Cleaning Hacks For Lazy People That Actually Work

Shannon Quinn - February 8, 2022
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Cleaning Hacks For Lazy People That Actually Work

Are you totally lazy when it comes to cleaning? Don’t worry, because we have some amazing hacks for you that are guaranteed to make your life a whole lot easier.

Fresh lime juice or vinegar and water is all you need to steam clean a microwave. Credit: Shutterstock

40. Microwave a Bowl of Fresh Lemon Juice or Vinegar for a Guaranteed Steam Clean

We’ve all experienced those tough-to-scrub splatters and stains in a microwave. It’s actually very easy to loosen up those stains with just a bowl of water, and some fresh lemon juice. Place the bowl of water into the microwave and let it run for about three minutes. The steam will loosen up the stains and make it easy to wipe down with a paper towel. This is a wonderful chemical-free way to keep your kitchen clean. You can also use vinegar instead, but it won’t smell as delicious as the lemon juice.

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This is a great alternative to buying Magic Erasers. Credit: Clean My Space

39. Baking Soda Plus a Sponge Equals a DIY Magic Eraser

For anyone who has never used a Magic Eraser before, that can be a cleaning hack on its own. Magic Erasers can be purchased at Dollar Tree at 2 for $1, or roughly $1 apiece everywhere else. They clean stains off of almost any surface just like magic. But if you want an even cheaper option, all you need to do is get a damp sponge, and dip it into some baking soda. Tap the sponge so that the excess baking soda falls off, and scrub the stain. Once that’s done, wipe off the surface with the sponge to make sure there is no extra baking soda left over.

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Cream of tartar can help with scratched dishes. Credit: Shutterstock

38. Repair Scratched Dishes With Cream of Tartar

Cream of tartar, also known as potassium bitartrate, is a powder that is used in baking, especially for meringues. Some of you may have purchased it for a recipe, and now it has been sitting in your pantry for years. Luckily, you can use cream of tartar for a cleaning hack. If your dishes have been scratched up, create a paste with cream of tartar and water. Rub it in with a dish cloth, and rinse it off with soap and water.

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Dawn Miracle Cleaner has been known to remove even though stains from clothing. Credit: Clean My Space

37. The Dawn Miracle Cleaner

A few years ago, there was a Pinterest cleaning hack called the Dawn Miracle Cleaner. It promised to help you clean just about any stain off of clothing, furniture, and carpets. First, clean the stain as you normally would by blotting it with a paper towel. All you need to do to make this miracle cleaner is combine two parts hydrogen peroxide with one part dish soap. (It’s okay to use other brands of soap besides Dawn.) Use a toothbrush to scrub the cleaner onto the stain, and then wipe it with a wet cloth.

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Use a disposable razor to de-pill a sweater. Credit: Shutterstock

36. Remove Pills From Your Sweaters With a Disposable Razor

There are few things more annoying than when your sweater starts to pill. Thankfully, there’s an easy way to fix it. All you need to do is lay your sweater down on a flat surface, and pull the fabric taught. Then use a disposable razor to shave away the pills with short strokes. (Just make sure you test a small area first to make sure this won’t ruin your entire sweater.)

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Making your shoes smell better is easy with essential oils. Credit: Clean My Space

35. Quick and Easy Essential Oil Shoe Deodorizer

Do your shoes smell really bad? A quick and easy way to deodorize your shoes is to grab some cotton balls, and dab a couple drops of essential oil onto them. Place the cotton balls inside of your shoes, and let them sit overnight. By the next morning, your shoes should no longer smell. If you don’t have any essential oil around the house, another option would be to get dryer sheets and put them in your shoes, instead.

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Powder can help soak up grease and prevent stains from happening. Credit: Shutterstock

34. Use Chalk or Baby Powder to Fight Grease Based Stains

If you happen to keep blackboard chalk around the house, you can use this in a pinch when difficult stains appear. Baby powder also works just as well. The next time you splatter olive oil, bacon grease, or pasta sauce on your clothes, quickly remove them and wipe off the culprit. Next, rub the chalk or baby powder into the stain, and let it sit for at least twenty minutes. The chalk should absorb the oils and prevent it from staining and ruining your clothes. After the chalk has soaked for some time, put the item in the washing machine.

