This post may contain affiliate links, which means I'll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.
Want to know the best cleaning hacks that are actually worth doing?! These are the game-changing cleaning hacks I use in my apartment at least once a week.
Knowing the best cleaning hacks can leave you with a home that is so clean that people will ask you, "how do you even keep your home this clean?!".
But, believe me. I search for cleaning hacks all the time and know first-hand how stupid some of them look. Like, does anyone actually use half of those cleaning hacks?! I think no.
These are all the cleaning hacks I use on a weekly basis and I even included some I am planning on trying soon. The video shows you exactly how I use the cleaning hacks in my own apartment.
Plus, these cleaning hacks will save you a lot of time. Like, A LOT of time and will have your home looking sparkly clean.
These are the cleaning hacks that are such game-changers, I'll probably use them for the rest of my life.
Best Cleaning Hacks Video:
10 Cleaning Hacks I Use At Least Once a Week:
1. Put 1/2 a cup of vinegar in your dishwasher to remove water stains.
I use this cleaning hack every single time I run my dishwasher. Not kidding.
I was getting so frustrated because my dishes would come out of the dishwasher with marks all over them making it look like they weren't even clean.
I searched on Reddit for a way to fix this problem and what do you know, putting 1/2 cup-1 cup of vinegar in your dishwasher makes your dishes come out looking SO clean.
I'm converted to this hack for life.
2. Get stubborn fruit out of blender by putting water and soap and then running it like normal.
I would always get so annoyed cleaning my blender until I realized that by simply putting water and soap after I made a smoothie and blending it like normal COMPLETELY cleans it out, my life became so much easier (haha dramatic).
But seriously, there is NO easier way to clean your blender!
3. Put a tennis ball in your dryer.
I actually learned this cleaning hack from Amazon surprisingly but I've been doing it for over a month now and love how fast it makes my clothes dry.
ALSO, if you have a duvet you want fluffier, put it in your dryer with a tennis ball and it will completely fluff the whole thing up. It's really cool.
Some other things it helps with:
- Faster drying time
- Less static
- Keeps clothes from clumping together
4. Put icecubes in your dryer for 5-10 minutes with a piece of clothing and all the wrinkles will be gone.
Whenever I am in a rush and want to quickly get wrinkles out of a piece of clothing, I'll throw it in the dryer with some ice cubes for 5-10 minutes.
The ice cubes act as steam and almost all the wrinkles will be gone!
5. Set a timer for 10 minutes and spend that entire time cleaning.
I started doing this and I am amazed at how much cleaning I can get done in 10 minutes! I will literally set that timer and spend the entire ten minutes cleaning and than once it's done, I am done for the night.
My apartment has been so much cleaner since I started doing this cleaning hack!
6. Microfiber clothes are game-changers when cleaning.
I used to always use paper towels when I was cleaning and really wanted to get away from that since it's so bad for the environment. I looked into alternatives and everyone was suggesting microfiber clothes.
I bought a pack of them from Amazon and am shocked at how much better they are at grabbing stuff than paper towels! For all you girls, microfiber cloths grab hair like no ones business.
They do such a good job at sticking to things that you actually can only wash them with microfiber clothes since they will stick to all your clothes.
6. Always vacuum last.
Maybe this is a no-brainer, but I ALWAYS vacuum last so when I am cleaning everything else I can just wipe things to the floor.
Like literally when I clean my counters in the kitchen, I'll just flick everything off and then run my vacuum over the floors when I am done cleaning.
7. Wash your plastic shower liner - it will look brand new!
You know just as well as me how disgusting shower liners can get. Whether it's mold, hair, shampoo, etc. on it, they can look super dirty.
I just learned this last year but instead of buying new ones (they're not expensive so that is an option) you can just put yours in the washing machine with some towels. Wash on cool (with other towels) with either vinegar, baking soda, or detergent. I used a pod because that's all I had.
Hang dry and it will look brand new!
8. Use a long sock as a duster.
This cleaning hack makes dusting so much easier! I just use one of my boyfriends socks, put it over my hand, and I'm good to go.
9. Use coffee filters when cleaning windows/mirrors for no streaks.
Cleaning windows with paper towels can leave a bunch of streaks in a window which is simply just not cute. Surprisingly, cleaning with coffee filters leaves no streaks.
Using newspaper is also one of my favorite cleaning hacks for leaving no streaks!
10. Easily clean your microwave by microwaving a bowl of water and lemon juice for five minutes.
Microwaves can get really dirty and the stains can be difficult to get out. Whenever I have stains that will not budge (like pasta sauce or something) I microwater with some lemon juice for five minutes.
It gets all the lemon juice completely out!
36 MORE Genius Cleaning Hacks:
1. Eliminate stains with shaving cream.
If you get a stain on your perfectly new couch, good news is you may be able to eliminate the stain with an item right from your home!
Using this DIY stain remover is a life saver..
