Most of the common everyday items in your home can be useful in removing stains and cleaning messes around the home. Instead of spending a lot of money buying commercial chemical products to clean, learn how you can combine ingredients from your kitchen to create a strong cleaning agent.
With these tips, you no longer have to throw out your old shoes, tolerate any more pet hairs in your home, or cover up the visible stain on your living room couch. Are you ready to learn cleaning hacks that will save you time, money, and energy? Let us dive in!
1. Baking soda for refreshing your mattress
A mattress tends to lose its aroma, get infested by mites, appear slept-in, or gain an unpleasant smell after it is used frequently for a while. Before you dispose of the seemingly unattractive mattress, baking soda might be just what you need.
Sprinkle baking soda mixed with some essential oils like rosemary, tea tree, eucalyptus or clove onto the mattress and leave it there for a while. After a few minutes, vacuum off the mixture. The essential oils will kill any mites and leave an aromatic smell in the mattress. The baking soda will refresh, clean, and rejuvenate the mattress.
2. Shaving cream for removing stains
Did you know that shaving cream can dissolve the stains on mirrors, shower heads, sinks, and faucets? What a life hack. You no longer have to deal with pesky little stains on your mirrors and showerhead again. If you were planning to spend your entire budget on cleaning and bleaching liquids, then this is your sign to stop.
Spray the shaving cream on the stained surface and leave it there for about 15 minutes. This is enough time for the cream to dissolve the stain. Wipe away the shaving cream, then rinse the surface to reveal the new stain free surface.
3. An old toothbrush to clean the garbage disposal
After using the garbage disposer for a while, it gets covered in disgusting gunk, which produces a foul smell in the kitchen. Instead of spraying the kitchen with air fresheners that will only provide a temporary solution, you can use your old toothbrush to clean the garbage disposal.
Mix baking soda with lemon juice, then find an old toothbrush with tough bristles to use. Scrub the blades of the garbage disposal with the brush as thoroughly as you can. This will help to ward off any pests and get rid of the foul smell. The rough texture of the baking soda and the acid in the lemon juice will dissolve any stuck particles.
4. Dishwasher to clean dirty hairbrush
How often do you wash your hairbrush? The dishwasher is very efficient in cleaning other household items other than the dishes. It can also clean sponges, tools, fixtures, toys, combs, soap pads, and hair brushes.
You might be shocked to realize that your seemingly harmless hairbrush carries about 3,500 colonies of bacteria. Before you brush off this fact, know that it was researched by the University of Arizona. The dishwasher is great for washing the hairbrush because the high heat sanitizes the brush. It is recommended that you wash the hairbrush in the dishwasher with a high heat setting for maximum results.
5. Baking soda to clean the cooking vent
If you cook frequently, you may have realized how grease tends to build up in the overhead cooking vent as well as on the stove top. Pour a box of baking soda in a wide container and add hot boiling water, preferably water heated on a countertop electric kettle.
Stir the mixture to have an even solution. Soak a sponge in the mixture and use it to clean the greased surfaces. The thicker the grease, the more baking soda you should use. However, one box of baking soda should suffice. Immerse the cooking vent into the container. The grease will be dissolved by the baking soda.
6. Adhesives to wipe keyboard keys
Most times, dust is not the only thing stuck between the keys of a keyboard. Food particles and grains can also get wedged between the keys, especially if you like to use the computer while enjoying a snack or two.
Office adhesives like post-it notes are useful in getting rid of the film if dust and dirt between the keys of the keyboard. Take a post-it note and run it slowly between the keys of the keyboard. The adhesive will attract the grub and grime between the keys to stick to it, leaving your keyboard clean. That is in fact a very useful cleaning hack.
7. Socks or pillows to dust fans on the ceiling
Ceiling fans are very efficient in ventilating a room. However, sometimes ceiling fans are neglected when it comes to cleaning because they are located high on the ceiling. A dusty, dirty ceiling fan will contaminate the air of a room with dirt particles.
Cleaning the ceiling fan is easier than you may think. All you need is a long tube of socks or a pillow case to wipe the fan blades. Turn the socks inside out so that the dust can stick to the fluffy inside surface of the sock. If you are using a pillow case, pick one with a rough surface instead of smooth fabric so that it can catch the dust.