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Rubbing alcohol and a sock are all you need for this cleaning hack. Credit: Clean My Space

33. Rubbing Alcohol Window Blind Cleaner

Window blinds are one of those areas in the home that accumulate dust very quickly, and yet they are overlooked. (Especially if you’re feeling lazy!) A tip from Clean My Space suggests getting a spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol, and spray the window blinds. Then, get an old sock in one hand and glide down the entire blind. This way you’re dusting both the front and back at the same time while killing any bacteria that may be there.

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If you spill red wine, quickly cover it with milk before the stain gets worse. Credit: Shutterstock

32. Prevent Red Wine Stains With Milk

Spilling red wine on the carpet is everyone’s worst nightmare. But if you catch it in time, you can actually use milk to prevent it from staining. If red wine ever spills on something, first dab up as much of the wine as you can. Then go to the fridge and grab some milk. Pour the milk on top of the stain, and let it sit for about an hour. The red wine will absorb into the milk, rather than the carpet. Once it’s been absorbed, you can pat the area clean with some water.

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All you need is vinegar, a plastic bag, and a rubber band to clean your shower head. Credit: Melissa Maker on Clean My Space

31. Cleaning Your Shower Head is Easy With a Ziplock Bag

Over time, your shower head will get hard water buildup that blocks the flow of water. An easy way to clean the showerhead is by filling up a large ziplock bag with vinegar. Tie the bag to the showerhead, and allow it to soak overnight for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You may see the faucet begin to foam up with white residue, which is totally normal. Once the time is up, remove the ziplock bag. Use a toothbrush to scrub away any of the residue. Turn the shower on, and let the warm water rinse off the showerhead.

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Dishwasher tabs can be used to clean your toilet and oven. Credit: Shutterstock

30. Dishwasher Tablets Can Be Used to Clean More Than Just Dishes

If you happen to have dishwasher tablets around the house but you’re running low on pretty much everything else, this next hack is for you. According to Taste of Home, you can use dishwasher tabs to clean almost anything in your house. All you need to do is put on a pair of cleaning gloves. Hold the tablet in warm water just long enough for it to get moist, and then go to town scrubbing anything from your toilet bowl to a dirty oven.

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No one likes a crunchy towel. Credit: Shutterstock

29. Refresh Old and Crunchy Towels

Are your towels getting crunchy when they’re removed from the dryer? It may be time to give them a special treatment. This next tip comes from a YouTuber named Melissa Maker on the channel Clean My Space. During the first cycle, run 1 cup of white vinegar with hot water. The second cycle is also with hot water. This time, pour 1 cup of baking soda directly into the washing machine. It will remove any buildup you may have on the towels, and they will be fluffy and clean once it’s done.

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Allow your cleaning products to dwell on the surface for a few minutes before wiping away. Credit: Shutterstock

28. Give the Cleaning Products Some Dwell Time

This next one isn’t so much a hack as it is a general cleaning tip. Most cleaning products need some time to work. You might be feeling impatient to get the work done quickly, but you actually need to give it some dwell time. For example, if you’re scrubbing down the tub and shower, let the product sit for at least five to ten minutes. This makes it easier to wipe it down later.

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Grab a piece of aluminum foil and turn it into a scrubby. Credit: Clean My Space

27. Use Aluminum Foil to Scrub Pots and Pans

Everyone has experienced scrubbing a pot or pan with food residue, and your sponge just isn’t cutting it. If you have leftover aluminum foil from your meal, this is the perfect way to up-cycle. Just scrunch it up into a ball, and turn it into a scrubber. This will save you money from buying metal scrubbers from the store. Best of all, you just throw away the aluminum foil once you’re done cleaning the pot.

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Putting hats in the top of the dishwasher is a great way to clean them. Credit: Emily Norris

26. Wash Your Hats in the Dishwasher

A great cleaning hack by Emily Norris is to put your baseball caps in the top rack of the dishwasher. This helps them keep their shape and ensures that they won’t get ruined in the regular washing machine. Alternatively, if you don’t have a dishwasher, you can find white garment bags and put your hats in them before putting them in the washing machine.

