up in your fridge or questionable mystery food hanging out in the back), here’s a breakdown of what types of things should go where.

 

Burnt Pans

If the bottom of your pans look like you rescued them from a forest fire, you may think there’s just nothing you can do about it. After all, that blackness now seems part of the pot’s chemical makeup. However, some Bar Keepers Friend and a little elbow grease can have those pots looking shiny again. Find out exactly how to get the results shown in the picture right here.

 

Refrigerator Coils

One thing you may have never considered cleaning is your refrigerator coils. Fridge coils accumulate dust and grim over time, and since they are hidden, they tend to get overlooked. Not only do they probably desperately need cleaning, but dirty refrigerator coils raise your electric bill. They are surprisingly easy to clean. All you need is a vacuum cleaner with an attachment. Check it out.

 

Faucet

Faucets all get calcium build up over time, particularly if you have hard water. To combat this, and make your faucet look and perform much better, put some descaler in a plastic bag and tie the bag around your faucet head. This tutorial will walk you through how to get the best results, including giving you advice on using a Magic Eraser to finish off the process.

 

Oven Liner

To keep from having to clean up messy ovens, you can use an oven liner to catch spills. You can also line the bottom rack of your oven with foil or a cookie sheet to serve the same purpose.

Don’t put either on the bottom of your oven though because they could damage your oven by causing it to heat unevenly.

 

Stainless Steel

You don’t need expensive stainless steel polish to get those stainless steel appliances shined up. Pledge actually works wonders. First, you will want to clean the stainless steel to make sure all the grime, grease, and dust are removed. Then, a good wipe down with Pledge will shine those stainless steel items. Check out these directions to see exactly how you do it.

 

Garbage Disposal

If you find your garbage disposal is often smelling stinky, you may not be cleaning it right (or often enough). You need to not just scrub the outside, but you should get under the splash guard too and scrub there as well. A toothbrush is the easiest tool to use to get those tricky garbage disposals clean. Check out this tutorial for the right way to clean that disposal.

 

Coffee Makers

It’s extremely important to descale your coffee makers regularly, whether you have a normal coffee maker or a Keurig. There are several different ways to go about this process depending on the type of coffee maker you have, but all are relatively simple.

This article will explain exactly how to clean your coffee maker no matter what type you have and offer helpful tips to get them extra clean.

 

Vent Hood

While you should clean your stove vent filter before it looks like the picture above, how many of us actually remember to do that?

The good news is even if yours does look this alarming, you don’t need to toss it and buy a new one. Just soak it in Borax and hot water and it will end up good as new. Here’s how.

 

Cleaning Granite Countertops

Some countertops are easier to clean than others. For those of you with granite counter tops, you might be hard-pressed to find a great cleaner that specifically works on granite. In particular, any citrus-based cleaner or vinegar is a huge no for granite as they can increase the wear and tear and decrease the life of your countertops. This homemade granite countertop cleaning recipe is easy to make and is specifically designed to clean without doing any harm to the surface.

 

Shiny Sinks

Kitchen sinks can be washed out with soap and water fairly easily, but getting them to shine like new is sometimes a difficult process. You might be surprised, but simple flour actually works wonders for your sink shining purposes. This tutorial will give you the full low-down and tell you exactly how to use flour to shine those kitchen sinks right up!

 

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