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Get the results you want, but with very little effort.
1. Fill a dishwashing wand with vinegar and dish soap, then bust through (and prevent) soap-scum and hard-water buildup by scrubbing down the walls + door *while* you shower.
2. Or mist your shower walls, curtain/door, tub, fixtures and floor once a week after you turn off the water and you’ll (almost) never need to deep clean your shower at all.
Amazon
This daily shower cleaner prevents *and* helps clean buildup of all kinds of nasties, including the dreaded soap scum and limescale, with no need to scrub — simply rinse the next day, right before you shower again. Get enough to last 12 weeks from Amazon for $19.98.
Promising review: “Does a FANTASTIC job if used regularly. I love this product. I hate cleaning tubs. This product has made our tubs look new. I don’t use it every shower…maybe every third. Just spray down everything after the shower, and forget about it. You DO need to rinse tub before the next shower due to product making it slick. The fumes of other cleaners always messed with my asthma. I have noticed that for some reason with this one, I sneeze twice, because I have to spray shower doors while I’m still in the shower…but it never affects my lungs. I would recommend this to EVERYONE!” —Angela GIllaird
3. Wipe away built-up layers of soap scum and hard water stains on your glass doors with the help of a soft cleanser — the reviewer who took the photos below said they didn’t even have to scrub.
Get a pack of two bottles from Amazon for $13.17 (about $6.50 each).
4. Secure a plastic bag filled with vinegar + baking soda around your shower head to descale hard water stains and break up mold or mildew while you go back and sit on the couch.
Natalie Brown / BuzzFeed
I do exactly this about every six months or so, and it works every single time! See my full shower hack review.
5. Run a line of no-odor mold and mildew remover gel along your greying, dirty, gross, mildewed grout and caulking to banish even seemingly embedded black spots from your bathroom without having to do more than simply rinse it away after a few hours.
You do have to let it sit for four to five hours (or even overnight), but the results, as proven by the review photos like the one here, are worth it. The gel formula lets it stick and stay exactly where you put it down, which is why it works better than just spraying with regular bleach: The bleach stays right on the mold stain until it’s gone, without drying up or running off. My best friend bought some of this from one of my posts and said it worked exactly the way I said it did — and when I saw her shower, all the grout and caulking were perfectly white!
Get one bottle from Amazon for $14.99 or three bottles for $36.99 ($12.33/bottle).
Promising review: “Saw this product in a BuzzFeed “must have cleaning miracles on Amazon” and thought “What the hell, let’s try this before we pull up all that silicone.” One tube and the results were amazing. I would recommend this a thousand times over. So satisfying to see the difference and it was as easy as putting on toothpaste!” —E. Smith
6. Cut down on your elbow grease while still getting gaps, corners, hard water stains, and (any color) grout clean with a power scrubber.
Target, amazon.com
It scrubs up to 60 times each second(!!) so you all you have to do is sit there and leisurely wave it around a little. Yes it’s like a giant electric toothbrush, but y’all, I own one and it REALLY works. 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 ($7.49 from Amazon), but TBH the default brush works just as well, unless you have incredibly narrow grout lines.
Get it from Amazon for $21.50.
Promising review: “You need one. Seriously. Saw this brush multiple times on TIkTok. It sold me. When I got it, I went into clean mode and the darn thing is just amazing. You’ll love it. It’s so sturdy and works very well.” —Kristin Haadsma
Want more details? Read my full Rubbermaid power scrubber review (#2)!
7. Save yourself lots of fruitless scrubbing with a toilet brush and use a pumice stone to quickly banish those impossible rust and mineral rings.
Unfortunately there’s not really a ~lazy~ way to scrub hard water buildup out of a toilet. But this is perhaps the ~easiest~ way, at least according to reviewers. Get one from Amazon for $10.80.
8. Stamp some gel into your clean toilet to actually keep it that way for weeks and months at a time.
Scrubbing Bubbles
All you have to do is re-stamp as needed. If you can’t imagine not using your toilet brush, you can use the small remaining bit of gel to scrub down the bowl before applying more. I used this in college and can personally attest it really does work!
Get enough to keep your toilet clean for up to 20 weeks for $8.67 on Amazon.
