A Clean House, Mr. Clean Style: Tips And Hacks For A Spotless Home

Cleaning is never fun. But it’s especially frustrating when you don’t have the right tools for the job. And it can be even more challenging for those who do not have the time for a deep cleanse. And who wants to scrub the floors and walls, spending hours on a day off? Luckily, we’ve put together a list of cleaning hacks that actually work — so you can get your space looking spick and span in no time! You will get the best results using these hacks without using up too much time and energy. Not only are these hacks easy but they’re inexpensive; many of the ingredients are probably in your pantry already! From using vinegar to clean your bathtub to using a lemon to remove rust from taps, these hacks are sure to make your cleaning routine a lot easier.

1. Rust-free surfaces

Rust can be a nasty sight and may affect the longevity of the objects in your home. Aggressively scrubbing these surfaces isn’t the best solution, both for your hands and the object itself. Using a lemon to clean it is your best option.

Cut the lemon in half and dip it in some table salt. Now, use this as a scrub to clean off the rust. The acidic lemon will work on the rust and remove it effectively. Make sure to do this before the rust gets out of hand, as it will be harder to clean then.

2. Perfect looking lampshades

Are you afraid of destroying your expensive lampshades while cleaning them? Here is an easy way to restore their look without the fear of damage: just grab an adhesive lint roller! With the adhesive, you don’t need to apply any pressure to clean up the dust.

The best part of this hack is that a lint roller will work on any material, although it works best on smoother surfaces. It’s easy cleanup, too, as you just remove the used up layer of the lint roller when you’re done.

3. Binge watch on a clear TV screen 

Cleaning a TV and computer screen can be tricky as you do not wish to leave any streaks and marks. These will impact the viewing experience, and you’ll just have to clean it repeatedly. Instead of a regular cloth, use a coffee filter.

The coffee filter will do an impeccable job cleaning the screen and will not leave any lint on the screen. If you like to clean using a liquid, spray the cleaning solution on the coffee filter and gently clean the screen. Don’t spray directly onto the screen.

4. Polishing chrome faucets

Dull chrome faucets might be affecting your bathroom’s appeal, and trying to get them shining again, without the use of harsh chemicals, can take hours. Here’s a simple way to restore their mirror shine with baby oil and a cotton ball.

Add some baby oil to a cotton ball and rub it on the chrome faucet for a few minutes. This will polish the surface, leaving it all shiny. Now, you’ll be able to see your reflection and feel proud of your cleaning job. 

5. Clean granite countertops

Granite countertops are a popular material for kitchen counters, both for the material and the sophisticated look it gives the space. Using some water and a DIY detergent mix, you can get it clean and sparkling like new. All you need is water, rubbing alcohol, dish soap, and a paper towel.

You’ll need to mix two cups of water, one-fourth cup of rubbing alcohol, and six drops of dishwashing liquid. Now, use a paper towel to rub in the mix. This mixture will gently disinfect the surface while cleaning it off the dust, grime, and any food marks. 

6. Cleaning knobs and cabinet hardware

Forgetting to clean your cabinet hardware and knobs regularly can cause a buildup of dust, making them lose their shine. Keeping them clean is as crucial as mopping floors and surfaces. This may not come under the deep cleaning category but is necessary.

Grab an old toothbrush and lather it up with some oil soap. Gently scrub the hardware and knobs to clean the dirt. Wipe these surfaces with a soft cloth or an old t-shirt. Your cabinets will look good as new in no time. 

7. Remove rust rings

If you place a metallic item in the shower or on the counter for too long, it may leave a rust ring on the surface. This may be your shampoo bottle or a toothpaste holder. These stains can become almost impossible to clean if you discover them too late.

Make a paste with lemon juice and cream of tartar to clean these stains from the affected surfaces. For a deeper clean, scrub the area using an old toothbrush. It will leave the surface looking clean without any hint of rust. Your guests will never know that there was ever a stain there!

8. Clear glass shower doors

We all know the struggle of cleaning glass doors after a relaxing shower. No matter how much you clean it with a squeegee, the glass door might not be as spotless and transparent as it was after the initial installation.

