Cleaning Hacks – 20 Tricks You Have to Know

Cleaning Hacks

Cleaning does not need to be a time consuming process filled with frustration. There are countless tips, tricks and solutions for household cleaning. We put together a list of 20 cleaning hacks that will cut down your cleaning time. Our cleaning hacks are also devised to give your the most effective means of getting the job done. This list will help you with everything from pet hair, toilet bowl stains and carpet stains. There are even a few unique cleaning tricks on page #18 that cut my cleaning time in half.

1. Rubber Gloves Are Great at Picking Up Pet Hair

Cleaning Hacks
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Removing pet hair from your clothing and upholstery can be a time consuming process due to how badly pet hair sticks to most surfaces. Save yourself the frustration and dampen a pair rubber gloves. You will find that your pet’s hair will stick to the gloves, allowing for the easy cleaning of pet hair.

Up next is a tip on how to use pumice stone to remove stains

2. Pumice Stones Remove Toilet Stains

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Pumice stones do a great job of removing stubborn stains from toilets. This is due to the abrasive surface of a pumice stone. Another technique involves the use of duct tape and vinegar, but it is not as effective. It also leaves a tremendous mess. For the greatest ease of use look for a pumice stone attached to a handle. The extra reach saves you from poking around in your toilet bowl with your hands.

Up next is a tip on how to clean your shower head

3. Clean Your Shower Head with Vinegar

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Add enough water to submerge your shower head into a plastic bag. Use an elastic band or similar attachment to fasten the bag around your shower head. Let the vinegar eat away at the grime overnight and you will find a sparkly clean shiny shower head due to the mild acid of the vinegar eating away the dirt. Vinegar is a great all purpose cleaner due to its mild acidity. It is used for a variety of cleaning hacks across the home.

Up next is a tip on how to fix water rings

4. Fix Water Rings with a Hair Dryer

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If you have water rings on wooden surfaces resort to using a hair dryer to get rid of them due to the constant heat needed to dry the moisture. The removal works due to drying out the moisture from deep inside the wood. After about fifteen minutes of drying the rings will disappear. It is best to apply some olive oil afterwards to moisturize the surface due to how the hair dryer dries out the wood.

Up next is a tip on how to clean using baking soda

5. Baking Soda and Vinegar Cleaning Hacks

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Mix equal quantities of baking soda and vinegar for any of these cleaning hacks. Use this solution to wipe the inside of your oven clean. This simple mix gets rid of even the toughest grime due to the reaction of the two substances. It is thus great at cleaning any form of dirt build up anywhere. You can even use baking soda and vinegar to unclog a blocked kitchen sink. Just use half a cup of water and vinegar. Pour both down the affected sink or drain and cover with a cloth four five minutes. Flush away the mix and blockage with boiling hot water.

Up next is a tip on how to clean stainless steel

6. Cream of Tartar is a Great Stainless Steel Polish

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To polish up stainless steel to a shimmer use this handy mix. Blend one teaspoon of cream of tartar with a few droplets of water. Apply with a sponge and remove with a dry cloth or towel. A paste made from cream of tartar and lemon juice is also effective as a polish due to the acidic nature of lemons.

Up next is a tip on how to clean your microwave

7. Clean Your Microwave with Lemons

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Fill a microwaveable bowl with 500 ml of water and one or two lemons. Microwave on high for five to ten minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave. The condensation which occurs causes food and liquids stuck to your microwave to loosen thus making it a great cleaner. You then need to wipe out your microwave with a paper towel or cloth. The advantage to cleaning with lemons is that your microwave is well deodorized.

Up next is a tip on how to clean your cook top

8. Clean Your Cook Top with Vinegar

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If your have nasty grime and dirty building up on your cook top then it is best to give it a thorough clean. Vinegar may not be the cleaning agent thought of first, but it works extremely well. Create a one to one ratio mix of vinegar and water and use it to clean your stove. It may leave a slight odor to your cook top though. Be sure to wipe it off well after cleaning.

Up next is a tip on how useful a lint roller can be

9. Lint Rollers Work Great on Household Items

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Lint rollers are great for use on items such as lampshades and pillows. The dust the accumulates on household items is easy to remove with a lint roller. It may be best to assign one to use around the house, as you will be lifting more dirt than is on clothes.

