39 Of The Most Helpful Cleaning Tips You’ve Ever Heard

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make commission (at no cost to you!)
if you purchase through the link. Read our affiliate disclosure here.

Love it or hate it, cleaning is one thing we just can’t seem to avoid. Not for long anyway! Even if you have a cleaning service, some things just can’t (or shouldn’t) wait to be addressed. I am always on the lookout for handy cleaning tips and tricks and these are some of the best I have ever seen, read or used myself. Clean like a pro with these spectacular cleaning hacks for every aspect of your life. 

Baby Oil- not just for the baby

Is baby oil really used on babies? I can’t remember actually using it on my kids. Hmm. Anyway, it’s cheap and handy and if you have stainless steel appliances, you’re going to love this hack. 

Have you ever noticed that fingerprints don’t always seem to go away with stainless steel cleaner? Or how your range hood gets gunky and gross? Or how water stains drip down the front of your dishwasher? These annoyances are the bane of stainless steel’s existence.

Using a soft cloth, like a t-shirt, use baby oil to remove fingerprints, greasy gunk and water stains from your stainless steel appliances. Wipe down the appliance in the same direction as the grain of the steel and you will be shocked by how quickly your appliances look like new!

Cornstarch

Cornstarch is probably one of the most versatile ingredients in your pantry that can be used for more than just baking.

• Cornstarch is a great deodorizer. Use it in your fridge and freezer to remove odors. Sprinkle it in smelly shoes and sports equipment (like sweaty baseball helmets) to remove odors. 
• If you have a grease stain, like from salad dressing or a fried dish, on your clothing or tablecloth, sprinkle the stain with cornstarch and let it soak up the oils. Treat the stain and launder as usual.
• Add a teaspoon of cornstarch to 1 cup of water mixed with 1 cup of white vinegar and your windows and mirrors will be sparkling clean.
• Clean well-loved stuffed animals by placing them in a paper grocery bag and sprinkling a generous amount of cornstarch over them. Close the bag, shake, and let sit overnight. The next day, shake out the animal and vacuum the excess cornstarch from it with your wand attachment.
• Squeaky wood floors? Sprinkle the squeaky areas generously with cornstarch and let it settle between the groves. Vacuum the excess and notice the improvement. 

Clean From the Top Down

As you know, dust settles, so when you are cleaning start at the top and work your way down. Ceiling fans first, then door jambs, window trim and keep working your way down until the dust is on the floor. 

• Use a Swiffer with dry cleaning pads or a dust mop to clean ceilings and walls. 

Forget the Broom.

Yes, brooms are great for things like outdoor cleanups, sweeping up broken glass and getting your Christmas tree needles into a pile. But for day to day cleaning of your hard surface flooring, skip the boom and get out the vacuum. I much prefer canister vacuums (specifically Kenmore Canister Vacuums) to uprights. They are just so much easier to use and the hard floor cleaning tools do a phenomenal job. Vacuuming gets up all of the dog hair, grass clippings and dust bunnies that life brings into your home quickly and easily. 

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Gel toilet bowl cleaner with bleach cleans more than just toilets!

• Use it to clean grout in high traffic areas.
• Use it to clean mildew along the caulk in your bathtub.
• Use it to clean grout on your shower walls. 

Mr. Clean will clean your whole house and every room that’s in it!

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are not really magic, but they are amazing and if you don’t have any in your cleaning supply bucket, treat yourself to a pack. These erasers can be used o everything from scuffs on walls to coffee stains in cups to floors that have seen better days and scummy glass shower doors. If you’ve never used one, you’ll wonder why after one use!

• You know how gross the inside of your oven door glass gets? Mr. Clean Magic Erasers can get that glass clean, too!

Check out the rest of this post on Page 2!

Sign up to receive more posts like this one!