100 Tips And Tricks On Cleaning To Make It More Tolerable And Dare We Say -Enjoyable

Cleaning can feel overwhelming, whether you are tackling a small space or an entire home. But what if cleaning could be easier, faster, and even a little more enjoyable? We have compiled 100 practical tips and tricks to revolutionise the way you clean. These insights will help you streamline your routine, tackle stubborn messes, and maintain a sparkling home with minimal effort. Whether you are a cleaning novice or a seasoned pro, there’s something here for everyone. Let’s dive in and make cleaning less of a chore and more of a triumph! And try not to turn into Monica!

1. Make your bed each morning to instantly tidy your bedroom. Like Edd from Ed, Edd and Eddy cartoon. You do not need to iron it, though!

2. Wipe kitchen counters after each use to prevent grime buildup. We know you just made some sandwiches and left bread crumbs all over the place. We have been there.

3. Wash dishes immediately after meals to avoid pileups. Or at least place them correctly in your dishwasher to save time for a different task at hand.

4. Sweep high-traffic floors daily to reduce dirt accumulation. Our hallway is carpeted and gets all debris possible: dirt from outside, split nails from our cat’s scratching post, loose litter from the bathroom when cats spread it on their paws.

5. Place doormats at entrances to minimise tracked-in debris. This obviously depends on where you live. Doormat is a must if you enter your house straight from the outside. We live on the highest floor in a block of flats, and there is at least one mat at each flight of stairs and the staircase itself is fully carpeted - that is one, long doormat. By the time we are upstairs, it is like we used a shoe shiner service!

6. Return items to their designated spots after use. Again, a bit like Edd from the cartoon we mentioned before. You do not necessarily need to label where everything is but if you have kids, teaching them early to put away their toys will save you a lot of trouble in the future.

7. Use a squeegee on shower walls after each shower to prevent soap scum. Otherwise, limescale will show up and will decide to stay long-term. And it will not pay for rent.

8. Empty bins regularly to control odours and pests but mind that even bin bags are expensive nowadays.

9. Clean spills immediately to avoid stains or sticky residues. Sometimes even “immediately” is not fast enough!

10. Use (slightly wet) microfibre cloths to trap dust and hold onto it instead of spreading it. Old-school feather dusters just move stuff around. Take it this way: your microfibre cloth is a whole hoover. Your duster is just a sweeper. And you cannot really absorb the dirt without a dustpan, now can you?

11. Vacuum couches weekly to remove dust, allergens and your cute, cuddly cats’ shed coat. That is a nice alliteration.

12. Heat a bowl of water and vinegar for 5 minutes to loosen grime stuck inside your microwave. Better yet, buy a microwave cover plate to prevent splashes and avoid the need to clean the inside so often.

13. Soak oven racks in soapy water overnight for easy grease removal. You will not need to scrub them as much in the morning. It is not fun when nothing comes off when you try so hard.

14. Toss ice cubes and citrus peels into your sink’s macerator to freshen blades if you are in the US. Mind that garbage disposals are banned in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and are said to be banned in England in 2026.

15. Wash your bedsheets weekly in hot water to kill dust mites. All you have to do is to strip the linen and put it in your washing machine. It is not like you have to wash it by hand. If that technological advancement did not happen, today we would have way bigger problems than a couple of dust mites. Probably a plague or something.

16. Run vinegar through coffee makers or kettles to dissolve mineral deposits. You can also check what other commercial products we recommend when fighting limescale, if you are not sure if vinegar should ever enter your kettle.

17. Scrub tile grout with an old toothbrush and a baking soda water paste. We hate tile grout with a passion. Once you neglect cleaning it, it just gets exponentially worse. It is a bathroom equivalent of dust accumulating on blinds in your living room.

18. Steam-clean carpets annually for deep sanitation. We did not say these tricks will be easy or quick to perform and steaming your carpet will probably take some time but then you are done for another year!

19. Clean your windows with vinegar-water solution and a microfiber cloth for that streak-free finish. The issue is, not all microfiber cloths are the same. There is a chance you will go insane first, before you find that one type of cloth that can actually do the job. The type you want is either flat-weave or waffle-weave.

20. Remove clutter before deep cleaning to save time. Remember not to get stuck on every single photo, letter, note, document or file in your cluttered drawer. Stop reminiscing about how much lower your rent was just a year ago and get to cleaning!

