Unless you are one of the few people in this world who actually enjoys cleaning, there are probably lots of other things you’d rather do instead. At Things Life we are no exception and so we are constantly looking for ways to spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying life. Below we’ve assembled a collection of 20 amazing cleaning hacks (and a few bonus tips) that everyone should know. These cleaning secrets will help you keep your house, apartment, condominium or trailer in tip top shape with a fraction of the effort! Please let us know on Facebook and in the comment section below any cleaning upgrades that you think we should not live without!

Clean Blinds

Use an old sock over your hand and fill a bowl with equal parts warm water and vinegar. Dip your hand into the solution and wipe all the dust off the blinds. Just keep rinsing the sock in the solution as it gets dirty.

Amazing, right?

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Remove Carpet Stains

To easily get rid of a stain, mix two parts water with one part vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the stain evenly and place a damp cloth over it. Using an iron on the steam setting, press on the spot for about 30 seconds. For tough stains, repeat the steps until the stain has been removed.

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LCD Screens

WD-40 will remove crayon marks from just about anything and its safe to use on LCD screens too.

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Grout

To get grout lines clean, try using toothpaste or dish soap. Scrub with water using either a sponge or toothbrush for a deep clean.

Toilet Brush

Instead of putting a wet toilet brush back in the holder, place in under the toilet seat and close the lid. Finish up the rest of the bathroom while your toilet brush dries. This will keep debris from building up in the holder.

Baseboards

Stop throwing away used dryer sheets and instead use them to wipe down baseboards. They are also anti-static so the dust will have a harder time settling and stay cleaner longer.

Clean Shower Heads

Shower heads are prone to a buildup of all kinds. The easiest way to clean it is to tie a bag filled with vinegar around the shower head and leave it to soak overnight.

Clean Flat Irons or Curling Irons

Over time, product can build up on your curling iron or flat iron. To remove the residue, just use a wash cloth and rubbing alcohol.

Laundry

By adding half a cup of white vinegar to every load of laundry it will help to break down any build up and eliminate odours.

Keeping a Trash Can by the Front Door

Instead of carrying all the flyers, junk mail and loose packing into the house, get rid of it quickly by keeping a trash can at your front door. You can throw it all out before it clutters your kitchen counters.

Scrubbing

Turns out that a drill isn’t good for just fixing things. Imagine what you can accomplish with minimal effort by just attaching a revolver brush to your drill.

Aluminum Foil

Sometimes dryer sheets can smell or leave a residue on your clothes. Instead, use balls of aluminum foil to help eliminate static cling. Roll up about two feet of foil into a ball and use about two to three balls in the dryer. Best part, they are reusable, so this will also cutdown on cost.

Cleaning Toys

Washing bigger plastic toys can be done easily by just placing them on the top rack of the dishwasher and wash as you normally would.

Ceiling Fans

Grab a pillow case and slide the opening over the blade of the fan and pull it back and forth. Instead of having all the dust flying around, it will fall nicely into the bottom of the pillow case. Just shake it outside when you’ve finished without creating any more dust in your house.

Remove Grease Stains

Rub white chalk on the grease stained area. The chalk powder will absorb the grease and remove the stain.

Clean an Iron

If your iron has sticky residue built up on it, turn your iron onto the hottest setting without steam. Next, sprinkle some salt onto a cotton towel and run the iron over the salt. This will gradually remove any build up.

Spray Bottles

Often times when cleaning getting into hard to reach places requires you to turn a cleaning bottle in all sorts of different directions. This can actually preventing any cleaner from coming out. Try replacing the hose with a flexible tube and attach stainless steel nuts to the end. Your bottle will now spray in any direction you need it to.

Protect Your Mattress

Puppy training pads are an easy way to clean up after any nighttime accidents your child might have. Just line their bed under the regular sheets. It will also protect the mattress from stains and odours.

Exhaust Fans

Exhaust fans can get dusty and full of debris pretty easily. The best way to get at it is to use canned air to blow it out.

Microwave

No one likes to open the microwave door and see food particles stuck to the wall. Why not try cleaning with lemons. Just boil some water and pour over sliced lemons in a microwave safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for at least five minutes. The steam produced will loosen the stubborn mess so it can easily be wiped off. As a bonus, your house will smell so fresh from the lemons.

Mirrors

Lemon pledge will not only make your mirrors shine, but they will smell great too.

Wood Polish

In a spray bottle, mix ¼ cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of olive oil. Spray on your furniture and you will be amazed by the results.

Vents

Wrap a cleaning cloth around a butter knife and spray some cleaner on the cloth. The knife not only makes the cloth sturdy, it also let you get into tight spots.

Lingerie Bag

Lingerie bags can be used to collect your socks. Just keep one by your laundry basket and throw them in the bag when they are dirty, this way when its time do the wash you it will be much easier to match them up. They can also be used to wash kids toys. You can throw them in your washer for a deep clean.

Leather Furniture

Tired of seeing scratches and scuffs all over your leather furniture? Try using a good quality wax shoe polish on a sponge. Rub generously to get the marks out.

Window Strokes

To prevent streaks trying washing one side of the window horizontally and the other side vertically. If there end up being streaks, its easy to figure out which side its on.

Remove Stains on Microfiber

Using a spray bottle, fill with rubbing alcohol and generously spray the stained area. Rub the area using a white sponge. Once it has dried, use a white bristled brush to restore the fibres in the fabric. You want to be sure to use a white sponge and white bristled brush so as to avoid any colour that may run off.

Bathroom

Make-up remover cloths aren’t just good for cleaning your face. When you’ve finished with one side of the cloth, use the other side to tidy up the bathroom by wiping down the sink, faucet or counter. You will be surprised how much longer your bathroom will stay clean.