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Get it done, and get it done fast.
No elbow grease required. You can also add lemons for a ~fresh scent~, but they're totally optional. (I promise this works — that's my microwave pictured above, and I've done it dozens of times since.)
This gets rid of any odor, although it won't unclog your garbage disposal — for that, you'll have to call a plumber. This is a product one of our readers recommends (see the review below), and it's available on Amazon, $9.55 for eight uses in a lemon scent.
Promising review: "Holy cow I didn't realize how easy and quick it was to clean a garbage disposal. I stumbled across this through a BuzzFeed article. Very simple instructions, literally takes five minutes and some hot water and VOILA! You have a clean, no-longer-stinky garbage disposal." —VadersGirl
I first heard about this from blogger Two Twenty One, who uses CLR (aka Calcium, Lime, Rust). A 28-ounce bottle is $4.77 on Amazon ($0.17/ounce), or you can get a one-gallon jug (128 ounces) for $19.38 ($0.15/ounce).
The key to speed here is the degreasing component — food oils and oils from your hands are a big part of what make dirt and dust accumulate in a kitchen, and this zaps those fast, minimal scrubbing required.
Goo Gone makes a well-reviewed degreaser you can get from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in two sizes). It's perfectly safe for all kinds of surfaces, including stainless steel and sealed stone and granite, but it's not recommended for anything that's painted or varnished — although one reviewer did have success with their greasy kitchen cabinets. (And no, you don't need to clean your oven on a speed clean day. But that pic shows you just how effective it is!)
You could use an all-purpose cleaner, a more natural vinegar and water dilution, or even just dish soap and your sponge instead, but those are all going to take both more elbow grease and more time to be just as effective as a degreaser spray would be. Because the degreaser's just a spray and wipe for most things! You just follow with a quick rinse of any food-contact surfaces.
If your appliance is particularly gross, you could use the degreaser *first*, then finish up with a spray designed especially for stainless. But for a regular amount of dirt and grime, stainless sprays work wonders. Just remember to wipe with the grain of your stainless to really shine it up!
Over 8,900 people have rated this $17.98 combo kit of spray, wipes, and a microfiber cloth from Weiman's five stars on Amazon; you can also get two big bottles of the spray for $18.98.
Microfiber cleaning cloths are nice because they don't leave fuzz behind — Amazon has a stack of 24 for $15.99 — but really a cut-up t-shirt works perfectly well, too.
There are a couple of dishwasher cleaners out there, but they all work similarly. You can get a six-pack of the one used in the photos above from Amazon for $5.38.
You can use it up to once a week or so; basically it cleans all the built-up coffee residue and oils from the brew chamber and the pour spout, which will keep your coffee tasting more like it's supposed to (especially if you switch between different coffees on a regular basis). It's also good to use right before a tea or hot chocolate K-Cup so you don't have any coffee flavor contaminating it. Note that you'll still have to occasionally do the vinegar descaling process — these don't touch the water chamber or the other inner parts that get the mineral buildup from water — but you can use this along with that for for a truly deep clean.
Get a pack of five from Amazon for $15.58.
You just insert it down your drain, twist it a few times via the handle, let the grabby micro-hooks on the tip (similar to Velcro) do their work on the stuck, clogging hair and debris. Then pull it up, and your sink will drain like it's new! Get one (with five included refills) on Amazon for $18.95.
The canister this brush comes with opens automatically when you lift up the brush, then closes when you set the brush back down. Use it with a toilet cleaner ($11.98 for two on Amazon), and after you're done scrubbing, trap the brush under the seat so it can drip-dry into the toilet, before you put it back in the canister.
I've had one of these brushes for almost five years now and haven't looked back! It functions flawlessly, and has enough air circulation that you don't even have to wait for the brush to be *completely* dry before plopping it back in the canister. The brush is very sturdy, has held up well to monthly-ish scrubbings, and TBH still looks brand new. You can get it from Amazon for $16.99 (also available in gray).
Basically it cleans just a little every time your toilet gets flushed. I used this all the time in college and it really does help prevent mildew and toilet rings. Once there's only a teensy bit of the gel left, you can use that to scrub things down, then add another dab. (Although if you have particularly hard or rusty water, you might need something stronger, like these drop-in tabs). A pack that will last up to eight weeks is $4.32 on Amazon.
Try to go in order of least-germy to germiest surface. Maybe: counter, faucet, toilet tank, top of toilet lid, toilet handle, sink, toilet seat. They won't disinfect unless you consistently wipe down the surface so it stays wet for four minutes or so, but they will eliminate dirt and grime with just a few seconds of work.
A pack of three containers of Clorox cleaning wipes is $9.98 from Amazon. Or if you want to go the waste-free route, mix up your own all-purpose cleaner in a spray bottle from this eucalyptus-scented concentrate bar, $9.49 on Amazon, and cut up a T-shirt you haven't worn in years into a few cleaning rags!
It'll also remove any rust stains from color-safe fabrics, among many other surfaces. (Some reviewers use it with a Magic Eraser, for extra oomph). Two bottles are $13.08 ($6.54 each) or three bottles are $19.99 ($6.66 each) on Amazon.
This product has over 6,000 five-star reviews for a reason: it does exactly what it says it does! But you should be prepared to put on your grown-up pants to use it.
