Your Windowsill, Under The Couch, And 25 Other Places In Your Home That You Should Probably Clean ASAP
1. THE PLACE: Doors!
THE PRODUCT: A pack of melamine sponges that can rid years’ worth of handprints from the surface area around door knobs. All it takes is some warm water and a few seconds of scrubbing. *And* a pack of 20 sponges costs less than $15.
Promising review: “This stuff is beyond amazing. I felt like I was in an infomercial but without the B.S. One sponge removed all the greasy, oily, dirty hand marks in our apartment, the worst of which were built up around the door knobs and door jams. I cleaned some of the worst browning marks on my doors in under 10 seconds with one sponge and some warm water, and it makes a HUGE difference.” —Marisa P.
Get a 20-pack from Amazon for $12.56+ (also available in a 100-pack).
2. THE PLACE: Your washing machine because the place doling out “clean” laundry should, well, probably be clean itself.
THE PRODUCT: A pack of washing machine cleaning tablets that remove built-up detergent scum and various gunk to keep your expensive washing machine in tip-top shape. Add a tablet, run a normal wash cycle, and your work here is done.
Promising reviews: “I didn’t think I would ever be so excited about such a thing as washing machine cleaning tablets. I also never realized how dirty my washing machine was. It now sparkles, doesn’t smell musty, and has removed so much gunk from around the drum/gasket. You should get these.” —AVDW
Get a pack of six from Amazon for $10.95 (also available in packs of three and five).
3. THE PLACE: Dryer vents because clogged vents = longer drying times = higher utility bills = less money in your bank account.
THE PRODUCT: A dryer vent cleaning system if you’ve noticed clothes requiring an extra dry cycle. Accumulated lint might be the reason, and this removes that build-up in ducts up to 12 feet long.
Promising review: “This thing worked AMAZING. I got a TON of lint out of my vent piping, my dryer works better now and runs cooler, and drying time has been reduced. I was amazed at how much lint build-up there was!” —Allen L Grooms
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
4. THE PLACE: Ovens coated with years-long grime build-up.
THE PRODUCT: A tub of The Pink Stuff, an all-purpose paste capable of tackling your most pesky cleaning problems. Caked-on grease clinging to your oven will all but vanish, with no elbow grease required (an ideal cleaning situation).
5. PLACE: Range hood filters. If they’re coated in grime, they’re not able to properly do their job.
THE PRODUCT: A multi-purpose OxiClean powder for getting grease off of range hood filters. It’s even got the bandwidth to revitalize brickwork, bid adieu to makeup and oil stains on your favorite dress, or lift red wine stains from your living room accent chair.
Promising review: “I use very hot water, add this stuff, and put the range hood filter in it. After about 30 minutes, there’s already a lot of grease and dirt floating in the water by itself. If you shake it vigorously, even more grease comes off! The effect is really noticeable! I’m so excited; I can finally have a clean kitchen! And this isn’t just for cleaning the kitchen; it can also wash clothes. It feels like it can do everything!!” —Nameless
Get it from Amazon for $14.23 (available in two styles).
6. PLACE: Your walls, currently coated in years worth of scuff marks and dirt.
THE PRODUCT: A long-handle wall cleaner with four extension poles so you can deep clean hard-to-reach areas and eradicate scuff marks and kid’s sticky fingerprints. This kit comes with ceiling cleaner, baseboard duster, dry duster, and wet cleaning mop.
Promising review: “Do you envy your friends and the fact that their walls are always spotless? Do your kids use the walls as their personal napkins or jungle gym? Are you tired of spending hours a day cleaning? Fret no more – this really does the trick! Seriously though, I was tired of seeing spots and stains on our walls. I even changed our builder-grade flat paint to a nice eggshell grayish that everyone seems to love. But we still had issues with scuffs and marks. This ‘wall mop’ has been a life and time saver!!” —Savannah Wilson
Get it from Amazon for $39.97.
7. THE PLACE: That trusty memory foam mattress you splurged on three years ago. The one your body rests on for a minimum of seven hours a night.
