Admit it – your house could be cleaner. That's where we come in. Check out these tips and hints to get your house clean and keep it that way.
39 Cleaning Tips and Tricks to Make Your Home Shine
![Clean the Exhaust Fan](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/FH05NOV_EXHFAN_01.jpg)
Clean the Exhaust Fan
![Beat and Shake Area Rugs](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FH05MAY_CLEDUS_08.jpg)
Beat and Shake Area Rugs
![Do Air Cleaners Reduce Dusting?](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FH05MAY_CLEDUS_10.jpg)
Do Air Cleaners Reduce Dusting?
It’s also possible to make your own DIY portable air cleaner.
![Ditch Your Carpeting](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FH15MAR_DUSTME_11.jpg)
Ditch Your Carpeting
![Dust with Your Dryer](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FH15MAR_DUSTME_09.jpg)
Dust with Your Dryer
Psst! While you’re at it, check out these Reddit users sharing their best house cleaning hacks, too.
![Rotate Bedding Weekly](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FH05MAY_CLEDUS_06.jpg)
Rotate Bedding Weekly
![Synthetic Soap Simplifies Bathroom Cleaning](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MAR_2006_001_T_01-1.jpg)
Synthetic Soap Simplifies Bathroom Cleaning
![Clean the Air While You Clean the House](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH15MAR_DUSTME_13.jpg)
Clean the Air While You Clean the House
![Scuff Mark Eraser](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/JAU_2007_031_T_01.jpg)
Scuff Mark Eraser
![Buff Off Heavy Grime](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/FH13JUN_CLEABA_02.jpg)
Buff Off Heavy Grime
![Countertop Gap Filler](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/DJA_2007_025_T_01-1.jpg)
Countertop Gap Filler
![A Quick Cleaning Cures Skipping Discs](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/JAU_2005_002_T_01-1.jpg)
A Quick Cleaning Cures Skipping Discs
![Duster for the Vertically Challenged](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/APR_2003_007_T_01-1.jpg)
Duster for the Vertically Challenged
![Clean Grout With a Bleach Pen](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH13JUN_CLEABA_12.jpg)
Clean Grout With a Bleach Pen
![Remove Tough Grime With Less Scrubbing](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH13JUN_CLEABA_07.jpg)
Remove Tough Grime With Less Scrubbing
![Capture Dust - Don't Just Spread It Around](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FH05MAY_CLEDUS_07.jpg)
Capture Dust - Don't Just Spread It Around
![Clean with Microfiber Products](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FH15MAR_DUSTME_03.jpg)
Clean with Microfiber Products
![Make Your Own Greener Cleaning Solution](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH13JUN_CLEABA_08.jpg)
Make Your Own Greener Cleaning Solution
Professional housecleaner Maggie Orth likes to make her own cleaning products. Here's her recipe for an all-purpose cleaning solution, modified from a recipe she found in the book Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan (available from amazon.com).
In a 5-quart bucket, mix 1 cup of distilled vinegar, 3 tablespoons of borax, 1 gallon of hot water and 1/2 cup of soap (Maggie uses Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds). Maggie likes to add 10 or 15 drops of tea tree, lavender or lemon oil for a nice fragrance. Mix the ingredients and then pour some of the mixture into a spray bottle. Save the rest in a gallon jug. The raw ingredients will set you back $25 to $30, but you'll have enough to last for years!
Use this mixture to clean tile, countertops and painted woodwork. It's a good all-purpose cleaner, but it's not the best for cleaning glass. Maggie uses club soda to clean glass.
![Nylon Scrubber](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/MAY_2007_024_T_01.jpg)
Nylon Scrubber
![Ban Shoes Inside (But Offer Slippers)](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FH15MAR_DUSTME_12.jpg)
Ban Shoes Inside (But Offer Slippers)
![Clean a Sluggish Toilet](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/FH110110_003_SPDCNT_22.jpg)
Clean a Sluggish Toilet
![Bleach Away Stains](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MAR_2005_025_T_01.jpg)
Bleach Away Stains
![Polish with a Microfiber Cloth](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH13JUN_539_07_029.jpg)
Polish with a Microfiber Cloth
![Keep Closets Clear for Easy Cleaning](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH15MAR_DUSTME_04.jpg)
Keep Closets Clear for Easy Cleaning
- Box or bag items on closet shelves. Clear plastic containers are best—they lock fibers in and dust out and let you see what's inside. When you dust, they're easy to pull off the shelves and wipe clean.
- Enclose the clothes you rarely wear. Those coats you wear only in winter shed fibers year-round. Slip garment bags or large garbage bags over them. They help to contain fibers and keep the clothes themselves from becoming coated with dust.
- Keep closet floors clear. If the floor is cluttered, chances are you'll just bypass it while vacuuming. But a wide-open floor adds only a few seconds to the vacuuming chore. And a wire shelf lets you clear all those shoes off the floor without losing storage space.
![Microfiber Products Clean Faster, Easier and Better](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FEB_2007_003_T_02-1.jpg)
Microfiber Products Clean Faster, Easier and Better
Microfibers are tiny strands (usually less than one-tenth the thickness of a human hair) that are sliced into even smaller strands and then woven into fabric. Those tiny strands reach into crevices and provide millions of little pockets within the fabric to hold dirt particles. The strands also have sharp scouring edges, so microfiber cloths often clean effectively without chemicals or even water (you can use cleansers or water if you choose). Learn more about the science behind cleaning with microfiber cloths.
