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January 17, 2020 by Joy Kincaid 9 Comments

15 Cleaning Hacks to Make Your Life Easier

269 shares

If you’re like most people, cleaning may not be one of your favorite tasks. That’s why I made this list of cleaning hacks to make your life easier!

Whether it’s the kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom, I actually enjoy cleaning. Seeing dirt disappear and surfaces shine makes me happy.

But like everyone, I only have so much time to devote to cleaning tasks. That’s why I pay attention when I find a cleaning tip or trick to make the job easier!

From cleaning hacks for the microwave to how to quickly clean an oven, take a look at some of my very favorite cleaning tips.

15 Cleaning Hacks to Make Your Life Easier

1. Water and Baking Soda to Rescue Your Microwave

Get rid of those unsightly splatters in your microwave with this simple cleaning hack. This tip can also help remove food odors like fish from your microwave.

cleaning hacks

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Mix two tablespoons of baking soda into one cup of water in a microwave-safe glass cup, then microwave this mixture on high for 2 minutes.

The baking soda water solution will steam up the inside of the microwave, which helps loosen baked-on food. Carefully remove the (now hot) cup from the microwave, then wipe the inside down with a sponge or cloth.

Your microwave will now be clean!

RELATED: 15 Surprising Uses for Baking Soda

2. Clean Your Carpet with 2 Simple Ingredients

diy carpet cleaner

Photo Source

If you need to remove spots or stains on your home or car carpet try this super-simple 2-ingredient carpet stain remover recipe. (Technically, it’s 3 simple ingredients, but that’s only if you count the water).

3. Remove Hard-to-Reach Cobwebs with this Hack

Have you noticed cobwebs or dust along lines where walls meet the ceiling, or dangling from chandeliers?

Take your floor dust mop and use it to reach up to swipe away the cobwebs and dust.

Or, you can try my favorite duster with a telescopic handle!

4. Make Your Own Cleaning Spray with this Natural Mineral

Sodium borate (popularly known as Borax) is a natural, eco-friendly mineral with powerful cleaning properties.

Combine two cups hot water with 2 tablespoons Borax to make a powerful all-purpose cleaner.  Put the cleaner in a spray bottle like this one and use on counters, appliances, showers, and more!

cleaning hacks

Borax is great at removing grime and grease. It can also be added to laundry loads to soften hard water and remove stains and odors.

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5. Remove Baked-On Food in the Oven with this Hack

Sometimes food will bubble over or spill and get baked on in the oven.

Clean away the blackened oven mess with this simple hack:

Create a paste of baking soda and water, then generously spread onto the baked-on food using a rag or brush. Next, spray vinegar onto the areas and let it work for around 10 minutes. Finally, wipe off with a rag or sponge.

The inside of your oven can look like new again!

6. Clean and Deodorize Your Garbage Disposal with this DIY Trick

diy garbage disposal deodorizer

Photo Source

If your kitchen sink garbage disposal is smelling less-than-fresh, knock out the odors with this amazing DIY hack!

Frozen limes and lemons combine with baking soda and vinegar to create a powerful sink disposal deodorizer. Full instructions are here.

DON’T MISS:  15 Surprising Uses for Baking Soda

7. Renew Microfiber with this Easy Tip

Is your microfiber sofa or chair looking dingy or stained? Use rubbing alcohol to bring it back to life.

8. Use this Easy Hack to Clean Toys

cleaning hacks

(Photo Source)

If your child’s plastic toys need cleaning, simply load them up in the dishwasher to get them squeaky clean and kill germs!

Run the dishwasher on a gentle wash cycle (or light wash), and be sure to select air dry to make sure none of the toys get melted. Use a natural detergent, or, you can also use vinegar in the soap dispenser (instead of your usual dishwasher detergent).

9. Easy Hack for Cleaning Mini Blinds

cleaning hacks

If you’ve had mini blinds for very long, you’ll start to notice dirt and dust accumulate on them.

To get those blinds looking clean again, mix one cup white vinegar with one cup water in a bowl. Dip a rag in the liquid and wring out.

Wipe the wet rag over the blinds to remove the grimy appearance.