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Baking soda is the key to removing smells from your insulated mugs and water bottles. Credit: Shutterstock

25. Use Baking Soda to Clean Smelly Insulated Mugs and Water Bottles

After a while, insulated mugs and water bottles start to get a funky smell. Even with dish soap and water, that smell never seems to go away. The secret to fixing the issue is by using baking soda. Mix ¼ of a tablespoon of baking soda and warm water, and let the solution sit in the bottle overnight. The next morning, pour it out and give the bottle a good rinse with soap and water.

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Create a little pouch of aluminum foil to dispose of animal fat and grease. Credit: Emily Norris

24. Get Rid of Cooking Fat Quickly and Easily

Whenever you cook with meat, it leaves behind grease that’s difficult to get rid of. You can’t pour it down the sink, because it will clog the pipes. Sometimes, people pour the grease into a glass cup. But then you’re left with the task of removing it once it hardens. A genius hack is to simply get a piece of aluminum foil, and cover up a cup before pouring it in. This way, when the grease hardens, you can just pick it up and throw it away.

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A post-it-note can be used to get into little crevasses. Credit: Clean My Space

23. Post-It-Notes Are Clever Little Detail Cleaners

When you’re cleaning, it’s nearly impossible to get to some hard-to-reach places like the crevasse of your keyboard, mouse, and gaming controllers. That’s where post-it-notes come in. Just fold up the sticky note into a point, with its sticky side exposed. Then slide the sticky note in-between the crevasse, and voila! You’ll be able to remove the dust and dirt that’s been hiding inside of there for far too long.

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Black tea can be used as a Windex replacement. Credit: Shutterstock

22. Use Black Tea to Clean Glass and Windows

Did you run out of Windex? If you want to clean windows in a pinch, boil some hot water and use a few bags of black tea in a pot. Allow the water to cool before transferring it to a spray bottle. Black tea’s acid content and tannins help to remove smudges and dirt off of your windows to make them crystal clear.

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Hydrogen peroxide can help refresh a wooden cutting board. Credit: Clean My Space

21. Hydrogen Peroxide Works Well as a Cutting Board Refresher

Over time, cutting boards can become dirty and filled with bacteria. Even if you’re regularly wiping them off, it’s good to give them a deep clean every once in a while. All you have to do is get a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, and add a spray bottle topper. Spray directly onto the wooden cutting board. Let it soak for a few minutes before wiping it down with warm soap and water.

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Use dish soap and water to clean your blender. Credit: Clean My Space

20. Cleaning Your Blender the Lazy Way

Having a tough time cleaning your blender? It’s actually just as easy as it was to make your smoothie and protein shake. All you need to do is add warm water and dish soap. Then put the blender on, and allow the soap suds to really get into the crevasse of the machine. Rinse in the sink, and you’re done.

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A hair dryer can save your wooden furniture from forming a water ring. Credit: Molly Maid

19. Use a Hair Dryer to Remove Stubborn Water Rings on Wooden Furniture

Did your parents ever nag you to use a coaster? Once you become an adult, you quickly discover why. Water rings can completely ruin the look of a wooden table. Thankfully, fixing it is easy with the hair dryer hack. All you need to do is hold the hair dryer very close to the table for 10 to 15 minutes on high heat. Eventually, the wood will dry and the ring will come out. Afterwards, it may be best to polish the wood to help bring back some of its natural moisture.

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This hack helps you clean your shoes in the washing machine. Credit: Clean My Space

18. Wash Your Shoes Without the Annoying Banging Sound

Anyone who has cleaned their sneakers in the washer and dryer already knows how annoying it is to hear the loud banging sound. Sometimes, the shoes will actually kick the door open mid-dry. Melissa Maker from Clean My Space came up with a clever hack to fix this problem. All you need to do is use the shoe laces to tie the shoes together. Hang the laces outside the door, and close it. This will keep the shoes in one place it goes through the dryer cycle. The same trick can also be done by hanging a garment bag over the door.