You can clean it using a stiff brush and some window cleaner to get the best results, instead of wiping it with a soft cloth or squeegee — both of which don’t fully clean it. This will clean the soap scum and steam marks after the shower.

9. Deep clean oven

After cooking several meals, your oven may look like it hasn’t been cleaned for ages. The steam and heat may make it worse by solidifying food spills. To clean the oven, make a paste by mixing one cup of baking soda and dish soap.

Add some water to this mix to form a thick paste, the thickness of which should be similar to pancake batter. Apply this mixture on the insides of the oven over the dirty areas. Let it sit for fifteen to twenty minutes and wipe dry. 

10. Gas stove clean-up

Have you been putting off cleaning your gas stove? Don’t worry, there’s an easy cleaning hack to take care of it. Take an old bowl and add some baking soda with water and hydrogen peroxide. Form a thick paste of these ingredients to cover the stove.

Apply this mixture, then let it sit on the stove and do its work to remove the food particles and dirt. Use a sponge or soft cloth to gently wipe away the mixture. Your stove will look clean and feel fresh to use again. 

11. Clear oven door

Your oven door may get foggy, and it’s hard to see your food cook well. Baking soda can come in handy in cleaning the oven door. Sprinkle some baking soda on the surface and cover it with a damp towel or old t-shirt.

You can soak the towel in some soapy water to multiply the cleaning action. Let it work on the surface for fifteen minutes and wipe it with the same towel. Use small circular motions for the door to look clean without any streaks. 

12. Stove burners clean-up

Stovetop burners get dirty after cooking as the food spills all over them with each meal prepared. But you do not need to scrub them too much to clean them. Make a mix of baking soda and dish soap to form a thick paste.

Apply this paste uniformly to the stove burners and leave it for roughly twenty minutes. No need to scrub as this mixture will work on the dirt and clean your stovetop for you. Use a soft, damp cloth to remove the dirt along with the mixture.

13. Bye-bye greasy stains

Steam and oil splatter may make your kitchen surfaces greasy and make it feel like it’s beyond cleaning. Don’t lose hope. Just get some mineral oil and a paper towel for this next hack that will have your kitchen grease-free.

Add a few drops of mineral oil to a paper towel or cloth and use it to wipe the greasy surfaces and objects. The mineral oil will break down the grease and make cleaning up afterward easier. Once you are done rubbing the mineral oil, use the paper towel to wipe the surfaces again.

14. Clean your microwave oven

With regular use, your microwave will likely have a variety of watermarks and food splatters. When you notice stains, it’s time to deep clean the inside before they fully set in. For this cleaning hack, you’ll need a microwave-safe bowl.

Fill the bowl with some water and lemon juice. Microwave the solution until it begins to boil and releases steam — the steam will loosen up the grime inside. Now gently wipe these stains and enjoy a fresh and clean microwave. 

15. Deep clean for bathtub

Every weekend, you should deep clean your bathtub to ensure it is free from bacteria and dust. You may do this using cleaning agents such as bleach. Make sure to wear gloves and properly ventilate the area when you use harsh materials.

First, you have to fill your bathtub with hot water. Now, add a large scoop of oxygen bleach to the water and let it do its magic. Keep this mixture in the tub overnight and drain it the next morning. Spray the tub to remove any residues and enjoy a sparkling bathtub. 

16. Stress-free air conditioner vent cleaning

Air conditioner vents accumulate a lot of dust, and their position makes them hard to reach and even harder to clean. And you cannot call a professional each time to get them cleaned. However, you can use objects around the house to get the same results.

Soak a towel in the cleaning solution and wring out the excess, then tie it around a stick, such as a knife. Run the knife through the vents to grab and clean the dust. The towel will easily collect the dirt and dust, leaving the vent clean.

17. Plastic cutting boards clean-up

Plastic cutting boards are convenient in comparison to wooden ones, as they won’t grow mold so easily. However, they may develop deep food stains that can be challenging to clean. Use this hack before you toss out your well-worn cutting board.