9. Switch to wearing sweeper slippers every time you’re at home, so as you walk around, you’re also picking up all the dust, fuzz, and hair lurking on your hard floors.
amazon.com, Natalie Brown / BuzzFeed
Of course these only really work on hard floors like wood or tile. And even then, they’ll pick up *some* stuff, but not everything — to pick up more dust, crumbs, and debris, you have to put a little effort into using your feet as brooms and sweeping everything into one pile. But when I wore them for a week, I did that way more often than I expected to, and my floors were cleaner because of it!
The pair I got from Amazon initially is sold out, but you can get the pictured bear version from Amazon for $13.59 (available in 3 colors and 8 designs) or a pack of 5 brightly-colored elastic pairs that slip over socks on Amazon for $9.89.
Promising review (for the bear version): “So worth it! I love having clean floors but sometimes I’m lazy and I live near the beach, so sand can be a hassle on the hardwood floors in my apartment. I love these so much and have pretty much worn then every day since I got them. They are super comfy and help clean! These are such a great addition to my routine.” —Laura J
10. Or set up a splurge-worthy RoboVac to really keep your floors cleaner than you ever thought possible. IDK about you, but there’s no way I’ll ever vacuum or sweep every day without one of these little buddies doing it for me.
This vac moves between hard floors and low-pile carpets/rugs without a glitch and can pick up all the accumulated dust, dirt, and hair left strewn about your home while you go do literally anything else. The reviewer who took the pic on the right above says that with a goldendoodle in the house, it picks up that much dust and hair EVERY DAY. Omg.
Promising review: “Best housekeeping hack! I have to empty it almost everyday because it does it’s job so well! I call her Mrs. Doubtfire and may purchase a twin to work upstairs as well. Timer was easy to set after reading the directions. Cleaning her out is a regular occurrence. She rarely gets stuck but usually only if the floor is cluttered worth cords or something. She also stops when she’s full and needs to be cleaned instead of burning out her own motor which I think is nice. I have two Great Pyrenees and she handles the hair beautifully as well as the mess I track in from the barn.” —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $249.99+ (available in three versions).
And if you’re in the market for a good vacuum of any kind — full-size, stick vacs, robo vacs, and more — check out 15 Of The Best Vacuums That You Can Get On Amazon.
11. Leisurely dab up even the most impossible and old set-in carpet and upholstery stains with the help of a spray-and-blot spot remover.
I’ve used this stuff on a week-old strawberry smoothie stain (on a blue and white rug), chocolate stains on fuzzy pillows, and other mystery stains, and have seen it for myself — it really does work! It’s great for all kinds of stains, like oil, makeup, food, dirt, rust, ink, and wine; even if they’re years old. (It won’t work on, say, hair dye stains, though. It’s a cleaner, not a bleach.)
Get it on Amazon for $6.65.
Promising review (from the pictured B&A above): “If you are ever thinking you might need this, TRUST ME you do! My two-year-old threw up chocolate milk on our cream carpet. It was a complete disaster. I tried everything and nothing even made a dent in it, until this. It’s also scentless, which was great because I got the stain up right before my little girl’s bedtime. TOP NOTCH!” —Jillian Briggs
12. Or opt for Bissell Stomp ‘N Go pads — simply put one (or two or three, depending on the size of the stain) down, stomp hard on it, and walk away for up to 24 hours. When you lift it later, the stain will have transferred to the pad! Doesn’t get easier than that.
Promising review: “I love this product! It’s a game-changer. I have an older dog that is now starting to have accidents. I rent my place, and I was carpet cleaning every other week. Now with this, I don’t have to as much. She went on my new rug, which is white, and I was convinced it was gonna be ruined, but it’s not! The Stomp ‘N Go did its job! My rug is perfect and no urine stains or odor. If you have a puppy or older dog, I highly suggest this product.” —Sandra E.
Get a pack of 20 from Amazon for $30.24.
13. Have pets that shed? Pick up every last little bit of their fur that’s embedded in your carpet using the squeegee-side of a rubber broom.
amazon.com, Amazon
It also works wonders on hardwood floors and tile! It won’t take very long for this thing to pluck every last piece of pet hair out of your space.
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
Promising review: “BuzzFeed directed me to this broom! One of my most favorite material possessions. It pulled out two years worth of cat and human hair from apartment carpeting that wasn’t getting picked up by vacuuming. This broom had me in a literal cleaning frenzy; my carpeting and rugs look cleaner than they ever have and even some furniture too. I feel refreshed in my space after seeing all the nasty stuff i was pulling out and throwing away.” —Shlee
14. Pop a bunch of things in the dishwasher to clean them all at once while you go and do literally anything else: dusty AC vent covers, sticky stove vent hood filters, grimy glass light covers, and even wrenches and screwdrivers can stand a go.