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Use coffee grounds to remove bad smells from your fridge. Credit: Shutterstock

17. Coffee Grounds Absorb Bad Smells in the Fridge

Many of you have probably heard about buying a box of baking soda to deodorize your fridge. But another alternative you can use is to up-cycle your used coffee grounds. Fresh coffee grounds work just as well, but you probably don’t want your precious coffee to go to waste. After drinking your coffee, lay out the wet grounds onto a baking sheet, and let them dry. Place the coffee grounds into an open container, and pop it in the fridge. Just like magic, the coffee grounds will absorb bad smells in your fridge.

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Use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide or vinegar to help clean off baking sheets. Credit: Shutterstock

16. Help a Baking Sheet Look Brand New With Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

It’s incredibly difficult to clean off a baking sheet, especially when it’s greasy and full of food residue. The hack to cleaning it is simple, and all you need is baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Start by sprinkling baking soda all over the baking sheet. Then pour hydrogen peroxide. This should start to bubble, which is a good sign that it’s breaking apart the gunk. Add an extra layer of baking soda, and let it sit for at least an hour before wiping it off.

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Just a few drops of essential oil on the vacuum filter makes a huge difference. Credit: Clean My Space

15. Use Essential Oils to Improve The Smell of the Vacuum Cleaner

Have you ever used your vacuum cleaner and realized that it kind of smelled bad? This is more common in vacuum cleaners with bags that need to be changed. However, it’s no secret that some vacuums let off an aroma. You can use this in your favor by sprinkling the filter with a few drops of essential oil. If you have a bag vacuum, sprinkle it on the bag instead. This will create a perfumey smell every time you go to clean your carpets.

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You can use half of a potato to clean cast iron pots and pans. Credit: Shutterstock

14. Use a Potato to Clean Your Cast-Iron Skillet

Believe it or not, cleaning your cast-iron skillet is as easy as cutting a potato in half. Gather one potato, coarse salt, and oil. Sprinkle the core salt onto the skillet and scrub it using half of the potato. Once the gunk has been cleared away, use soap and water to rinse it off. After it has been cleaned, it’s time to season the skillet. You need to preheat your oven for about an hour before wiping it down with oil. Allow the cast-iron skillet to season in the oven. Then you’re done.

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All you need is OxiClean and boiled water to clean a range hood filter. Credit: Clean My Space

13. Cleaning a Greasy Range Hood

If you have a range hood in your kitchen, you might notice that a lot of grease and gunk collects overhead. Some people throw away the filter and buy a new one. However, it’s actually easy to clean. All you need is a bucket, a kettle of boiled water, and a scoop of OxiClean. Remove the filter from the overhead compartment, and place it into the bucket. Let the range hood filter sit in the water for 30 minutes on each side. Then rinse it underneath the sink, and you’re done. It’s as easy as that.

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Bread is great for picking up shards of broken glass. Credit: Joe Lingeman

12. Use White Bread to Pick Up Broken Glass

Accidents happen in the kitchen all the time. Unfortunately, the thing about broken glass is that it flies everywhere, and certain pieces are hard to pick up even with a vacuum cleaner or broom. According to a blog called The Kitchn, one of the best hacks you can use to pick up broken glass shards is worth a piece of white bread. This really acts like a sponge for the tiny glass particles. Throw away the bread when you’re done, and make sure it doesn’t go into a compost pile where animals could potentially eat the bread.

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Toothpaste can clean the white soles of sneakers. Credit: The Family Handyman

11. Scrub Toothpaste on Your Sneakers to Clean Stains

If you don’t have a Magic Eraser on hand, the next best thing you can use to clean your sneakers is toothpaste. Make sure that you grab the non-gel kind, and you get bonus points if it contains baking soda. Use a wet toothbrush to scrub the white parts of your sneakers, within a few minutes the stands should start to disappear.

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Here is a quick and easy DIY jewelry cleaning solution. Credit: Clean My Space

10. Easy DIY Gold and Silver Jewelry Cleaner

If you wear a wedding ring on a daily basis, you know that eventually the gold or silver starts to tarnish overtime. It’s possible to buy specialized jewelry cleaner from the store, but here is a jewelry cleaning hack using some products you probably already have at home. All you need is a half cup of rubbing alcohol with a teaspoon of dish soap. Mix it together, and let the jewelry sit in the solution for a few minutes. Next, take a tooth brush and scrub the jewelry. Plug up the sink to make sure nothing falls down, and rinse it with water. Keep in mind that this solution isn’t good for costume jewelry.

