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66 Cleaning Basics It's About Time You Learned

Step one: bookmark this post. Step two: immediately vacuum your mattress and try not to be disturbed at the amount of dust in the canister.

1. To start, clean every area from top to bottom so you don't have to re-clean what you've already done. That means dusting from the ceiling down — no one wants to sweep TWICE after de-fuzzing your fan.

2. And get your trim (and more!) dust-free in no time flat with the Baseboard Buddy, an As-Seen-On-TV gadget that'll come through for you if you're TIRED of all the dust that accumulates on your trim and baseboard every. single. day. This guy is lightweight and has an extendable telescoping handle and 360° swivel so you can wipe surfaces clean with the contoured microfiber head *without* having to bend over or get down on your hands and knees. 

a reviewer showing a dirty baseboard buddy pad
a before and after of a reviewer's once dusty baseboards

The kit comes with one Baseboard Buddy and three reusable pads which can be used wet or dry. And when the microfiber pad is dirty, just rinse and reuse!

Get it from Amazon for $24.99

Promising review: "Buy it NOW. Honestly, I had huge reservations for this thing. Yet another miracle cleaning tool that will break or bend or something. I was so wrong. It was easy to put together and I sprayed it with Mean Green and went to the baseboards. No more kneeling and no broken back. This thing is amazing. It is durable and the pad is super absorbent. I am so happy. I can't wait to do the rest of the house!" —artgirl

3. After dusting every surface in your home, ~keep~ your baseboards dust-free by rubbing a dryer sheet along them. It'll repel dust (and even pet hair) for a surprisingly long time!

A box of dryer sheets with arrows pointing to base boards

4. Remove every single pet hair from your couch, carpet, and more by running this pet hair remover over everything you own. It's a rolling brush, with no adhesive paper or tape needed, so you can use it again and again (and again and again).

5. And knock out pet or kiddo stains (these things happen to the best of us) with Folex carpet spot remover so you can banish wine stains, pet stains, and what-the-heck-even-is-that stains — WITHOUT rinsing or vacuuming.

6. Don't ~just~ wash your pillowcases, but also regularly wash your pillows themselves (at least twice a year!). You do spend hours with your face pressed against it, after all.

A blogger's before/after of yellowed pillows before, and clean, white pillows after

7. And wash and dry your pillows, duvet, towels, and clothes *without* ruining their perfect fluffiness by popping a prickly lil' pufferfish in the dryer with them.

One white and one blue pufferfish nestled in towels

8. Clean your ~cleaning machines~, too! Just run your washing machine on a hot setting with 1 or 2 cups of vinegar and wipe it out.

A collage showing the process of running vinegar through the machine (right in the detergent holder)

9. While you're at the ~machine cleaning~, sanitize your dishwasher by running it with a liquid cleaner and disinfectant designed to remove limescale, ruse, grease, and other nasty buildup so your machine runs more efficiently than ever. It even kills Salmonella and E. coli!

A product image of the inside of a dishwasher before (scaly and with white residue) and after (sparkling clean)

10. And speaking of dishes, for pots, pans, and everything else you hand wash — if you haven't tried Dawn Powerwash, you're making things too hard for yourself. It's a borderline magical spray-on dish soap that BLASTS through tough grease and baked-on messes so you don't "have" to let dishes "soak" in the sink overnight. Every dish will be done in record time.

a brand image showing regular dish soap not cutting through a pan's mess, but powerwash leaving a clean stripe behind
Amazon

Just spray on (don't add water until you rinse!) and wipe. I'm not joking when I say that the first time I used Dawn Powerwash on a lasagna pan, I almost cried. I will never be without it!

Get the starter kit (with one reusable spray bottle and one refill) from Amazon for $8.44.

Promising review: "I bought this stuff because my sister swears by it. I've seen the commercials and thought, yeah sure... But first off, the fresh scent smells amazing without being overpowering. Secondly, it cleans oily, greasy stuff like a dream! My husband used my stockpot on his grill burner, resulting it in being COVERED in black sooty stuff. And everything it touched also received a healthy dose of soot. I initially tried the normal Dawn dish soap and while it did clean it up, it was smearing it and not easy to clean. I pulled out this stuff, sprayed a bit on the pot. BOOM, it was literally clean. Seriously, awesome stuff." —Laura Pirkle

11. Learn exactly what products and potions remove the worst stains, so when your happy hour turns sad (i.e., when you spill red wine all over your favorite blouse), you know exactly what to do.