15. Then clean all the gunk and scum out of your dishwasher by running it empty with a cleaning tablet.
If cross-contamination has you concerned, this will cover you! It also helps dissolve any hard water buildup.
Get six tablets for $8.99 on Amazon.
Promising review: “Call me lazy. This was simple to use, smelled good, and I was pleasantly surprised — this product actually did what it advertises that it will do! Great results, fairly economical, and by the way, it works!” —Old Southern Charm
16. Cleans and polish your stainless steel in a single, quick, satisfying step with this spray-and-wipe cleaner.
Get it and a large microfiber cloth on Amazon for $14.95.
My mom’s had stainless appliances for well over a decade and a half now, and she just discovered this spray from reading our posts, and said it works *wonderfully*, truly 100% better and faster than any other kind of stainless cleaners she’d tried in the past!!
Promising review: “I’ve tried at least 10 different products over the years and two homemade concoctions, frustrated with how long it takes to rub out the smears and streaks, never achieving the shine I’m looking for. This product was quick, easy and the shiny stainless appliances result I’ve been searching for is achieved. Eureka!!!” —Cat
17. Spray some fume-free foam cleaner in your oven, let it all sit overnight, then easily wipe away the crud in the morning for spotless results.
Technically, you can let this sit anywhere from two hours to overnight to get results. And while you might have to do *some* light scrubbing, it should be much easier than it would’ve been without this cleaner! Don’t forget to spray it on the racks too (unless your racks have a special coating on ’em).
Get a 24-ounce can on Amazon for $8.98.
Promising review: “This stuff is amazing! Spray it on, let it sit overnight and wipe it out. Looks brand new. I honestly didn’t think this was possible. The grates had years of cooked on grease, sprayed right off in the sink. Can’t wait to try it on the BBQ.” —Kalub hall
18. Shine up your stovetop with five minutes of concentrated work: Drizzle on some Dawn and hydrogen peroxide, sprinkle with baking soda, and vigorously scrub in circles with a dish brush.
19. Enlist a soft cleanser to easily scrub off cooked-on gunk from your stainless or enameled gas stove (and tons of other things).
Kayla Suazo / BuzzFeed
Kayla, a former editor here a BuzzFeed, tested it out herself when she used it on her enameled stove — and it made the stains completely vanish! Get a bottle from Amazon for $9.60, or read her Barkeeper’s Friend review for more.
20. A few drops of mineral oil (or even olive or vegetable oil) on a paper towel is perfect for picking up that grimy, sticky dust that seems to inevitably accumulate on your stove and vent hood.
21. OR, spritz spritz spritz (then wipe) an all-in-one heavy duty kitchen degreaser spray over your counters, oven, stovetop, cabinets, range hood, lights, fridge, and pretty much anywhere with that gross kitchen greasy dust buildup for a single-step efficient clean.
amazon.com / Via amazon.com
Reviewers say it does have an intense smell if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing. It also sanitizes and disinfects without bleach, although you do have to rinse any food-contact surfaces (like cutting boards) you use it on.
It’s on Amazon for $5.78.
Promising review: “Where has this been my whole adult life? Best cleaner I’ve ever used. Cuts through rust stains on cement walls. Cuts heavy old grease on any surface. I cleaned my green moldy looking outside lawn furniture and they came out sparkling clean with almost no effort. Spray it on, let it sit, spray it off with a water hose.” —Deborah Lucas
22. Run a knife wrapped in a damp cloth through the gap between your oven and your stove to extract all the crumbs and crud lodged in there. Then cover that gap with a pair of stainless steel covers so you never have to clean that spot out again.
They simply slide right in there, or you can use an included adhesive to make ’em more permanent. Get the pack of two on Amazon for $22.
Promising review: “In a kitchen upgrade we went from slide-in to free-standing and ended up with a gap between the range and the counter. They blend in perfectly and will not warp with heat.” —Amazon Customer
23. Dissolve hard water stains on your water faucets by wrapping them up in vinegar-soaked paper towels for an hour — they’ll wipe off in one go.
