25 Cleaning Tips That Actually Work
Updated: Jul. 08, 2019
These crazy cleaning tips won't seem so crazy after you try them.
The baking soda and vacuum trick
Baking soda is a natural adsorbent, which means it has the ability to absorb odours when used correctly. If you have fabric-covered furniture, then put some baking soda in a salt shaker or similar dispenser and sprinkle it liberally on the furniture you want to freshen up.
Baking soda doesn’t do its work all at once, so give it time to neutralize as many odour-causing particles as possible. An hour or so is ideal, and for bad situations you may just want to leave the baking soda on overnight (as long as it won’t get tracked everywhere by pets). When the time has elapsed, get out the vacuum cleaner and thoroughly vacuum up all the baking soda. This should freshen up most fabrics.
Note: Baking soda may have varying effects based on what is causing the odour or general “staleness” of your furniture. It neutralizes acidic compounds very easily, but may not be effective for all problems.
Here are more things to do with baking soda.
Homemade all-purpose cleaner
Try using a homemade all-purpose cleaner on counter tops and surfaces to disinfect and freshen your home. This recipe includes vinegar, which removes stains and odours, and anti-microbial essential oils to keep your home germ free.
Check out these brilliant DIY cleaning products for every room in the house.
Simple soft scrub
Industrial soft scrub cleaners can contain strong chemical ingredients, but you can get your tub and shower just as clean with homemade cleaner. This simple soft scrub recipe will clean a bathroom faster and better, and uses a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, which will dissolve hard mineral deposits and easily cut through soap scum.
Check out these cleaning hacks you’ll want to steal from the professionals.
Natural toilet bowl cleaner
Many commercial toilet bowl cleaners use chlorine bleach, but not this natural toilet bowl cleaner. Instead, castile soap and baking soda get the job done. Plus, you won’t have to worry about accidentally exposing your pets or children to toxic toilet water.
Homemade window cleaner
Forget using chemical cleaners to wash windows. They’ll look clean as a whistle with this all-natural homemade window cleaner, which uses vinegar and cornstarch to buff those fingerprints away.
Activated charcoal
Activated charcoal is an even better adsorbent and odour-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 getting freshener bags of activated charcoal and hide them in the corners of your furniture to help reduce odours.
Look no further than your kitchen to keep annoying odours at bay.
Make your appliances smudge-free
If you own stainless steel kitchen appliances, you may want to consider using car wax to clean them rather than a surface cleaner. Simply apply a light coat of car wax to the appliance, allow time to dry and buff clean to resist fingerprints and smudges. No more kiddy fingerprints on the fridge!
Don’t miss these other tips for cleaning your microwave, stovetop and oven.
Clean a can opener with wax paper
Did you know that you can clean and protect your manual can opener with simple wax paper? It’s that easy! Here’s how to do it:
Fold a sheet of wax paper a few times; then clamp the can opener onto an edge of the wax paper and turn the handle several times—the same action you would use to open a can. The stiff sheet will break off bits of food and grime from the wheels of the can opener, and the wax residue will lightly lubricate the parts at the same time for smoother operation.
Dust
Because dryer sheets are all about eliminating static cling, used ones work very well as dust cloths, especially on electronics and mini blinds.
These are the places you’re not vacuuming—but should be.
Clean milk stains from clothes
It seems unusual that a dark cola could remove a milk stain but the claim exists. After letting the milk stain soak in Coca-Cola for around five minutes, just throw it in the wash.
These spring cleaning tips will make this year’s routine a total breeze.
Clear up coffee rings
Your guests should’ve used a coaster but now you have a coffee stain on your table. A little dab of toothpaste can get that stain out, just like coffee stains on your teeth.
Find out more ways to remove stains in wood furniture.
Remove hard-water buildup with a lemon
Remove hard-water buildup on your faucet with this simple, natural solution: Place half of a fresh lemon on the end of the faucet, wrap a small plastic bag around the lemon and secure it to the faucet with a rubber band. After a few hours, remove the lemon and wipe the faucet clean.
Garden sprayer cleans hard-to-reach spots
A garden sprayer can be a mini power washer for cleaning windowsills and other hard-to-reach spots. Before you fill the tank with water, be sure to rinse it repeatedly to flush out any chemical residue.
Psst—these traditional cleaning tricks don’t actually work!
A pillowcase can be a cleaner
Obviously, you don’t want to use the pillowcase you sleep on every night, but using a pillowcase to clean your ceiling fans is a hack that you need to try ASAP. The pillowcase holds the dust so it doesn’t fall on a table or bed.
Here are more brilliant cleaning shortcuts lazy people will appreciate.
Burned-on foods
Getting burnt food off cookware is no easy feat. But here’s a clever trick: put a new dryer sheet at the bottom of the dirty pan, add water and let it soak overnight. The next day, wipe out the pan and you’re good to go.
Once all of your pots and pans are clean, try these Marie Kondo kitchen organizing tips.
Beat the dust out of cushions with a tennis racket
Upholstery absorbs lots of dust—and then sends it airborne every time you sit down. Routine vacuuming reduces the problem, but can’t suck out the deep-down dust. So take cushions outside a couple times each year, preferably on a windy day, and spank the dust out of them. An old tennis racket makes a great upholstery beater.
Whiten piano keys
Piano keys can get discolored over time and through use. Get them to sing a different tune by cleaning them with toothpaste.
Polish your metal
No matter how careful you are with your stainless-steel pots, those nice steak knives or that fancy coffee travel mug, sometimes they get small rust spots due to residual water. Next time you notice a small rust spot on your metal kitchen tools, use lemon juice and a sponge. Simply squeeze a little lemon juice into a sponge and rub it on the surface.
Shine up sneakers
Get loose dirt off your shoes with a toothbrush. Dip it into a teaspoon of laundry detergent mixed with a cup of water or add some toothpaste. Use the solution on the fabric, mesh, and rubber areas, but don’t use it on foam or leather.
Here are more toothbrush cleaning hacks you’ll wish you knew sooner.
DIY hand scrub
Harsh hand cleaners can irritate the skin, especially during cold weather. But reader Jay Bjornstad uses dish soap with sugar instead—and it still cuts through the grease to get his hands squeaky clean after a long day in the shop.
Clean your microwave
There’s no scrubbing required here! You can get a squeaky-clean microwave without using harsh chemicals. Just squeeze some lemon juice into a bowl of warm water, add the lemon rinds and microwave for five minutes. The water will start to boil and the steam will loosen the dried bits of food. When the timer goes off, carefully remove the hot bowl and use a clean towel to wipe everything clean.
These kitchen organizing ideas will save your sanity.
Oil remover
The phosphoric acid in Coca-Cola proves tough on oil stains around the garage. Pour some room-temperature Coca-Cola over a stain, let it soak overnight and soak it up the next day by blotting the area.
If you want to keep your home pest-free and your belongings in good condition, never store these items in your garage.
Iron cleaner
An old iron will accumulate stains through years of use but an old toothbrush and toothpaste can breathe some new life into that iron by removing the stains.
Check out these clever uses for borax—including freshening up your favourite clothes!
Pet hair
We love our pets but dealing with pet hair is tedious. If you see clumps of unshed hair on your pet, use a dryer sheet to gently remove them and avoid the mess altogether. If you see hair on the floor, a used dryer sheet works well to dust and grab the whole mess.
These are the easiest ways to get rid of pet odour.
Revamp tupperware
Tupperware can take on a funky smell but you can eradicate that smell by cleaning it with toothpaste. Just rinse it off after cleaning it and remember to keep the lid off to prevent the smell from returning.
Here’s what you shouldn’t be storing on your kitchen countertop.