THE PRODUCT: A mattress vacuum equipped with a UV light to obliterate scary bacteria *and* a suction cup design that traps dust and mites. And if you think this is wildly unnecessary and ridiculous, I dare you to take a long hard look at your bare mattress. Go ahead. Tell me you don’t want to sneeze just looking at it.
Promising review: “So I brought this originally for my son, who gets really bad allergies to dust. At first, we didn’t know what was causing this until someone told me to check our beds and furniture. Even though we change our bedsheets regularly, there will be dust left over. So I decided to give this a try and they were right! I couldn’t believe how many mites and how much dust there was. I took my time cleaning everyone’s bed and our sofa, which was easy to use and light. My son hasn’t had a reaction in a while, which means this product works for my family!” —Lisa
Get it from Amazon for $109.99.
8. THE PLACE: Cat trees and dog beds covered in copious amounts of fur that no amount of vacuuming can solve.
THE PRODUCT: A lint roller for a grossly satisfying gadget that’s capable of picking up every speck of gunk plastered onto your furniture. This is excellent for collecting dog hair from both human furniture or pet beds *and* revitalizing cat trees to look good as new.
Promising review: “I’m a fur-mom of five cats and two dogs, so I know all about animal hair on everything. And I was very skeptical about this purchase, but I figured why not? Nothing else is working very well. Holy moly. I have a well-loved old cat tree that I’ve tried vacuuming and lint rollers, and had finally resolved myself to it being cat hair carpet. This sucker grabs hair so good that my cat trees almost look newish!” —spztckttn
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
9. THE PLACE: Windowsill and sliding door bases. Ew.
THE PRODUCT: A cleaning brush kit to draw out the dust hidden in plain sight… right under your nose. Literally. A few passes with these compact, handheld brushes and woosh! Perhaps now you won’t be inhaling allergy mites with every breath you take.
This five-piece kit comes with a track cleaning brush, a tile lines brush, a window blind duster, a 2-in-1 windowsill sweeper, and a hand-held groove gap brush.
Promising review: “We just moved and the previous owners of our new house left us a wonderful amount of dust and dirt to clean. I was originally looking for just a vent cleaner and stumbled upon these multi-kits. The price point is amazing, and it really does seem like a do-it-all all kit.” —Ty Loli
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
10. THE PLACE: Under your couch *and* under all major appliances, aka the spots your vacuum can’t fully reach.
THE PRODUCT: An OXO duster purposely designed with a loonnnnnngg microfiber cloth and extender, which means the dust bunnies living rent-free under your sofa have just met their maker. One reviewer pulled an actual lip gloss tube (!!!!) from under their oven.
Promising review: “I bought a new home, and I noticed some dust under the stove and fridge, so I bought this OXO Duster. Well, surprise, surprise! The previous owners were disgusting, and I cleaned out much more than dust: dust, crumbs, toys, cereal, oats, nuts, and pills. Yuck, yuck, yuck. I don’t think I would’ve pulled out all this crap with any other duster.” —Reading&Writing
Get it from Amazon for $16.99.
11. THE PLACE: Glass light fixtures that are supposed to brighten up your home. Supposed to.
THE PRODUCT: A pack of microfiber cloths for a lint- and streak-free finish on glassware, windows, and yes, that includes light fixtures that have been permanently covered in a layer of dulling grime. The best part is you don’t even need a cleaning solution! A bit of water combined with one of these cloths is all you’ll need.
Promising review: “If you have any glass light fixtures in your home you absolutely need this product. I don’t think the fixture was this clear even when I bought it, and the best part is it’s just using water and the two rags.” —Lisa Collins
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $16.98.
12. THE PLACE: Inside your dryer lint trap. Immediately.
THE PRODUCT: A vacuum hose attachment in which multiple reviewers (multiple!) swear they pulled out whole socks from their lint traps. Clogged vents = longer drying times = higher utility bills = less money in your bank account to put toward, say, more Seamless takeout.
Promising review: “This thing is seriously amazing. I figured out how to use it very quickly and it worked like a charm. I had a sock stuck wayy down in my vent and would’ve had no idea! I still can’t believe how much lent and dust came out of my dryer. My husband is already talking about other uses for this unique tool, like getting into tight spaces in our cars.” —J. Johnson
Get it from Amazon for $9.95+ (available in six colors).
