OK, this is it, folks. I’ve scoured the interwebz for all the cleaning hacks, tips, hints and otherwise to make cleaning easier. Here’s an A – Z guide on ALL things from removing pen from a couch to cleaning tacky makeup brush handles. We’ve got your back.
Extensive research HAS been done – signed, sealed, scoured, buffed and delivered right here, by product, in the list below. You will already have MANY of these products lurking in our cupboards and perhaps, up until now, you haven’t known just how handy they really are. So prepare to be amazed!
So without further ado, next time you have a cleaning disaster on your hands, refer to the list below. The solution might be right here all along. Bucket at the ready and drum roll please…
If only it were this easy. via GIPHY
A Complete A to Z Guide of Cleaning Hacks and Tips…
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Not just for fighting off bugs, Aerogard moonlights as a cleaning hack:
- Spray Aerogard on permanent marker on walls to help remove it.
- Spritz your furniture with Aerogard to prevent animals from using it as their own.
Aldi Mould Away spray is an absolute workhorse for mould in the bathroom. Plus, it’s cheap and cheerful!
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Baby oil for a shiny, streak-free finish on stainless steel appliances.
Baby wipes are a MUST in your cleaning arsenal:
- Clean marks from fabric couches.
- Clean dust from window fly screens and Venetian blinds/plantation shutters.
- Remove paint from floors – handy in any reno!
- Blot drink spills on carpet.
Bar Keepers Friend is also a fab multi-purpose gem:
- Makes cleaning shower glass effortless.
- Discover out-of-this-world shine on sink and taps.
- Clean induction and glass-top ceramic stovetops.
Bicarb soda added to a warm water soak to help remove burnt-on food from pots, pans and dishes.
Boiling water – pour boiling water straight from the kettle directly onto fresh berry-stained fabric and watch them disappear!
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Coke – Boil coke (we’re talking about coca-cola, ladies) in your kettle and leave it for 45 minutes to remove limescale. Rinse and enjoy a cuppa!
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Denture tablets are amazing on SO many things:
- Clean hard to reach water bottles and Thermos bottles. Let sit and dissolve then scrub with a bottle brush.
- Remove tea and coffee stains from cups. Handy if you like vintage op-shop finds!
- Drop a denture tablet in the toilet overnight to help remove scale and stains.
Dishwashing detergent is also awesome for so much more than dishes:
- Helps shift grease and oil on clothing. Rub it into the stain and then wash.
- Clean your shower screen/soap scum.
- Mix dishwashing detergent and vinegar diluted in a spray bottle for multi-purpose cleaning power. Try a 1L spray bottle with 100ml vinegar, 50ml detergent and fill up with water.
- Dishwasher tablets – Wrap oven racks in foil and place in the laundry tub with hot water and a dishwasher tablet. Leave overnight for a scrub-free clean.
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Eucalyptus oil is a fresh scented whiz at cleaning:
- Remove greasy, fatty stains on clothes. Dab on the stain then wash!
- Get sticky tar from freshly laid/melted roads off your car paint.
- Rub crayon marks off painted walls.
- Remove any tacky buildup from make-up brush handles.
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Fabric softener – Keep an (unopened) fabric softener sachet in the car under the driver’s seat to keep your car smelling fresh. Check out all these other home fragrance hacks!
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Gumption cleaner will literally remove just about ANY mark from a surface from pen on a table to hair dye on a bathroom bench. Be careful though, it is an abrasive so will dull a gloss surface. Do a spot test just to make sure!
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Hangers – Cut down the time spent on laundry by hanging it out on clothes hangers. When dry, just put clothes straight back in the wardrobe. Easy!
Hairspray – Removing pen from clothing, carpet or fabric couches. Soak the stain with hairspray, scrub with a suitable size brush and then wash.
Hairdryer – Use a hairdryer to blow out the dirt and bugs from window and door tracks and then vacuum up from the floor.
Get the hand sanitiser out of your handbag and onto a cleaning cloth with these hacks:
- Get permanent text off walls and floors!
- Remove hair dye from your skin, bathroom benches and basin.
- Remove stains on lino flooring. Pump, let it sit for a bit and then scrub.
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Ice to remove chewing gum. If you’ve sat in chewing gum, run an ice cube over it to harden it up and then chip it off the fabric.
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Jif sprinkled on your wet shower glass and then scrub it with a plastic bag over your hand (like a glove) is rumoured to be a winning cleaning hack!
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Kettle maintenance is a THING. Descale your kettle by filling with equal parts of vinegar and water. Let sit for an hour and then boiling it. Stand for 15 minutes then rinse.
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Lemon halves with salt act as an abrasive, all-natural cleaner!
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Magic Erasers – We’ve long sung their praises but just to refresh your memory:
- Clean shower glass.