Some people also use an old sock instead of a rag, but the best tool to use is this blind duster tool (shown above).

You can either let the vinegar solution evaporate, or go back over the blinds with a dry rag to remove any damp residue.

This works wonders to get your blinds looking like new!

10. Buff Your Stainless Steel with this Oil

Everyone knows that olive oil is a great choice for dressings and cooking.

But did you also know that olive oil can be used for cleaning?

Simply dampen a soft cloth with olive oil, then rub your stainless steel utensils and pots and pans.

This will clean off blemishes that can develop on stainless steel surfaces.

11. Deodorize Your Cutting Board with this Easy Hack

deodorize cutting board

(Photo Source)

If your plastic cutting board smells like onions or other strong scents, use this trick to easily remove the odors.

After washing the board, cut a lemon in half, then rub it all over the surface of the board.

Lemons contain citric acid and malic acid, both of which can help disinfect and deodorize surfaces. (Source)

12. Kill Germs and Refresh Sponges with this Hack

Sponges are great for cleaning surfaces and dishes. But over time they can accumulate bacteria, which can be spread through continued use.

Try one of these cleaning hacks to refresh your sponges!

cleaning hacks

(Photo Source)

To eliminate nasty germs on wet sponges, put it in the microwave and zap it for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. (Be careful removing it as it will be hot!)

The microwaves generated by the oven may not actually destroy the bacteria. However, the microwaves heat the water in the sponge to such a high temperature that the germs are then eliminated. Goodbye, nasty microbes!

Or, alternatively, you can toss your sponges in the dishwasher (as shown above).

13. Get Rid of Wood Furniture Water Rings with this Trick

If you have an older or untreated wood coffee table or dining room table, it is likely to have gathered a few water rings over the years.

To banish these unsightly rings, blast them with a hair dryer on the highest setting for several minutes.

Once the ring has faded, consider using a wood polish (like this natural one) or suitable oil to recondition the wood.

14. Clean Bathroom Tiles and Showers with this Common Liquid

Looking for a natural, non-toxic cleaner to remove grime and mildew on bathroom tiles and shower doors and walls?

Generously spray white vinegar onto these bathroom surfaces, then allow it to penetrate for 5-10 minutes.

Wipe with a water-dampened cloth (try this grout brush for tile grout) or rinse with water in the tub.  Long-term grime or mildew may require some scrubbing to fully remove.

15. Remove Armpit Stains with this Easy Tip

how to remove armpit stains

(Photo Source)

Have some shirts with armpit stains? You can use dish soap and hydrogen peroxide to make those stains a thing of the past. Check it out here.

Thanks for checking out this list of some of my favorite cleaning hacks!  Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried any of these tips.

Related Posts

Click on the picture to be taken to the post:

15 Surprising Uses for Baking Soda

7 Things to Do Every Day to Keep Your House Clean

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Cleaning Hacks

Disclosure: This post includes my affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here. Sharing this post here.

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Comments

  1. Rebecca Payne says

    May 12, 2020 at 11:34 am

    Thank you so much for sharing. I now have some new cleaning tips.

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      May 13, 2020 at 5:46 pm

      So glad it was helpful!

      Reply
  2. Jerri says

    January 30, 2020 at 11:46 am

    Great ideas! I’m always looking for ways to make cleaning easier and less time consuming. Thanks for sharing at Friday Favorites. I’m featuring you this week.

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      January 31, 2020 at 4:17 pm

      Thank you, Jerri!

      Reply
  3. Sarah @ The DIY Mommy says

    January 26, 2020 at 4:56 pm

    So many great tips! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      January 27, 2020 at 2:37 pm

      Thank you, Sarah!

      Reply
  4. Joanne says

    January 24, 2020 at 5:00 pm

    These are some really great ideas! Pinning.

    I’d love for you to shar with us at Encouraging Hearts and Home (a linky party I co-host on Thursdays at https://www.myslicesoflife.com)

    Reply
  5. Amy says

    January 23, 2020 at 8:17 pm

    Great tips! I have not used borax before. Pinned!

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      January 25, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      Thanks, Amy!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Joy. I'm so glad you're here! I believe creating a beautiful and nurturing home is an art worth cultivating. Read more here...

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