55 Best Cleaning Tips for Every Room in Your Home
Our professionals share their expert solutions, from basics for beginners to DIY deep-cleans.
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There are all kinds of methods and hacks for cleaning just about everything — some of them more effective than others. There are golden rules, 15-minute and 20-minute rules and various stage cleaning methods, which instruct you to follow two, three or up to five steps to help ensure that your home is spotless at all times. But, at the end of the day, most people are just looking for the best cleaning tips to help them clean faster, more effectively and less frequently. Luckily, we know how to separate fact from fiction when it comes to cleaning so you can actually get your home sparkling with minimal effort.
Even though spring is usually known as the time for deep-cleaning, there's no reason you can't get a head start on your list of spring cleaning chores right now (with the exception of maybe waiting for some warm weather to clean up the yard). You might even be able to make spring cleaning a much smaller event in your home if you tackle a few things ahead of time. Grab your gear and check out these tips from our experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab. Before you know it, you'll have every task on your checklist done.
Vacuum your dryer vent
Once a year, pull your dryer away from the wall and disconnect the vent. Using the hose of your vacuum cleaner, reach into the vent as far as you possibly can and vacuum.
RELATED: How to Clean Your Washing Machine
Deep-clean your mattress
Your bed needs a proper cleaning every few months to get rid of dust and dead skin cells, sweat and oils from your body. Remove and wash your sheets as usual. To clean your mattress, use a garment steamer and go over the top, sides and box spring thoroughly to kill any dust mites that may be hiding near the surface. Then use your vacuum's upholstery tool and go over your mattress again. (This will remove the dust mites steaming has killed.) Remove any stains with a carpet and upholstery cleaner without over-wetting the mattress.
Update your gutters
It's best to call in a professional when it's time to clean your gutters, but you can avoid having to make that call too often by having gutter covers installed that allow water to flow into the gutters while keeping leaves and other large debris out.
Remove stains from car seats
It may be hard (or downright impossible if you have kids), but implementing a no-eating-in-the-car rule is the best way to keep car seats free of stains. To remove stains from fabric seats, use a liquid carpet cleaner or portable carpet cleaning machine. Leather seats should only be cleaned with leather cleaner. Don't forget a leather protector afterward!
RELATED: How to Clean Your Car Seats
Vacuum your window blinds
The best way to keep your window blinds clean and looking like new is to remove dust from them weekly. Using the dusting brush attachment on your vacuum, remove the dust from your blinds starting from the top slat, from left to right. Close the blinds in reverse and repeat on the opposite side.
Keep windows sparkling year-round
To clean your windows, wait for a cool, cloudy day and spray a glass cleaner onto the glass, wiping it with a clean microfiber cloth to avoid streaking. Avoid a common window-cleaning mistake by brushing or vacuuming dust from the window frame before wetting the surface.
Restore your dishwasher
Over time, excess food and grime will build up in your dishwasher's interior. Get in the habit of cleaning any remaining bits of foods — beans, pasta and so on — after each dishwashing cycle. Pull out the bottom rack to look for leftover food, and remove it with a paper towel to prevent future odors. Remove food bits from inside the filter too.
RELATED: How to Clean a Dishwasher
Clean and disinfect your toilet
Did you know you have to clean your toilet before disinfecting it?Apply a toilet bowl cleaner and let it sit for up to five minutes before scrubbing it with a stiff-bristled toilet brush. Wipe down the toilet seat and handle with disinfectant wipes, or use your favorite bathroom cleaner spray. Wipe away any grime, then apply a second layer of disinfectant cleaner and allow it to air-dry.
Freshen your shower curtain
To banish moldy spots, throw your plastic or vinyl curtain in the washing machine with a little detergent and bleach (if the curtain is white or clear) and add two or three old white towels for extra cleaning agitation. Then either hang the curtain to dry or put it in the dryer on low heat for three to four minutes or on air fluff only. To keep it fresher longer, stretch the curtain out after each shower to help moisture dissipate.