13. THE PLACE: Sink faucets and showerheads that are covered in actual grime.
THE PRODUCT: A jug of CLR (calcium, lime, and rust remover) to finally rid sink faucets and showerheads of dreadful hard water build-up. TL;DR: Photos are worth a thousand words so I suggest taking a gander at the below.
Promising review: “The photo says it all. I have tried so many things to get the hard water build-up off of this faucet and nothing works. It’s hard as a rock! I left it soaking for about an hour in a non-diluted mix and was able to scrub it all off easily. So happy and going to use this for other hard water issues in our house.” —Mar
Get it from Amazon for $6.79.
14. THE PLACE: The appliance responsible for deep cleaning the cutlery you put in your mouth every day — the dishwasher.
THE PRODUCT: Affresh cleaning tablets because how can you get clean, glistening dishes if the dishwasher itself is *gag* covered in grime? Answer: You can’t. These babies are here to help. Simply pop one in, put on the rinse cycle, and continue watching your show. Easy peasy.
Promising review: “I had tried lots of white vinegar for two cycles in my 20-year-old dishwasher for the cloudy and powdery dinginess it had started doing, and it only helped about 30%. We have very hard water. This zapped the buildup, and the glass is clear again, and colored plastics no longer have the powdery-like coating. So glad I took a chance on this!” —J. Holden
Get a pack of six from Amazon for $8.54+ (also available in a pack of 12).
15. THE PLACE: That poor, poor microwave that looks like it’s still heating up last year’s lasagna.
THE PRODUCT: A steam cleaner to finally (and I mean finally) rid your microwave of the caked-on dinner that’s been there since about, oh, 2003. Simply fill this handy device with vinegar, let ‘er run for five to seven minutes, wipe, and done.
Amazon, amazon.com
16. THE PLACE: Car vents and keyboards, both of which have an alarming amount of debris trapped inside.
THE PRODUCT: A jar of TICARVE Dust Cleaning Gel for trapping said goo hunk, dust mites, and dirt with relish. And in moments. I don’t know who needs to hear this but…that Dorito trapped between the J and K key? You might want to get rid of it.
Amazon
Promising review: “When I first saw this product, I thought, ‘No way is that really going to work,’ but for the price, it was worth a try. I got it within two days of purchasing it — and it truly works. I immediately used it on my laptop keyboard and my PC keyboard. It really did pull all of the dust and whatnot out from in between the keys. It feels damp to your skin and doesn’t really leave a residue, the smell is not harsh and is really barely there (not like an antiseptic or harsh chemical at all). I really like it.” —BRickard
Get it from Amazon for $5.99.
17. THE PLACE: The Keurig that’s been pumping out your morning caffeine for the better part of three years.
THE PRODUCT: Cleaning cups that’ll deep clean said coffee machine (#poetry) within minutes. Simply pop this biodegradable cleaner in as you would a cup of caffeine and proceed to marvel at the gunk that’s made its way into your daily cup of joe.
Promising review: “We’ve had our Keurig for a few years, and with the exception of using only filtered water and dispensing hot water every so often, we’ve never cleaned the needle or K-Cup area. I used three cleaning cups back to back, and WOW, our machine was dirty! I’m so happy I purchased these! I’ll be keeping up on cleaning these more often.” —Heather Garcia
Get a six-pack from Amazon for $9.95+ (also available in packs of 12 and 18).
18. THE PLACE: Garbage. Disposal. Ohmygod.
THE PRODUCT: A Glisten foaming cleaner to neutralize the funky odors coming from said garbage disposal (*yuck*). This lemon-scented stuff requires absolutely no effort and two simple steps: turn on hot water, add the cleanser.
Promising review: “I went on a trip, and when I came back, there was this foul odor coming from my garbage disposal (even though we didn’t leave any dishes on the sink), and I tried every home remedy I could think of to get rid of the smell, but nothing did. So I turned to the internet, and immediately, these seemed like the best choice for an okay price. I followed the instructions carefully, and within a minute, I saw the foam rise up and then go back down — awful smell FINALLY GONE!” —A.L.
Get a pack of four from Amazon for $3.67+ (also available in multipacks).
