Last month, we teamed up with LG Electronics to give away a vacuum cleaner (with a self-emptying dock!). We asked people what their favourite cleaning hack was, and why? Nearly 2,000 people entered, which means we got nearly 2,000 ideas for cleaning hacks.
Some were brilliant. Others less so. And others still — like “Release a gecko in your house to eat any unwanted spiders or flies!” — had the whole office chuckling.
For that reason, we thought we’d share 50 of them here. From ways to get the kids involved, to how to make cleaning part of your daily routine so you don’t have to do it all in one go, here are the best — and funniest — cleaning hacks you told us.
Get the Kids Involved
“Get the kids involved with time challenges! It’s fun and helpful.” – Olivia
“With two little ones, I love making chores a game, like the first to put their toys away, gets a sticker.” – Jay
“Make it a competition with the kids. It’ll be done in a fraction of the time.” – David
“Tricking kids into believing that I hate the sound of a vacuum so they will vacuum the house when they’re mad at me.” – Ben
Clean As You Go
“Clean frequently to minimise the thickness of dust build-up.” – Robin
“Do a little bit every day so it doesn’t get out of hand and overwhelming” – Erin
“Having good mats at each entrance is the FIRST STEP to keeping a clean home.” – Wendy
“’Clean as you go’ has always been my motto.” – Tracy
Related: We Asked 20 People What Simple Change They Made to Be More Eco-Friendly
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“Simply keeping a small bin in your room keeps it tidy!” – Billy
“Form a cleaning habit. Everything is easier to clean if you clean up after yourself.” – Christopher
“Using a squeegee after every shower saves time and money on chemicals and environment.” – Sonya
“Scrub the shower walls while you’re having a shower.” – Elizabeth
DIY Cleaning Products
“The great Australian eucalyptus oil to remove icky, sticky mess.” – Dominique
“Using a dishwasher tablet to clean the glass on my oven door… works like a breeze.” – Jo
“Dishwashing liquid can be used to clean just about anything. If in doubt, dishwashing liquid it out.” – Michael
“My favourite cleaning hack is bicarbonate of soda, cleans everything (dishes, furniture, clothes, floors, surfaces). Can’t beat it. Goes well with elbow grease. Environmentally friendly!” – Yvonne
“Baking soda and vinegar, easy quick, cheap cleaning on all surfaces and great for mould too.” – Colin
“Using homemade cleaning products, which would save me a lot of money, and it gives the same result as a supermarket brand.” – Christina
“Using vinegar and newspaper to clean my windows so they are streak-free.” – Kate
“Lemon juice and white vinegar with water in a portable spray bottle is a homemade magic cleaning trick for most cleaning jobs.” – David
“Using Q-tips to clean small awkward places because they’re cheap, easy and disposable.” – Stephanie
“I use a window squeegee to wipe pet hair off all my fabric furniture.” – Renee
Make It Fun
“Headphones in, music up loud, because even cleaning time is ‘me time’ when the kids are little.” – Kathy
“Playing tunes with an amazing beat (and sound system) energises me and I lose track of time. It anchors fun and feeling great with cleaning!” – Ashleigh
“I love to mop using mop shoes on my feet, I crank up the music and before I know it the job’s complete!” – Vicki
“Buy quality Bluetooth headphones to move from room to room still connected to your favourite series, tunes or people. You won’t even notice you’re cleaning.” – Jen
“Go fast and hard. Set a timer and you’ll be amazed how quickly you can get things done.” – Chris
“Have a good playlist, so the cleaning is just something you are doing in the background.” – Jackie
Use Household Items to Clean
“Whitening toothpaste to clean tea stains off white countertops.” – Sarah-Jane
“Dust with a pillowcase and then put in the washing machine… that’s what hotels do.” – Rose
“Pick up broken glass fragments with masking tape. All the little bits that vacuums miss get on there, saves little hands and feet!” – Mathew
“My favourite cleaning hack is using baby wipes. They are great for quickly getting stains out of clothing.” – Leisa
“Toothpaste is the best shower screen grime cleaner.” – Jo
“Whilst I enjoy my Vodka it’s also a good remedy to clean my carpet stains too!” – Suzanne
“I hate mopping but love vacuuming, so use baby wipes for my tiled areas – it’s very effective!” Fiona
“Not the craziest, but using newspaper to dry windows to remove streaks.” – William
Be Smart About It
“Throwing dirty clothes directly into the washing machine and pressing start when full, saves space and time not using a laundry basket.” – Adeline
“Lining all drawers and cabinets. Nothing to clean.” – Guy
“I double-layer my kids bed sheets with an extra mattress protector and sheet to make middle-of-the-night sheet-changing a breeze!” – Ashleigh
“Ceiling to floor so you don’t have to vacuum twice.” – Sarah-Jane
“Instagram videos. It inspires me to clean and try wacky new cleaning tips that can also save you money.” – William
“I pre-spray my bathroom with bleach in the morning and come back to clean in an hours’ time.” – James
Get Strategic About Clean Times
“When I work from home, I take five-minute breaks every hour. It’s just enough time to do a small cleaning task, then get back to work.” – Ben
“Clean first thing in the morning, if it’s not done then, it will never happen.” – Christina
“Batch cleaning saves so much time! I do laundry only two days a week, and batch all of the washing, drying and folding into that time, then it’s done for the week.” – Georgie
“Do a little bit as you go into each room through the day. Makes it so quick to get on top of it!” –Philip
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