21. Toothbrush is a very versatile tool. Apart from cleaning your teeth and that tile grout, you can also use one to clean faucets and tight spaces. Your bigger brush may not be able to fit into small spaces but you will still need a good reach and angle, even with a toothbrush.

22. Empty and change hoover bags or containers regularly. It is very easy to forget that hoovers do not have black holes inside them that suck up all the dirt infinitely and that they do in fact need maintenance.

23. Rotate your mattresses every 3–6 months for even wear. Flipping them may not be recommended if they were not designed to be slept on both sides. Opinions vary on this topic but your spine will tell you immediately what the answer is.

24. If you have a ceiling fan, slip the pillowcase over one of the blades to trap dust while wiping and gently pull as you wipe, trapping any dust or debris inside. Repeat with the other blades. Run a microfiber cloth along the edges to catch any remaining buildup if needed.

25. Donate unused clothing during seasonal closet reorganizations. In the UK you can usually do that in charity shops. If you do not want to have to interact with anyone, places like Poland have clothing donation bins, spread throughout neighborhoods, where you can drop your clothes off.

26. If you have a pantry or are rich enough in this economy to store more than two weeks worth of groceries at one time, go through your items and discard everything that expired. Tidy up half-empty boxes, make space for new items and keep them in order.

27. Move furniture to vacuum hidden dust and debris. High and/or tall beds with space underneath them big enough to make it a small storage room, quickly become ridden with dust. Sofas hide debris not only between the cushions but also underneath. Move your bedside table too, your cat's favorite toy that got lost is probably there, along with crumbs and cobwebs.

28. Launder or vacuum curtains seasonally. We suspect the last time you did this was probably never ago.

29. Avoid eating in bed, crumbs in your sheets are even worse than the ones you left on your kitchen counter when you made those sandwiches.

30. Clean air vents to improve indoor air quality. Hoover will probably be your best friend. You may want to wear a mask too.

31. Disinfect high-touch areas like light switches, doorknobs, toilet flush handles, and even your TV remote, your phone and house keys if applicable. If you do not feel like cleaning some of these things with alcohol wipes, just remember to wash your hands regularly. 

32. Test and replace batteries in your smoke detectors during spring cleaning. It is very important.

33. Clear garage clutter to create functional space. Do not give yourself a base for your hoarding tendencies to come out. Do not let it accumulate for 35 years because when your new neighbor decides that 1/100th of your garage sits on his side of the newly purchased land, you will have to part ways with your clutter immediately to shorten the length of your garage to abide by law. Just clear it.

34. Play upbeat tunes to make cleaning feel faster. Unless you get into it too much and start performing dance choreography when mopping or start tossing your cloths around like you are making a pizza. That may slow down your cleaning. But it may also make it super fun.

35. Set a 15-minute timer for focused, efficient tidying. You can do a lot in a short span of time, and you will be more willing to continue when you notice that.

36. Work with gravity, not against it. Top to bottom. Clean ceilings and cabinets first to avoid re-dusting lower surfaces. Dust an item, wipe the shelf underneath. Finish by sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping as needed. Protect your eyes when looking up while cleaning.

37. Hoover refrigerator coils annually to boost efficiency. Over time, dust and debris can accumulate on the condenser coils, causing them to work less efficiently and reducing the cooling capability of your refrigerator.

38. Machine-wash your plastic or vinyl shower liner in warm or cool water on a gentle cycle with high water levels. Be mindful to avoid hot water as that may damage your liner pretty quickly. It may be a good idea to throw in a towel together with your liner to work not only as a scrubber but also as a way to cushion the impact and prevent bigger damage to the liner when it is being tossed around in an otherwise empty machine. 

39. Keep supplies in a caddy for easy transport between rooms. You stay more focused this way. It also saves you time running around to grab your cleaning solutions every time. Enough time to spend it on dancing to the music you put on! You can also try a cleaning kit tool belt.

40. Keep plenty of tea towels and washcloths and rotate them out really frequently as they will harbour germs when damp. There is no worse feeling than that of a wet, dirty towel when you try to dry your hands. Yuck! Wash them on hot.

41. Line shelves with plastic wrap for spill containment. You can easily remove the shelves and clean them under warm, soapy water but usually your glass shelves have plastic parts that allow them to stay in place inside the fridge. Those plastic parts have creases and crevices that spills can reach and where crumbs can accumulate. Once that happens, it is almost impossible to clean them unless you separate plastic from the glass and probably break the adhesive that binds them. Fridge liners can help you prevent that.

