31 Cleaning Tips To Help You Get Serious Results

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Fill a dishwashing wand with vinegar and dish soap, then bust through (and prevent) soap-scum and hard-water buildup by scrubbing down the walls + door *while* you shower.
It's the perfect excuse to stay in the warm steam just a little big longer! Just don't forget to rinse well afterward. From Smart School House. Get a dishwand from Amazon for $3.33, and a pack of ten refills for $16.49.
Or mist your shower walls, curtain/door, tub, fixtures and floor once a week after you turn off the water and you'll (almost) never need to deep clean your shower at all.
This daily shower cleaner prevents *and* helps clean buildup of all kinds of nasties, including the dreaded soap scum and limescale, with no need to scrub — simply rinse the next day, right before you shower again. Get enough to last 12 weeks from Amazon for $19.98.Promising review: "Does a FANTASTIC job if used regularly. I love this product. I hate cleaning tubs. This product has made our tubs look new. I don't use it every shower...maybe every third. Just spray down everything after the shower, and forget about it. You DO need to rinse tub before the next shower due to product making it slick. The fumes of other cleaners always messed with my asthma. I have noticed that for some reason with this one, I sneeze twice, because I have to spray shower doors while I'm still in the shower...but it never affects my lungs. I would recommend this to EVERYONE!" —Angela GIllaird
Wipe away built-up layers of soap scum and hard water stains on your glass doors with the help of a soft cleanser — the reviewer who took the photos below said they didn't even have to scrub.
Get a pack of three bottles from Amazon for $20.99 (about $7 each).
Secure a plastic bag filled with vinegar + baking soda around your shower head to descale hard water stains and break up mold or mildew while you go back and sit on the couch.
I do exactly this about every six months or so, and it works every single time! See my full shower hack review.
Brighten your greying, dirty, and mildewed white grout by running some bleach gel over all the worst spots.
From Classy Clutter, who also uses a drill scrub brush to supplement. Note that this only really works for white grout, and could even change the tone of any grout with color. TIL that the pictured Clorox bleach pens were discontinued, womp womp. You can still get a price-gouged one on Amazon for $59.99, but I recommend either DIY-ing your own (Happy Money Saver has a how-to) or opting for the Skylar Life bleach gel, which you can get from Amazon for $14.99. It works on grout, caulk, and tile of all colors. Promising review (for the Skylar Life bleach gel): "All those BuzzFeed posts that say this product can clean are true. I have annoying grout stains and mold and this product does the job. No matter how many times I scrub and clean the mold/stains come back but with this product they go away and stay away for a while. I have to reapply now and then but it's totally worth it." —Nona Gayle
Cut down on your elbow grease while still getting gaps, corners, hard water stains, and (any color) grout clean with a power scrubber.
It scrubs up to 60 times each second(!!) so you all you have to do is sit there and leisurely wave it around a little. Yes it's like a giant electric toothbrush, but y'all, I own one and it REALLY works. You literally see the dirt come up and the grout lighten with just 30 seconds of use. They make a specialty grout head you can buy for it ($19.95 from Amazon), but TBH the default brush works just as well, unless you have incredibly narrow grout lines.Get it from Amazon for $19.95 or from Target with the grout brush for $19.99. Want more details? Read my full Rubbermaid power scrubber review (#2)!
Work a miracle on your disgusting toilet tank by pouring in a cup of citric acid, topping with some boiling water, and walking away for a few hours.
The step-by-step: 1. Turn the water to your toilet off with the little metal valve in the back. 2. Flush the toilet so the tank empties, but doesn't refill (because the water's off). 3. Pour a half cup of citric acid in the tank. 4. Fill the tank up with hot water (some people boil it, some people just use hot from the tap). 5. Let it sit for at least two hours, and up to overnight. 6. Give it all a scrub with your toilet brush. 7. Turn the water back on, and flush a few times till all the mess is gone! You can get citric acid from Amazon for $14.99.
Save yourself lots of fruitless scrubbing with a toilet brush and use a pumice stone to quickly banish those impossible rust and mineral rings in your toilet bowl.
Citric acid could work here too, if you want to leave it sitting overnight. But if you want that ring gone in five minutes, the pumice stone's the way to go. Get one from Amazon for $10.80.
And if you have to pumice regularly, start dropping in a weekly-ish citiric acid-infused toilet bomb and you might not have to scrape those hard water stains off ever again.
Just swish once or twice, let it fizz for about five minutes, then scrub for a minute or so with a toilet brush. You'll probably still need a pumice stone to get it clean the first time, but regular use of these can help keep your toilet hard-water-stain-free for longer. These are both made and sold by Bombs Away, an Elizabethtown Pennsylvania-based small business that sells hand made cleaning and bath products. They're on Etsy for $11.99+.
Then stamp some gel into your clean toilet to actually keep it that way for weeks and months at a time.
