29 Cleaning Hacks That Literally Every Young Adult Should Know

BRB, stocking up on vinegar and baking soda.

Hi, I'm Hannah, and I'm AWFUL at cleaning!

Fox

So I recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to share their favorite tips and tricks — and now I'm here to share the best ones with you! Buckle up and pull out the Windex: here are the cleaning hacks that everyone should know!

1. Baking soda is good for everything...

Atlantic Records

"Baking soda cleans everything. Wine stain? Baking soda. Stuck on grease? Baking soda. Blackhead strip? Baking soda."

—annavartan

2. ...but especially stoves.

Netflix

"For a flat-top stove, sprinkle baking soda on the surface and then put warm damp dish towels on top. Leave for 15ish minutes (I like to do this first and then do dishes and wipe down the counters while it sits). Then just wipe down the surface with the same towels and all that hardened crude will wipe right off! And you can put the towels straight in the washing machine without worrying about harsh chemicals mixing in!"

—knr8269

3. Leave whitening toothpaste on hair dye stains you get on your sink or counter overnight to make them disappear.

Harpazo_hope / Getty Images

"As someone who home dyes my hair in an apartment with white ceramic sinks, leave some whitening toothpaste on the dye stain overnight, then wipe off with a damp washcloth and the color should lift out!"

—i40cfc2e16

4. Lint rollers can be used to clean not only clothing, but also couches, blinds, and lamp shades.

CBS

—frayleah

5. Use a Magic Eraser to get scuffs and stains off of shoes.

Nickelodeon

"Magic Erasers and shoes. I favor wearing white shoes, it's just always been my style. I wish I had known that a little water and Magic Eraser can fix it fast."

—ankataye

Get a 4-count box of Magic Erasers for $4.99 from Target.

6. Use Saran Wrap on top of high-up surfaces (like the top of your refrigerator) to make them easy to clean.

Fleeting Blank Slate / Getty Images

"Put Saran wrap on top of kitchen cabinets and top of the refrigerator! [It] traps all the dust — then just remove, replace and toss!"

—bronsick

7. Hydrogen peroxide removes blood stains from clothes.

20th Century Fox

"Hydrogen peroxide removes blood stains from clothes...this is especially useful during that time of the month for people who have periods!"

—hannahrosep46c525402

8. Pillowcases are perfect for cleaning ceiling fans.

CBS

"I take a pillow case and use it to clean my ceiling fans. Slip the fan blade into the pillow case and wipe!! The pillow case collects all the dust and it doesn’t fall off to the floor...Takes like a minute to dust the fans and you toss the case into the wash, then done."

—danielleharper17

9. Clean rags you used to clean up pet messes with ammonia.

Getty

"If you use rags to clean up any pet messes, wash in hot water and add a half cup of ammonia. Gets rid of any smells."

—jandyd

10. Use a brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner instead of wiping dust off with a wet cloth.

NBC

"The vacuum cleaner is WAY easier than a wet cloth. Just put one of those brush things on it and just vacuum the dust away. That way the dust is actually gone and it didn't just end up in another part of the house."

—fall_vapor_knj

11. Microwave vinegar or lemon mixed with water to making cleaning your microwave easier.

Dimension Films

"Microwave a bowl of water with a splash of white vinegar for a minute or two and all the gunk will wipe right off."

—randocalrissian

"Don't waste your money on the angry momma microwave contraption. Boil water and lemon juice [for] four minutes in microwave, [then] let sit for five minutes and everything wipes clean."

—hairgoddess35

12. Let a couple drops of Dawn dish soap mixed with water sit in grease-soaked pans to get them ready to wash.

Ron Adar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

"When you have chicken and you put it in a glass baking pan and there is grease all over the bottom from the chicken, pour hot water in and then 2 or so drops of Dawn dish soap. It will move the grease to the sides of the pan and slowly fight the grease on the bottom until you can wash the dish!"

—soccer-queen11

13. Don't use too much laundry detergent when washing clothes.

CBS

"Using too much laundry detergent will leave residue, so less is actually better."

—kngreyh

14. Cheap vodka can work wonders on eliminating odors.

TV Land

"Spraying your clothes with cheap vodka can help get rid of stubborn odors! Whether it’s that thrift store smell, cigarette smoke, or too much fabric softener, it’s been my go to. Usually I’ll spray them down then wash, but it works the other way too."

—alys4b4e83fd5

15. Bar Keepers Friend can make stainless steel pots and pans look brand-new.

Target

"Bar Keepers Friend is a lifesaver. I am not exaggerating. I wish someone told me about it earlier! My stainless steal pots and pains look brand-new after a good scrub with it; it’s amazing."

—feliciam4fcc173df

"For tougher jobs on porcelain, stainless steel, tile, etc., the Bar Keepers Friend soft cleanser works so well. Got so much scum out of the bathtub and made my stovetop look brand-new!"

—jkrosenfield

Get Bar Keepers Friend for $1.69 from Target.

16. You don't actually need to clean everything super well...

Fox

"While keeping contamination/food safety in mind, not every single dish has to be scrubbed with a sponge and soap. Often pots and pans can just be wiped with a paper towel; plates and cups sometimes just need a little rinse with water but no scrubbing or soap required. This may not work if you have a large family, but for a single person or a couple this dishes hack is the best."

—petras457ae7f3f

17. ...especially when it comes to clothing!