Soak the plastic cutting boards in a water and bleach mix. Let them sit in this mix for an hour or two for the bleach to work on the stain. Remove the boards and wash them with regular dish soap and leave them to air dry. 

18. Dust-free blinds

Few things are more frustrating to clean than blinds. Cleaning each slat can take hours. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to clean those tricky dust collectors. Just take a pair of tongs and a damp cloth; secure the cloth around the utensil using rubber bands.

Use these tongs to gently wipe each blind and remove dust that’s sitting on the surface. This is a smart way to clean the blinds as all the dust will stick to the damp towel, and you’ll have way less cleaning to do once done. 

19. Effective floor carpet cleaning

Tired of your carpets being dirty? Use this simple trick to clean them up! Hydrogen peroxide and soap are all you need to get rid of stubborn carpet stains. Spray a few drops of hydrogen peroxide and soap, diluted in water, then scrub the problem area.

You may use a soft bristle toothbrush to work on the stains. This cleaning method will leave your carpet clean and free from stains — no need to replace carpets or call in professionals to do an expensive cleaning each time you want to clean up before guests come over.

20. Natural window washing

If you do not want to use harsh chemicals to clean the windows in your home, just grab an onion. It makes for a great window cleaner! Cut an onion in half to rub it all over the glass to remove stains.

Wipe the windows with a soft cloth afterward, and you’ll be amazed to see how clear and dirt-free the windows look. You might never go back to chemical cleaners after using this hack to achieve streak-free windows. Who would have thought that onions were so versatile?

21. Sparkling steel sink

Steel sinks sometimes develop brown spots due to hard water and get marks that are hard to clean with dish soap. If you want to get your steel sink clean, we have the hack for you! You’ll be amazed that you do not need any heavy-duty cleansers or brushes for this one.

Clean your sink as usual and let it dry. Sprinkle some flour on the sink and let it sit for some time. Wipe the flour using a cloth or a towel and see that the sink looks polished, just like new. 

22. Clean iron soleplate

Irons are a staple household appliance, but they can be tricky to clean, and using metallic scrubbers and tools to clean its soleplate may damage it forever. To preserve the iron soleplate and have it working for longer, just use some baking soda or vinegar.

Dip a piece of cloth or tissue in vinegar and gently wipe away the dirt and burnt fabric residue from the soleplate. You may also use baking soda or salt. Rub it on the soleplate and be careful not to get it inside the steam holes.  

23. Fresh smelling kitchen

Is your kitchen smelly but you can’t find the source? The culprit may be a dirty garbage disposal. No amount of air freshener will work unless you clean it well. Use your old toothbrush to clean the dirt and get rid of nasty-smelling garbage.

You may use dish soap to remove the garbage, grease, and food stuck inside the splash guard. After you’re done scrubbing, clean the disposal area with hot water to remove any lingering smell and debris. Cleaning it regularly will keep your kitchen odor-free. 

24. Restore beautiful vases 

Vases tend to accumulate dirt, and a buildup inside can discolor the glass. If they are tall and thin, you will not be able to reach all the corners and do a thorough enough job at cleaning. Rather than sitting with a frustratingly dirty vase, you can use broken eggshells to get these hard-to-reach areas.

Just add the eggshells to the vase along with some hot water and dishwashing liquid. Swirl them around to remove the dirt. This hack gets bonus points for being zero waste by using kitchen scraps to clean around the house.

25. Washing machine cleanse

If your washing machine is dirty with grime buildup and limescale, it may not seem hygienic to wash clothes in it. Moreover, it impacts the working and capacity of the washing machine. There are a few ways to fix this.

Use some bleach, vinegar, or citric acid to clean the machine. Just add your solution of choice to the empty machine and let it run on the hottest cycle. Your machine will clean itself without any hard scrubbing. With a clean drum, you’ll feel great when you put in your next load!

26. Old to new furniture 

Your old furniture can use some freshening up after being used for years. Just sprinkle some baking soda over the fabric and let it sit on the material for twenty to thirty minutes. Now grab a stiff brush and a vacuum cleaner.

Use the brush to remove excess baking soda by dusting it off, and the vacuum cleaner pulls up dust, dirt, and leftover baking soda. This will leave your furniture as fresh as new. Do this regularly for the disinfection of your furniture.

