33 Magic Household Cleaning Tips
Houzzers from around the world share their tips for transforming housework into child’s play
Pauline Warlet
January 1, 2016
This article is from our Most Popular stories file.
Household chores are a fact of life — no matter how we tackle them, there’s no getting around them. Sometimes we divide them up among family members and try to turn them into a game; at other times, we simply integrate them into our weekly routine. Either way, we’re eager to make them as easy as possible, and we want our tactics to be both cheap and effective.
Because 33 opinions are better than just one, we’ve asked the global Houzz community for household cleaning tips that will transform the novices among us into veritable pros. From herbs for deterring insects in Australia to green tea for banishing bad smells in Japan, these magic tips have one thing in common: They’ve been tested and approved by the best experts around — you!
Household chores are a fact of life — no matter how we tackle them, there’s no getting around them. Sometimes we divide them up among family members and try to turn them into a game; at other times, we simply integrate them into our weekly routine. Either way, we’re eager to make them as easy as possible, and we want our tactics to be both cheap and effective.
Because 33 opinions are better than just one, we’ve asked the global Houzz community for household cleaning tips that will transform the novices among us into veritable pros. From herbs for deterring insects in Australia to green tea for banishing bad smells in Japan, these magic tips have one thing in common: They’ve been tested and approved by the best experts around — you!
KITCHEN
Refresh Your Storage
1. Scatter a handful of bay leaves in the pantry to deter critters, such as flies and weevils, says Houzz Australia user georgi02.
2. If a plastic food container still has a food odor after washing, leave it outside overnight with the lid off, suggests American Houzzer decanio3. “By morning the odor will be gone.”
Keep Your Countertop Spotless
3. Houzz Russia user Liubov fiore advises covering the counter with parchment paper or aluminum foil while peeling fish or vegetables. “You just throw away the paper with the garbage — fast and easy.”
4. Putting out a saucer of cotton balls steeped in vinegar will quickly eliminate cooking smells, such as from cauliflower or cabbage, says Houzz Australia user islanine.
5. Pop over to your local dollar store and grab a magic sponge, says U.K. home stager Amanda Caley of Property Reviver Ltd. “They are excellent for removing all sorts of marks and you only need to add water — no chemicals.”
Refresh Your Storage
1. Scatter a handful of bay leaves in the pantry to deter critters, such as flies and weevils, says Houzz Australia user georgi02.
2. If a plastic food container still has a food odor after washing, leave it outside overnight with the lid off, suggests American Houzzer decanio3. “By morning the odor will be gone.”
Keep Your Countertop Spotless
3. Houzz Russia user Liubov fiore advises covering the counter with parchment paper or aluminum foil while peeling fish or vegetables. “You just throw away the paper with the garbage — fast and easy.”
4. Putting out a saucer of cotton balls steeped in vinegar will quickly eliminate cooking smells, such as from cauliflower or cabbage, says Houzz Australia user islanine.
5. Pop over to your local dollar store and grab a magic sponge, says U.K. home stager Amanda Caley of Property Reviver Ltd. “They are excellent for removing all sorts of marks and you only need to add water — no chemicals.”
Freshen Appliances and Silverware
6. Mix vinegar with detergent in the dishwasher to keep your dishes shining, says Houzz Italy user Marta Fincato.
7. Also proclaiming the power of vinegar is Houzz Italy user mikea62, who notes you can use this versatile ingredient to remove limescale from your kettle. Simply mix one part vinegar to one part water in the kettle, bring to a boil and let sit for about 15 minutes.
8. When it comes to keeping the fridge clean, Danish Houzzer Pernille Jensen says it’s a good idea to keep food away from the back wall, as bad smells can develop. “Food residues get attached to the ice [at the back of the fridge], which then melts and becomes moldy water.” Check your refrigerator once a week to avoid a big clean.