All you have to do is re-stamp as needed. If you can't imagine not using your toilet brush, you can use the small remaining bit of gel to scrub down the bowl before applying more. I used this in college and can personally attest it really does work!Get enough to keep your toilet clean for up to 10 weeks for $4.67 on Amazon.
Switch to wearing sweeper slippers every time you're at home, so as you walk around, you're also picking up all the dust, fuzz, and hair lurking on your hard floors.
Of course these only really work on hard floors like wood or tile. And even then, they'll pick up *some* stuff, but not everything — to pick up more dust, crumbs, and debris, you have to put a little effort into using your feet as brooms and sweeping everything into one pile. But when I wore them for a week, I did that way more often than I expected to, and my floors were cleaner because of it!The pair I got from Amazon initially is sold out, but you can get the pictured bear version from Amazon for $13.59 (available in 3 sizes, 3 colors, and 5 designs) or a pack of 5 brightly-colored elastic pairs that slip over socks on Amazon for $9.89.Promising review (for the bear version): "So worth it! I love having clean floors but sometimes I'm lazy and I live near the beach, so sand can be a hassle on the hardwood floors in my apartment. I love these so much and have pretty much worn then every day since I got them. They are super comfy and help clean! These are such a great addition to my routine." —Laura J
Leisurely dab up even the most impossible and old set-in carpet and upholstery stains with the help of a spray-and-blot spot remover.
I've used this stuff on a week-old strawberry smoothie stain (on a blue and white rug), chocolate stains on fuzzy pillows, and other mystery stains, and have seen it for myself — it really does work! It's great for all kinds of stains, like oil, makeup, food, dirt, rust, ink, and wine; even if they're years old. (It won't work on, say, hair dye stains, though. It's a cleaner, not a bleach.) Get it on Amazon for $6.65. Promising review (from the pictured B&A above): "If you are ever thinking you might need this, TRUST ME you do! My two-year-old threw up chocolate milk on our cream carpet. It was a complete disaster. I tried everything and nothing even made a dent in it, until this. It's also scentless, which was great because I got the stain up right before my little girl's bedtime. TOP NOTCH!" —Jillian Briggs
Have pets that shed? Pick up every last little bit of their fur that's embedded in your carpet using the squeegee-side of a rubber broom. Can you believe the German Shepard owner who took this pic uses a Dyson pet vac — and THAT is how much hair the broom got that the vacuum didn't??
It also works wonders on hardwood floors and tile! It won't take very long for this thing to pluck every last piece of pet hair out of your space. Get it from Amazon for $12.99. Promising review: "This thing just plain works. We got a golden retriever last year and were told he didn't shed, but in the spring he started shedding badly. The bristles pulled the hair up then caught the tufts and spread them around. I found that using short quick strokes with the rake turned upside-down got the best results. The backside is more like a squeegee and helps pull the hair up in long rolls and keeps the hair in one big pile." —Nick V.
Use any old squeegee and some water in a spray bottle to easily clean pet hair off your sofa, furniture, and basically anything that's upholstered with fabric.
Just spritz once or twice, squeegee, and watch it clump up. Then use your hands or a vacuum to suck up the clumps. It's the same concept as the broom above, but for smaller areas than your floor, and you probably already have a squeegee at home! From CareaBearaSara. A similar squeegee is $10.99 on Amazon.
Pop a bunch of things in the dishwasher to clean them all at once while you go and do literally anything else: dusty AC vent covers, sticky stove vent hood filters, grimy glass light covers, and even wrenches and screwdrivers can stand a go.
From One Crazy House. For more, check out 16 Ways To Use Your Dishwasher To Clean Almost Everything You Own.
Then clean all the gunk and scum out of your dishwasher by running it empty with a cleaning tablet.
If cross-contamination has you concerned, this will cover you! It also helps dissolve any hard water buildup. Get six tablets for $8.99 on Amazon.
Cleans and polish your stainless steel in a single, quick, satisfying step with this spray-and-wipe cleaner.
Get it and a large microfiber cloth on Amazon for $19.95.My mom's had stainless appliances for well over a decade and a half now, and she just discovered this spray from reading our posts, and said it works *wonderfully*, truly 100% better than any other kind of stainless cleaners she'd tried in the past!! Promising review: "I've tried at least 10 different products over the years and two homemade concoctions, frustrated with how long it takes to rub out the smears and streaks, never achieving the shine I'm looking for. This product was quick, easy and the shiny stainless appliances result I've been searching for is achieved. Eureka!!!" —Cat
Spray some fume-free foam cleaner in your oven, let it all sit overnight, then easily wipe away the crud in the morning — the oven will look brand new.
