Keep these cleaning tips in mind the next time you have a difficult-to-remove stain, and use them to avoid future mistakes. They’ll clean your house in half the time and with half the work.
Baking Soda + Vinegar = Magic
Here’s an easy DIY oven cleaner solution. Create a paste made of baking soda, water and a squirt or two of dish soap. Use a sponge to cover the interior of your oven with the paste. Close the oven door and let sit overnight.
Then, take a spray bottle of equal parts water and vinegar and fully saturate all surfaces of the oven. Wipe away with a damp sponge.
Stop Countertop Stains
If you have a laminate countertop, you’ve probably noticed that it doesn’t repel stains like it used to. That’s because years of wear leave the surface lightly scratched and porous.
A protective coating of countertop polish can help repel stains and restore the shine to dull countertops. Just spray it on and wipe it off every few weeks.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is an even better absorbent and odor-killer than baking soda, and can deal with a wider variety of particles. However, this highly purified charcoal dust isn’t the best thing to put on your furniture, where it can stain.
Instead, consider freshener bags of activated charcoal. Hide them in the corners of your furniture to help reduce odors.
Remove Bathroom Soap Scum
Soap has a nasty way of forming a hard-to-remove film on tile in tubs and showers that you won’t get rid of it by rubbing. Instead, wait for the surface to dry, then scrape off the scum with a four-inch plastic putty knife. To clean grout lines and textured surfaces, use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
To prevent soap scum buildup, stop using real soap and start using a synthetic. Chemically speaking, any soap in a liquid or gel form, and some bar soaps (Zest and Ivory), are actually synthetic soaps and much less likely to leave a tough film in your sink, shower, or tub.
Flashlight Glass Finder
Cleaning up broken glass is a real pain, but it’s nothing compared with a glass shard in the foot. Get a flashlight and turn off the overhead lights. Scan the floor with the flashlight from a low angle and the shards will glisten, making even the littlest piece stand out.
Clear Up Coffee Rings
Your guests should have used a coaster but now you have a coffee stain on your table. Dab a little white toothpaste (don’t use gel toothpaste) directly on the stain and rub it in with a clean cloth. It will get the stain out just like coffee stains on your teeth.
Vacuum First, Then Scrub
When you wipe up bathroom surfaces with a wet sponge or rag, you may notice all the accumulated dust and hair turns into a big wet mess. Make the whole process easier by utilizing the vacuum first.
Vacuum everything from dusty light fixtures, countertops, even around the toilet. Then continue as usual with your favorite bathroom cleaner and sponge. A soft-bristle upholstery brush works best.
Trash Can Cleanup
Try using a liquid toilet bowl cleaner to wash the inside of a dirty trash can. It will cling to the sides for better cleaning. A toilet brush will help you reach down inside the trash can. Rinse well for a clean can.
Hack for Dusting Ceiling Fans
You can buy a duster like this one specially made for dusting hard-to-reach ceiling fan blades. Or save the money and try this hack.
Wrap a dryer sheet around a clean painting roller and secure the ends with rubber bands. Attach an extension handle to the roller and roll it along each blade to remove the dust. No ladder is needed.
Scuff Mark Eraser
Clean off shoe scuff marks from vinyl flooring with a clean, dry tennis ball. A light rub and heel marks are “erased.”
Don’t Forget to Wash Your Bed Pillows
When was the last time you washed your pillows? Make a reminder to wash them at least every three to five months. For down pillows, check your pillow labels to ensure they can go in the washing machine.
Opt for a gentle or delicate wash and spin cycle and add detergent. Tumble dry on low or an air-dry setting for a few hours until completely dry. Adding some clean, dry towels will absorb moisture and speed the drying process.
Marker Cleanup
When the permanent marker ends up in the wrong hands, vegetable oil can clean it off lots of surfaces — even skin. Then just wipe up with a damp cloth and you’re done.
Speed-Clean Chandeliers
First spread a plastic tarp on the floor under the chandelier to catch the drips. Then turn off the light and spray a chandelier cleaning solution on the chandelier until liquid beads start to run. (You’ll use a lot of spray, but it beats wiping.) The spray rinses off the dust.
The solution that’s left evaporates quickly and doesn’t leave water spots. The spray works well on hanging crystals, but don’t expect it to remove dust from crevices.