10 Ways You’re Making Cleaning Harder Than It Needs To Be

Let’s be honest—cleaning is not everyone’s favorite activity. But it can be less terrible if you get the execution just right.

Yup. It turns out that it’s possible you’re making cleaning more difficult than necessary. So we gathered some of our favorite ways to simplify the cleaning process. We know. Cleaning can be an overwhelming job. But hopefully, with these tips, it won’t be any longer.

1. Use Olive Oil To Wipe Fingerprints Off Stainless Steel

Clean My Space suggests using a drop or two of olive oil to instantly clean stainless steel surfaces. Because none of us like to see our fancy, gleaming appliances covered in fingerprints.

2. Clean Your Microwave With Lemon Juice And Water

According to the Mother Nature Network, all you have to do is add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice to a cup of water (about ¾ full), heat it to the boiling point, and leave it in the microwave for about 10 minutes. Afterward, wipe with a cloth and you’re all set! Mmm. The lemony scent may make you want to bake afterwards—lemon cookie bars, anyone?

3. Don’t Wear Shoes In The House

If you’re like us, you’ve tried to enforce this no-shoes-in-the-house rule, but then you let it slide—time and time again. But, by doing so, you’re bringing a lot more dirt and germs into your house than you’d probably like. And more dirt equals more cleaning. So try to keep a bin or shoe rack by the door. Soon, you’ll be grateful for the time you’re saving by not sweeping and vacuuming as often.

4. Dust Or Mop Your Floor With These Dust Mop Slippers

It’s about time someone thought of these dust mop slippers, right? You can dust your floors with the slippers or wet them to mop. Cleaning floors has never been so easy!

5. Clean Your Coffee Maker With Vinegar

Is your coffee maker starting to look grimy, so much so that you hesitate to use it? We know. It takes a lot to turn down a fresh pot of coffee. Well, vinegar to the rescue! To clean your coffee maker with vinegar, just use a fresh coffee filter and brew the pot halfway, according to Good Housekeeping. Then, turn off the machine and let the concoction sit for a half-hour before brewing the rest of the pot. Afterward, brew a pot of plain water to flush out any remaining vinegar.

6. Clean Toys In The Dishwasher

Tired of constantly hand-cleaning your child’s sticky toys? Throw them in the dishwasher instead! “Plastic toys that don’t have batteries can be easily washed in the dishwasher with dish detergent and hot water,” Karen Sokal-Gutierrez, M.D., told Fisher-Price. “This cleans and sanitizes them.”

7. Clean Your Toilet With Borax

Cleaning the bathroom is probably the least fun of all the cleaning tasks. How Stuff Works has a great tip for cleaning the toilet. Add three cups of vinegar to it, then scrub with your toilet brush. (Hint: You can also add some vinegar to your toilet bowl each month!) You can also use Borax on any toilet stains and leave the powder on for 30 minutes. However, cut off the tank’s water supply first. Once you turn the water back on, just flush the toilet and the inside should look as good as new!

8. Soak Your Showerhead In Vinegar

Speaking of vinegar—this is probably the simplest cleaning tip on this whole list, since you can do it while you sleep! You’ll just need a few minutes to prep it, and then the vinegar will work its magic overnight. You can check out this YouTube video for a tutorial!

9. Use Dryer Sheets For Pet Hair—And To Dust

We all love our furry friends. What we probably don’t love so much is all the shedding they do… everywhere. But if you have dryer sheets handy, you can use them to wipe down every fur-ridden surface in your house, from your furniture to your clothes, and the pet hair will be gone in no time! Plus, dryer sheets are natural dusters! And they make for great air fresheners. Is there anything dryer sheets can’t do?

10. Use Dryer Sheets To Remove Soap Scum

Apparently, no. There is no limit to what dryer sheets can do. In addition to the above, you can also use them to remove soap scum. Hillbilly Housewife recommends using a slightly wet dryer sheet to do the job, and then rinsing with water afterwards.

Need even more cleaning motivation? Try blasting your favorite music—’80s anyone?—like a friend of mine does. Or make cleaning into a game with the kids, with prizes after each task. Point being, you may be making cleaning tougher than necessary, but it definitely doesn’t have to be.