Technically, you can let this sit anywhere from two hours to overnight to get results. And while you might have to do *some* light scrubbing, it should be much easier than it would've been without this cleaner! Don't forget to spray it on the racks too (unless your racks have a special coating on 'em). Get a 24-ounce can on Amazon for $8.98.Promising review: "This stuff is amazing! Spray it on, let it sit overnight and wipe it out. Looks brand new. I honestly didn't think this was possible. The grates had years of cooked on grease, sprayed right off in the sink. Can't wait to try it on the BBQ." —Kalub hall
Microwave a bowl filled with water + lemon for three to five minutes — then leave the door closed for a few minutes so everything can steam — and you'll be able to wipe off every single dried-on food bit with one swipe of a paper towel.
This also works with water + vinegar, or honestly just plain water. And of course you can wipe off with a sponge instead. I've been doing this for years, and have yet to find a gross microwave where this doesn't work wonders. Read my full review or watch the Nifty video.
Shine up your stovetop with five minutes of concentrated work: Drizzle on some Dawn and hydrogen peroxide, sprinkle with baking soda, and vigorously scrub in circles with a dish brush.
Then just wipe clean to reveal the sparkle. From My Thirty Spot. Get a highly-rated dish brush from Amazon for $9.95.
Enlist a soft cleanser to easily scrub off cooked-on gunk from your stainless or enameled gas stove (and tons of other things).
Kayla, a former editor here a BuzzFeed, tested it out herself when she used it on her enameled stove — and it made the stains completely vanish! Get a bottle from Amazon for $7.45, or read her Barkeeper's Friend review for more.
Run a knife wrapped in a damp cloth through the gap between your oven and your stove to extract all the crumbs and crud lodged in there. Then cover that gap with a pair of stainless steel covers so you never have to clean that spot out again.
They simply slide right in there, or you can use an included adhesive to make 'em more permanent. They come in two sizes on Amazon: 20-3/4" long for $34 or 23-3/4" long for $45.59. Promising review: "In a kitchen upgrade we went from slide-in to free-standing and ended up with a gap between the range and the counter. They blend in perfectly and will not warp with heat." —Amazon Customer
Dissolve hard water stains on your water faucets by wrapping them up in vinegar-soaked paper towels for an hour — they'll wipe off in one go.
From Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry.
Grind up a garbage disposal cleaning packet — its foam will reach into the depths of the disposal to clean every. single. last. inch.
Note that if you're disposal's clogged, though, this definitely won't take care of the problem. For that, you'll probably need to call a plumber.Get a pack of eight on Amazon for $10.84. Promising review: "I had noticed my disposal had a bad smell to it, but my the landlord doesn't do a great job at coming to look at things. I got this to clean it and hopefully help with the smell. I've been using it once a week, and I have noticed that the smell is gone and the disposal just sounds happier when being used. These are VERY simple to use. Take a packet (DO NOT open it) and put in sink after having warm water running for about a minute. Turn on the disposal. Run until the blue foam goes away. Perfection!" —L. Johnson
Pick up that grimy, sticky dust that seems to inevitably accumulate on your stove and vent hood with a few drops of mineral oil (or even olive or vegetable oil) on a paper towel.
If you do opt for veg, olive, or some other food oil instead, make sure to wash it off any surfaces thoroughly when you're done to prevent it from going rancid and smelling bad. From The Manly Housekeeper (which doesn't seem to exist anymore, sigh). Get a 16-ounce bottle of mineral oil on Amazon for $8.40.
Grab that bottle of stain remover from number 12 again and use it to make the years-old mystery stain on your mattress vanish right before your eyes.
Or at least make it look, like, 1000x better. Get it on Amazon for $6.65.
Then mix baking soda with a few drops of essential oil and sprinkle that on your mattress to absorb any funky smells.
Then simply vacuum it up after it sits for a bit. From One Good Thing By Jillee.
A lint roller will pick up all the built-up dust on your lampshades and pillows.
From Creekline House. Get a pack of five lint rollers on Amazon for $19.99.
And wipe down all your other surfaces with a microfiber duster, which attracts and holds onto dust like a *magnet*, instead of brushing it into the air just to settle again later.
Actually getting rid of the dust is THE key to a home that needs less dusting. This one from OXO is very thin so it can squeeze into tight crevices. To clean it you just run it through a gentle cycle in the washer, and air dry.Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (or one with an extendable handle for $17.99).Promising review: "Definitely works as advertised. It captures ALL the dust it goes over and I'd recommend it, even for the lazy young adults who hate cleaning like myself." —S
Washing machine smelling a little funky? Run it on an empty cycle with hot water and vinegar to freshen it up.
Depending on your model, you may need to directly add the vinegar to a full drum of hot water — read more on The Inspiration Board.
Or if you've tried that with no success — or are just the type to go big or go home — opt for a washer cleaning tab, instead.
Get a pack of six on Amazon for $11.98. Promising review: "I always leave the door of my front loader washer open to dry out so it doesn't get moldy or smelly but despite that it had a funky smell. Being lazy and not wanting to do much to fix it, I decided to buy these and give them a try. I was surprised and thrilled to find the smell completely gone after using it just once!" —Jen