28 Surprising Things You Never Thought About Cleaning

1. Rinse and sanitize a knife block with a mild bleach solution.

A tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of water does the trick. Dry upside down and do monthly if you use your knives often.

 

2. Throw shower curtain liners in the washing machine.

Add some regular detergent or baking soda along with a few towels with the liner to help scrub away the toughest stains.

 

3. Wrap a towel around a butter knife and wipe it through air and heating vents.

This method works on car vents, too.

 

4. Wipe down remote controls with a cosmetic pad dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Don’t forget to remove the batteries first.

 

5. Run toys through the dishwasher or washing machine.

 

6. Saturate a towel with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe down a car’s steering wheel.

If you notice build-up, use a cleaning brush or even a toothbrush to remove. Follow up by wiping it clean.

 

7. Deep clean baking sheets by making a paste with baking soda and peroxide.

While wearing gloves, put about 1/4 cup of baking soda in a small glass bowl and add just enough hydrogen peroxide to form a paste. Using steel wool or a sponge, rub the paste into your baking pan’s stains. Allow the paste to set for about 45 minutes before wiping and rinsing clean.

 

Related: 13 Ways to Use a Sponge That You’ve Never Heard of Before

 

8. Apply white vinegar to a rag or paper towel and wipe down switch plates and doorknobs.

 

9. Pour two cups of white vinegar into an empty washing machine and run a regular cycle.

Don’t forget to clean the dispenser, too.

 

10. Wipe cards with a damp towel and use a rubber eraser to gently rub along the magnetic strip.

This method helps remove built-up grime that may prevent your card from being read.

 

11. Clean toothbrush holders in the dishwasher or rinse with really hot water and dish soap.

Use a pipe cleaner to get grime out of hard-to-reach areas.

 

12. Dry clean or wash comforters in the washing machine.

Use about half the amount of detergent you would when washing clothes, and wash using the gentle cycle. Use two tennis balls to fluff down comforters in the dryer. Do this at least once every six months.

 

13. Soak hairbrushes in hot water and shampoo.

Remember to first pull out all the hairs—cut through them with scissors if necessary. Rinse and dry thoroughly.

 

14. Use lemon Kool-Aid drink mix to clean your dishwasher.

Pour one packet of lemon Kool-Aid into the detergent cup of an empty dishwasher and run through a regular cycle. The citric acid in the mix wipes out stains. Do this at least every six months.

 

Related: 15 Kinda Weird Ways to Clean Your House with Leftover Food

 

15. Wipe down refrigerator walls with baking soda and hot water.

If you can, remove shelves and wash separately.

 

16. Run sponges through the dishwasher.

 

17. Spray an all-purpose cleaner over the top of the refrigerator and wipe it clean.

 

18. Use an all-purpose cleaner to keep the trash can free of grime.

 

19. Remove dust from the tops of books with the soft brush attachment of a vacuum.

 

20. Use rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth to keep cellphones clean and germ-free.

 

Related: 15 Weird (but Brilliant!) Ways to Make Your Home Smell Good

 

21. Spray a dusty exhaust fan with canned air.

 

22. Wipe a computer keyboard clean using a cloth and rubbing alcohol.

Cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol work great too, and help with hard-to-reach places.

 

23. Wash a dryer lint trap in warm soapy water and let it dry overnight.

Clean every six months to improve your dryer’s performance and lifespan.

 

24. Clean an iron with dryer sheets.

Turn your iron on the lowest heat setting and let it warm up. Then, lay a dryer sheet out flat on your ironing board and gently rub the iron over it. The dryer sheet will capture the gunk and leave your iron clean.

 

25. Fill a coffeemaker’s water chamber with equal parts white vinegar and water.

Use a paper filter and brew the vinegar-water solution until half the chamber is empty. Turn off your coffeemaker and let sit for 30 minutes before finishing the brew. Rinse, and brew a pot of unadulterated water.

 

26. Vacuum the couch regularly to remove dust, dirt, and dander.

For a deeper clean, sprinkle some baking soda and let it sit for 20 minutes or longer, then vacuum it up. Baking soda helps absorb smells and breaks up stains.

 

27. Dust lightbulbs with a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol.

By removing the layer of gray dust covering lightbulbs, more light will shine through and make rooms brighter. Less lightbulbs needed to brighten a room = less electricity = money saved.

 

28. Wash vacuum filters in the dishwasher with no soap.

Afterwards, run the empty dishwasher through a cycle to clean.

 

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