42. Remove mineral buildup in your shower heads and faucets by soaking them in vinegar overnight. Wet a cloth, wrap it around your surface and secure with a rubber band if needed. If your taps have a very heavy limescale buildup on the spout where the water comes out, some suggest that a few light taps with a hammer will help get the bulk of it off before you go in with a descaling solution. Do it at your own risk.

43. Use lemon and baking soda to scrub sinks naturally. Baking soda coming in very handy once again! And this will not be the last time! However, if your sink is aluminum or natural stone like marble, baking soda is not reccomended.

44. Label pantry containers to track contents and expiry dates. More of a maintenance tip than a cleaning on but the sooner you sort this aspect out, the easier it will become for you to actually clean your pantry. Chalk and chalkboard stickers may help you re-label your items when you change containers, just wipe it off and name them again.

45. Your dryer sheets have multiple uses! Use them to dust electronics and repel future dust. The silicon coating on the dryer sheet will pick it up and help to reduce static. They acn also help you remove pet hair!

46. Crumple some aluminum to scrub baked-on pan residue. Aluminum Foil makes for a great scrubber for dirty casseroles, pots and pans. Use it along with hot water and your dishsoap or sprinkle 2 tablespoons of baking soda generously over the surface. No need to buy wire scrubbers that can hurt your hands if you are not careful.

47. You can polish your stainless steel with olive oil. Buff it for that sweet shine. Wash your item with dish soap and warm water, rinse to make sure there is no soapy residue. Dry with soft cloth. Pour a few drops of olive oil onto a dry towel. Apply evenly. Wipe from side to side until a visible sheen appears. Make the coating thin. Take the same cloth, apply pressure to the item in circular motion to work the oil into the grooves of the steel. Buff until the surface has become smoother in texture. It should not feel greasy to the touch when you are done.

48. Wipe mirrors with coffee filters for a streak-free finish. Weird use for something that takes part in making your coffee, right? If you read news while sipping on your morning dirty water, to wipe your windows you can even use a crumpled up newspaper when you are done reading. Or you know, blue rolls. They are lint-free.

49. Place coffee grounds loosely in an open container to absorb smells in your fridge or freezer. The odors that develop inside them when food spoils or appliances stop working can be difficult to remove. Coffee will help you out.

50. Run an empty cycle with vinegar in your dishwasher to deodorize it. It is a natural odor neutralizer. It will also help loosen all grime buildup nside your dishwasher. Keep in mind that prolonged use make cause issues with seals in your machine.

51. One way to clean a grimy iron is to turn it on and iron a piece of aluminium foil with some salt sprinkled on top. The salt will pull off the grime and remove it. Do not use steam.

52. Wear old socks on your hands to dust skirtings quickly. Or better yet - wear them on your feet and clean your baseboards without leaning or bending-over. Save your spine. Just mind the splinters.

53. Consistently remove pet hair from pillows and blankets as well as cat trees, frequently used by your cats, with a lint roller. We use a double-sided lint remover.

54. If you are cleaning office spaces or simply your desk, and you happen to eat at it too - remove the crumbs and oils from your keyboard by unplugging it (if you can), shaking it gently or spraying it in bursts with a can of compressed air and/or using a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol for crevices and spaces that the other two methods did not take care of. None of us want that Cheetle® between the keys. Yes, that is a trademarked name for that orange dust from your bag of Cheetos. Or Wotsits, I suppose.

55. Keep cleaning tools and solutions where they are used most. We also keep multiple cloth in various room for easy and quick wipe.

56. Soak your toothbrush holder in vinegar weekly to disinfect. It gets really yucky at the bottom very quickly. Make sure you do not store your toothbrushes with bristles down.

57. Shake small rugs outdoors on regular basis, for example weekly or monthly to dislodge deep dirt.  

58. There are various methods to remove pets hair from you furniture. One of them is to use rubber gloves to lift hair.

59. Many of us carry tote bags, ironically even with cleaning supplies in them, but when was the last time you washed them? Probably never? Most of these bags are machine washable! Check if it is 100% cotton, and use cold water so it does not shrink.

60. Mix olive oil and lemon juice to shine and polish wood furniture. Measure 1 cup of olive oil to 1/2 cup of lemon juice.