Up next is a tip on how to use rubbing alcohol

10. Rubbing Alcohol Removes Stains

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To use rubbing alcohol as a stain remover it is best to fill a spray bottle due to needing only a small amount to clean. Spray the stain present on your couch or other upholstery with the alcohol and rub it clean with a stiff brush. Rubbing alcohol is effective at removing sticky residue thus making it one of the most handy cleaning hacks around.

Up next is a tip on how to get rid of burner grease

11. Get Rid of Gas Burner Grease

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If your burners are full of grease and grime then seal them in a bag with 1/4 cup of ammonia. Leave them to stand, sealed, overnight and you will lightly wipe the grime and ammonia off with ease. All the dirt buildup is broken down due to the strong reaction caused by the sealed ammonia.

Up next is a tip on how to clean your toilet bowl

12. Clean Your Toilet Bowl with Coca-Cola

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While many would never waste the Coke, Coca-Cola does make an effective toilet cleaner. This is due to breaking down limescale as a result of Coke’s acidity. You will need to scrub still, but pour some coke in your toilet bowl and watch the easy removal of build up. It works better than most commercial toilet cleaners. Coke is also good at removing dirt from coins, medallions and old utensils due to the mild acidity.

Up next is a tip on how to use a dish cleaner

13. Use a Dish Cleaner for Large Surfaces

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A dish cleaner is a handy tool and is useful for more than just dishes. The soap within the can be used to clean cabinets, counters and other large surfaces due to usually being safe for use on all materials. All you will need to do is wipe the soapiness away after scrubbing using the dish cleaner due to the residue left behind.

Up next is a tip on how to remove crumbs

14. Use Tape to Remove Crumbs and Dust

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Tape is effective at removing dirt, dust and crumbs. Use thinner tape for hard to reach areas while box tape is great for large carpeted surfaces. Dust stuck to a surface is removable with ease when using tape. Just find the most efficient size, paste the tape and remove quickly. Quick removal is best due to leaving the least stickiness.  If any glue gets left behind wipe the area clean with rubbing alcohol or methylated spirits. Both are great at removing residue due to their ability to eat away at the foreign substance. Cleaning hacks don’t get much easier than this!

Up next is a tip on how to use a lingerie bag

15. Lingerie Bag

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Lingerie bags are great for two things. First, put Lego or other similar toys that can get grimy and gross in the lingerie bag and throw it in the wash cycle for a good clean. Second, use a lingerie bag for socks! Keep one by your regular laundry hamper to throw your dirty socks in and when it is time to clean them you won’t lose any socks and they will be much easier to match up again.

Up next is a tip on how to use puppy pads

16. Puppy Pads to Protect Your Mattress

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For parents with young kids, use puppy training pads to line your child’s bed under their regular sheets. Any nighttime accidents will be much easier to clean up and it will protect the mattress.

Up next is a tip on how to use everything out of the cleaning bottle

17. Stainless Steel Nuts

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Cleaning in hard to reach places requires you to turn a cleaning bottle in many different directions, often preventing any cleaner from actually coming out. Replace the hose with flexible tubing and attach stainless steel nuts to the end. Presto – the bottle will spray in any direction!

Up next is a tip on alternative uses for the dishwasher

18. Dishwasher for Cleaning Toys

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Image Source: lifemix.today

Use your dishwasher to wash bigger plastic toys. Just place the toys on the top rack of the dishwasher and wash as you normally would. If you have smaller toys that you want to throw in the dishwasher instead of the washing machine (see #15) just put the lingerie bag full of toys in the dishwasher. The lingerie bag will keep smaller toys from landing on the heating coils while being cleaned.

Up next is a tip on how to use aluminum foil

19. Aluminum Foil for Dryer Sheets

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Image Source: lifemix.today

If you aren’t a fan of dryer sheets because of the smell or the residue they leave you can use balls of aluminum foil to eliminate static cling instead. Just roll up about two feet of foil into a ball and throw it in the dryer. Use two or three balls for heavy loads. The best thing is you don’t have to replace them!

Up next is a tip on how to remove carpet stains

20. Use an Iron to Remove Carpet Stains

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Try this trick to get out stubborn carpet stains. First, mix two parts waters and one part vinegar in an old spray bottle and spry the stain. Place the damp cloth over the stain and using the steam setting on your iron spot treat for about 30 seconds. For really tough stains keep repeating until gone.