19. THE PLACE: Air conditioners, fans, and window blinds… you get the idea.
THE PRODUCT: An adjustable duster brush because the amount of dust that can accumulate in narrow vents is *cough* genuinely disgusting. And don’t worry, cleaning said crevices requires but a few minutes of your time and just a flick or two of the wrist.
This handy dandy tool comes with five microfiber cloths, meaning you’ll be able to clean your whole darn house in one sweep.
Promising review: “This product is AMAZING! You can clean both sides of two blinds at once and grip them firmly to get ALL of the dust off. Plus, it comes with five covers so that no matter how dirty your blinds are, you’ll be able to finish dusting your whole house! I also love that you can wash the covers and don’t have to waste money on refills.” —Sarah
Get it from Amazon for $6.99.
20. THE PLACE: The silicone sealants in your bathroom.
THE PRODUCT: A stain cleaner that clings to silicone sealants (so the thin area around your shower head, in between your tiles, etc.) and effectively banishes mold and mildew to the pits of heck forever, which is where they rightfully belong. Someone contact Dante and let him know we’ve got another inferno contender.
Promising review: “You guys. I’m embarrassed to even show you this. The grout around our tub was DISGUSTING. It was never caulked right and it got gross very quickly. I would scrub. The cleaning lady would scrub. It would get worse. Well, I came across this in a BuzzFeed list, and this stuff made me curious. I don’t know why it doesn’t have 10,000 good reviews. Seriously. All I did was squeeze it on and walk away. I let it sit overnight. Check this out. Buy it. Like today.” —KarynB
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
21. THE PLACE: The fancy water bottle you use every day and have decorated with stickers but have cleaned, oh, maybe once. Or any other long chambers with hard-to-reach bottoms… think vases.
THE PRODUCT: Bottle-cleaning tablets that quickly remove all that funky, gross, probably-starting-to-smell build-up in hard-to-reach areas. These are biodegradable, chlorine-free, and require absolutely no effort or scrubbing. The results are so. damn. satisfying. to look at.
Promising review: “I seriously can’t believe how well these little tablets work. I had the most disgusting Hydro Flask coffee mug — I tried everything. A bottle brush, different kinds of soap, vinegar, EVERYTHING, and there was still a seemingly impenetrable layer of black sludge inside. I let a tablet sit in each of my mugs for an hour or two, and the black sludge rinsed out COMPLETELY without even scrubbing. They look brand new. What a magical product. No weird smell or taste afterward, either. I liked it so much that I used it on another Hydro Flask I use primarily to hold my Bloody Mary mix in the fridge. I couldn’t put anything else in it because it would always taste like spicy tomato juice. Bottle Bright to the rescue! No residual smell or taste anymore. AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING.” —Amazon Customer
Get a pack of 12 tablets from Amazon for $7.99+ (also available in counts of 36 and 78 and in a multipack).
22. THE PLACE: If you are so lucky, the jets in your hot tub.
THE PRODUCT: An Oh Yuk cleaner with results so fantastic, they’ll both satisfy and concern you: This lures out all the hidden grime lurking in your tub, aka the kind that was absolutely present when you took that last “relaxing” bath.
Run your bath, add this jet cleaner, have allllllll the grime come out of said jets, and then wipe down your tub. BOOM! You’re done.
Promising review: “OK, so I love to clean, and I run bleach through the jets prob twice a month on top of my daily weekly cleaning. And I was skeptical about how this product could get any cleaner than I thought it was. Well, I am here to tell you this pic is after the second cleaning with this cleaner!!!! I am a believer and would highly recommend this product to anyone with a jetted tub!!” —Momof2greatboys
Get it from Amazon for $18.73 (available in two sizes and in a two-pack).
23. THE PLACE: The back of your beloved cookware.
THE PRODUCT: A non-abrasive Bar Keepers Friend cleansing and polishing powder that will destroy years of icky build-up on all of your porcelain, copper, glass, tile, stainless steel, plastic, and brass. Time to grab your cookware set, folks, because the after photos are about to get good.
