Be a better and faster cleaner with these clever ideas
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Better Homes and Gardens
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Be a better and faster cleaner with these clever ideas that use why-didn't-I-think-of-that tools and creative techniques that help take the work out of your chore list. So tuck these ideas into your bag of tricks and consider your home cleaning done.
Clean Your Cabinets ...
... with your vacuum.
Use your vacuum's brush attachment to pick up dust and crumbs inside. Outside, concentrate on the area around the hardware using a cloth dampened with warm water.
Believe it or not, there's a wrong way to clean; doing things the right way could save you time. And who wouldn't want to shave a few minutes off their cleaning routine?
Use a pillowcase ...
... to clean a ceiling fan.
Slip a pillowcase over ceiling fan blades, one at a time, then wipe. Dust falls into the pillowcase, not on your furniture and floors.
Put an old sock on one hand and spritz it with water. Grip each panel of the blind and slide sock-covered hand from one end to the other, removing dust from both sides of the slat at once.
Roll a damp high-nap paint roller over the ceiling to pick up dust and cobwebs without knocking down pieces of the ceiling the way sweeping would.
Spot-Clean Fabrics ...
... with baby wipes.
Baby wipes are surprisingly effective because they contain very little moisture, have gentle cleaning agents, and dry quickly. Just don't confuse them with cleaning wipes, which might contain bleach or other harmful chemicals.
You can machine-wash most comforters in front-loaders, as long as the comforter fills only half the washer. Dry with tennis balls to keep the stuffing from collecting in one corner.
To remove dust and dirt buildup from woodwork and leave it looking shiny, wipe down using a mix of 1 part lemon oil to 1 part white vinegar.
Clean Your Dishwasher...
... with little effort.
Add 1 cup baking soda to the bottom of your empty dishwasher and let it sit overnight. Run the hottest possible cycle using vinegar instead of detergent to clean and deodorise your dishwasher. Remember to remove debris from the filter. Bye-bye, dirt and odours.
But first, soak paper towels in undiluted vinegar and place on the buildup. Leave overnight, then scrub and rinse.
Clean Faster ...
... with these four things:
An extensioncord that lets you plug in your vacuum at a central location so you can clean a whole level without stopping to find another outlet.
A microfibre mopwith an extension pole dusts ceilings and walls quickly and easily. When you're done, just remove the cover and toss it in the wash.
A double-sided squeegeeis the best tool for cleaning windows. Dip it in your cleaning solution of choice and work in a tight S-pattern from top to bottom.
Mr Clean Magic Erasersmake short work of soap scum, scuff marks, wayward crayon scribbles, and lots more.
Secret Weapons ...
... you'll definitely want to add to your shopping list.
Our experts swear by these cleaning products, which you might not have heard of:
Bar Keepers Friend Cleanserhas a combo of mild abrasives and oxalic acid that removes baked-on food, tea and coffee stains, and rust.