Wear clothes you don't care about and open a window or run the fan so there's some ventilation — and let the room vent for a while even after you're done. Some reviewers recommend wearing (disposable) masks, gloves, and even protective eyewear, depending on how big of an area you want to treat. Avoid letting it come into contact with ammonia (the ingredient in many glass cleaners), because the combo is very toxic. Once it's done its job, remember to rinse it all away down the drain before you shower, and re-cap with the included screw cap so the chemicals don't degrade the sprayer.
Don't let all that scare you away though, if it's something you need — you just want to be safe about it, that's all! Plus just imagine how nice it'll be to have a mold-free bathroom again. It's $16.99 from Amazon.
This is DEFINITELY something I've done more than once. Friends coming over for a game night? Parents popping by to drop something off? Clean your sink, mirror, and toilet, and you'll be set. (This peachy shower curtain's $29 on Urban Outfitters.)
This is a tip that blogger Ask Anna Moseley (who pairs the cleanser with scouring pads, like these, $2.48 for a pack of 3 on Amazon) swears by, along with several Amazon reviewers.
Any version of BKF should work just fine, but some people swear the glass cooktop version does this particular task better; two bottles are $15.99 on Amazon (but if for any reason you wanted only one, you can get it for $10).
Well, you'll probably need to clean it thoroughly ONCE. Then start using this stuff.
This daily shower cleaner uses nontoxic ingredients to lift soap scum and other oils off your shower walls, so they actually get rinsed down the drain, instead of drying where they landed. It's sustainably produced in the USA in carbon-neutral, water-neutral and zero-waste facilities, and is EPA Safer Choice certified. Reviewers say that it's a solid replacement for the hard-to-find (and often marked up or only available in bulk) Method Daily Shower cleaner, and that it really does keep their shower clean with regular use.
Get two bottles from Amazon for $10.10.
They're made with 100% soy wax and an odor neutralizer and will stop your house from smelling like wet dog or cat litter, no cleaning required. Phew! Get one on Amazon for $21.99+ (available in 20 scents).
Spray it NOW — or even as a very first thing when you start cleaning — because it does have to sit for 30 minutes then be blotted up.
You can use it pretty much anywhere except fabrics marked with an "S" only: it's safe on all carpets and floors, plus works well on furniture, clothes, litter boxes, carriers, strollers, kennels, hardwood floors, concrete, and more. Reviewers say that it works on both old, dried messes and fresher ones. It's pricey, but over 55,000 people around the world have rated it five stars because it just. works. It's $19.97 for a 32-ounce bottle on Amazon.
If you want to read more, check out out our in-depth writeup on Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator.
Wine stain? What wine stain? All I see is a nice blanket.
This beaut of a botanical blanket's made by Throw Blanket Wall Art on Etsy, a small business based in New York that sells illustrated 100% cotton throw blankets like this one in 38 different designs, including customizable ones. It's $85.67.
I lived in a tiny studio for about five-ish years, and nothing made my entire space look more neat and put together than quickly straightening my sheets out a bit and throwing the quilt over them. It's the first thing I noticed when I came home in the evenings, and helped me ignore whatever other little mess I had going on elsewhere in the room.
Regular microfiber cloths can work perfectly fine for this — they'll attract dust like a magnet, instead of just brushing it into the air only to settle again later, the way a regular feather duster does.
Or if you have a larger space (with higher ceilings), you can try something like the pictured extendable microfiber duster set. It comes with two duster options that you can either use with a handle or the extending pole (which starts at 29 inches and telescopes up to 49 inches — potentially saving time if you're like me and would need a step stool for the higher bookshelves). It's $15.99 from Amazon.
I do this, and, y'all, it is soooo satisfying. From Creekline House.
Get a pack of five lint rollers on Amazon for $14.99.
Just spritz once or twice, squeegee, and watch it clump up. Then — when you get your vacuum out in a second — you can use that to suck up the clumps.
From CareaBearaSara. A similar squeegee is $10.99 on Amazon.
I've used one of these many times at my in-laws house and it's so quick and really does pick up like, all the dog hair. My sister also uses one and swears by it for picking up the small mountains of hair her pets (a dog and two bunnies) leave lying around. You open up the back to empty the hair out when you're done, and it's ready to reuse. Plus it literally lasts for years, even with daily use. It's $24.95 on Amazon.
If you don't already own one, this vacuum cleaner is powerful, inexpensive, and perfect for carpet or area rugs. There probably isn't a perfect vacuum, but this one has lots of great reviews, passes ReviewMeta, and is under $100, so I bet it's pretty good! Plus it'll do an even better job on wood, tile, and other hard floors than a broom or dust mop would — and with less effort, because it's designed to prevent dirt and crumbs from scattering as you vacuum.
It comes with a dusting brush, crevice tool, and extension wand that store onboard, so doing the stairs or drapes is simple. It's $97.84 from Amazon.
(I personally use and like the Miele Turbo Team, which I've had for almost three years now, but at $499 I wouldn't necessarily call it a starter vacuum).
This vac moves between hard floors and low-pile carpets/rugs without a glitch and can pick up all the accumulated dust, dirt, and hair left strewn about your home while you go do literally anything else. Get it on Amazon for $159.99 (available in two colors).
And if you're in the market for a good vacuum of any kind — full-size, stick vacs, robo vacs, and more — check out 15 Of The Best Vacuums That You Can Get On Amazon.