8. Clear alcohol to clean the carpet
A carpet, especially the one in the kitchen, tends to get a lot of stains when bits of food, cooking oils, and wine fall on the floor. Some of the stains on the kitchen carpet may stick out, while others may blend in. Keeping such a carpet clean can be a tumultuous task, especially if you are always busy with work or school.
Clear alcohol like rubbing alcohol or Vodka can clean away almost any stain on the carpet. All you need is alcohol and several cotton swabs. Dip the cotton swab in the alcohol and rub it over the stained surface.
9. Squeegee to remove pet hair from surfaces
If you have a pet, then there could be hard-to-reach places in your home that are full of pet hair. The squeegee that you use fir the car is surprisingly efficient in getting rid of pet hair. It can reach into the bottom edges of baseboards and other corners in your house to remove the pet hair.
The squeegee is perfect because it extends your reach and cleans the areas that you would normally not be able to. As much as you love your pet, we both know how annoying the pet hairs can be. So instead of getting angry at your pet when you come across its hairs, just grab a squeegee and fix the problem.
10. Stale bread to clean the coffee grinder
Did you already know that stale bread can clean your coffee grinder pretty quickly and effortlessly? Cleaning the coffee grinder can be indeed very challenging, especially when the coffee grounds get into the crevices, the grooves near the blades, and the rim of the bowl.
The accumulation of the fine grains in the coffee grinder discolors the surface of the bowl and the blades. Wad some stale bread into the coffee grinder and turn it on. The bread will catch in fact all the grounds by spreading into the bottom of the bowl and beneath the blades, thereby cleaning the grinder.
11. Cleaning gutters during winter
Another incredible cleaning hack that will come in handy knows when to clean the gutters. Spring seems to be the most common time when the majority of people clean their gutters. However, winter is the best time of year to clean the gutters.
During winter, the garbage and gunk in the gutter is frozen into ice, making it easy to remove. Think about it. Isn’t removing meshed ice chunks from the gutter easier than removing slimy soupy sticks, leaves, twigs, and other forms of garbage from the gutter? What if slimy creatures crawl out of the gutter materials and stick to your skin?
12. Baking soda and vinegar to rub the tab
When was the last time you got rid of the buildup in the drainage of the bathtub? Dirt tends to embed itself in the grooves around the drain. Before you hop into the bath tub next time, carry out this cleaning procedure so that you can take a clean bath.
Mix one cup of vinegar with half a cup of baking soda to create a rub. Add hot water into the rub and stir the mixture. Plug the drain and pour the mixture into the tub to cover the surface and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Fill the tub with hot water, and let it sit in the bathtub for 5 more minutes. Release the drain and rinse thoroughly.
13. Lemon and salt to clean the cutting board
Stains may build up on the cutting board when you use it regularly to cut fruit, vegetables, and meat. Although you may clean the cutting board regularly, some food is absorbed into the surface, creating some really tough stains that are not easy to remove.
To remove the stains, mix some lemon juice with salt and stir the solution. The mixture formed will be strong and abrasive enough to clean the board. The salt will in fact deal with the stains and dirt on the surface, and the lemon juice will decompose the absorbed stains beneath the surface of the cutting board.
14. Vinegar and baking soda to wash the drain
Some clogs and buildup in the drain cannot be fixed by a plunger. Any expert plumber will inform you that some clogs require chemical reactions to break apart. Before you think of making a trip to the store to buy chemicals, you should look at what you already have in your kitchen.
Baking soda and vinegar create chemical reactions when mixed, that will help to clear up the drain. First, take some hot water and pour it down the drain. Pour half a cup of baking soda into the drain to accompany the hot water. Add a cup of vinegar into the drain it and let the elements sit for a while. The chemical reaction will dissolve all the clog and build up in the drain.
15. Lemon oil to clean the oven
There are many expensive commercial chemical products that are effective in cleaning the oven. However, if you are keen enough, you will observe that these commercial products have all one thing in common. And that is Lemon. In fact, lemon is all you need to make your oven squeaky clean.
With lemon oil, you can clean the oven faster with minimum physical effort. Besides, because you put food in the oven, lemon oil is the best natural alternative compared to the chemical products. The commercial products may leave traces of toxic chemicals in the oven, which may get into the food.
16. Wet paper towels to steam clean grills
Grills are always full of grease from barbeques and therefore need special attention when cleaning them. Failure to properly clean the grill will cause the grease to attract dust, which will build up to form grime over time. The best time to clean the grill is when it is scolding hot.
