12 Cleaning Hacks You'll Wish You Knew Yesterday

Maintaining a clean home is a super important thing every homeowner should do. However, life can easily get in the way, which can cause a simple to-do list to turn into a seemingly impossible mountain of tasks. Cleaning should be done right, but it also shouldn't make you miserable or take up an entire day. 

The next time you find yourself needing to jump headfirst into a collection of chores, refer to the list of helpful hacks below. It not only shows you how easy cleaning can be, but also how affordable it is if you utilize common, household products you probably already own.  

1. Faucets

Attaching a plastic bag filled with CLR to your bathroom or kitchen faucet is a quick and easy way to get rid of calcium build-up. 

2. Stainless Steel

Make your stainless steel appliances shine by using Pledge to clean them!

3. Grout

I've actually tried this and it really works. Simply line the grout between your tiles with a gel Clorox cleaner and use a toothbrush to scrub it in. Once you mop everything up, you will notice an immediate difference.

4. Rusty Knives

Get rid of rust spots on steak knives by soaking them in a glass of lemon juice.

5. Stovetops

Keeping your stovetop neat and tidy can be a challenge, especially if you like to cook. The next time you need to give your burners a good cleaning, use a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.

6. Toilet Brushes

Soaking a toilet brush in Pine-Sol not only cleans and disinfects, it also leaves a fresh scent in your bathroom. 

7. Glass Dishes

After baking a delicious, hearty meal, cleaning the dishes can be a pain, especially when it comes to scrubbing tight corners and burnt messes. The next time you find yourself faced with a tough dish, try using soapy water and crumpled up tin foil to break things up.

8. Metal Pots And Pans

Give your old, worn-out pots and pans new life by using a solution of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap to clean them. 

9. Ceiling Fans

Avoid getting dust all over your bedroom by using a pillowcase to clean the blades of a ceiling fan. 

10. Wooden Cutting Boards

Clean and disinfect your wooden cutting board with a mixture of salt, fresh lemons, and mineral oil. 

11. Outdoor Windows

Keep your windows bright and clear with this cleaning solution! Mix white vinegar, dish soap, and water in a large bucket, and use a scrub brush attached to an extension pole to apply it to your exterior windows. Before it dries, rinse it off with a garden hose. 

12. Dishwasher

Lastly, get rid of funky smells and icky residue buildup in your dishwasher by running a cycle of lemonade-flavored Kool-Aid through it!