Quick and Easy Cleaning Tricks for the Less-than-Meticulous: A Guide for the Messy but Time-Constrained
In the pursuit of a cleaner home, BuzzFeed Staff has compiled a list of practical cleaning tips and product recommendations that can make the chore of cleaning less daunting. Here are some of the highlights:
The Kitchen
- For a quick clean of the stove and vent hood, use mineral oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil on a paper towel to pick up grimy, sticky dust. If your stove top is particularly stubborn, try a combination of Dawn and hydrogen peroxide, applied with a dish brush.
- An all-in-one heavy duty kitchen degreaser spray can be used for a single-step efficient clean on counters, oven, stovetop, cabinets, range hood, lights, fridge, and other greasy kitchen surfaces.
- A damp cloth-wrapped knife can extract crumbs and crud lodged in the gap between oven and stove.
The Laundry Room
- Washing machines can be freshened up by running them on an empty cycle with hot water and vinegar. For washing machines that don't respond to vinegar treatment, a washer cleaning tab may be used.
- A handheld cordless vacuum designed for pet hair can remove caked-on pet hair from furniture and cars in less than 3 minutes.
The Bathroom
- A rubber broom's squeegee-side can be used to pick up every last bit of pet fur embedded in carpets. For tough stains on water faucets, try vinegar-soaked paper towels.
- A pumice stone can be used to quickly banish rust and mineral rings in the toilet. For a more fragrant toilet cleaning, consider an eucalyptus-scented, citric acid-infused toilet bomb.
- A plastic bag filled with vinegar and baking soda can be secured around a shower head to descale hard water stains and break up mold or mildew.
The Living Room
- A microfiber duster can attract and hold onto dust like a magnet, instead of brushing it into the air. A lint roller can pick up built-up dust on lampshades and pillows.
- A spray-and-wipe cleaner can clean and polish stainless steel in one step.
The Bedroom
- Baking soda mixed with essential oil can absorb funky smells on mattresses. For years-old mystery stains, a stain remover may make them vanish.
- A soft cleanser can be used to wipe away built-up layers of soap scum and hard water stains on glass doors without needing to scrub.
The Rest of the House
- Bissell Stomp 'N Go pads can be used to transfer stains from carpet or upholstery to the pad, allowing for easy disposal.
- A power scrubber can be used to clean gaps, corners, hard water stains, and grout with less effort.
- A RoboVac moves between hard floors and low-pile carpets/rugs without a glitch and can pick up dust, dirt, and hair.
- A dishwashing wand filled with vinegar and dish soap can be used to clean shower walls, door, and prevent soap-scum and hard-water buildup.
- A garbage disposal cleaning packet's foam can reach into the depths of the disposal to clean every inch.
- A dual-sided cleaning brush can sweep and gently scrape dust and dirt buildup off of keyboards, mice, and laptops.
- Mist your shower walls, curtain/door, tub, fixtures and floor once a week with a cleanser to prevent deep cleaning.
- A mold and mildew remover gel can be used along grout and caulking to banish black spots without needing to scrub.
- A spray-and-blot spot remover can be used to dab up carpet and upholstery stains.
- Fume-free foam cleaner can be used in the oven to remove crud for spotless results.
These tips and recommendations come from Markus Linden, a reviewer on a German site, who has found these products to be effective in his cleaning routine.