Simply rub shaving cream that is NOT the gel kind into any stain and let it sit for 30 minutes or over night and then blot it dry!
2. Put essential oil in your garbage disposal to make it smell delish.
If you have a garbage disposal that is constantly smelly then this cleaning hack is for you!
The steps are simple....
Grab some essential oils you may have around your home and put 3 drops into the disposal to make it smell pretty and pleasant.
This is the best cleaning hack for smell!
3. Clean out your coffee maker with vinegar.
If you own a keurig then I am sure you already know this trick but if you didn't then here it is...
Cleaning your coffee maker with vinegar is a great way to deep clean it and make sure all bacteria is washed away.
I have been using this hack for years now and can tell when my coffee maker is in need of a vinegar cleaning!
{RELATED POST: 17 Best Gifts According To College Students}
4. Remove carpet stains with vinegar and an iron.
You will learn vinegar is your best friend when it comes to cleaning!
Carpet stains are so common in households especially if you have kids or tend to throw parties.
Luckily, all you need is vinegar, water, and a steam iron for this hack.
Mix water and vinegar to a 1:3 ratio, cover the stain with the mixture as well as a wet cloth before steaming the carpet for 30 seconds or so and after that you should have a stain free carpet!
5. Use lemons to remove stains from stainless steel fridge and faucets.
If your home has a stainless steel fridge then you know how hard it is to get it clean, as well as faucets.
Cutting a lemon in half and using it in circular motions to clean either or is a great way to get them shiny and clean!
I just recently started using this hack and LOVE IT!
6. Use a ball of aluminum foil to clean dishes.
Glass baking dishes can be super stubborn when it comes to getting clean.
Using aluminum foil balled up and dish soap to scrub glass baking dishes is the best way to clean off the burnt or left over pieces of food on the dish.
This acts as a stronger wool scrubber BUT obviously, don't do this on something that scratches easily!
7. Clean makeup brushes with baby shampoo.
This is my ultimate hack that I had to share with you all (just in case you never heard of this).
Baby shampoo as brush cleaner is my favorite cleaning hack because I have purchased so many expensive brush cleaners and baby shampoo is cheap and has worked the best!
You can take dirty brushes and wet them, then take a dime size of baby shampoo in your palm, and move the brush in circular motions in the shampoo until makeup is off, then rinse leftover makeup.
8. Clean earbuds with a q- tip and rubbing alcohol.
Just the thought of this makes me want to gag but look, we all need earwax cleaned out of our headphones sometimes.
If you own air pods or ANY earbuds then this is a life saver.
All you need is a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol.
Take the Q-tip and dip it into the rubbing alcohol until most of it is dry (so it doesn't soak the earbud) then take it on your earbud and get any dirt or grime that may be on them!
9. Use toothpaste to clean rings.
I have been using this cleaning hack for awhile now but know not everyone knows about this!
You can clean your engagement rings or regular rings with toothpaste!
Take an old toothbrush and add a dime amount of toothpaste onto the brush and begin gently scrubbing the ring in circular motions and then rinse, once you rinse your ring should be shiny and new.
10. Use a dustpan to pick up small toys around the house.
If you are constantly picking up toys around your house the this idea is genius!
f you have kids who are always playing with legos or smaller toys then using a dustpan and broom to sweep up all the little pieces as opposed to hand picking each one up is such a time saver.
This is a hack moms can't live without for kids!
{RELATED POST: 15 Extremely Cute Dorm Decorations To Copy This Year}
11.Clean and deodorize your microwave with lemons and apple cidar.
Splattered food and unpleasant scents are common in microwaves.
By taking cut up lemons and apple cider vinegar in a bowl and cooking it for 2 minutes in the microwave it will help act as a natural deodorizer as well as can be used as a cleaning product to clean up spills.
This cleaning hack is a natural microwave cleaner.
12. Use socks on your Swiffer for easy dusting.
Okay, I will for sure be trying this hack out!!
Swiffer refill packs can cost up to $15 which is insane.
There is a household item that can work just as good for dusting and cleaning the floors which is old ( obviously clean) socks.
All you need to do is put a sock where the swiffer pad would go and clean away!
13. Wash shower curtain liners.
Shower curtain liners and shower curtains can hold so much mold, bacteria, etc so making sure you clean your shower liner and curtain at least once a week to every other week is crucial!
You can easily throw your fabric liner into the wash with bleach and detergent and it comes out good as new.
Washing your liner and curtain frequently helps your shower stay clean as well as reduce the amount of times you need to re purchase this item!
14. Use pre-sized parchment paper when cooking.
This will keep your kitchen clean and make your life easier.
It's a little more expensive than traditional parchment paper and definitely not a necessary thing, but it sure does make me happy when im whipping up a meal and can just grab one of these bad boys and not get a wonky size of parchment paper.
15. Brighten your laundry with baking soda.
There is nothing worse than one of your favorite shirts getting faded.
Using a cup of baking soda can help you reduce the amount of detergent you need as well as help brighten your laundry.