Revive cloudy glasses
Remove built-up film from hard-water minerals by soaking stemware in white vinegar for five minutes. Then rinse by hand and dry with a microfiber cloth.
RELATED: How to Clean Cloudy Glasses and Prevent Future Build-up
Descale your coffee maker
Fill your coffee maker's reservoir with a mixture that's half vinegar, half water. Let the solution brew until the reservoir is empty. Allow the coffee maker to sit for 30 minutes, then refill the reservoir with just water and brew a pot of clean water to rinse.
RELATED: How to Clean a Keurig
Sanitize your phone
Chances are your cell phone is harboring more germs than your bathroom surfaces. Zap cell phone germs with an alcohol, Lysol or Clorox wipe, and give your TV remote and computer mouse the same treatment while you're at it. Make sure your gadget stays wet for about five minutes (which allows time for the disinfectant to work), wipe away any excess moisture with a microfiber cloth. Repeat at least twice a week.
Clean out candleholders
Save a pretty container when the candle's spent by rinsing it with steaming hot water and using a paper towel to scoop out the wax residue inside.
Reseason rusty cast iron
Over-scrubbing cast iron with metal scouring pads can remove the seasoning from your trusty skillet. To restore the finish, use a scrub sponge to remove any rust, clean with a bit of mild dish soap, then rinse and dry well. Coat the inside and outside with vegetable oil and bake upside down in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour. Let cool and remove excess grease with a paper towel.
RELATED: How to Clean a Cast-Iron Skillet
Rethink the linen closet
Tackle an overflowing storage spot by adding an over-the-door rack for extra towels. Shelf dividers stop folded washcloths from toppling over, and baskets corral surplus toilet paper and cleaning supplies.
Restore your shower pressure
Unclog your showerhead by mixing equal parts white vinegar and water and pouring it into a plastic bag. Tie the bag around the showerhead to immerse the holes in the solution, and secure it with a twist tie. Let the showerhead soak for up to an hour, then remove the bag and wipe away the loosened deposits. Flush by turning on hot water to clear the openings.
Caution: To keep from damaging decorative showerhead finishes, opt to dip a brush into a vinegar-and-water mix and scrub the showerhead nozzles instead.
Zap oven spills
If you don't own a self-cleaning oven, try Easy-Off Professional Fume Free Max Oven Cleaner to effectively remove any gunk. Caught empty-handed? Sprinkle table salt to absorb fresh spills and wipe it up with a damp sponge or cloth once the oven is cool.
RELATED: How to Clean an Oven
Make sneakers bright again
Restore your white tennis shoes to their just-out-of-the-box state by cleaning them with a mild soap and water. Dip a sponge or brush into the soapy water and gently scrub to remove scuffs and stains. Rinse clean with a damp cloth, then clean the rubber soles and sides with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
Freshen feather pillows
The best way to keep pillows in their original shape is to follow the manufacturer's instructions for washing. Most feather pillows can be washed and dried in the machine. Load two pillows at a time for balance, and use only a small amount of detergent. Wash them on a delicate cycle with an extra rinse, then tumble dry on low with several wool dryer balls to poof them back up.
RELATED: How to Wash Pillows in the Washing Machine and by Hand
Lift the worst wine stains
To save your carpet, start by blotting up as much wine as possible. (You can even stand on absorbent cloths if necessary.) Then saturate the stain with Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover and let it sit for up to five minutes before blotting again until the stain is completely gone. Rinse and blot dry.
RELATED: How to Remove Red Wine Stains From Clothes, Carpets and More
Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl.
Amanda Garrity is a lifestyle writer and editor with over seven years of experience, including five years on staff at Good Housekeeping, where she covered all things home and holiday, including the latest interior design trends, inspiring DIY ideas and gift guides for any (and every) occasion. She also has a soft spot for feel-good TV, so you can catch her writing about popular shows like Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias, Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart and more.
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