6 Easy Home Cleaning Tricks

Let’s be honest

No one enjoys cleaning, especially if it eats up your leisure time. This list of house hacks will help you clean smarter, not harder.

1. Clean your coffee maker with vinegar

The biggest reason to clean a coffee maker is to get rid of calcium deposits that make clog it up. Although there are cleaning solutions, the simplest way is to use vinegar. Simply add 4 cups of white vinegar to the coffee maker and run it without a filter. After the coffee maker stops, run it again with pure water to rinse out the vinegar.

2. Use a Disposable Mop

The traditional “deck” mop with cotton strings attached are known to harbor and spread bacteria. A sanitation study conducted in 1971 concluded that traditional mops and the buckets they are in become contaminated after their first use. Furthermore they are responsible for spreading contaminations with each use. The only way to prevent this is to clean it daily with a disinfectant.

Disposable mops like Swiffer are a better option because they will save time and prevent the spreading of bacteria. They are available at most grocery stores and they are relatively cheap.

3. Steam Clean the Microwave

Over time a microwave can get pretty messy and with each use the food residue gets tougher to remove. Instead of wasting time scrubbing relentlessly, simply use water to steam clean it. Get a microwave safe bowl, pour water in it, and nuke it! After it’s done, it will be much easier to wipe off the food residue. Add vinegar for added help.

4. Lint Roll Screen Doors and Couches

If you’ve ever wondered how to dust a screen door or couch, a lint roller will be your best friend.

5. Use Lemons on Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals tend to get stinky over time. An easy solution to get rid of the smell is to put sliced lemons down the sink and run the disposal. The machine will cut up the lemon and the acidity will clean the blades.

6. Soak Stove Burners in Degreaser

This one is kind of a no-brainer. Rather than scrub stove burners, let a good degreaser do the hard work. Place the burner in the sink and allow it to soak in degreaser for a couple hours. Any remaining deposits can be scrubbed off.