- Clean tile grout.
- Revitalise discoloured white shoe soles.
Morning Fresh dishwashing detergent SPECIFICALLY is a powerhouse!
- Use Morning Fresh dishwashing detergent and vinegar combined for cleaning shower glass.
- Morning Fresh dishwashing detergent hack for tomato stained containers – Fill them halfway with warm soapy water, add a sheet of paper towel, shake and set aside overnight. Wash as per normal in the morning for a stain-free container. Works on water and baby bottles too!
Music – Crank your favourite tunes for an hour of power cleaning. Cleaning while singing your heart out makes it all the more fun.
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Napisan has multiple uses beyond stain removal!:
- Soak oven racks and oven trays in Napisan overnight for a sparkling result.
- Napisan for smelly plastic nappy buckets and potties. Fill with warm water and soak with Nappy San overnight.
- Soak your exhaust fan filters in really hot water and Napisan for a brilliant clean.
Newspaper – Use newspaper to clean windows for a lint-free finish.
Nuts – Use walnut or almond to help conceal scratches on wooden furniture or floors. Rub the nut over the scratch until it’s less obvious to the eye!
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Olive oil spray  – For stain prevention, spray your plastic containers with a spray oil before storing tomato-based leftovers – no more stained containers.
Orange oil – The ultimate sticky residue remover! VERY handy to have on hand at Christmas time when there are lots of price stickers to remove from gifts.
Oven cleaner spray or gel on burnt pots and pans – They come up a treat! Just remember to rinse thoroughly.
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Paper towel – Clean up wax melt spills on fabric or carpet by placing a paper towel over the top of the spill and gently pressing with an iron. (Don’t let the iron come in contact with the carpet though!)
Pillowcases to clean fans. Dusty fan blades are a pain – slip the pillowcase over the blade to collect the dust as you clean.
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Q-Tips. Ok, that’s a stretch since we call them cotton buds here, but still. Excellent for cleaning keyboards and other nooks and crannies.
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Rubber gloves or a rubber squeegee – Remove pet (and human) hair from furniture and rugs easily with a pair of rubber gloves or a rubber squeegee. Much more efficiently than a vacuum!
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Salt – Apply liberally on red wine spills on the carpet!
Selleys Mould Remover spray is a one-spray wonder for combatting shower mould.
Spray mop – Use a spray mop to clean your walls. Fill the water chamber with water and sugar soap and get to it!
Shaving cream is said to remove foundation from clothing. Amazing!
Stain remover spray – Can be used on tiles to remove scuff marks easily.
Stainless steel wipes are amazing for cleaning kitchen ornaments. They cut through grease in no time.
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Tea tree oil removes hair dye from bathroom surfaces.
Tomato Sauce is rumoured to be excellent for cleaning stainless steel, taps or silverware.
Toothpaste is pretty handy too! Remove pen stains from walls, hair dye from benches and clean jewellery.
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Under-couch lost remotes, toys and dust bunnies can be halted to a STOP! Wedge a pool noodle under the front and back of your couch to prevent losing items under there. (You can cover them with fabric if you must!).
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Vinegar, is a cleaning gem, right there in the pantry!
- Vinegar and hot water with a few drops of dishwashing detergent for a powerhouse window and glass cleaner.
- Vinegar to remove pen marks from micro-suede couches.
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WD-40 – Excellent at removing grease and oil from tradie clothing. Spray on and wash as per normal in the washing machine.
Windex – Prepare to be amazed!
- Windex is rumoured to be awesome at stain removal on carpets.
- Clean jewellery. Put rings in a small glass bowl, pour in enough Windex to cover and leave for a few hours. Rinse and dry.
- Clean your stainless steel fridge doors. No more fingerprints!
- Add a shine to your stone benchtops. Leaves them streak-free.
- Try it on splashback tiles. Clean them first with a grease-cutting cleaner and then polish them up with Windex.
Wine – A glass while cleaning makes chores much easier to do.
Whiteboard markers over top of permanent markers to get accidental marks off walls, etc.
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X-rated cleaning. Ok, this one is a stretch too. BUT if you clean the shower, while having an actual shower, you’ve got more time to do something else during the day. Multitasking, naked cleaning… it’s all the same.
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Yellowing plastic can be renewed. Try sitting curry stained plastics out in the sun for a start – sunlight is a powerful tool! For old plastic (air conditioners, light switches) these can be spray painted white for a whole new lease on life!
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Zest –Â Use citrus zest and peel to infuse vinegar in a spray bottle for a sweet-smelling – and completely natural – cleaning solution. Infuse for a fortnight before using. Sweet!
There you have it, ALL the cleaning hacks, tips and tricks you could possibly ever need. Do you have a cleaning hack or tip not here on this list? We’d love to hear it!