Wet some paper towels and cover the hot grill with them. The steam produced will break apart the grease and oil, which will then stick to the paper towel. After a few minutes, turn off the grill and let it cool. Peel off the paper towels and dispose them. The grill surface will be left clean and grease-free.
17. Clear alcohol to remove couch stains
Have you ever sat on the couch with your favorite drink to relax, but ended up spilling some of the drink on the couch? You may have probably invested in some expensive commercial chemical products to remove the stain. However, there is a simpler, much healthier, and non-toxic solution. Clear alcohol.
Vodka is the best clear alcohol for removing stains. Earlier, we saw how you can use vodka to remove stains from the carpet. Turns out that Vodka is a diverse stain remover for different surfaces. Apart from undiluted vodka, rubbing alcohol is your next best alternative for removing stains.
18. Old socks to dust window blinds
Window blinds collect dust and grime over time, and can leave visible marks of dirt if not cleaned frequently. Dusting the blinds with a whisk brush straw is not recommended because the dust will float in the air, thereby contaminating it.
Old socks that have been turned inside out are the best for cleaning the window blinds. The fluffy side of the sock will catch the dirt and dust when it wipes the blinds, instead of releasing the dust into the atmosphere. When you are done cleaning, you can dispose the old socks or wash them and use them again in future to dust the blinds.
19. Butter knives to clean the air vents
Instead of throwing out your old butter knives, you can use them to clean crevices and other hidden places that are difficult to reach. How regularly do you clean the air vents in your home? Over time, the air vents acquire dust, which if left uncleaned, form a veil that open up like curtains whenever you turn on the AC.
You can solve this problem easily using an old butter knife. The knife will clear the lint and dust in the vents in different rooms of the house. Who knew that such a small kitchen item can help your home have clean air.
20. Coffee filters to dust electronics
Electronics attract dust easily and should therefore be cleaned frequently. When dust accumulates on the electronic, it hardly comes off, and any cloth used to clean it seems to spread the grime around instead of taking it off.
However, coffee filters do a great job at getting rid of the grime from the electronics. Instead of spreading the dirt around, coffee filters pick up the grime from the surface. The unique texture and composition of the coffee filter allows the dust to cling to it. So instead of using expensive cleaning agents on your electronics, just stop by the store and pick up a few coffee filters.
21. Seam ripper to clean vacuum heads
One of the best tools that you can use to clean out a vacuum head is the seam ripper used for sewing. The seamstress normally uses the seam ripper to cut and remove stitches. As a cleaning hack, you can take advantage of the shape and size of the seam ripper and use it to remove fabric, strands of fabric hair, threads of carpet and any other item that may be tangled around the roller and wound around inside the head of the vacuum.
Not only will this hack help you avoid wearing out the vacuum head, but it will also help clean the vacuum of filth that may produce an obscene smell.
22. Nail polish remover to make old shoes shine
If you like sneakers or other fancy foot wears, you know how important it is to keep them clean at all times. While this does not seem like a problem, it causes your shoes to wear and tear much faster, thereby losing their attractive appeal. Instead of throwing out your favorite shoes to buy new ones, you can use nail polish remover to brighten them up.
Dab some of the nail polish remover on the part of the shoe with the stain. After a while, wipe the spot clean with paper towel or a wet rag. Repeat this process on all the affected areas until the shoes gain back their vibrancy.
23. An old tee to clean the lint
The lint in the drier not only carries a lot of dirt, but it could potentially start a fire if it is not cleaned frequently. For some reason, kids like to try and scrap the mat off of the filter in the lint when it becomes thick, for fun. However, the mat of the lint is not supposed to get to that level of thickness.
Using an old tee can make the entire process less messy and more tolerable. Rather than using your hands and risking them getting dry, dirty, and thirsty, you can use an old tee to swipe the lint clean.
24. Baking soda and vinegar to soak oven racks
You can use baking soda and vinegar to get rid of the grease and oil on oven racks. By now, you have realized that the mixture of baking soda and vinegar is very useful in cleaning grease and grime off of many surfaces.
Add one bottle of vinegar and a generous amount of baking soda on a tray and stir the mixture. Immerse the oven racks into the tray and let them sit for a while. The vinegar will absorb the oil and the baking soda will break down the bits of food from the surface. After several minutes, take out the oven racks and wipe them clean.
