People who hate cleaning, these 11 lazy-bones shortcuts are for you

Let’s admit it — nobody actually likes cleaning, right? We can’t change that universal truth for you. But there are a lot of cleaning hacks that will make the dreaded task relatively painless. So, even those of us who put cleaning the house on the very bottom of our to-do list can get the job done — sometimes without even realizing it!

1. Clean Your Windows With Lemons

In the past, we’ve talked about the benefits of drinking lemon water. And, it turns out that lemons and water are also great for cleaning. Use lemon juice to clean windows, or, as my grandma taught me, squirt some lemon juice on almost any surface in the house to clean it.

2. Dust Your Keyboard With A Blush Brush

Yes, some people use sprays for their keyboards, but if you’re not into aerosols, use a blush brush to dust. It works amazingly well. You can pick one up at a dollar store and all your dusty computer key issues will be solved.

3. “Mop” The Floor With Slippers

You know how certain socks make us slip and slide around on the floor? Well, with those socks, you may as well clean while you’re at it. Whether you buy some mop slippers or throw on a pair of your regular soft polyester socks, your floors will be sparkling in no time. You can wear your mopping socks with or without water. You can even enlist your kids to help out with sock mopping! Great way to trick them into cleaning, right? In any case, it’s mopping made easy!

4. Clean Your Showerhead While You Sleep!

Samara Lane, operations manager of April Lane’s Home Cleaning in Seattle, has a foolproof way to clean your showerhead—and you can do it while you sleep! “To get built-up residue off a showerhead, tie a baggie of vinegar around it and leave it to dissolve overnight,” she says. “In the morning, rinse the showerhead.”

5. Put Dirty Toys In The Dishwasher

Scrubbing kids’ toys one at a time by hand is pure drudgery. Clean toys much more by tossing them in the dishwasher! The dishwashing detergent and hot water can clean and sanitize some toys. Obviously, you’ll need to choose toys carefully for this. For example, don’t try this with toys that use batteries. But plastic action figures? Why not!

6. Polish Faucets With Wax Paper

One of our favorite cleaning hacks is using wax paper to clean your faucet. It will look shiny and new again. Brilliant, right?!

7. Enlist A Toothbrush To Clean Hard-To-Reach Spots

Yes, a toothbrush can not only cleans our teeth, but it can also work wonders on everything from sink grime to a stubborn counter stain to an unplugged toaster. So next time you clean, make sure you have an old toothbrush on hand.

8. Run The Blender With Soap And Water Inside

To clean your blender, just add a little soap to a blender full of hot water. Blend for 30 seconds, and voilà, you’ve got a clean blender!

9. Remove Pet Hair With Dryer Sheets

Let’s say you’re running late for work when the cat or dog suddenly jumps on you, giving you wanted affection, but also lots of unwanted pet hair on your (inevitably) black pants. If you don’t have a lint brush handy to remove pet hair, no problem — just grab a dryer sheet and run it over the fabric.

10. Dust With A Dryer Sheet

Yes, you can use a dryer sheet for dusting, too. Use a (preferably used and wet) dryer sheet to remove soap scum in the bathroom — talk about recycling!

11. “Brew” A Pot Of Vinegar Water

Cleaning your coffee maker has never been so easy. About once a month, add equal parts vinegar and water, along with a clean and empty coffee filter, and brew up a batch of vinegar water. Brew it halfway, and then turn off the machine and let it sit for 30 minutes. After that, finish brewing the rest and pour out the “vinegar coffee.” Then brew a pot of water with a new coffee filter, and your coffee maker should be as clean as new.