A chart of what removes which stains

12. And spray the toughest stains (hello food, sweat, and blood stains!) with Puracy's enzyme-based spot remover. It'll erase every trace of stain, without bleaching or fading any colors.

A BuzzFeed editor's shirt with a large orange stain on the left, and stain-free on the right

13. Get pollen, cobwebs, and other detritus off your window screens by passing a lint roller over it quickly.

14. Dust your blinds, air-conditioner vent, and more hard-to-reach areas with a three-part microfiber wand that gets 'er done quickly.

The wand cleaning four surfaces of Venetian blinds at once

15. But actually, microfiber cleaning cloths are your best friends when it comes to *streak-free* cleaning — use them on your car, stainless steel, countertops, wood furniture, floors (reusable Swiffer sweepers, anyone?) and wayyy more.

Three glass pendant lights: two that are cloudy and one that is clean

16. If you're looking for streak-free glass and mirrors, try Sprayway glass cleaner, which is reportedly the Very Best glass cleaner – unlike liquid formulas, the spray-on foam actually *stays in place* where you spray it to make away wiping streaks and dust easier than ever.

Get a pack of three cans from Amazon for $8.07.

Promising review: "I will never buy another glass cleaner! It works amazingly! No streaks or smears, very easy to use. It's foam and you only have to go over the glass one TIME. I don’t like the scent, but it doesn’t linger long. I introduced this product to my family and friends and everyone loves it. I’ve never been more excited about a glass cleaner! Trust me, it’s worth it." —george P.

17. Shine up your wood furniture and banish those water marks and rings by rubbing in a Feed-N-Wax Wood conditioner that'll basically erase years of damage. It polishes beautifully, bringing out the natural color and sheen of your pieces — whether the wood is finished or unfinished — *and* adds a layer of protection.

A review photo before and after of a table covered with grime and drink rings, and polished and shiny after

18. And maintain both wood and leather furniture (and other leather goods) with a cleaning balm made with beeswax, olive and coconut oils, and grapefruit essential oil — it's food safe, so you can even use it to condition your cutting board!

The tin of wood and leather balm

19. Conquer the scariest bathroom messes with mold and mildew removing gel, because you don't need to get your whole shower redone when this is in your life. Just squeeze out and let this non-drip gel work its magic overnight — NO s c r u b b i n g.

A reviewer's shower before and after with lots of black residue and grout staining removed, with five stars and text "magic in a bottle"

20. For extra scrubbing power, try a toothbrush-like Oxo brush duo with an ergonomic grip and stiff bristles that do the heavy lifting for you.

21. Powerfully clean your toilet — without having to keep a gross toilet brush and all the germs sitting on the brush head — by using a Clorox toilet wand with disposable scrubby heads *preloaded* with cleaner so you can clean the whole bowl with one hand — and *one* product.

22. And hey, if you're wanting to clean that toilet but are *also* looking to go greener (and not throw something away every time you clean it) I'm here for you. Try a pack of these adorable toilet cleaning bombs you can drop in, watch the ~fizzing action~ and then scrub away with your usual toilet brush.

The lavender flower-shaped cleaning balls

23. But if it's already too late for some of those stains (looking at you, hard water!), use a special pumice stick that removes stains without damaging the porcelain.

On the left: A review image of a toilet with many brown stains; on the right: The same toilet sparkling clean

24. Get the grossest bathroom scrubbing D O N E in record time with a set of three scrubbing attachments you simply add to any power drill to make cleaning your tub, floor, appliances, or even the wheels of your car ridiculously fast and easy.

25. Wax off those water spots and fingerprints and wax on a layer of protection by rubbing some ~wax paper~ on your faucets.

26. Harness your laziness and descale your showerhead while you watch Netflix. Just fill a plastic bag with vinegar and lemon essential oil and let it sit!

A scaly shower head inside a baggie filled with the mixture to sit and wait

27. Keep your shower clean and mildew-free by spraying a 🙌 no-scrub, no-wipe 🙌 Wet & Forget cleaner once a week — it even helps prevent soap scum buildup over time.

28. Or hang a dish brush filled with a vinegar-and-dish soap solution in the shower with you for a no-brainer cleaning while the conditioner sits in your hair.

A dish brush hanging on a shower caddy between cleanings

29. Unclog your drain by alternating vinegar, baking soda, and boiling water to blast out whatever's blocking up your pipes.