9. Here’s another easy and natural tip from Denmark from Rie Munthe-Rasmussen. “I sometimes use a lemon to dissolve the limescale that builds up on faucets or around the drain. Let the lemon or lemon juice sit for a while to allow it to penetrate.”
10. Want to know how to make your microwave spick-and-span? Try this nifty trick from Houzz France user Val Cats. “Take a damp cloth, make it into a ball and place it in the microwave. Heat the cloth for one minute until it gives off steam. This will loosen all the food debris stuck on the microwave’s internal walls, allowing you to remove it with a simple wipe of the very same cloth.”
11. “If you want to make your silverware sparkle like new again, take a container that’s big enough to hold all your cutlery, line it with aluminum foil, and fill the base of the container with salt. Now fill the container with water, place your cutlery in it, and stand back and admire the results,” says Houzz France user Yves Chasselin.
6. Mix vinegar with detergent in the dishwasher to keep your dishes shining, says Houzz Italy user Marta Fincato.
7. Also proclaiming the power of vinegar is Houzz Italy user mikea62, who notes you can use this versatile ingredient to remove limescale from your kettle. Simply mix one part vinegar to one part water in the kettle, bring to a boil and let sit for about 15 minutes.
8. When it comes to keeping the fridge clean, Danish Houzzer Pernille Jensen says it’s a good idea to keep food away from the back wall, as bad smells can develop. “Food residues get attached to the ice [at the back of the fridge], which then melts and becomes moldy water.” Check your refrigerator once a week to avoid a big clean.
9. Here’s another easy and natural tip from Denmark from Rie Munthe-Rasmussen. “I sometimes use a lemon to dissolve the limescale that builds up on faucets or around the drain. Let the lemon or lemon juice sit for a while to allow it to penetrate.”
10. Want to know how to make your microwave spick-and-span? Try this nifty trick from Houzz France user Val Cats. “Take a damp cloth, make it into a ball and place it in the microwave. Heat the cloth for one minute until it gives off steam. This will loosen all the food debris stuck on the microwave’s internal walls, allowing you to remove it with a simple wipe of the very same cloth.”
11. “If you want to make your silverware sparkle like new again, take a container that’s big enough to hold all your cutlery, line it with aluminum foil, and fill the base of the container with salt. Now fill the container with water, place your cutlery in it, and stand back and admire the results,” says Houzz France user Yves Chasselin.
LIVING ROOM
Make Windows and Other Surfaces Sparkle
12. For many Houzzers, natural solutions work best. Baking soda, vinegar, lemons, borax, and newspaper were among the things suggested for cleaning glass and windows. “We really don’t need chemical cleaners,” says U.K. Houzzer Laara Copley-Smith of Laara Copley-Smith Garden & Landscape Design.
13. For hard water spots on the outside of windows, U.K. Houzzer Jean says it takes only a couple of drops of toilet cleaner designed for lime and rust deposits: “On a wet rag (wear gloves) wipe on, let it sit for a few minutes, then rub lightly and rinse. Works great.”
Take Care of Textiles
14. Use lint rollers to remove dust from lampshades, says Houzz Spain user Maria BM.
15. Houzz France user veillet has this little trick for removing dog and cat hair: “Put the leg of a pair of pantyhose on a broom and it will pick up everything in its path. Then simply turn it inside out and throw it away — magic!”
Make Windows and Other Surfaces Sparkle
12. For many Houzzers, natural solutions work best. Baking soda, vinegar, lemons, borax, and newspaper were among the things suggested for cleaning glass and windows. “We really don’t need chemical cleaners,” says U.K. Houzzer Laara Copley-Smith of Laara Copley-Smith Garden & Landscape Design.
13. For hard water spots on the outside of windows, U.K. Houzzer Jean says it takes only a couple of drops of toilet cleaner designed for lime and rust deposits: “On a wet rag (wear gloves) wipe on, let it sit for a few minutes, then rub lightly and rinse. Works great.”