![Easier Bottle Cleaning](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/FEB_2003_025_T_01-1.jpg)
Easier Bottle Cleaning
![Make Cleaning Easier](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/DJA_2011_014_T_01.jpg)
Make Cleaning Easier
![Remove Tree Sap from Vinyl Siding](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/JAU_2006_004_T_01-1.jpg)
Remove Tree Sap from Vinyl Siding
![Make Your Own Greener Cleaning Solution](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH13JUN_CLEABA_08.jpg)
Make Your Own Greener Cleaning Solution
Professional housecleaner Maggie Orth likes to make her own cleaning products. Here's her recipe for an all-purpose cleaning solution, modified from a recipe she found in the book Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan (available from amazon.com).
In a 5-quart bucket, mix 1 cup of distilled vinegar, 3 tablespoons of borax, 1 gallon of hot water and 1/2 cup of soap (Maggie uses Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds). Maggie likes to add 10 or 15 drops of tea tree, lavender or lemon oil for a nice fragrance. Mix the ingredients and then pour some of the mixture into a spray bottle. Save the rest in a gallon jug. The raw ingredients will set you back $25 to $30, but you'll have enough to last for years!
Use this mixture to clean tile, countertops and painted woodwork. It's a good all-purpose cleaner, but it's not the best for cleaning glass. Maggie uses club soda to clean glass.
![Make the Most of Your Vacuuming](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH15MAR_DUSTME_07_08.jpg)
Make the Most of Your Vacuuming
- Vacuum high-traffic areas twice a week and the rest of the carpeting and large area rugs at least weekly.
- Make numerous slow passes over the same area in all directions (fast passes stir up more dust than is being sucked up).
- Use certified True High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters to remove invisible particles and allergens. Look for the word 'True" on the label.
- If you have allergies, upgrade to a sealed-body bagged vacuum with an airtight 'sealed filtration' system that works together with a True HEPA filter. This means all of the exhaust will exit through the HEPA filter instead of leaking dust back into your house through the machine's housing. Sealed-body vacuums have rubber seals or gaskets around the lid and filter and will last 10 to 20 years. Brands include Riccar, Miele and Sanitaire.
- Buy high-quality vacuum bags. Inexpensive 2- or 3-ply paper bags leak more dust. Higher-quality cotton-lined paper bags are better, and top-quality synthetic cotton HEPA bags are the best. Bag capacity matters too. Higher-capacity bags capture more, smaller particles that would have otherwise clogged the filter.
- Clean all your bagless vacuum filters regularly and replace them every three months.
- Turn off the agitator brush on hard flooring so you're not blowing dust into the air.
- Maintain your vacuum: Empty the canister frequently (always outside) and change bags and belts when needed. Keep the agitator brush free of hair and other material, and check the vacuum for cracks and loose hinges and get it serviced every so often to keep it running smoothly.
![Vacuum First, Then Scrub](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/FH13JUN_CLEABA_09.jpg)
Vacuum First, Then Scrub
![Install a Detachable Toilet Seat](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH13JUN_CLEABA_13.jpg)
Install a Detachable Toilet Seat
It seems like no matter how hard you try, you can never get the hinges on the toilet seat clean. There's always a bit of cleaning solution that seeps underneath and creeps out later. Installing a detachable toilet seat solves the problem. This Bemis brand seat is easy to remove by just twisting two hinge caps about a quarter of a turn. Then you have easy access to clean under the hinges. Detachable seats cost about $20. Installation is straightforward and only requires a wrench. Are your bolts rusted and stuck? Learn how to remove rusted toilet seat bolts here.
![Remove Stubborn Rust Stains With Acid Magic](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH13JUN_CLEABA_05.jpg)
Remove Stubborn Rust Stains With Acid Magic
![Remove Tough Stains from Vinyl Flooring](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/FH06MAY_468_06_049.jpg)
Remove Tough Stains from Vinyl Flooring
![Upgrade Your Furnace Filter](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH15MAR_DUSTME_05_06.jpg)
Upgrade Your Furnace Filter
![Protect Your Shower Doors From Mineral Buildup](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH13JUN_CLEABA_03.jpg)
Protect Your Shower Doors From Mineral Buildup
![Purify the Air](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FH15MAR_DUSTME_10.jpg)
Purify the Air
- Place air purifiers in your most-used rooms to help suck up dust before it settles. Choose air purifier units with True HEPA filters rather than ionic cleaners, which release ozone, a respiratory irritant.
- Add a plant to every room. Plants naturally absorb common indoor pollutants like benzene and formaldehyde. NASA studies have shown that many plants, including aloes, palms and ferns, can absorb as much as 80 percent of the formaldehyde in a room in 24 hours.
- Keep the humidity in your house between 40 and 50 percent to help lower static electricity, which can cause dust to stick to surfaces and make them harder to clean. A humidifier (cleaned regularly) and leafy indoor plants will both increase humidity levels. Just don't increase the level to more than 50 percent. This will promote the growth of mold, a far more dangerous condition than dust. You can monitor humidity levels with a cheap hydrometer from a gardening store.
- Keep your windows closed on windy days. Dust enters through doors and windows in the form of pollen, mold spores and airborne pollutants.
![Easier Grout Haze Cleanup](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MAR_2008_028_T_01-1.jpg)
Easier Grout Haze Cleanup
The thousands of microscopic fabric hooks on a microfiber cloth (available at discount stores) make it perfect to cut through the dried grout haze left after a tiling project. You'll still have to rinse and repeat, but the haze will clean up faster than it would with an ordinary rag.