25. Bread balls to clean delicate surfaces
Spills on delicate surfaces like wood or bamboo may be difficult to clean because the surface may absorb the spill. A slice of bread loaf can act as a great sponge and clean off the spill. The next time you spill something on the surface, take a loaf of bread and roll it into a ball, and use it as a sponge against the liquid.
The bread ball will absorb the spill before it sinks into the surface. Wine spills can be cleaned well by such bread balls, especially on wooden surfaces. This is one interesting hack that you have to try.
26. Adhesive lint roller to dust screens
Dirt, crude, vegetation, dead insects, and bird droppings tend to stick on Windows and door screens. Every time the wind blows against your window; it will leave some sort of dust or other material stuck to it. Instead of scrubbing all the windows and door screens with soapy water only for them to get dusty again, you can use an adhesive lint roller.
The lint roller that you use for clothes will remove any mess from your window screen and leave it clean and clear as day. Besides, it is a cheaper and easier alternative compared to buying chemicals to clean the screens.
27. Olive oil to clean and maintain pots and pans
Did you know that olive oil allows you to scrub both rough and delicate surfaces of pans and pots without damaging or scratching them? Whether the pots are made of iron, titanium, steel, or non- stick material, olive oil will remove any stains and blemishes on the pots and pans.
Olive oil is great for cleaning and maintaining such utensils because it acts as a natural solvent, which breaks down the burned-in grime as well as the baked grease better than other commercial soaps. So, instead of setting aside your favorite pot or pan because of its stain, try using any type of olive oil alongside some soap and water to scrub the utensil.
28. Concoction to clean kitchen grease
The cabinets in the kitchen become oily and greasy over time, especially if you cook in the kitchen frequently. Failure to clean the grease off the cabinets will eventually lead to the buildup of grime, which will make the cabinets have a blackish, greasy texture. Polishing and waxing the wooden cabinets is effective, but it does not provide a permanent cost friendly solution.
Mix a generous amount of baking soda with an equal amount of vegetable oil to create a concoction. Take some paper towels or fresh rags and use them to smear the concoction on the cabinets and wipe the surfaces clean.
29. Oil and vinegar to remove pet odors
If you have a cat or a dog in your home, then you know how difficult it can be to remove pet odors from the furniture, carpets, and rugs. Instead of constantly spraying your home with air fresheners whenever your pet messes up, you can use vinegar mixed with oil to get rid of the odor.
When you apply the affected area with vinegar and essential oils, the vinegar will evaporate and therefore take the annoying odor with it. The essential oil will replace the odor with a fresh fragrance. Read also the next points to get useful cleaning hacks.
30. Baking soda solution to sterilize plastic cutting boards
Earlier, we saw how salt and lemon juice are great for cleaning wooden cutting boards. However, plastic cutting boards need to be handled a bit different from their wooden counterparts.
Add also some hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish washing soap into a container and stir the mixture until a bubbly thick purée is formed. Take a wash cloth or a sponge and apply some of the purée on it, then use it to scrub the plastic board. The contents of the purée will in fact sterilize and clean the cutting board and also leaving it with a nice, fresh scent.
31. Ammonia to clean stove tops
Before you recoil from the thought of using ammonia in your home, know that it is very effective in removing grease from stove tops completely. That oily stove top that you have been trying to scrub and clean all week long just needs some good old ammonia.
Just take the burner covers and seal them with a plastic bag containing ammonia overnight. Remove the plastic bag the following morning, and you will find that the ammonia has dissolved all the oil and grease from the burner covers. So, forget about those commercial products that you heard of and buy some ammonia for the grease instead.
32. Pine-Sol to revive the toilet bowl brush
After using the toilet brush to scrub the toilet bowl clean, you probably return the toilet brush into its carriage without sanitizing it. Some of the bacteria and other forms of germs in the toilet bowl survive and stick to the toilet brush after cleaning. This means that the toilet brush may carry more bacteria than the toilet bowl after cleaning the toilet.
Pine-Sol can prove very useful in sanitizing the toilet bowl brush after it does its job. After cleaning the toilet, dip the toilet brush in Pine-Sol to refresh, sanitize, and revitalize it. Besides, the Pine-Sol will also leave your bathroom smelling fresh.