27. Soft and clean microfiber furniture

For those who have microfiber furniture, a regular cleaning cloth won’t do. You just need a stiff cleaning brush and rubbing alcohol to make it look as good as new. Fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and apply it to the dirty area.

Rub the desired area with a clean sponge to remove dirt. Always ensure to use a white sponge to prevent any color transfer to the furniture. Now, go over the same area with a stiff brush and let it dry.

28. No more brown spots on cups

If you forget to wash your coffee or teacup for a few hours, you’ll see it has brown spots that are hard to remove no matter how much you scrub. Even dish soap doesn’t work well on these. If you want to get your cup as clean as when you first bought it, give this hack a try.

Next time you use a lemon, do not throw away the zest — instead, make your own cup cleanser with some lemon zest and salt. You can rub it on the cup to get rid of stubborn brown marks. Lemon and salt are food safe so there’s no need to worry about harsh chemicals.

29. Burnt pan struggles

Burnt pans are a nightmare to clean. You may soak them in water, but the burnt food may not move at all. Adding some vinegar to the pan and bringing it to a boil will quickly break down the burnt food.

After this, rub baking soda over the burnt areas to remove the residues completely. This will leave your pan looking shiny. You may air dry the pan or dry it with a cloth or sponge. No more need for harsh scrubbing to keep your pans looking clean.

30. Sparkling white bathtubs

You can make your bathtubs white like snow again with some bleach and cotton balls. Soak the cotton balls in bleach and keep them along the edges of the tub. This will work on the dirt and grime stuck around the edges.

Not only will it work on grime, but it’ll clean up any mold that has started to grow in these damp areas. Let this sit overnight and remove it in the morning. Spray some water over these areas to reveal your snow-white bathtub.

31. Clean pans and pots

There are so many pan cleaning hacks to try, it’s hard to know which to try first. This is the easiest one as you do not need chemicals or to boil the pans to clean them. You just need a potato and some salt.

Cut a potato in half and dip it in coarse salt. Rub the pan with this half-cut raw potato and watch it work its magic. Your pan will be free from any food marks, burnt food residues, and brown spots. 

32. Shiny bathroom faucets

Hard water and soap may make your faucets appear dull and leave marks on the surface. This can get hard to clean if left for a long time and affects the aesthetics of your bathroom. Get your faucet shiny and looking good as new in no time.

For this hack, you only need one ingredient: vinegar. Saturate paper towels with vinegar and wrap them around the faucet for 30-50 minutes. You can also use a vinegar-filled ziplock. You’ll see the faucet is sparkling and free from harsh watermarks and dirt. 

33. Rice for coffee grinder

If you are a coffee fan, you’ll notice that the coffee grinder will need cleaning every now and then. And you may observe that even after cleaning it with dish soap, some odor may remain. This may be hard to remove and linger in your next cup of coffee.

Fill the grinder halfway with rice and grind it for a minute until it’s completely pulverized. This will remove any dirt and odor from the grinder. Remove rice and clean the insides of the grinder with a damp paper towel. 

34. Repairing leather furniture 

Leather sofas and recliners add charm to the living space. However, they may require repairing and upkeep to keep them in good condition, or the material may deteriorate. Moreover, you may also notice white marks on the surface after some years.

You won’t have to replace your loved furniture if you spot some scratches and discoloration. Just use shoe polish that’s the same color as your furniture. The polish will act as a reparative for the material and make it last longer. 

35. Spotless mirrors

Dirty mirrors can bring down the look of any room. Bathroom mirrors get dirty quickly due to dust, water splashes, fingerprints, and steam. No matter how hard you clean, it’ll always leave marks if you don’t use the right products. 

To effectively clean mirrors, use a solution of half water and half vinegar and spray it on the mirror. You may also add essential oil drops such as lavender or lemon for a light scent. This solution will leave the mirror crystal clean.

36. Toothpaste to the rescue

Plastic objects may develop greasy dirt and dust on the surface, and you cannot possibly wash all these objects. Dusting greasy surfaces will do little to nothing in cleaning the buildup. You can use toothpaste to easily clean plastic surfaces.