61. Clean the bottom of your blender as well as its blades by simply blending soapy water.

62. Wipe leaves with a damp cloth to keep plants healthy. Dust in the air can land and build up on your plant leaves and clog them up, particularly if plants have more delicate leaves.

63. Microwave damp sponges for 1–2 minutes to kill germs. You can also mix two tablespoons of white vinegar and a few drops of your favourite essential oil with water and blast it for five minutes.

64. Use a hairdryer to warm glue if you are having troubles with sticker residue.

65. Turns out ketchup is a good way to help dissolve tarnish on copper pots and cooking accessories. Apply a layer of ketchup to a copper pan or copper sink, and rub the condiment all over the surface. The tomatoes in ketchup contain an acid that helps remove tarnish. Rinse and dry.

66. Wipe walls with mild soap to remove smudges. Remove fingerprints or dust by using a damp microfiber sponge, gently wipe down. CIF cleaner and white magic sponges will help as well.

67. Window blinds are annoying to clean. Use the dusting brush attachment on your hoover, start from the top, clean left to right. Close the blinds in reverse and repeat on the opposite side. If your hoover has adjustable suction settings, it may be a good idea to lower it before you bend those finicky slats.

68. Store holiday decor in transparent containers for visibility. You will not have to remove and take everything out just to check. It will spare you making a mess. You are trying to avoid after all!

69. Rattles and teethers that your babies play with can be placed on the top rack of a dishwasher inside a dishwasher accessory basket and washed on regular cycles with other dishes. Just make sure they are solid, have no holes and have no batteries.

70. Get stains out of a cutting board by using cut side of a lemon on the board to eliminate food stains and odors. For enhanced cleaning, sprinkle salt or baking soda on it beforehand.

71. Clean grime around knobs with a toothpick. It should be able to get into those hard to reach crevices. Use an old toothbrush to wipe what you reached instead of sticking it back in with a cloth.

72. You can use your trusty lint roller again but this time to freshen up your kid's plushies. Keep your children's stuffed animals tidy by quickly going over them to remove hair and debris.

73. Toothpaste can effectively eliminate marker stains from wood, and it is great to know if you are a parent with carefree and creative children. Gently apply it with your fingertip, using a circular motion. Wipe it clean.

74. Clip cords to desk edges with binder clips. It makes it look neat and organized. There is also a smaller chance of you tripping, falling over and ripping your cords either off the wall or your devices. And it makes it easier for you to hoover around next time. You can also use bread clips to label you cables.

75. Just like dirty jewellery that you put on your skin, or just like a dirty smartphone screen touched by your hands makeup brushes that come in contact with your face, also need to be washed, cleaned and maintained. Some say they use baby shampoo to maintain softness but keep in mind that it can also weaken the bristles all together. 

76. If you are raising a child or two and they are into building blocks, place these blocks into a delicates bag, toss on the top rack of the dishwasher and run a load. It is very easy to forget that their toys need maintenance, disnifection and sanitizing too. Especially when you know they will eventually try to put everything in their mouths. Any plastic toy with no electrical components or air holes can be cleaned this way.

77. Clean odd shaped vases and glass containers with uncooked rice, water and washing up liquid. Cover twirl and shake until clean. Rice will act as a scrubber! Rinse and leave to air dry.

78. Remember to wash not only your gym clothes, your gym shoes but the bag you carry them in as well! It is easy to toss it in the corner and completely forget about it. Do it regularly.

79. Soak yout toilet brush in bleach water monthly for sanitation. There is nothing worse than a dirty toilet brush. Not even a dirty bottom of your toothbrush cup. And you will be silently judged by your guests if they notice. No doubt about it.

80. Some suggest using a pastry brush for dusting delicate surfaces like lampshades but why use a food utensil when you can re-purpose that same lint roller you are using to clean you pets hair. Lampshades are very good at attracting dust so use a standard lint roller to remove the particles with very little effort involved. Just make sure to use a fresh roll. Unless you want decorate your shades with more debris.

81. Store your cling film or plastic wrap in the fridge or freezer for some time to make unrolling it easier. It will stop clinging to itself for long enough for you to cut the desired length and room temperature will quickly bring it back to its normal state for you to wrap those veggies.

