10+ House Cleaning Hacks To Speed Up Your Routine

If I counted all the hours I have spent cleaning in my life, I might feel pretty frustrated. If you are like many people, you would rather do anything but clean. (Although, I have to admit, sometimes, if the mood strikes me, cleaning can be quite therapeutic.) Because I have spent so much time cleaning, I have often figured out quicker ways to do things and this often equates to more frugal ways of doing it as well. Double bonus! Here are some cleaning hacks to help you spend less time with that mop in your hand and more time enjoying life!

10+ House Cleaning Hacks (To Speed Up Your Routine)

Use a baking soda paste for nearly everything. It works as a mild abrasive for soap scum, in sinks and even on countertops. It is cheap and all you have to do is mix it with a little bit of water to form a paste. If you run out of abrasive cleaner like Softsoap, this is a great replacement.

Use rags on your Swiffer mop. They can be washed over and over again and they cut the costs. Old washrags work the best because they are the perfect width and length. Just spray floor cleaner diluted with some water on your floors and scrub away!

Don’t throw out those old socks! They make great dusters. Just slip on over your hand and you can go over TVs, valuables, shelves, picture frames and anything else that needs dusting. They also work great to quickly clean blinds.

If you still have little ones that like to turn your walls into works of art, don’t get frustrated, just pull out the mayo! Put some on an old rag and it should wipe right off. It’s the oil in it that helps break down crayons. This will not work on markers, but if crayons are their medium, this will do the trick!

Have you ever spilled nail polish on the floor or your furniture? Don’t panic! You can pour some plain, white sugar on it and it will clean right up.

If you have pets, you will love this one! Use a squeegee with a rubber blade to remove pet hair and keep your vacuum from clogging up. It will remove pretty much all the hair just by rubbing it over your carpet.

A lint brush is not just for your favorite shirt or black pants. Use it to clean dust and pet hair off your lampshades.

Use a half a lemon to remove grease stains from your paint on your kitchen walls near the stove. It also works well to clean soap scum. Just rub it on and wipe off.

Cornmeal isn’t just for kitchen use! If you have grease stains on your apron, rugs or cushions, just place some cornmeal on it and leave it to sit for a while. then use a vacuum and clean it up. The cornmeal will soak up any grease. Repeat if necessary.

Use dryer sheets more than once! They can be used for dusting as they generally won’t scratch most surfaces. Make sure to use ones that have already gone through the dryer, though to avoid leaving a film.

Stick your sponge in the dishwasher every time you load it. Most sponges fit nicely in the silverware rack and you will be keeping your sponge clean and disinfected for the next time you use it. Very simple and easy to remember and it will keep your sponge from getting mildewy and full of germs.

Get glasses sparkling clean with a mixture of baking soda and water to make a paste. Using a sponge or your bare hands, spread it out on the glass and scrub lightly. Rinse off and you will have glasses with no film anymore.

You know how annoying it is when the white rubber of your shoes gets grimy and how it seems impossible to clean? Use nail polish remover. Don’t use bleach as many people do because it will cause the white rubber to yellow.

Clean grills, waffle irons and sandwich presses with a mixture of baking soda and water as a paste. When you are done scrubbing, spray on white distilled vinegar and watch it dissolve grease and grime in the small spots.

Make your dishes super easy to clean by doing things in a certain order; cleanest to dirtiest. This keeps your glasses from getting mucked up and gives the worst stuff time to soak. Add vinegar to the worst stuff and let it soak for extra “oomph”. If you have a dishwasher, save yourself some time with the silverware when it comes time to put things away and sort it when you put it in there. Then, it’s as simple as grabbing and placing in the right spot.

Use the aluminum foil that you cover your casserole with to clean up the glass pan when you are done. It will keep your pan looking newer longer and actually can remove some old baked-on grease as well.

Clean your razors with baby oil. Not only will it take off residue from shaving cream, but it also helps condition the blade so it lasts twice as long. With the price of razors these days, this is one valuable hack to know.

Stop throwing away water bottle and plastic reusable straws. They can get quite gross and it can be hard to get them clean, but try this hack; soak them for a couple of hours in vinegar and then use a pipe-cleaner to clean them. Rinse and they are done!