An infographic with the steps for unclogging: pour in half a cup of vinegar, half a box of baking soda, plug the drain until the fizzing stops, then wait 30 minutes and pour boiling water down

30. Or if your hair clog is too powerful for that classic science fair combo, try a drain snake with over 4,000 micro hooks and a slim design to shimmy down any drain (you don't even need to remove the cover) and snag all the hairs and goop that's clogging the system — in one quick pull.

(But really just buy a TubShroom, everyone)

The Tubshroom in green being removed from a drain

31. Keep Bar Keeper's Friend Soft Cleanser in your house (it's pre-mixed so it makes less of a mess than the original powder). Seriously. It works on SO. MANY. SURFACES — sinks, cookware, stainless steel, faucets, countertops, tubs, toilets, grout, and more — so you can get to work and see results with only one product.

A review image of a marked-up porcelain sink before cleaning, and the after of the same sink looking spotless after cleaning

32. AND for any other miscellaneous messes, try The Pink Stuff, a TikTok- (and reviewer-) beloved cleaning product that basically...works miracles! Name your mess, and this mildly abrasive paste will take care of business — including but not limited to bathroom tiles, sinks, stove tops, painted walls, grills, and outdoor furniture.

A reviewer's oven before/after cleaning, showing baked on brown stains being removed

33. And for everyday jobs, keep an all-in-one cleaning concentrate you can dilute and use on just about everything — floors, countertops, dishes, windows, laundry, and more — so you don't have to keep swapping out bottles in your linen closet.

A reviewer's spray bottle and refill

34. And stock your pantry with another multitasking whiz: the Scrub Daddy sponge, because it is one of the all time greatest Shark Tank hits for a reason. All the Sharks (except Lori of course) may have laughed at first, but this smiley lil' guy just plain works on whatever mess you need to clean up — and almost 50,000 5-star reviewers agree.

35. If your kitchen sink has seen better days (or you're tired of cleaning stuck-on food seemingly every day), try Hope's sink cleaner and polish, which is formulated to use on stainless steel AND porcelain sinks (plus cast iron, corian, acrylic, and more). It can help restore that just-like-new shine *and* protect against further staining and damage so you don't have to clean quite as often — all in the time it takes for your morning Eggo to toast.

A reviewer's stainless steel sink with staining and the word
The same sink clean and shiny with text

I bought this for my white porcelain kitchen sink and I've since texted five people about it, which is really a lot for such a boring grown-up product. It cleans beautifully, but the *best* is its ability to repel stains after cleaning. You know that thing when you rinse out your coffee cup and the coffee water just lingers in your sink and you have to purposefully rinse it out for two minutes? You don't have to do that — the coffee can't stick to the sink and just goes RIGHT down the drain. Time saved, sink clean — this is really a Virgo dream product right here.

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

Promising review: "This product was recommended by a woman who was cleaning the displays in the shop that I bought my plumbing and sink from. She is a professional cleaner. I just love this stuff. It’s easy to use and my sink looks great and stays clean for a long time. It gives a waterproof coating that water just beads off of. It smells really good too, very soft nice, not overwhelming." —Valerie

36. Touch up messes or everyday dust with a super-lightweight vacuum that converts to a hand vac *and* a shorter stair vac.

37. And if you have pets, opt for a vacuum that was *designed with them in mind*, like Bissel's Cleanview bagless vacuum with a specialized brush roll for picking up embedded pet (and human) hair, powerful suction on carpet and hard floors, and an easy-empty tank so you don't have to (gag) touch all of that icky stuff.

The vacuum filled with pet hair and dust with five stars and review text "holy forking shirtballs you guys!"

38. Or if you can't seem to keep up with the dust and messes, let a Roomba robot vacuum do the work *for* you, navigating around your home, picking up dirt, dust, crumbs, and pet hair so you can sit back and relax — and it even works with Alexa and Google Assistant so you can control it with your voice!

A reviewer's roomba with five-star reviewer text
A reviewer's trash full of dust and pet hair

It runs for up to 90 minutes before automatically heading to the dock to recharge.

Get it from Amazon for $170 (currently majorly on sale from the original price of $299!).