Paramount Pictures

"DO NOT OVERWASH YOUR CLOTHES. I learned this very recently and it has helped me a lot. I used to be the kind of person who would wash any clothes that I wore even for like 15 minutes or any bed sheet or cover that was not currently in use, but still outside the cupboards. Basically I just didn't like putting clothes back in cupboards without washing them once and I also don't like to leave my clothes in my room as they would only create mess. I had the dumb idea that if they touched clean clothes, they would dirty them as well. I have only recently arranged my small cupboard in this way...there are two parts of it. One contains absolutely clean clothes. While the other contains clothes that are still clean but I have worn or used for a small time. I still have a manual washing machine (yes it stills exists) and doing this made my laundry routine so easy. It also made folding and ironing easy and keeps my clothes new for a long time."

—s4bb472acb

18. Clean as you go.

Nickelodeon

"I clean as I go when it comes to the countertops. While something is cooking, I’ll wipe up any mess made by preparation, and sanitize the other areas in the kitchen. It feels like less work when I don’t save all my cleaning for one day."

—anda_panda

"What’s going to save you the most time, effort, and money is preventive care for your home. Tired of buildup on your shower tile and door? Squeegee it down after a shower. Tired of the gunk around the faucets? After brushing your teeth or washing dishes (in those respective sinks) use a washcloth to dry it off. Sick of trying every method to get hair out of your shower drain? Get a drain protector that doesn’t let the hair even go down in the first place and clean out after your shower (my personal favorite is the OXO one for drain covers that pop up). Changes like this make a world of difference."

—jandyd

Get the OXO drain protector for $8.99 from Target.

19. Coca-Cola can be used to clean stains on kitchen counters.

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

"If you are hyper-allergic to most cleaners and soaps, like me, but get stains on the kitchen counter, you can use Coca-Cola first to clean the stain and then simply use hot water and a sponge to clean up the sticky gunk left over."

—stylishpenguin64

20. Use vinegar, water, and dish soap to clean windows instead of buying a window cleaner.

Fox

"For cleaning windows, use a mix of vinegar, water, and a couple drops of dish soap and put it in a spray bottle and clean! I’ve been doing this with my family for as long as I can remember, and our windows always look great!"

—soccer-queen11

21. Or if you do use a window cleaner like Windex, use it with some junk mail or newspapers to avoid streaks!

IFC Films

"Save your junk mail and newspaper: use with Windex on mirrors/glass to get less streaks!"

—swirlique

22. Use a mixture of baking powder, vinegar, and hot water to clean a clogged drain.

MTV

"If you have a clogged drain, use baking powder and vinegar and hot water to clean it (or at least get the gunk to move a bit). Pour the baking soda around and in the drain, then put the vinegar in and close the drain. After you can’t hear the bubbling, pour the hot water in to see if anything comes out or moves. Get tweezers or a sink snake to get the gunk out and your sink will be good as new!!"

—soccer-queen11

23. Vinegar can also be used to get stains and smells off Tupperware.

Carol Yepes / Getty Images

"White vinegar to get smells out of plastic!!! Just soak it in white vinegar overnight, no more smells! No more tossing good containers just because you left it in the fridge with moldy food, no more throwing away sippy cups you discover under the couch!"

—lkbucio

24. Actually, you can use vinegar for pretty much everything...

La Bicicleta Vermella / Getty Images

"Vinegar for everything. Windows streaky? Vinegar. Stains on the carpet? Vinegar. Smells you can’t get rid of? Vinegar."

—linzemae

25. ...including cleaning your coffee machine.

D3sign / Getty Images

"Also great way to clean your coffee machine! Put about a cup [of vinegar] in and fill the rest with water. Brew a pot and stop it halfway through for about 30 minutes, to let it sit in the lines, and then brew the rest. Brew it with plain water two more times and you have a clean coffee maker! I do this for both the pot side and the Keurig side."

—knr8269

26. You can also use a powder dish cleaner to clean almost anything.

ABC

"One dish cleaner, especially if it is in powder form, can clean everything in your house. From bathroom to kitchen, to other miscellaneous items that you never know how to clean, can be cleaned by that cleaner. No need for buying fancy cleaners. Also if the outsides of any electronic appliance have any stubborn stain, just use the powder with a wet cloth, scrub a little and then clean with clean wet cloth and stain will completely disappear. I even used the same powder to clean my wooden doors, which have glossy paint on them."

—s4bb472acb

27. Baking soda and vinegar make a paste that's great for scrubbing.

Disney

"I love using the baking soda and vinegar combo for cleaning, especially cleaning drains and soap scum. It foams and also makes a paste that’s great for scrubbing."

—jkrosenfield

28. Be SUPER CAREFUL about mixing chemicals.

AMC

"Mixing chemicals. I used to think it would be stronger, but it isn't that much better, and it's SUPER dangerous. Find one good product and use it alone. Make smart investments."

—eftyhiagalanis

"My main tip for those cleaning at home, especially using home remedies and such, is RESEARCH. Some of these chemicals can KILL YOU if you mix them, so please make sure what you are using is safe before you do anything!"

—bananacustardcostuming

29. And finally, if it all gets to be too much — don't be afraid to hire a cleaning service!

20th Century Fox

"My advice — don't be afraid to hire a cleaning service! For the most part, I clean my own place, but I've found that how clean my place is correlates to my mental health. If I'm really struggling for motivation, I'll hire a service to come do it for me. I come home to a clean home and it lifts my mood so, so much. I cannot recommend it enough. Also, many companies are on Groupon."

—imadethisjustforthisarticle

Got any more cleaning tips and hacks? Let us know in the comments!

Note: Submissions have been edited for length/clarity.