Here's How To Correctly Clean 56 Important Things In Your Home

Mar 28, 2024

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*saves because the oven and the bathtub are both disgusting*

BuzzFeed Staff

No elbow grease required. You can also add lemons for a ~fresh scent~, but they're totally optional. (I promise this works — that's my microwave pictured above, and I've done it dozens of times since.)

Good Housekeeping found this actually works; try to do it at least once a week, if not every three days or so. Then replace it every couple of weeks, and try to keep it away from raw meat. If you heard a few years ago that microwaving doesn't help, well — all those news reports were inaccurate.

(It's also essentially equally effective to run your sponge through the dishwasher, on the top rack, with the heat-dry setting, if you prefer to do that instead.)

That'll help prolong its life between cleanings! The sponge holder is $11.99 on Amazon.

And rinse it out with hot water when you're done.

On The Kitchn, they do this about once a month. A pack of 24 microfiber cleaning cloths is $13.99 on Amazon.

This is Barkeeper's Friend, but already in a paste form (versus the powder form you can make into a paste yourself). You can get a pack of two bottles on Amazon for $16.99 or one bottle from another listing for $7.

(You can also try baking soda + hydrogen peroxide, but that might take a little more elbow grease.)

From Family Handyman.

This gets rid of any odor, although it won't unclog your garbage disposal — for that, you'll have to call a plumber. This is a product one of our readers recommends (see the review below), and it's available on Amazon, $9.99 for eight uses in a lemon scent.

Promising review: "Holy cow I didn't realize how easy and quick it was to clean a garbage disposal. I stumbled across this through a BuzzFeed article. Very simple instructions, literally takes five minutes and some hot water and VOILA! You have a clean, no-longer-stinky garbage disposal. Anytime I got a whiff of an odor, all I did was drop one of those packs in the disposal and the smell was GONE! Plus the blue foam bubbling through the sink was amusing to watch." —VadersGirl

Just put a little bit of oil on a paper towel, and wipe; it'll come off like a charm! If you don't like the oily residue, just use water and dish soap to clean that right up. (You can also use olive oil for this, but if you do, definitely wash it off; otherwise it might go rancid and smell bad.) From One Good Thing By Jillee.

The Amazon reviewer pictured just added a few drops of water to make a paste the consistency of glue, then scrubbed it onto each dirty burner, let it sit for a few minutes, and wiped it up. If you need a can of the cleanser, you can get a pack of two on Amazon for $9.67. (The benefit of this over the premixed stuff? You get to decide what consistency you want the paste to be. But both are good choices!)

You simply seal them up in a plastic bag and let it do its work — just don't mix ammonia with any other cleaner, and do read the tutorials from Fabulessly Frugal and The V Spot before you try this at home. You can get a bottle of ammonia on Amazon for $10.90.

Then simply wipe clean. From My Thirty Spot. Need a dish brush? Pick one up on Amazon for $7.95.

The razor scraper's key here, because it's the best way to tackle the few spots that will inevitably remain after your initial scrub with the cleanser (which is also included in most kits like these). Don't be afraid to put some elbow grease into it! The kit that produced these gorgeous before and after photos is available on Amazon for $18.98.

You'll still have to use a *little* bit of elbow grease, but really the dish soap's gonna do most of the work for you. From Ask Anna Moseley and BuzzFeed Nifty.

This version's fume-free and, although it's from a now sold-out old listing, recommended by our readers (see the review below). You can get a can on Amazon for $4.97.

Promising review: "My oven was in bad shape. I tried this after seeing it in a BuzzFeed article and it actually worked! Let it sit for about four hours and the nastiness wipes off effortlessly." —Natalie C

From Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry.

I first heard about this from blogger Two Twenty One, who uses CLR (aka Calcium, Lime, Rust). A 28-ounce bottle is $5.99 on Amazon ($0.21/ounce), or you can get a one-gallon jug (128 ounces) for $22.88 ($0.18/ounce).

You'll still want to give them a good wash with soap and water after every time you use them (never let it soak, that'll harm the wood), but this is good for a ~deep clean~ and conditioning. A bottle of cutting board oil is $13.18 on Amazon.

There are a couple of dishwasher cleaners out there. You can get a three-pack of the disinfectant used in the photos above from Amazon for $8.98.

Read more about the differences between use-by, best-buy, and sell-by dates on Women's Health.