Promising review: "So far it is amazing! It picks up SO much dirt and hair. We have three dogs and a cat and my floors are spotless. We decided to get this cheaper one to see if it was something that would work for us and I am amazed! For the first week, we let it run everyday. We made sure we picked everything up and it only got stuck one time and that was because it went behind our couch that had been moved out accident. During week two, I did the maintenance on it and it was super simple. We use it every other day and have it schedule to run just before we get home. This thing even picks up cat litter! If you are on the fence, try it. Has made my life so much easier not having to sweep everyday!" —Kathryn P.

39. Keep your vacuum efficient as heck by cleaning the bristles with a seam ripper.

A reviewer using the seam ripper to cut through hair wrapped around their vacuum roller with five stars and text "I'm no seamstress, but I do vacuum up a lot of hair"

40. Make cleaning your light fixtures (when was the last time we all cleaned those??) with a crystal chandelier cleaner with a DRIP-DRY formula. That's right! You spray it on...and let it drip... No wiping needed!

before photo of a reviewer's dingy chandelier
after photo of the same chandelier looking brighter and cleaner

And it's designed not to tarnish the metal on your light fixtures either. Just make sure your fixture is off and the bulbs are cool, then spray a generous amount on — you can place a towel underneath to catch any drips, and you're done!

Get it from Amazon for $22.89.

Promising review: "Works as promised. Our one year old crystal chandelier was looking a bit shabby. Sprayed on and could begin seeing results as it dripped off and dried." —Nancy T

41. If you have hardwood floors that have just lost their *sparkle*, reviewers say you can't go wrong with a bottle of almond-scented Method hardwood floor cleaner to make your floors look shiny and smell fantastic (seriously, people looooove the smell) — just squirt and mop, no rinsing needed!

42. Freshen up and sharpen your garbage disposal by tossing in homemade frozen tablets made with vinegar and sliced lemons and limes.

The tablets, which are ice cube–size and have chunks of lemon and lime

43. Or buy Glisten garbage disposal tabs to foam out the built-up gunk and bad odors — no DIY required.

A reviewer's sink with blue foam bubbling out of the drain

44. Remove every single crumb lodged in your keyboard by blasting it with canned air designed for electronics.

The cans of Dust-Off

45. Clean the speakers of your AirPods with a unique cleaning putty, because how often do you put your headphones riiiight in your ear without even looking at them 👀? These remove any dirt, earwax, or other gunk that's accumulated on your AirPods — and can even improve the sound and how quickly your phone pairs with them!

Blue square with lots of ear wax on it that was removed from a reviewer's AirPod speaker

46. While you're at it, clean your phone. You can make your own disinfecting spray with water and 70% isopropyl alcohol.

47. Or do as I do and try a Phone Soap UV sanitizer you can just toss your phone in when you get home — it kills 99.9% of germs with a built-in UV-C light (and charges your phone at the same time).

The PhoneSoap with a phone inside

48. Remove the product buildup from your curling iron and other hair tools with a combo of baking soda, rubbing alcohol, an old toothbrush, and some sudsy water.

BuzzFeed's before and after of a stained, residue-covered curling iron pre-cleaning, and the same tool after looking shiny and new

49. Easily (and kind of fun-ly!) clean your car air conditioner vents, laptop keyboard, cupholders, remote buttons, and any other tricky little areas where dust and crumbs accumulate with a cleaning putty any time you have a few spare moments.

Model using the putty to clean out an air vent

50. And knock out lingering car smells with a Chemical Guys' foaming carpet shampoo (you can use it on your car upholstery too!), whether you're carting around messy kids, keep your gym gear in the back seat, or stop for french fries and don't want your car smelling like McDonald's forever.

A reviewer's car carpets looking brown and dirty before and brand new back to their original black color after

51. Refresh your mattress with a combo of baking soda and lavender essential oil; just sprinkle, sit, and then vacuum it up.

52. Shine up your stainless steel with a can of Pledge.

A before and after of a stained dishwasher before, and shiny dishwasher after using the Pledge

53. Or try a plant-based stainless steel cleaner to remove streaks, marks, and fingerprints from all of your appliances with one wipe of the included microfiber cloth.

A review image of a super shiny stainless steel fridge

54. If you've...maybe never cleaned your Keurig before...that's ok, because K-Cup cleaning pods are here to help! Just run one through, and you'll be shocked at how much gross-looking water comes out — and at how much better your morning coffee tastes.

three cups of dirty water that get progressively cleaner with each rinse
reviewer image of cleaning K-cup placed inside Keurig

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $9.95.

