On average, Americans spend nearly 40 minutes a day cleaning their home. And except for those who actually find joy in dusting baseboards and scrubbing ovens, most people are eager to use that time for more enjoyable activities.
With these genius house cleaning tricks will make your house twice as clean in half the time. And when you want to know how to keep your house clean from top to bottom, check out 20 Secrets Your Housekeeper Won't Tell You!
1. Clean your blender with soap
Cleaning a blender is a dangerous activity. You're essentially dipping your hands in a bowl full of knives and hoping for the best every time you try to remove the remnants of that kale smoothie from your blade.
Good news? It's easy to remove that trapped dirt by pouring some warm water, some baking soda, and some dish soap into your blender and shaking it for a few seconds. Then, rinse it or put it in the dishwasher to make it look like new again.
2. Make your sink fixtures sparkle with wax paper
Sinks are among the dirtiest places in the home, with a recent study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology showing that many sinks, even those in hospitals, are teeming with resistant bacteria. crawl on it. And the constant wear and tear on our sinks often means they don't look clean, even after they've been disinfected.
Solution? After cleaning with an antibacterial cleaner, polish those faucets and touch the handles with some wax paper. Not only will this help remove water spots, the wax will also help prevent future stains.
3. Clean your coffee maker with some vinegar
Even those of us who use our coffee machines on a daily basis may not be cleaning them as much as we should. Unfortunately, research published in Scientific Reports suggests that our coffee grinders are a veritable hotspot of bacterial activity and that we may be eating some of that delicious stuff together. with them.
So how should you fight all the bacteria? It is recommended to wash with vinegar monthly. Just fill your coffee maker's tank with a few tablespoons of white vinegar mixed with water, run and run again with water to remove any remaining vinegar smell.
4. Keep your washing machine smelling fresh with bleach
While many of us think our washing machines are self-cleaning, that's far from reality. In fact, one study found that 60% of all washing machines tested contained harmful bacteria, including E.coli. Luckily, you can easily get rid of the bacteria in your washing machine by running it with a combination of hot water and a group of bleach and a selection of sanitizing settings.
5. Skip the traditional mop
Ditch your traditional mop in favor of a microfiber mop and you'll make your home cleaner and less polluted. Research shows that wet mops tend to harbor so much bacteria that they can't be cleaned with chemicals alone, but microfiber mops with single-use pads are the ideal tool to keep them clean. Make your home cleaner.
So after you're done vacuuming, use a little cleaner on the microfiber to clean your floors, surfaces, and even electronics with ease and without getting your hands dirty. And for more ways to keep your home looking great, avoid these 30 Home Decor No One Over 30 Should Own.
6. Sweep your baseboards with a drying sheet
Shaking hands and knees to clean your baseboards is anything but fun. Good news? You can keep them clean and keep your home smelling fresh with a clever trick: attach a dryer sheet to your Swiffer in place of a microfiber cloth and pick up all that unwanted dust in when it comes to bringing a sweet scent into your home. And for more advice on perfecting your abode, be sure to drop the 30 Most Useless Home Appliances Ever Made.
7. Clean your shower head with some vinegar
That spotty shower in your bathroom is as rough as it looks. In fact, one study found that one-fifth of the shower heads tested were contaminated with Mycobacterium avium, which can cause serious respiratory health problems.
Good news? Keeping the outside of your shower head clean isn't difficult. Simply fill a sandwich bag with white vinegar and attach it to your shower head with a rubber band, letting it soak overnight. And while many people may question the effectiveness of anything that bleach can kill bacteria, research from the American Society for Microbiology shows that the acetic acid in vinegar significantly reduces the amount bacteria, even hard-to-beat germs like tuberculosis. And when you want to make your home healthy, clean and safe, clear out the 50 most dangerous items in your home!
8. Refresh Your Mattress with Baking Soda
With any luck, when you reach adulthood, you wash your pillows and pillowcases regularly. However, most of us don't do much in terms of cleaning our mattresses, save to wash our sheets from time to time.
Good news? You can still limit bacterial contamination and allergen dust in your bed in no time. At least once a month, vacuum your mattress and apply a generous amount of baking soda to it. Let the baking soda sit for a few hours to absorb any odors, vacuum again and voila! A clean, little rough place to sleep. And when you're serious about putting your home in mint condition, start with these 20 Home Maintenance Tips Everyone Should Know!
