1. Cleaning Carpet Stains
Combine 2 parts water with 1 part white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the stain, cover the area with a damp rag, use the steam setting and iron over the damp rag.
2. Tile Grout Cleaner
Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner With Bleach, a scrub brush and minimal manual labor for pristine grout. Via DIYCozyHome
3. Ceiling Fan Duster
Place an old pillow case on the fan blade and wipe. The dust stays trapped in the pillow case which can then be shaken outside and thrown in the laundry. Via Diply
4. Removing Marker & Ink Marks From Wood
Just take some plain white toothpaste, put it on a rag and scrub the marks away.
5. Save Worn Leather Furniture
Leather furniture can look like new after a good buff with shoe polish. To clean other upholstery, check out these tips.
6. Clean Dish Sponge & Microwave In One
Placing your damp sponge in the microwave for two minutes on high will kill any bacteria living on it. Plus, the steam will loosen the grime in your microwave making it much easier to clean.
7. The Three Minute Fridge Clean
To get your filthy old fridge spic and span in under five minutes go here.
8. Salt Scrub Cleanser
You can clean all sorts of things with a coarse salt scrub, including your cast iron skillet, coffee pots, glass bottles and more. Via DIYready
9. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the cheapest cleaner out there and can be used on almost everything. It’s a disinfectant, a mold killer and stain remover. Keep some in a spray bottle as your multi-purpose cleaner.
10. Vinegar & Baking Soda
Like hydrogen peroxide, white vinegar and baking soda are multi-purpose cleaners. They can be combined to gently scrub tubs and sinks and are excellent stain removers. A mix of vinegar and water in the microwave for 10 minutes will steam up and soften everything in there so it can later be wiped clean with a wet sponge and mildly abrasive baking soda. White vinegar also cuts through soap scum.
11. De-greasing With Ammonia
Greasy or caked on stove burners can be cleaned without any scrubbing by simply sealing them overnight in a bag with 1/4 cup ammonia. The fumes do the work so you don’t need to soak anything. Just be sure not to mix it with bleach, and thoroughly wipe down the burners before putting them back on the stove.
12. Citrus For Sinks
You can clean your sink with fresh lemons. You can also disinfect and remove smells from your garbage disposal by running it with any variation of citrus fruit inside (lemons, oranges, limes, grapefruit).
13. Washing Machine Drain Pump
Keep your machine running like new by cleaning your drain pump following with these simple instructions.
14. Mildew Stains
Mildew stains can be cleaned over night by simply placing a bleach-soaked cotton ball or rag over them.
15. Cleaning Switch Plates
Rather than spraying solutions on switch plates and risking electrical issues, wipe them down with a wet rag with some dishwashing liquid on it. The dish soap will clean the oil residue left by dirty fingers. This technique can be used on any surface that is frequently touched by hands.
16. Clean Windows
Use a mix of white vinegar and hot water instead of expensive commercial window cleaners. Don’t wash your windows in direct sunlight as this causes streaks by drying too fast.
17. Clean Blinds
A little dish soap and hot water will clean your blinds very nicely.
18. Remove Musty Closet Smells
Use lidded plastic containers like deli bowls. Cut slits or punch a few holes in the lid and fill the container with white vinegar. Place the bowl inside the closet and leave overnight.
19. Scrub Your Bathtub
Mix a paste of one cup baking soda, one teaspoon of liquid soap (like dish soap), a few drops of an anti-bacterial essential oil like rosemary, eucalyptus or tea tree and just enough water to make the paste.
20. Packing Tape & Lint Rollers
Use packing tape or a lint roller to pick up crumbs, dust, and remove animal hair off of surfaces quickly and easily.
Featured photo credit: July 30-10 Cleaning / Judith Doyle via flic.kr
