Top 10 Quick House Cleaning Hacks

1. Bathtub rings. Unsightly bands of dirt often resist standard cleaning solutions applied with a scrub brush and elbow grease. Instead, cut a grapefruit in half, sprinkle salt on the fresh face of the grapefruit, and use the rind as a handle to scrub those rings away. An alternative: baking soda paste.

2. Smelly toilet brushes. You may keep toilet brushes hidden, but nothing hides the odor. Spraying them with simple household vinegar eliminates the smell. Try it!

3. Dusty blinds. Vacuuming blinds can be tedious and may bend them. Instead, place an old sock over your hand like a mitten, dip it in a solution of vinegar and water, and gently wipe each blind, rinsing or changing the sock as necessary.

4. Stale air. Avoid buying costly sprays, plug-in vaporizers or candles. You can make your own air freshener. Start with the essential oil of your choice, mixed with one tablespoon of baking soda and two cups of water. Stir, add to a spray bottle, and freshen!

5. Pet hair. Instead of using sheet after sheet of a sticky lint roller, borrow a 12-inch squeegee from your shower and rub it across pet hair on the carpet and furniture. Then toss the clumps.

6. Oil stains on the garage floor. You could buy an expensive degreaser. Better still, grab a bottle of Coke from the refrigerator, pour it on the oil stains and mop it up. Coca-Cola is great for cleaning in general: for taking corrosion off your car battery terminals, for brightening a load of laundry or for whitening a toilet bowl. We drink that stuff???

7. Smudged electronic screens. Computer and TV screens usually show streaks after wiping with a cotton cloth or microfiber towel. Try spraying them with a mild lens cleaner and wiping them dry with a coffee filter. No lint. No streaks.

8. Dirty grout. We suspect you’ve tried expensive store-bought solutions, and they didn’t work. Next time, mix baking soda and bleach into a paste. Scrub both the tiles (using a scrub brush) and the grout (using a stiff toothbrush). Then rinse.

9. Broken glass. Little, sharp slivers are the toughest ones to see and pick up. Even a strong vacuum won’t suck them up. To get rid of those last menacing shards, wipe the area with playdough or slices of white bread. 

10. Stained microwave walls. Food residue is easy to remove with a wet sponge, but over time the walls build up a dull coating that nothing seems to wipe away. Try this: fill a dish with water and dishwashing liquid, place it in the microwave and power the microwave for one minute. Then wipe the walls with a wet sponge.

A little ingenuity and use of common household basic items often go a long way in cleaning common and often-pesky stains. Have fun with these hacks, and experiment (a little). One caution: never mix bleach and ammonia. Together, they release toxic gasses. Before you experiment with your own household cleaning hack ideas, check them out on the internet to make sure they are safe.

Remember, too, that these top 10 quick house cleaning hacks are no substitute for a thorough household cleaning, preferable by a professional cleaning service, and done regularly to prevent dirt and grime buildup, and to make your home sparkle