82. If you like collecting a lot of jewellery, you may want to refresh them from time to time and scrub gently with a soft toothbrush and soapy water if it does not damage the metal it is made of. These items, just like your smartphone, come in contact with your body daily. It is good to keep them disinfected,

83. Wash small items in a mesh bag to protect them while laundering! It is easier to take them out of the washing machine in one go at the end of the cycle too! And you are less likely to lose your socks!

84. Clean your dishwasher filter monthly to prevent clogs and odors. Your dishwasher usually has a mesh net that catches bits of food – which you will then need to remove yourself. Do not wait until everything breaks!

85. Frequently wipe down your fridge and check for any expired items, dried up spills, cracks in the glass shelves or pastic ridges that keep your shelving in place. Your food will thank you. And in turn, your stomach will too.

86. Remove scuffs from walls and floors effortlessly with white sponges called magic erasers. All they need is water to start working. Just keep in mind they are abrasive so they will strip any protective coating from your surfaces if you go overboard. There is a thin line between removing that marker stain on your wall and removing that marker stain, the paint AND the primer.

87. Take a few minutes before bed to put things right. Put away any dishes on the drain board. Fold up any blankets on the sofa, etc. It is nice to come down in the morning to a tidy house.

88. Use washable liners in your drawers to catch crumbs and spills. This will protect your surfaces from getting damaged and make them look more aesthetically pleasing but at the same time, if we cover all surfaces in liners (like fridge shelves mentionedto protect them from regular wear and tear, what is even the point of having these surfaces when we are scared to use them!? Your guests will not even know your drawer has a floral-patterned bottom!

89. Run a hot cycle with vinegar to clean the drum in your washing machine. You probably figured out by now that vinegar is like a magic liquid. Smelly sure, but boy is it effective!

90. Use boiling water for mopping. Hot water dries faster, and prevents streaks.

91. Slide sock-covered tongs over the slats of your blinds to dust them. Cleaning blinds is already pretty annoying as it is, and you will probably throw some dust around but it may be worth trying something new!

92. Soak your gas stove burners in a bowl filled with cola for easy scrubbing. After 30 minutes, you only need to clean the burners with a sponge and make sure to dry them. Stove burners are a real pain to keep clean! Just thinking about them being burned from all that cooking makes us not wanting to deal with it! You can subsitute cola for dish soap, or, you guessed it, vinegar.

93. Scrub your oven window with baking soda paste for clarity.  There is a chance you will need to unscrew some bits to get between the two glass panes alowing you to see inside.

94. Toothpicks and cotton buds can be really handy for getting into awkward nooks and crannies on kitchen appliances. Use them in addition to that old toothbrush that fits in small spaces but does not quite reach.

95. Keep a handheld hoover in busy areas for quick cleanups. They are very handy. Just make sure you buy one that does not break after a week of use. They tend to do that.

96. Consistently clean out the crumb tray in your toaster. It helps to always keep in flawless working order, unobstructed and without a build-up of burnt crust that you will inevitably try to remove with a knife while it is plugged in and live because you did not even notice. 

Many people are not aware that there even is a tray! Now rap this tip again and it will start to rhyme!

97. If the reusable lint remover we suggested earlier or a lint roller is not doing enough job, try a squeegee to lift hair from carpets or furniture. Mind that they may strip the fabric, depending on the squeegee type. Or cut out the middleman and squeegee the dog! (do not actually squeegee the dog)

98. Like a crumb tray in a toaster, lots of other appliances have similar compartments like fluff filters, lint traps and grease containers. Clean these regularly and your machines will be safer and both it and you will last longer. For example, clothes dryers generally overheat when the exhaust is blocked due to lint buildup. Then fires happen.

99. Whenever possible, hang your dry mops, your sweepers, your brushes and your brooms to maintain their bristle shape. How are you going to win the next Quidditch match, otherwise?

100. And the best trick of them all: pat yourself on the back. After the clean, reward yourself with your favorite thing like a chocolate bar, a fully-drawn bath or, you know, the fact that the rest of your day is free now. Pavlov-condition yourself into liking cleaning! You go girl!

If you are still here with us at the very end of this long list, we will bless you with the last two tips. First and the most important one of all: clean as you go. When you cook, wash dishes in the meantime. After you shower, wipe tiles while you are still there. As for the second tip, remember: Clean your cleaning supplies, wash your washing machine and dish... your dishwasher? Maybe do not badmouth it or it will stop working to spite you.

Happy cleaning!