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You can store your jeans in the freezer instead of washing them. Credit: Buzzfeed

9. Clean Denim By Putting it in the Freezer

Some people swear by never washing their jeans, because you make sure that they will never shrink or have their colors bleed in the wash. The only problem, of course, is that it still builds up bacteria and may begin to smell. So a great denim hack is to put your jeans into a ziplock bag, and then store them in the freezer. Leave the bag overnight, and the jeans should be odor-free the next day.

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A dollop of mayonnaise helps remove stains from wood. Credit: How About Orange

8. Use Mayonnaise to Remove Water Rings From Wood

Earlier on this list, we already talked about how you can remove water rings off of wood using a hairdryer. Another great hack from a blog called How About Orange shows that you can use a dollop of mayonnaise to accomplish the same thing. Let the mayonnaise sit on the stand for about 15 minutes, and wipe it away. This should get rid of the stain completely.

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Used dryer sheets are great for cleaning baseboards. Credit: Clean My Space

7. Up-Cycle Used Dryer Sheets to Clean The Baseboards

Dryer sheets are amazing, because they can be used for a huge number of projects around the house. But something simple you can do with a used dryer sheet is to clean your baseboards. Even after going through a drying cycle, the sheet should still have some clinginess to it. It will easily pick up the dust from your baseboards. And when you’re done, all you need to do is throw it away.

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Vinegar works really well as a laundry booster. Credit: Clean My Space

6. Use White Vinegar as a Laundry Booster

In case you don’t know, a “laundry booster” simply helps your detergent work better. All you need to do for this hack from Clean My Space is pour white vinegar into your washing machine after you put in the laundry detergent. This will help your laundry to be cleaner, fresher, and better overall.

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Newspaper is a good alternative to paper towels. Credit: Shutterstock

5. Newspaper Works Just as Well as Paper Towels

As strange as this sounds, newspapers work really well for cleaning windows. It’s great if you have run out of paper towels to use. Just spray the glass with equal parts vinegar and water, and wipe it down with the newspaper. This is a great way to recycle, and it’s totally eco-friendly and non toxic.

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Credit: One Good Thing

4. DIY Lemon and Vinegar Cubes Keep a Garbage Disposal Smelling Great

Is your garbage disposal starting to smell? Don’t worry, because this hack from One Good Thing by Jillee will fix you right up. All you need to do is cut up a lemon into chunks, and place them into an ice cube tray. Cover the tray with white vinegar, and put them in the freezer. Now, you have these useful ice cubes on hand to grind up into the garbage disposal. Right away, you’ll notice a difference in how it smells.

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Ink stains are not as difficult to remove as you once thought. Credit: Shutterstock

3. Hydrogen Peroxide and Dish Soap Can Remove Ink Stains

Ink stains are notoriously difficult to remove from clothing. Luckily, all you need to save the day is a bit of hydrogen peroxide and dish soap. Mix both together and dab the solution onto the stain. Let it sit for 20 minutes before washing your clothing in the washing machine.

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Use pillow cases to clean off ceiling fans. Credit: Homemaker Chic

2. Reuse Old Pillowcases to Clean a Ceiling Fan

Ever wonder how the heck you’re supposed to clean off a ceiling fan? A blogger named Homemaker Chic came up with the brilliant idea to use an old pillow case. Just step up on a stepladder, and cover the blades with the pillow case, dragging the dust one by one. When the process is over, the dust will be inside of the pillowcase. So you can choose to throw it away, or shake it outside and wash it to reuse it again the next time the fan needs to be cleaned.

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You can use a lint roller to dust almost anything. Credit: Emily Norris

1. Lint Rollers Can Be Used For Dusting, Too

Most people assume that lint rollers are used to clean dog and cat hair off of your clothes. But lint rollers can also be used for dusting. It’s especially useful for dusting off fabric-covered objects around your home like furniture, headboards, and lampshades. Lint rollers can also be used in your car to clean off the seats, especially in those hard-to-reach places. For anywhere that the circular part of the lint roller can’t fit, I recommend using packing tape to stick onto the surface, and pull back. The dust, dirt, and hair will stay intact, and you can just throw the piece of tape away afterwards.

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