Take Care of Textiles
14. Use lint rollers to remove dust from lampshades, says Houzz Spain user Maria BM.
15. Houzz France user veillet has this little trick for removing dog and cat hair: “Put the leg of a pair of pantyhose on a broom and it will pick up everything in its path. Then simply turn it inside out and throw it away — magic!”
Clean Floors Quickly and Perfectly
16. “I love my vacuum cleaning robot! It works exactly as I imagined it would: It’s quiet, thorough and completely reliable. My little helper impressed me so much that I decided to buy a robotic lawn mower too,” says German Houzzer kirchmaier.
17. Houzz Italy user agnese guanella sprays vinegar diluted with water on the floor to keep ants and small insects at bay. “If you do it every two weeks, that’s sufficient. You can even use it if you have cats or other pets at home, since vinegar contains no harmful chemicals — the perfect solution!”
18. “To clean your floor tiles, mix 1 pound (about 450 grams) of oat bran with about 10 pints (5 liters) of water and let sit for roughly 25 minutes. Once the mixture is ready, use a sieve to strain the liquid, which you now use to clean your floor. Leave it on the floor for five minutes before rinsing it off with clean water. Works a treat,” says French Houzzer Germaine NGDEAN.
19. To clean and polish wood floors, make a small bag the size of your palm using a worn-out cotton cloth such as an old T-shirt. Fill the bag with rice bran and sew up the opening. Now moisten the bag a little and use it to clean and polish flooring, walls — in fact, anything made of wood, says Houzz Japan editor Atsuko Tamura.
16. “I love my vacuum cleaning robot! It works exactly as I imagined it would: It’s quiet, thorough and completely reliable. My little helper impressed me so much that I decided to buy a robotic lawn mower too,” says German Houzzer kirchmaier.
17. Houzz Italy user agnese guanella sprays vinegar diluted with water on the floor to keep ants and small insects at bay. “If you do it every two weeks, that’s sufficient. You can even use it if you have cats or other pets at home, since vinegar contains no harmful chemicals — the perfect solution!”
18. “To clean your floor tiles, mix 1 pound (about 450 grams) of oat bran with about 10 pints (5 liters) of water and let sit for roughly 25 minutes. Once the mixture is ready, use a sieve to strain the liquid, which you now use to clean your floor. Leave it on the floor for five minutes before rinsing it off with clean water. Works a treat,” says French Houzzer Germaine NGDEAN.
19. To clean and polish wood floors, make a small bag the size of your palm using a worn-out cotton cloth such as an old T-shirt. Fill the bag with rice bran and sew up the opening. Now moisten the bag a little and use it to clean and polish flooring, walls — in fact, anything made of wood, says Houzz Japan editor Atsuko Tamura.
BATHROOM
Showers
20. Try this tip from Danish Houzzer Dorthe Puccio, who uses a mixture of dishwashing liquid, vinegar and ammonia to remove soap scum, limescale and dirt from the shower. “It works every time and saves me a lot of money!” she says. “However, it should not be used on marble, as the vinegar breaks down the limestone surface!’’
21. “I don’t know if it’s unusual or a bit dangerous, but I use razor blades to remove the limescale around faucets and in the bath tub. It works very well,’’ says Houzz Denmark user Trine Nyborg.
22. Tatiana Medvedeva of Houzz Russia urges us not to throw away old toothbrushes. “They come in useful when cleaning difficult-to-reach places. For example, I use them to remove hairs from the bathtub and drain.”
23. A good tip, which also happens to be eco-friendly, is to use vinegar to remove limescale from a shower door. “I macerate orange peels with a liter (about a quart) of vinegar in an airtight bottle for a fortnight — this improves the smell (although the smell of vinegar disappears quickly). Then, as already recommended, I dry it either with an old newspaper, or, if the frame is made of white plastic, I use a cotton cloth,” says Ana Triay of Houzz Spain.