You can also use soapy water to wipe out the inside, doors, and seals on your refrigerator and freezer; just make sure to rinse well. If you have glass shelves, let them come to room temperature before you hit them with the hot water — if you don't, they could crack or shatter. The full tutorial's on Martha Stewart.

You can hang it on the included hook or just set it on your shelf; it's $8.85 on Amazon.

This is what I do for my stainless, and it works like a charm; just clean off any big pieces of gunk with soap and water or an all-purpose cleaner, first. From The DIY Girl. Three cans of Pledge are $16.14 ($5.38 each) on Amazon.

They also work well to break up the buildup left on the inside of reusable to-go coffee mugs. A pack of 12 tablets is $8 on Amazon.

It'll also remove any rust stains from color-safe fabrics, among many other surfaces. (Some reviewers use it with a Magic Eraser, for extra oomph). Two bottles are $16.01 ($8 each) or three bottles are $18.98 ($6.32 each) on Amazon.

Whether it's calcium, lime, rust, or some impossible combination, the pumice stone can take care of it. A pack of two is $7.99 on Amazon.

Swish once or twice, let it fizz for about five minutes, then scrub for a minute or so with a toilet brush.

These are both made and sold by Happy Earth Boutique a New Jersey–based small business that carries cleaning products and bath products that just smell really darn good. You can get a pack of 15 on Etsy for $12.99 (also available in lemon or lemongrass).

If your regular toilet brush doesn't get up under there, use a dish brush you keep just for that purpose. Soaking your jets in vinegar involves draining your tank and sealing them with duct tape; get the tutorial on Lil Luna.

I've known about the toilet seat tip for ages (h/t Ask Anna Moseley, who has a full tutorial on this) and finally tried it myself, as you can see in the pictures above. I wasn't able to persuade the screws all the way off, but I got them loose enough that my trusty all purpose cleaner and I could quickly banish the disgusting gunk that had gathered underneath the spot where the toilet seat screws into the toilet.

Basically it cleans just a little every time your toilet gets flushed. I used this all the time in college and it really does help prevent mildew and toilet rings. Once there's only a teensy bit of the gel left, you can use that to scrub things down, then add another dab. (Although if you have particularly hard or rusty water, you might need something stronger, like these drop-in tabs). A pack that will last up to ten weeks is $3.99 on Amazon.

Leave it anywhere from a couple hours to overnight, then remove and voila!

To get the bubbles, add in a dash of baking soda; I've had it work well both with the combo and with just plain vinegar. Some people swear the bubbling reaction loosens the particles more quickly. Others note that, once the reaction's over and the bubbles stop, the vinegar will just be water with a bit of salt; but you do you.

From They Are Crafty, who used (can you guess?) Barkeeper's Friend, aka BKF. A bottle is $7 on Amazon.

This is another good tip Ask Anna Moseley (who pairs the cleanser with scouring pads, like these, $2.72 on Amazon) swears by, along with several Amazon reviewers.

Any version of BKF should work just fine, but some people swear the glass cooktop version does this particular task better; get two bottles on Amazon for $12.45 ($6.23 each), or one two for $7.50.

You do have to let it sit for four to five hours (or even overnight), but the results, at least according to reviewers, are worth it. This is another item that's recommended by our readers (see the review below). You can get a bottle on Amazon for $13.99, or two for $26.99.

Promising review: "After living in my place for a few years, my shower was super gross. I tried to use elbow grease and disinfecting wipes but failed. Then I discovered this product through BuzzFeed. Holy moly, am I glad I tried it. I left it on for 4–5 hours, per the instructions, and every place this gel touched, the mold/mildew disappeared." —Gracielou Freebush

(You can also use cotton coil and bleach to the same effect — here's a tutorial — but I've done this and, while effective, it's very fume-y.)

And wash your shower curtain itself, separately and according to the directions on the tag. While you're at it, throw in your bath mats, and change out your towels. Freshen everything! Bitz 'n' Giggles has the step-by-step for washing a shower curtain liner.

Practically Functional also vacuums the fan itself before replacing the cover.

Yep, it works in the bathroom, too. From Cute As A Fox.

You just insert it down your drain, twist it a few times via the handle, let the grabby micro-hooks on the tip (similar to Velcro) do their work on the stuck, clogging hair and debris. Then pull it up, and your sink will drain like it's new! Get one with five included refills on Amazon for $19.99; or opt for a reusable version (you just have to be willing to clean the gunk off) for $8.99.