33. Washing machine to clean toys
How regularly do you clean your kid’s toys? You can wash the toys in the washing machine frequently and ensure that your kids are safe and healthy every time they play with them. After all, most kids’ toys spend a lot of time on the floor, picking up all types of germs. Sometimes pets also like to play with the toys.
In order to wash the toys properly, place them in a laundry bag or mesh bag, and then place them in the washer. Set the machine to rinse without the spin cycle. You can use bleach, hot water, and laundry soap to sanitize the toys well.
34. Tennis balls to wash pillows
Although it may sound strange, tennis balls can help to keep your pillows thick and fluffy every time you wash them. Each time you place the pillow into the washing machine, it is filled with water and then rinsed dry on the spin cycle. The pillow is then tumbled dry, causing it to shrink because of the heat in the drier.
The best way to prevent the pillow from shrinking in the drier is to place a couple of tennis balls in the drier without turning on the heat. The moisture released by the pillow is absorbed by the tennis balls, making it shrink less and dry faster.
35. Toothbrush to clean the toaster
We have already seen how a toothbrush can clean several things around the house, and the toaster is not exempt from the list. The toaster can be quite the handful when it is time to clean it, especially because most cleaning brushes are made of metal.
Some brushes may get stuck in the toaster and damage the inside parts of the machine, making you incur more costs to repair the toaster. A tooth brush, however, presents a simple solution. It is made of plastic, thereby making it safe and effective to clean the electrical appliance. The bristles of the toothbrush will clean the delicate, difficult-to-reach spots in the toaster.
36. Essential oils to remove toilet stains
Essentials oils have also proved to be in fact very effective at removing stains in the toilet bowl. As Doyle James from Mr. Rooter Plumbing once said, if you cannot remove stains from the toilet bowl, it may be an indication to try another approach.
Mix 15 drops of lemon essential oil with 15 drops of tea tree oil and let the mixture sit on the toilet bowl for about 30 minutes. The tea tree oil will in fact decompose and also dissolve the stubborn build up, while the lemon oil will kill all the germs in the toilet bowl.
37. Baking soda and vinegar to clean the dishwasher
Some people normally assume that using the dishwasher automatically cleans it, but they are wrong. When the dishwasher is not cleaned frequently, bacteria, microbes, and grime build up within it. The germs contaminate the dishes every time you clean them in the dishwasher.
Cleaning the dishwasher is very simple. All you need is baking soda and a jug of vinegar. Pour the vinegar into the dishwasher to refresh and sanitize it. Add a box of baking soda into the dishwasher and run one cycle. The dishwasher will be left sparkling clean and all the microbes and build up will be removed.
38. Lemon and vinegar to refresh the microwave
A mixture of lemon and vinegar can help get rid of that displeasing smell that the microwave produces over time. The smell is produced by stains and other baked on food particles that stick to the sides and bottom of the microwave.
Take one sliced lemon and a quarter cup of white vinegar and place them in a bowl inside the microwave. Turn on the microwave and leave it there for several minutes. The next time you open the door, an aromatic lemony flavor will hit you, leaving your microwave smelling fresh and clean. The vinegar will remove the unwanted microbes, buildups, and germs, and the lemon will eliminate the strong unpleasant odor.
39. Chalk to eliminate grease from walls
Grease marks tend to build up on the walls of a busy kitchen. If you cook meals daily in the kitchen, you may have realized that the walls seem a bit oily. Other walls in your home may also contain grease marks, especially the bathroom walls, and frequently used doors.
All you have to do to get rid of all these grease marks from your walls is rub chalk on them. The chalk will soak up the grease and oil from the wall until it is only a thin layer. Take a wet paper towel dipped in soap water and wipe the walls to remove the residual film of grease.
40. Empty tissue roll to clean crevices
It turns out, an empty toilet paper roll is not useless after it has run its course. You can use it as a nozzle attachment of a vacuum to clean the crevice. You know those dark and damp places in your bathroom that you hate having to clean with your own hands, such as underneath the toilet, cabinet corners, and shower windows? Furthermore, you can use the empty tissue roll to reach into those places and clean them.
Place the bathroom tissue roll over the vacuum nozzle to protect the nozzle and keep it clean. Pitch the dirty tissue roll and clean all the crevices of the bathroom.
Did you discover some mind-blowing hacks that will make cleaning easier around the house? Let us know which cleaning hack helped you the most. Reach out to us today and let us be part of your cleaning journey.