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14 House Cleaning Shortcuts That Even Monica Geller Would Approve Of

“I love spending my entire Saturday cleaning,” said no one ever. Which is why we rely on these genius tips and tricks to get our homes sparkling(ish) faster than you can belt out your best rendition of Smelly Cat. Because we’ve got better things to do (like re-watch the entire season three of Friends on Netflix). 

20 Cleaning Hacks That Will Change Your Life


woman loading dishwasher
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Freshen up your garbage disposal in five seconds
To nix any bad odors and keep blades sharp, simply toss a few lemon wedges and a couple of ice cubes into your garbage disposal, turn on the cold water and let it run. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Put baskets everywhere
Keep clutter at bay with a few strategically-placed (and stylish) baskets in every room of the house. (We like these ones.) Let this be where all the magazines, toys and other random household junk items end up. Out of sight, out of mind.

Load your machine strategically
Group all utensils together in the dishwasher by type (i.e., all the spoons together, then the knives and then the forks). Trust—it will make unloading the machine a total breeze.

woman cleaning her microwave with lemon
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Let the microwave clean itself
Fill a microwave-safe bowl with half a cup of water and the juice of one lemon. Microwave for three minutes and then let stand for five so that the steam can work its magic. Remove the bowl, and use a damp cloth or sponge to easily wipe away any stains or leftover food gunk.

Use tote bags to de-clutter
Have guests coming over in ten minutes? Walk around each room of your home with a couple of tote bags to collect all the random stuff off the floor, using a different bag for each room. Then bring each bag to its room and put everything away later.


a blender with pink smoothie
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Put it in the dishwasher
If you’re only using your dishwasher for crusty plates and dirty cups, then you’re really not taking full advantage of this glorious machine. Bath toys, plastic hairbrushes, Legos, contact cases, fridge shelves, pet dishes and non-wooden gardening tools can all benefit from a spin in the top rack.

The Best (Most Unexpected) Things to Put in Your Dishwasher


Keep extra bags in the trash
Psst...you’re using trash bags all wrong. To save yourself time and effort, stash extra bags in the bottom of the can. That way, the next time you fill a bag, you can simply lift it up out of the can, grab a fresh one from the bottom and you’re in business.

Let your blender clean itself
After using, rinse your blender with warm water. Then, fill it up halfway with more warm water and a few drops of washing up liquid. Blitz for ten seconds, empty and rinse. Good as new.

cleaning the shower quickly with a squegee
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Keep a squeegee in the shower
And give your walls a quick wipe down after every shower to prevent limescale buildup.

Line the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil
It will help to catch any food drips and is way easier to toss out and replace than scrubbing the oven.

Make your bed while you’re still in it
Yes, really.

ground coffee grounds in can
Twenty20

Keep fans dust-free
Use an old pillowcase and place over each fan blade, then slide it off, grabbing dust and dirt into the case (and not all over the floor).

Clean your nasty computer keyboard in no time
All you need is a Post-it.

Use coffee grounds to freshen up your fridge
Still getting a whiff of last week’s fish dinner? To get rid of bad odors (and keep things smelling nice and clean), fill a small bowl with coffee grounds and place it on a shelf. Replace every couple of months.



Alexia Dellner profile shot v2

Executive Editor

  • Lifestyle editor focusing primarily on family, wellness and travel
  • Has more than 10 years experience writing and editing
  • Studied journalism at the University of Westminster in London, UK