June 7, 2023 Blog

Our Favorite Household Cleaning Hacks (That Actually Work!)

The practice of using various cleaning products dates back centuries. Even the use of soap was common in Ancient Rome as they used combinations of animal fat and other natural products mixed with soap to clean their bodies and houses. For thousands of years, humans have used different cleaning hacks for their homes, finally finding the right combination of elbow grease and different chemicals to give a spotless finish. 

Whether you are looking for easy ways to clean your kitchen or you want to know what the best bathroom cleaner is, here are the best cleaning hacks for your home that actually work. 

Don’t Move On Too Soon

A common mistake people make when cleaning is that they circle around their homes too much. 

Professional housekeepers recommend staying in a hyper-focused location and cleaning every aspect of that area before moving on even a few inches over to a new area. For example, it may be tempting to put toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet, then let it sit while you move on to the sink — or even a completely different room altogether. 

Believe it or not, this is inefficient and can slow you down.

Instead, put the cleaner in the toilet, and while it sits for a bit, wipe down the rest of the area with a microfiber towel. Use a cleaning pad to clean the floor around the toilet, the exterior of the toilet and the handle. Once all that is done, you’ll be ready to scrub inside. 

Circling back or moving on to new areas too quickly will slow you down, and can cause your brain to become scattered. Focus on the area immediately in front of you, and go through the room piece-by-piece to make sure every surface and area is as clean as it can be. 

This is one of those cleaning hacks that may surprise you, but you will be grateful you tried it!

Clean Your Microwave With Lemons

When you buy your household cleaning supplies, don’t forget to put lemons on the list! 

Lemons can be used in a variety of ways when cleaning. One of our favorite uses for lemons is when cleaning the microwave. Put a (microwave-safe!) mug full of water and lemon juice in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Let it sit in the microwave for a minute or so afterward, and let the water steam the microwave. 

Then, take a microfiber towel and simply wipe down the inside! Your microwave will smell lemony-fresh and will be easy to wipe down, getting all that exploded cheese and sloppy joe from the inside. 

Bonus tip: You can use the leftover lemon-scented water to put down your garbage disposal to get rid of your sink stink, too!

Use Pillowcases to Clean Your Fan Blades

Here’s a cleaning hack that you need to try today: use an old pillowcase to clean your ceiling fan blades. 

When was the last time you checked on all the dust collecting up there? Sure, you can grab a long-handled scrubber and wipe off your blades, but then you’ll end up with dust floating down onto your floor, bed, counter or table. Ew!

Instead, spray the inside of a pillowcase with your favorite all-purpose cleaner and slip it over a blade. Then all you need to do is gently pull and wipe off the blade and voila! 

All the dust will collect inside the pillowcase. 

Try Olive Oil to Buff Your Appliances

Stainless steel can be tricky to clean. Did you know olive oil can make it easier

By applying some olive oil to a microfiber towel (to prevent damage or scratching to your stainless steel), gently wipe in the direction of the grain. Once you’ve done this, take a clean microfiber towel and dry the appliance off. 

There are two key tricks to cleaning stainless steel with olive oil or any other product:

  1. Wipe in the direction of the grain
  2. Use a gentle microfiber towel

Vinegar Is Your New Best Cleaning Friend

Hate the smell, love the effect. 

Vinegar is an excellent alternative to other cleaning chemicals, and is proven to be effective. For extra-tough stains, try combining vinegar with water and see your carpets, dishes and countertops shine! (Well, maybe not the carpets, but everything else.)

Vinegar can be used to clean: 

  • Countertops
  • Glass
  • Faucets
  • Toilets
  • Laundry
  • Appliances

You can get rid of the smell of vinegar after cleaning by using a soapy rinse afterward. Or, if you’d rather ditch the smelly cleaning hacks, try the Simple Spray. It’s one of the best bathroom cleaners, and it can tackle tough stains and other cleaning jobs around the house!

Hack Your Cleaning With The Simple Scrub

Obviously, this is our favorite tip. The Simple Scrub really does make cleaning easier though. With an ergonomic handle and options for long scrubbers or shorter, hand-held scrubbers, The Simple Scrub is versatile. 

Pairing The Simple Scrub with a microfiber towel, wood-friendly scrubbers or an abrasive cleaning pad can help you clean any area of your home with ease. Plus, the Simple Spray is an all-purpose cleaner that gives your countertops, toilets, appliances and floors a shine like no other. 

Ready to make cleaning your home easier? Shop The Simple Scrub products