9. Sterilize your sponges in the microwave
You use your kitchen sponge to clean utensils, dishes, even countertops. Unfortunately, by doing so, you can spread millions of bacteria throughout your home. Solution? Zap that sponge in the microwave.
According to research published in the Journal of Environmental Health, slightly wet your sponge, pop it in the microwave for 90 seconds at full power, and you'll reduce up to 99% of bacterial contamination on your skin. that straw. Just make sure your sponge doesn't have any metal scrubbers or you'll add buying a new microwave to your to-do list. And for more on your microwave, read here for the answer to the timeless question: Does Nuking Food Destroy Its Useful Nutrients?
10. Scratch Your Plate With Baking Soda
A knife stroke here, an overheated fork there, and suddenly, you have a pile of unsightly scratched plates in your kitchen. Luckily, it's easy to make your plate look brand new with some baking soda. Simply make a paste of baking soda and water, rub it into the scratch, and in no time, your dishes will look as good as new.
11. Clean up your garbage with some lemons
With all the junk we throw in the trash, it's no wonder they're a veritable petri dish and endure all the nasty smells that prove it. Making them less gross is easy: just squeeze a few lemons into your drain, and let your treats gobble up the zest.
12. Clean blinds with your vacuum cleaner
Curtain cleaning is often a thankless undertaking, and one that always takes longer than we expect. To make it easier and faster, use the wrap attachment on your vacuum instead and the dust will be done in seconds. Alternately, you can also wipe them down and give your home a clean scent by placing a dryer sheet in a tong and giving them a claw.
13. Clean your microwave
That mess from the moment you try to heat up your leftover spaghetti takes a lot of elbow grease to remove. Fortunately, a little steam can make the job a lot easier. Simply fill a microwave-safe bowl with a few tablespoons of white vinegar and a cup of water, and nuke on high for a few minutes. Your microwave will quickly steam up, making stained buns easy to clean up afterwards.
14. Clean your surface with a sticky roller
Dust is an imperfect art. However, when you need to pick up a handful of glitter your kids spilled, get pet hair off a lampshade, or just get some dust, a sticky lint roller easily does the trick.
15. Soak your stove burner in ammonia for easy cleaning
Research shows that a shocking 41 percent of all home fires start in the kitchen, often due to a fault on the stove. Luckily, getting rid of some of the grease and dirt on your burners can keep you safer in the long run. Take those parts out, put them in a big sandwich bag with a quarter cup of ammonia, they shouldn't swim in other things and just close the bag. Let them soak overnight, and in the morning you can wipe that gunk off easily.
16. Protect your pillow
Bad news: your pillow is full of everything from bacteria to dead skin to dust mites. Good news: keeping them clean isn't that hard. In addition to washing pillowcases once a week and washing pillows monthly, buying antibacterial zippered pillow protectors can help keep your bed free of any unwanted guests.
17. Clean the slices with lemon
While most plastic cutting boards can be put in your dishwasher for cleaning, wooden cutting boards are a different animal altogether. Luckily, you can get rid of those tough stains on your cutting board by rubbing them with some lemon and salt. Sprinkle some kosher salt on your cutting board, using half a lemon to rub it in. Let the mixture sit on your board for a few minutes, then rinse with clean water. And yes, don't worry, you can continue to use the wood panels without problems. In addition to the antimicrobial properties of lemons, research actually shows that wooden cutting boards may not harbor as many bacteria under their surfaces as you might imagine.
18. Use a dryer to clean your pans
That dirt trapped in your pan is not suitable for your dryer sheet. Simply put the pan in your sink with some dish soap, warm water, and a dryer sheet, let the combo sit for an hour or two, and when you're ready to pour, the mess will be easy to wipe off.
19. Shine with newspaper
If you're using paper towels to make your mirrors and windows streak-free, you're doing yourself a disservice. The easier (and cheaper) way to clean your glass surface is to use soy ink paper, which won't strip or leave your surface covered with lint. For your best bet, try this DIY dusting along with them.
20. Rub a Cast Iron Skillet with a Potato
Cast iron pans can be a pain to clean, which, thanks to their seasoned coating, can flake or rust if cleaned improperly. Luckily, all you need is a little salt and potatoes to get rid of those messes safely. Simply pour some coarse salt into the pan and use half a potato to rub it in until that mess breaks up and can be washed.
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