I use and LOVE this brush, have had it for over four years now, and it's absolutely the easiest and fastest way to clean grout (maybe besides bleach, which I don't like to use). You literally see the dirt come up and the grout lighten with just 30 seconds of use. They make a specialty grout head you can buy for it, but TBH the default brush works just as well, unless you have incredibly narrow grout lines. (Some reviewers like to use it with a grout and tile cleaner, but I just use some Castile soap diluted with water. I haven't tested to see if one is faster than the other!)

You can read my full Rubbermaid Reveal Power Scrubber Review for more, and it's on Amazon for $17.38.

Adventures of a DIY Mom tested a bunch of different solutions, and this one — tile seven — clearly made the most difference. A two-pound bag of Borax is $10.99 on Amazon.

She used an old toothbrush which totally works, but for something like this I'd reach for a bigger scrub brush to cover more area with less scrubbing effort, like this handled one, $9.89 on Amazon.

You can make your own spray cleaner by mixing one part dish soap with one part warm vinegar (full directions from Goodful); or mix an all-purpose cleaner from a concentrate like Simple Green ($10.98 for one gallon) or Mrs. Meyers ($8.99 for 32 ounces), both on Amazon.

And yes, you can substitute a glass cleaner for your mirror, if you prefer!

From One Crazy House. You could even clean all of your floor and ceiling vent covers at once.

Basically, you use a saturated mop to get your floors wet, then squeeze out your mop, use it to soak up the dirty water (in no more than three swoops at a time), and squeeze that dirty water back into your bucket. The Creek Line House has the full how-to. A similar microfiber easy-wring mop (that includes three refill washable mop heads) is $36.34 on Amazon.

In my experience it might take a couple of rounds for your carpet to look brand spankin' new, but it's worth it because this particular spray doesn't bleach out the fibers, doesn't need to be vacuumed up or rinsed, and doesn't attract new dirt to the area after you're done. It works well on all kinds of stains, like grease and oil, wine, coffee, rust, food, makeup, and dirt. I personally keep it around for the inevitable melted chocolate chip that I discover on the couch every six months or so. And can of course it doubles as a laundry stain remover. A 32-ounce bottle is $6.65 on Amazon.

For more about why I love it, read my Folex Stain-Remover Review!

You'll capture all the dust inside the case, so you can go dump it outside or in the trash. And then wash the case, of course. I've done this too; it totally works! From Homemaker Chic.

From One Crazy House. A pack of 24 microfiber cleaning cloths is $13.99 on Amazon.

It comes with two duster options that you can either use with a handle or the extending pole (which starts at 29 inches and telescopes up to 49 inches). Get it on Amazon for $18.67.

This won't remove any stains, but it will help absorb any lingering odors. Get the how-to from One Good Thing By Jillee.

You only need to do it every few months, but it makes a difference! Get the how-to from The Happier Homemaker.

It works for both top and front loaders, and is yet another product recommended by thousands of reviewers. Six tablets are $11.98 on Amazon.

(Note that if you have a front loader with mold problems, this may help some but probably won't completely fix it. I think the best solution for that problem is prevention: every time you're done with the washing for the day, dry off as many nooks and crannies as you can reach with a towel, and make sure to leave the door open. And yes, that includes that lip under the rubber seal, and I'd even pulls out the detergent drawer all the way to dry that and the area where it sits.)

Two lint brushes are $8.45 on Amazon, and can also be used to clean your refrigerator coils so it works more efficiently (check your fridge's manual to see if that's something you need to do).

The carpet washer that pulled off this before and after — and has over seven thousand five-star ratings — is $181.15 on Amazon. And a jug of stain remover is $19.97. Because you're wondering: it's a coffee stain.

You can also try to bleach them out using hydrogen peroxide; that may not remove more than the surface stains, though. Get a how-to here.

Just spritz once or twice, squeegee, and watch it clump up. From CareaBearaSara. A similar squeegee is $10.99 on Amazon.

I've witnessed one of these in action at a family gathering and y'all, it's so quick and really does pick up like, all the hair. My sister also uses one and swears by it for picking up the small mountains of hair her pet bunnies leave lying around.* You open up the back to empty the hair out when you're done, and it's ready to reuse. It's $24.95 on Amazon.

*These days she's upgraded to an even faster handheld pet hair vacuum she uses on her couch and car, $79.39, if you want to splurge a little.

Of course you could use your hand-held squeegee for this too, but this telescoping broom could make it easier on your back. Reviewers recommend using short, quick, rake-like strokes for the best effect. It's also handy for cleaning big windows and pushing snow off of cars in one swoop. It's $16.99 on Amazon.