24. Keep a heavy-duty bathroom cleaner and soap scum remover such as Shower Power in the shower caddy and give the door a spray with it every couple of days as you get out of the shower, suggests Australian Houzzer Sian Sampey. “I haven’t scrubbed a shower in years and my shower doors are crystal-clear.”
25. Use vinegar and baking soda to clean shower doors, stainless steel, ceramics, porcelain and drains, says Australian Houzzer georgi02.
Showers
20. Try this tip from Danish Houzzer Dorthe Puccio, who uses a mixture of dishwashing liquid, vinegar and ammonia to remove soap scum, limescale and dirt from the shower. “It works every time and saves me a lot of money!” she says. “However, it should not be used on marble, as the vinegar breaks down the limestone surface!’’
21. “I don’t know if it’s unusual or a bit dangerous, but I use razor blades to remove the limescale around faucets and in the bath tub. It works very well,’’ says Houzz Denmark user Trine Nyborg.
22. Tatiana Medvedeva of Houzz Russia urges us not to throw away old toothbrushes. “They come in useful when cleaning difficult-to-reach places. For example, I use them to remove hairs from the bathtub and drain.”
23. A good tip, which also happens to be eco-friendly, is to use vinegar to remove limescale from a shower door. “I macerate orange peels with a liter (about a quart) of vinegar in an airtight bottle for a fortnight — this improves the smell (although the smell of vinegar disappears quickly). Then, as already recommended, I dry it either with an old newspaper, or, if the frame is made of white plastic, I use a cotton cloth,” says Ana Triay of Houzz Spain.
24. Keep a heavy-duty bathroom cleaner and soap scum remover such as Shower Power in the shower caddy and give the door a spray with it every couple of days as you get out of the shower, suggests Australian Houzzer Sian Sampey. “I haven’t scrubbed a shower in years and my shower doors are crystal-clear.”
25. Use vinegar and baking soda to clean shower doors, stainless steel, ceramics, porcelain and drains, says Australian Houzzer georgi02.
Towels
26. “Don’t use fabric softener with towels — it creates a coating and prevents them from absorbing water when you dry off your body. Use white vinegar instead,” recommends U.K. Houzzer saratogabrown.
Toilets
27. Houzz Italy user Serena Meneghetti pours one or two glasses of vinegar into the toilet to get the bowl sparkling.
26. “Don’t use fabric softener with towels — it creates a coating and prevents them from absorbing water when you dry off your body. Use white vinegar instead,” recommends U.K. Houzzer saratogabrown.
Toilets
27. Houzz Italy user Serena Meneghetti pours one or two glasses of vinegar into the toilet to get the bowl sparkling.
BEDROOM
Keep Your Sleep Zone Healthy
28. “When you’re sick, cut an onion in half and place it on the bedside table — it will absorb any harmful bacteria in the air,” suggests Houzz Australia user Jamie Bailey.
Keep Your Sleep Zone Healthy
28. “When you’re sick, cut an onion in half and place it on the bedside table — it will absorb any harmful bacteria in the air,” suggests Houzz Australia user Jamie Bailey.
Protect Your Closet From Odors and Humidity
29. “In old apartments, the smell of damp can sometimes be transmitted to clothes stored in closets. To solve this problem, simply use a piece of newspaper rolled up into a ball to absorb the humidity and a glass of warm white vinegar to get rid of the smell,” says Houzz France user Isabelle Blanc du Collet.
30. Houzz Australia user purplewombat swears by borax, which acts as a deodorizer for shoes. “I soak my sneakers in a bucket of water with a couple of tablespoons of borax, then rinse and hang them on the line to dry. They smell as good as new.”
31. To remove ink from clothes, spray them with hairspray, then wash them as you normally do, says Houzz U.K. user 163hrd.
32. To get rid of odors in closets and shoe cabinets, place some charcoal in a small piece of gauze and leave it inside the enclosure, says French Houzzer Germaine NGDEAN.