16. Put dish soap and water in a blender to easily clean it.
If you are an avid smoothie drinker than this hack is for you!
Blending dish soap and warm water in the blender will help clean up your blender and get any leftover stubborn stains.
I always have a hard time getting my blender 100% clean and this hack works great.
17. Keep your cleaning cabinet tidy with tension rods.
This is such a genius hack!
My cleaning cabinet always gets messy so taking a tension rod and "hanging" up the cleaning bottle by their spray top is genius!!!
This eliminates clutter and always more room for your other supplies to stay on the floor of the cabinet.
18. Clean your toilet with coke.
Who knew?!
Yes, you can use coke to clean toilet bowls! If you realize friends are coming over and are out of toilet cleaner then use coke from your home.
Coke is very acidic so it can actually clean a toilet bowl super well. The more ya know ;).
19. Use a lazy susan in your fridge.
Insert The Home Edit ;).
If you are tired of having a cluttered fridge you need this hack in your life! You can just take a lazy Susan and organize your sauces or fridge contents and it makes so much more room for other stuff!
20. Eliminate lint with a razor.
Lint is SO annoying and if you don't have a lint roller then a razor can get stubborn lint off of jeans or black pants.
21. Air out your mattress with baking soda.
When it comes to cleaning hacks I love the ones that will actually improve my life and this one for sure has!
This is so simple its insane....
You take baking soda and sprinkle it all over your bare mattress and let it sit for about 20 minutes and then take your vacuum and vacuum up the baking soda and it leaves your mattress super clean and fresh!
22. Use a squeegee to save your vacuum.
Try using a squeegee to collect that unwanted pet hair on your carpet before vacuuming because it will SAVE your vacuums life.
If you do not own a squeegee use rubber gloves to collect the pet hair on your carpets.
23. Avoid clutter as much as possible.
This is a no brainer but try to avoid clutter as much as possible and pickup smaller messes during the week so it doesn't turn into a larger more difficult to clean mess.
This hack is perfect for any busy guy or gal who is college student because I know how it feels to be low on time and have a messy room!
Avoiding letting messes pile up is key to anyone who is always busy and hates cleaning!!!
24. Collect broken glass with bread slices.
This is a hack I would have never thought of and honestly was shook when I saw this.
You basically take a piece of bread (I know genius) and pickup any broken glass with it and the glass adheres to the bread.
This is an item just about everyone has and can work much better than a broom!
25. Put air fresheners in vents.
This is another easy known hack that works so well!
Its self explanatory- you put yummy smelling air fresheners into your vents and there you go!
{RELATED POST: 68 Best College Care Package Ideas College Students Will Love}
26. Clean legos in a laundry bag.
If this isn't genius that I don't know what is...
My friend has kids and recently told me this hack- basically you take your kids legos and put them in a laundry bag and wash them as you would clothes and it cleans them!!
This is seriously perfect and is great because kids legos and blocks contain so much bacteria.
27. Remove shoe stains with nail polish remover.
For all you college students, this hack will save your shoes. White sneakers are so in but the downside to them is they stain so easily!
You take nail polish remover on a cotton round and remove the stains on your shoes with the nail polish remover and it is supposed to leave them bright and white!
28. Turn the hangers around so you can easily see what clothes you are wearing and what clothes need to be donated.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, get rid of items you haven't used in months.
When it comes to clothes I am always getting rid of them because I will buy items and not use them for months and the items just sit and clutter my closet.
This hack is obvious but get rid of items that you have not been using because it takes up space and makes your closet cluttered.
29. Use makeup remover wipes to clean your bathroom
This is a cleaning hack for your bathroom that I would never think of!
Basically we all take off our makeup with makeup remover wipes so on one side take off your makeup and use the other side to wipe off your sink so no build up mess can haunt you at the end of the week.
30. Use dryer sheets to clean baseboards.
I have personally used this hack for years and it ACTUALLY works!
You use dryer sheets which are anti static on baseboards and since they are anti static they will stay dust free for longer.
31. Clean stove top with hydrogen peroxide.
If you have a glass cooktop, this will help you get those pesky stains away.
Basically what you do is mix dawn dish soap and hydrogen peroxide and use a magic eraser to scrub the stove top to remove and gunk and grime!
32. Lint roller on lamp shades
Lint roller are not just good for lint on clothes but amazing for dust on lamp shades and a great way to easily clean off dust quick!
33. Use baskets to organize items
Baskets are a girl's best friend for easily hiding clutter.
34. Disinfect your sponges in your dishwasher.
Sponges carry so much bacteria so it is important to disinfect them before cleaning with them!
You can either throw them in the dishwasher or warm up water and lemon juice from a whole lemon in the microwave with the sponge in the solution!
This makes sure the sponge you are using in your home is actually cleaning and not spreading bacteria.
want ALL the free college printables?!
Receive all of my most popular College Printables for FREE! Simply click the button below and get all of these sent directly to your inbox.