Take an old towel or cloth and dip it in some warm water. Apply toothpaste to it and wipe the greasy dirt off of these plastic surfaces. The dirt will come off without too much scrubbing and scratching in only a few seconds. 

37. Dust-free air vents

Air vents are susceptible to dust, which may affect the overall air quality. Using dusters may be an additional task for you if you are already struggling to keep everything clean. Try this hack if you find yourself needing to clean the air vents frequently.

Consider waxing all the air vents to keep them cleaner for a long time. The wax will prevent the dust from collecting and will not have a massive buildup when you need to clean them later, making them easier to clean. 

38. Reach walls and ceilings

Cleaning spider webs and dust from the walls and ceilings is not in everyone’s reach. You may miss some spots, even if you use a telescoping pole with a duster on it. But there’s a cleaning hack to clean every corner of your home.

Use your mop to clean these hard-to-reach areas and see how effective it is in not just removing dust but also preventing buildup. You may use the mop dry or dampen it a little, depending upon the paint types on the walls and ceilings.

39. Clean tiles 

The space between the tiles is hard to clean and may build mold over time if not regularly cleaned well. Just spraying tiles with some water may not do the trick to deep clean the dirt, mildew, and water stains.

Grab a sponge and dampen it with some water. Now, dip it in baking soda and scrub the tiles to remove stains, mold, and mildew. The baking soda will leave your tiles looking fresh and clean. Do not forget to wear gloves for this one.

40. Spotless sink 

Dirty sinks are disgusting to look at and even worse for your health. Instead of wasting hours scrubbing it, sprinkle some baking soda in the sink. Let it sit in the sink for some time before the next cleaning step.

Clean the sink with a sponge that is dipped in hydrogen peroxide to remove all the dirt and stains. Your sink will start to look clean and spotless like it used to be. There will be no yellow and brown spots on the surface.

41. Deep cleanse for oven vent filters

You’ll be surprised to see the amount of dirt oven vent filters can accumulate, even after only a few weeks. For deep cleaning oven vent filters, all you need is a big bowl large enough to accommodate the filters and some borax.

Fill the bowl with hot water, add borax, and mix it together. Drop the oven vent filters in the bowl and let them soak for a good twenty minutes. After this, remove the vents from the bowl and run them under water to clean thoroughly. Leave them to air dry before reinstallation.

42. Easy washing machine drum clean up

The washing machine drum may have detergent stains, and lint stuck to the insides. Putting your clothes in a dirty drum doesn’t feel like an effective way to wash your wardrobe. You can clean the machine drum with the use of baking soda and vinegar. Mix these with some water to make a paste.

Take a sponge, soak it in the mixture, and gently wipe the insides of the drum. While cleaning, make sure not to damage or scratch anything. Pay attention to the rubber seal, too, for safe and effective cleaning. How easy is that?

43. Stain-free carpet 

Here’s how you can clean your carpet using less harsh cleaning materials. Dilute one part of white vinegar with two parts of water to make a cleaning solution. Soak an old towel in this mixture and wring out the excess.

Place the soaked towel over the dirty area and let it sit on it for a few minutes. Now, grab a steam iron and press it over the damp towel for thirty seconds. The stain will come off and freshen up the carpet fabrics. 

44. Fresh wood cutting boards

Cutting boards get very dirty after use, and the chopped food may get inside the crevices. This cannot be cleaned and disinfected with water and dish soap even if you scrub it hard. You need a little something extra to clean it properly.

Cut a lemon and put some coarse salt on the board. Use the cut lemon to scrub the board along with the salt. The lemon will remove bad odor and food stains from the board. It’s a food-safe way to clean your cutting board.

45. Dishes from old to new

With use, plates and dishes lose their luster and start to look as if they were decades old. You can make your old dishes sparkle again with this simple trick. This does not even require any harsh chemicals to clean them.

Take a mixture of baking soda and water to scrub the dishes. Let it work on the stains and marks for some time and wash with hot water. Leave the dishes to dry and see how shiny and new they look now.