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The Clean Fight Club’s Top Cleaning Hacks

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Nothing beats the feeling that comes from living in a truly clean house. So, why aren’t all our homes spotless? As it turns out, most people don’t enjoy channeling their inner clean freaks.

One survey supports the notion that of all household chores, cleaning gets the least love. Especially cleaning bathrooms — which clocks in as the worst of domestic duties.

Here’s the problem, though: You can’t put off dealing with dust bunnies and giving grime the heave-ho forever. Eventually, you just have to face the music and force yourself into super-cleaning-machine mode. But you don’t have to feel like you’re spinning your wheels.

Instead, try some of our insider deep clean hacks. Before you know it, you’ll be kicking back in a home that looks spotless, smells fresher, and feels oh-so-good.

1. Lint roll your way to happiness.

Think your lint roller can only pick up stray fuzzies from your clothes? Think again. Lint rollers can become magical tools for cleaning tough textiles. For instance, have you ever tried to dust off your lampshades? It’s frustrating and messy. Plus, it just spreads particles around the room.

Next time your lamps start to throw shade your way, grab the lint roller and roll your way to brightness. While you’re at it, feel free to run your lint roller over heavy-duty drapes and cloth-covered furniture, too.

2. Steam-bathe your microwave.

It happens to the best of us: Over time, the microwave starts to pick up splashes and splatters. Even if you’re diligent about mopping up these micro-messes, they’ll begin to multiply. Eventually, your microwave will look like a grim reminder of the past week’s meals and snacks.

Before scrubbing the small space, steam it to start the process. Fill a bowl with water and white vinegar. Microwave the bowl on high for five minutes. Then, let the steam do its work. After about 15 minutes, swipe a microfiber cloth or cotton rag around the inside of the microwave to remove all the softened food.

3. Vacuum in two directions.

Does it ever feel like you can’t seem to get your carpets free of dust, dander, and pollen? What you might not realize is your carpet is a magnet that traps everything from the air. That’s why it gets so clogged and why it can be tough as nails to get the carpet looking great with your vacuum cleaner.

There’s a trick to making more out of every vacuuming session, though: Vacuum each carpeted space twice. First, go in a horizontal direction. Then, go vertically. This forces the carpet fibers to move around more and release all the unwanted, packed-in dirt. For the best results, vacuum at least once weekly in all the rooms you use regularly.

4. Let your toilet bowl cleaner wow you.

Toilets are among the most used items in any home. Is it any wonder they need to be cleaned often? Many cleaning gurus suggest brushing inside your toilet with a reputable cleaner once daily. However, you don’t have to limit your favorite toilet bowl cleaner to just toilets. It can do much more!

Consider your filthy plastic trash cans. Rather than trying to wipe them off alone, squirt them with toilet bowl cleaning fluid. The fluid will hang onto the trash can inside and slowly coat it. Wait 10 minutes before working it with a sponge and rinsing it out. Remember, too, that your toilet bowl cleaner can work wonders in your bathtub or shower if you have discolored tile and grout.

For the perfect cleaner to tackle these areas, look to CLR Brilliant Bath. It is a multipurpose, multi-surface cleaner with a powerful foam spray formulated to quickly cut through dirt, calcium, lime, soap scum, and hard water deposits. It is also part of the EPA’s Safer Choice Program, which recognizes products that are safe for human health and the environment.

5. Make the most of your coffee fixation.

Love coffee? It’s not just the best pick-me-up beverage to power up your cleaning. Used coffee grounds can have a second life in your refrigerator. Just keep an open container of those wet grounds in the back of the top shelf of the fridge. The grounds will absorb yucky smells and help keep odors from infiltrating foods.

What about those unused coffee filters? As it turns out, they’re perfect as dusters. They have just enough of a textured surface to pick up even those itty-bitty specks of dust from windowsills, picture frames, bookshelves, and more.

Cleaning might never be an activity that excites you beyond words. Nevertheless, you can get through every cleaning experience faster by learning and using the tricks of the trade.

Need cleaning supplies to help on your journey? Check out our lineup of must-have products and join the Clean Fight Club!