24. Grind up a garbage disposal cleaning packet — its foam will reach into the depths of the disposal to clean every. single. last. inch.
Note that if you’re disposal’s clogged, though, this definitely won’t take care of the problem. For that, you’ll probably need to call a plumber.
Get a pack of eight on Amazon for $12.32.
Promising review: “I had noticed my disposal had a bad smell to it, but my the landlord doesn’t do a great job at coming to look at things. I got this to clean it and hopefully help with the smell. I’ve been using it once a week, and I have noticed that the smell is gone and the disposal just sounds happier when being used. These are VERY simple to use. Take a packet (DO NOT open it) and put in sink after having warm water running for about a minute. Turn on the disposal. Run until the blue foam goes away. Perfection!” —L. Johnson
25. Grab that bottle of stain remover from number twelve again and use it to make the years-old mystery stain on your mattress vanish right before your eyes.
Or at least make it look, like, 1000x better.
Get it on Amazon for $6.65.
Promising review (from the person with the mattress pic): “Really amazing stain remover! I used it on a 3+ year old stain on a mattress and got amazing results. Also took a ten year old oil stain off my carpet that a professional carpet cleaner couldn’t remove.” —Gabby
26. Then mix baking soda with a few drops of essential oil and sprinkle that on your mattress to absorb any funky smells.
27. A lint roller will pick up all the built-up dust on your lampshades and pillows with a quick swipe.
28. Or for caked-on pet hair on your furniture (and in your car), do what my sister does and splurge on a handheld cordless vacuum designed specifically to suck it all up, so you’re done in less than 3 minutes and can get back to lounging.
29. Sweep and (gently!) scrape dust and dirt buildup off of your keyboard, mouse, or laptop using a dual-sided cleaning brush. One end = a super soft brush, the other = a flexible but firm-ish silicone wiper.
Amazon
Together, they work for a bunch of cleaning tasks: your phone, your earbuds, your DSLR, watches, and TBH even jewelry with hard-to-reach spots. It can capture the gunk in the tiniest gaps, like on the side of each keyboard key. I have one of these, and find the silicone wiper especially invaluable for scraping the earwax off of my AirPods!
Get it on Amazon for $8.94 (available in two colors).
Promising review: “Having tested it for old and new keyboards, I can say it works extremely well for both very flat keys (such as Chromebook), as well as your typical tall-key keyboards. It’s amazing how much hair, dust, and other junk I clean out of them (My own + my friends’ + old keyboards I have to clean). It works way, way better than pressurized air sprays, and the cleaning process is a whole lot faster, too. The great part is that I no longer have to pay a bunch of money on buying expensive cans of air. It’s fun, too!” —Jennifer CF
30. And wipe down all your other surfaces with a microfiber duster, which attracts and holds onto dust like a magnet, instead of brushing it into the air just to settle again later.
Amazon, amazon.com
Actually getting rid of the dust is THE key to a home that needs less dusting. This one from OXO is very thin so it can squeeze into tight crevices. To clean it you just run it through a gentle cycle in the washer, and air dry.
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
Promising review: “Saves time and energy! It’s a bit too big for small, delicate knickknacks, but it’s terrific for large or textured furniture. A few swipes and a dresser, piano keyboard, or TV is dust-free. Its size is also helpful if you’re on the short side and want to reach the top of a door frame or bookcase, or give blinds a quick dusting. I haven’t washed it yet but the fabric unsnaps from the plastic handle easily. I’m very happy with this purchase and wish I would’ve made it a long time ago!” —Olivia D. A.
31. Washing machine smelling a little funky? Run it on an empty cycle with hot water and vinegar to freshen it up.
32. Or if you’ve tried that with no success — or are just the type to go big or go home — opt for a washer cleaning tab, instead.
Amazon
Get a pack of six on Amazon for $11.98.
Promising review: “I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just run bleach in my machine until I actually ran one of these. The key is that the tablet doesn’t dissolve right away. So as the washer runs through several repeated cycles of fill, agitate, and drain, the tablet is still there, sudsing up the water on cycle #2 and #3. If you just put bleach in the soap dispenser, it would all be gone after cycle #1. This gets very sudsy and that probably helps it reach areas of the machine that wouldn’t otherwise get touched.” —aberson
You, knowing your entire home is sparkling and it didn’t take all weekend to do it:
The reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.
