Cleaning Hacks & Tips

If you are still buying those expensive ass cleaners from the store constantly then this post is for you! You can stop wasting your money now! Lord knows we all need to figure out how to save money in times like these.

This is a giant list of cleaning hacks and tips that will involve easy-to-make recipes for cleaners you can make at home. These are recipes that usually only require simple household products and are safe to use around pets and children.

Spring Cleaning Hack List!

• Use an "Other Room" bin - This will make it so much easier when you are doing a quick pick up in a room and you just need to throw the things that go elsewhere in this bin instead of in a messy pile on the floor.

• Make a "Before You Go" bin - similar to the one we just talked about, this will be for your keys, wallet, phone, purse, etc. All the things you take with you when you leave go into this bin so that you don't have to search for ten minutes and then end up being late for whatever.

• Clean your shower while showering - I know this probably seems weird when you think about it but it is multitasking and saves you so much time. Plus, with the hot water running throughout the time of cleaning you are likely going to have an easier time getting it clean.

• Use small mesh bags to wash your socks - this will ensure that you won't lose the matching socks when you take them out of the washer and dryer.

• Clean the baseboards of the wall with the broom - first do a dry sweep then you can use the broom bristles as a scrub brush to wash the floor and baseboards, it's a twofer.

• Limit grocery shopping to once a week - this is going to limit the amount of waste and also save time on preparing meals since you will get what you need in one go.

• Use coffee filters as electronic wipes - as for what to use to clean them, I have found that they mostly contain rubbing alcohol so I usually just use a dab of hand sanitizer on a coffee filter and that works perfectly.

• Place dryer sheets in vents - to keep your house smelling super fresh!

• Wash toys in the dishwasher - if you are like me and don't have one, even though it takes longer, I use the bathtub for all hard toys. I just fill it up with warm water and cleaner and throw the toys in to soak. Do not let them soak too long I have had the color on toys start to fade from soaking so be warned. I do this now and then because toys get so nasty so very quickly and it's easier and faster than washing each one by hand. I take a scrub brush and scrub any that have hard-to-reach spots and run the brush over all the other ones. Then I rinse the toys one at a time and place them on towels to dry.

• Use a squeeze bottle cap on the bottom of a vacuum hose - this is for really hard-to-reach spots that your regular attachments cannot reach.

• Clean lampshades, curtains, etc. with lint rollers.

• Clean blinds with towels, tongs, and rubber bands - I'm sure you have seen the tutorials for this but in case you haven't, wrap a kitchen towel around a set of tongs, use a rubber band to secure it, spritz some cleaner on the tong towel to grab up that dust a little better and use it to wipe each blind blade.

• Microwave dirty sponges for 2 minutes to get rid of bacteria.

• Wash shower curtains in the washer with towels and one cup of vinegar.

• For big families - do either one load of laundry a day or 2-3 loads every other day.

• Do not mix store-bought cleaners - you do not know what chemicals you are dealing with and don't think they don't put dangerous things in them because they do.

• Store cleaners outside of the reach of children - I shouldn't have to remind people but still keep it in mind, please!

• Always label cleaning solutions that you have made or diluted with water - you will forget what they are!

• Have one area in the house for certain activities - even if it's just a cabinet or desk have one spot for crafts and projects, one spot for bills and other household stuff, etc.

• Be sure to ventilate your area while spring cleaning - it's not healthy to breathe all that stuff in for long periods of time.

• Listen to music while you clean - this can uplift your mood and usually gets the kids wanting to clean too.

• Go through your clothes - whatever you don't wear anymore or your kids grow out of, donate!

• Use the scrub brush with a soap dispenser built in - not just for dishes but for everything you clean it is super helpful.

• Use a butter knife and a rage to clean vents and air conditioners - just like you would with the tong towel idea.

• Use a toothbrush or paintbrush to clean keyboards - alternatively, you can use slime that feels more like putty because it works great.

• Use plastic wrap on the fridge shelves for easy cleanup.

• Sprinkle salt on the stovetop to prevent fires and it absorbs spills.

• Boil tea in a cloudy kettle to make it shiny again.