Promising review: “We’ve all seen products that claim to be the ‘best’ at whatever they are intended for. All too often, we are sadly disappointed by a product that falls far short of these audacious claims. Bar Keepers Friend is not one of these products. While I’m no barkeep, I can honestly state that I am impressed with the cleaning power of this product. I’ve used it on my glass-top stove, on metal pots and pans, and even some of those heavily stained aluminum baking pans that tend to turn brownish after use. This product cleaned them all…and with very little effort on my part. I tend to sprinkle just a little on whatever I am going to clean, and then, using a clean paper towel or other nonabrasive cloth with a bit of moisture, I then wipe the area until the stains lift up and out. A few extra passes to remove any remaining cleaning powder/product and I’m off to other chores. I seldom have to use this, but when I do, it is quick and efficient.” —Steven M.
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $11.75.
24. THE PLACE: The grout between kitchen and bathroom floor tiles. Surprise — it’s not supposed to be that shade of dark grey.
THE PRODCT: A water-based tile pen that’ll transform the chore of grout cleaning into a fun activity reminiscent of filling in the pages of an adult coloring book. Consider mold banished after a few swipes of this nontoxic formula, which releases anti-bacterial agents with each pass.
Promising review: “These things are awesome! I cleaned my bathroom tile grout first because the lady who lived there before me really let it go. A few places stayed stained, and I was worried it wouldn’t cover them, but all grout areas are bright white and look new after using this.” —Donna K Cook
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in a wide or narrow tip).
25. THE PLACE: Cutting boards and butcher blocks.
THE PRODUCT: An food grade mineral oil to help restore and protect wood and bamboo surfaces. Simply add a few drops of this odorless oil to protect surfaces from drying, cracking, or smelling.
This oil is also great for butcher blocks, countertops, knives, and more!
Promising review: “My husband is a professional sous chef and he was absolutely AMAZED with the end result. As many may be able to imagine, our cutting boards are used heavily and frequently. One treatment and the wood grain popped and, aside from visible blade strikes from years of use, our cutting block roared back to a deep and rich-looking wood.” —Vanessa Graziano
Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in four sizes).
26. THE PLACE: Bathroom sinks and shower drains, especially if water isn’t going down as quickly as it should.
THE PRODUCT: A FlexiSnake Drain Weasel not meant for the faint of heart. Use this to easily de-clog every drain in your home, but prepare for the horror you’ll experience as you dig up about one million pounds of hair and built-up gunk.
This FlexiSnake is great for sinks and showers in which the water takes forever to go down, plus it’s reusable — just clean with hot water and soap after each use.
Promising review: “My shower drain had been clogged and so before I called a plumber, I decided to give this baby a try. All I can say is that I wish I had stock in this company. This is a fantastic item that every single person who owns or rents a home should have. It was EASY to assemble the gadget. It was EASY TO USE. And best of all-it pulled out so much hair that it looked like a giant rat. I could not believe how QUICKLY I was able to do the job, and I can’t tell you the deep satisfaction it gave me to know that all that crap was out of my drain. I’m telling you, it is worth every penny!” —1Creeksidegal
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (also available in a 10-pack).
27. THE PLACE: Screens! Cellphones, laptops, tablets.
THE PRODUCT: A liquid-free, reusable rolling screen cleaner so you can see what your phone, laptop, and tablet looked like pre- permanent fingertips. A few quick swipes = no more smudges staring back at you whilst you respond to emails.
Promising review: “This little device removes the oil from your screen. Often, when you are ‘cleaning’ your screen by wiping it with a cloth, you are simply pushing around the oil into a thin enough layer to see-through without noticing it as much. This device actually lifts the oil and removes it. My screen feels like new, which is great because I am picky about my devices. Also, this is much better than cleaning the screen with some kind of wipe since repeated cleaning with most wipes will damage the screen over time. Unbeknownst to me, my wife was cleaning her screen daily and now her screen collects oils far too quickly because she wore off the protective layer. With this product, you don’t need to worry about that. Clean it as often as you want/need, and you can continue to enjoy that pristine screen without fear of wearing the oleophobic layer off prematurely. I would highly recommend this to others.” —Alex
Get it from Amazon for $17.95+ (also available in packs of three, six, 12, and 24).
The reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.