Promising review: "OK, so these cleaner pods are awesome! I didn't know how gross our Keurig was until today. The big mason jar on the left is when I actually ran the cleaner through plus one rinse cycle. The middle one is another rinse cycle and the last one, on the right, is the last one I did. So yes, I would suggest running two or three rinse cycles instead of the recommended one. But it's still an awesome product for the price! I have a 2.0 and I had no issues." —Mads0421

55. Let your dish sponges drain in an unobtrusive basket that attaches right to your sink, keeping them cleaner and bacteria-free for longer.

A sponge in the clear holder with square holes

56. And then when they get funky, just pop your sponge in the microwave for two minutes to disinfect.

A sponge in a microwave

57. Wipe away food and grease that's stuck on your microwave with ease — just heat up 1/2 cup of water and some lemon juice for three minutes.

A graphic of several images showing the dirty microwave, a lemon squeezed in a bowl, and the clean microwave

58. And scrub your makeup brushes up with a plant-based, paraben-free shampoo so you can feel good about *finally* washing caked-on foundation out of your favorite tools without irritating sensitive skin or leaving behind residue. The formula'll even leave the bristles soft and conditioned.

59. Get your water bottle extra clean with these little scrubbing beans — just toss one in and shake it up!

60. And deep clean that borderline-foul travel mug you can't bear to look into. Just drop in a Bottle Bright tablets that'll deep clean your thermoses and on-the-go bottles — no scrubbing required. These'll get into all those hard-to-reach spaces and remove *all* the gunk.

61. Whip up a gentle and nonacidic spray for your granite using just dish soap, water, and alcohol.

62. But don't *just* stick to your counters. You might think your stovetop is dirty forever, but break out a Cerama-Bryte cooktop cleaning kit, which includes cooktop cleaning solution, a scrubbing pad, and a scraper so you can absolutely remove every bit of baked- and caked-on food from any smooth range — no matter how long it's been there.

63. Deep cleaning your retainer or Invisalign is easier than you think! Just drop a dental appliance cleaning tablet into a glass of warm water, along with your retainer, Invisalign, dentures, mouth guards, TMJ devices, etc. to remove odor, buildup, and other gunk. It can even kill bacteria and remove staining!

Reviewer's Invisalign, which look slightly yellow
The same Invisalign looking significantly cleaner

Get 120 tablets from Amazon for $17.19 (also available in a 240-pack).

Promising review: "I really wish I took a before photo so I could compare to an after photo, but I was so embarrassed by the state of my retainer before using this. I've had my plastic overnight retainer for YEARS and at some point at least 8 years ago, I started to get lazy about properly washing it. I would just rinse it and occasionally scrub with my toothbrush, and I allowed an [amazing] amount of plaque to build up on it and it was disgustingly yellow. Well, after just two tablets, this retainer is looking AMAZING. I let it soak from the morning when I brushed my teeth until night when it was time to wear my retainer again, and the color after just one soak was amazingly improved. I picked away some of the plaque as well, since it seemed to be loosened by soaking in this product. After two more tablets, this thing is looking like a whole new retainer. I can't believe it. I seriously thought my retainer was beyond saving. This product is AMAZING I can't say enough." —ANDCosplay

64. Get the sides of your house, your patio, or your sidewalk (and more!) cleaner than ever before with a deeply satisfying power washer. This compact Sun Joe one includes an extension wand, high-pressure hose, and 35-foot power cord for any of your outdoor cleaning needs.

65. And for set-in stains, try Chomp!, a stain remover designed to pull up annoying oil- and petroleum-based messes from concrete and brick, so your outdoor space looks refreshed! Just cover the stain, let dry, and you'll be able to brush it away (like chalk dust!) to find the stain gone.

A large stain on reviewer's paver stones, plus a clean test spot
After image showing no more stain

Get it from Amazon for $17.97.

Promising review: "I went in skeptical, I'm not going to lie. We had grease spilled on our brand new paver patio and I tried dawn and the Dawn power wash. Neither touched it. The grease had been sitting for a few weeks and I saw an ad for this stuff. I ordered it to try because why not? Well I'll be damned because this took the spots right up! No evidence we ever spilled anything! Id buy it again." —Susan

66. And if you, like I, love crossing something off a to-do list (or don't want to spend ALL DAY cleaning and want to do a little something every day) follow an easy, printable cleaning checklist so you can tackle one room every day.

The checklist broken down by day

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.