• Dip a cloth in lemon juice and rub on aluminum pots then rinse and dry to get rid of discoloration.

• Place a lemon peel in dish water to help control bad odors coming from down the drain.

• Soak paint brushes in hot vinegar to make them soft again.

• Use a timer if you forget about laundry often.

• Tape dryer sheets to the backs of your fans - purifies the air a little better and smells amazing.

• Use command hooks upside down on the sides of trash cans to hold your bags in place.

• Leave shoes on the porch or in a mudroom or even a bin - this will lead to less need to sweep the floors which we already constantly do.

• Make your bed as soon as you wake up - for me, it only feels nice for a minute my son has an affinity for tearing everything apart and taking the sheets off of mattresses is his favorite one.

• Put an apple in the same bag as the potatoes to slow down the process of the potatoes budding.

• Use a toothbrush to clean the window sills.

• When cleaning you want to clean from the top of your home to the bottom - I would do this like one room at a time.

• Clean the coffee maker by putting the same amounts of vinegar and water into the reservoir, brew halfway, then let it sit for 30 minutes, complete the cycle, and then brew a pot of clean water afterward.

• Clean/unclog the shower head by mixing one part vinegar and one part water in a plastic baggie, then tie it up onto the shower head with a rubber band or twist tie and let sit for one hour before wiping clean.

• Toothpaste removes marker stains off of wood.

• Sprinkle baby powder on knotted necklace chains.

• Clean silver with toothpaste, rinse, and dry to get rid of dullness - also read that you can use rubbing alcohol to clean it as well.

• Rub a walnut on wooden furniture to remove scuffs and scratches.

• Make a "Priority" laundry basket - similar to the "Other Room" bin.

• Write important stuff on the calendar weekly.

• Place packing tape on the bottom of the broom hanging halfway off to catch hair and fuzz better.

• Place an ice cube on chewed-up gum for a period of time to get it off of carpet or fabric.

• To clean thick mold/grout on your bathtub mix bleach and baking soda to make a paste and lay it all over the mold/grout and let it sit for 8 hours, then wipe and rinse.

• Throw a magic eraser in the toilet overnight to clean your toilet bowl.

• Clean dusty spots like baseboards with dryer sheets to keep them dust-free for longer.

• Use a power drill for hard-to-scrub jobs.

• Clean scuffs on hard floors with a sock or a tennis ball.

• Sticking with a routine will lead to less mess and ultimately keep up with your chores.

• Clean wooden cutting boards with salt and half of a lemon or peroxide.

• Wash your shower curtain with salt water when you first buy it so that it never gets moldy.

• Use puppy pads when potty training toddlers.

• Pack kid's outfits in gallon-sized bags - to save time getting ready.

• Use Murphy's oil soap to shine wooden furniture and floors - use a cloth to wipe down furniture with the soap and for floors pour one cup of soap on the floor and use a damp mop to rub it on.

• Use Borax to clean your stovetop.

• Pour two cups of baking soda into the toilet bowl to clean and deodorize.

• Using a sponge with baking soda in it is a magic eraser - you're welcome.

• You can also clean blinds with a sock and rubbing alcohol.

• To clean the stove vent, if you can take it off, boil a gallon of water, pour it in a bucket, add one scoop of OxiClean, and let it soak.

• Clean dirty pans faster with a balled-up piece of aluminum foil and hot soapy water, using the foil as a sponge.

• Use white vinegar as a laundry soap booster - I always use a mixture I make with dish soap, vinegar, and water.

Since this post took so long I am going to put all the good diy cleaning supplies recipes into a PDF form so that it can be downloaded and used whenever you need it. Most of these recipes will likely use white vinegar and lemons as the majority of ingredients in them. Why is vinegar and lemon so good for cleaning? Vinegar is so versatile because of its mild acidity that can break down stains, dirt, and grime. It has antimicrobial properties, neutralizes odors, and kills bacteria. It can kill a variety of pathogens including E-coli. Lemons are similar because their acidity is stronger than oranges. Stay tuned for my update! If you read my entire article here I want you to know that I appreciate your support so very much and I hope you have a blessed day!