33. Use green tea as a deodorizer and dehumidifying agent. Wrap well-dried, used green tea leaves in a small piece of gauze, washi paper or a used stocking and put it in a shoe cabinet, says Kawakami Junko of Houzz Japan. “Make sure the tea leaves are completely dry, either by drying them in the sun or microwaving them for a couple of minutes.”
Tell us: What are your magic cleaning tips?
Browse more housekeeping stories
29. “In old apartments, the smell of damp can sometimes be transmitted to clothes stored in closets. To solve this problem, simply use a piece of newspaper rolled up into a ball to absorb the humidity and a glass of warm white vinegar to get rid of the smell,” says Houzz France user Isabelle Blanc du Collet.
30. Houzz Australia user purplewombat swears by borax, which acts as a deodorizer for shoes. “I soak my sneakers in a bucket of water with a couple of tablespoons of borax, then rinse and hang them on the line to dry. They smell as good as new.”
31. To remove ink from clothes, spray them with hairspray, then wash them as you normally do, says Houzz U.K. user 163hrd.
32. To get rid of odors in closets and shoe cabinets, place some charcoal in a small piece of gauze and leave it inside the enclosure, says French Houzzer Germaine NGDEAN.
33. Use green tea as a deodorizer and dehumidifying agent. Wrap well-dried, used green tea leaves in a small piece of gauze, washi paper or a used stocking and put it in a shoe cabinet, says Kawakami Junko of Houzz Japan. “Make sure the tea leaves are completely dry, either by drying them in the sun or microwaving them for a couple of minutes.”
Tell us: What are your magic cleaning tips?
Browse more housekeeping stories
We specialize in custom cabinetry, but we also do interior trim & millwork. The quality of our work, the look of... Read More
What are you working on?
Related Products
Related Stories
Housekeeping
How to Clean Your Windows and Keep Them Streak-Free
Try these tips, tricks and tools to wash your windows so they’re crystal clear
Full Story
Housekeeping
Choose Your Own Spring Cleaning Plan
Instead of trying to do it all, pick one of these six cleaning approaches that’s right for you now
Full Story
Bathroom Workbook
How to Remodel a Bathroom
Create a vision, make a budget, choose your style and materials, hire the right pros and get the project done
Full Story
Monthly Home Checklists
To-Dos: Your April Home Checklist
Kick spring cleaning into high gear, and troubleshoot cooling and irrigation systems for the warmer months ahead
Full Story
Trending Now
The 10 Most Popular Kitchens So Far in 2024
Get inspired by the warm neutral palettes, ample storage and inviting islands in these most-saved new photos on Houzz
Full Story
Kitchen Backsplashes
Where to Start and Stop Your Backsplash
By tidgboutique
Consider these designer tricks to work around cabinets, windows and other features for a finished look in your kitchen
Full Story
Kitchen Workbook
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Follow these start-to-finish steps to achieve a successful kitchen remodel
Full Story
Decluttering
10 Decluttering Projects You Can Do in 15 Minutes or Less
Try these ideas to get organized at home one small step at a time
Full Story
Decorating Guides
7 Major Decorating Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
By tidgboutique
Gain confidence to start your interior design project with this advice from a professional designer
Full Story
Working With Pros
6 Reasons to Hire a Home Design Professional
Doing a construction project without an architect, a designer or a design-build pro can be a missed opportunity
Full Story
To remove scale anywhere, I use bartenders keep. I buy the powder in a can version.
Works very well on toilet bowls too:
Helpful tips. I will use some of them next time. Thanks. But I think that when it comes to the carpet cleaning it's better to leave this task to the professionals. I usually call Carpet Repairs service . Steam cleaning is recommended by Wools of NZ as the preferred system for carpet cleaning. Also if the damage is too extensive or the carpet has reached the end of its life their assessor provides a measure and quote to find an affordable replacement. So such service will save your time and energy.
#20. Don't mix vinegar and Ammonia as they give off poisonous gases. https://canyoumix.com/can-you-mix-vinegar-and-ammonia/