14+ Easy Cleaning Hacks People Use to Make Their Homes Look New Again

Cleaning can feel like a never-ending battle, but sometimes all it takes is one smart trick to completely change the game. In this article, we’re sharing real cleaning hacks people have used to restore their spaces, from tough stains to cluttered chaos. These simple, effective tips come straight from everyday experiences and prove that even the messiest rooms can be transformed.

“I have a fabric couch and a big dog, so my couch gets covered in lint and dog hair pretty quickly. After trying everything from lint rollers to vacuuming (with little success), I decided to try something unconventional: I used my husband’s electric razor.
The result? The couch looks almost brand new! It removed all the lint and dog hair effortlessly. I know this probably isn’t great for the fabric if done regularly, but it definitely gave my old couch a refreshed look. If you decide to give it a try, be cautious and test it on a small, hidden area first. For a quick fix, though, I can highly recommend it!”

• Declutter, declutter, declutter. Having fewer things to collect dust makes general cleaning so much easier, let alone the awful stuff like vents or behind heavy appliances. © WassupSassySquatch / Reddit
• Clean wearing a head torch — if it looks good under such good light, it’ll look hot under normal lighting. It’s great for finding cobwebs on walls/ceilings, too, as they throw an obvious shadow. © Dougalface / Reddit
• Pick something up when I leave the room. It helps keep the clutter down in any room, which shortens my clean times. © Royal-Bicycle-8147 / Reddit
• I have a little refillable scrub brush filled with blue dawn and vinegar that I’ll scrub my glass shower doors down with while I wait for conditioner to soak. I start a load of laundry before beginning cleaning. Toilet bowl cleaner in all toilets before cleaning.
  Never use a broom, always a vacuum and use horsehair attachment to dust, vacuum after mopping as well due to pet hair. © paytonaa / Reddit

Effortlessly remove a thick layer of fat from a frying pan: It seems that there is nothing more tiring than removing fat from a frying pan. But if you throw a dishwasher tablet into the pan, pour boiling water over it, and leave it for 30 minutes, you can save a lot of energy.
After that, pour the dirty water into the sink and wipe the pan with a sponge under running water. The remaining dirt will come off in a matter of seconds, leaving the pan nice and clean.

• When washing windows, wash one side of the window vertically and the other side horizontally. To remove streaks, there is no guessing which side they are on. Big time saver. © Blondechineeze / Reddit
• Do the worst/hardest/biggest chore first. That way, when looking around, you got the biggest bit done. The rest will feel easy, and you might as well bust it out real quick. This isn’t really a cleaning hack, but helps those of us that struggle with motivation. © Tolipop2 / Reddit
• Fighting oil with a sponge will just give you a greasy surface and a dirty sponge. Use paper towel first to remove most of the oil and then the sponge to finish it. © RobotWantsPony / Reddit
• We had a housekeeper once a week for a while when I was younger. My mom would have us tidy our rooms and common areas the night before, I never got it.
  Now that I’m older, I get it. My mom didn’t want the housekeeper to spend all her time moving things around so she could actually clean. My mom wanted her to do the stuff my mom didn’t have time for (and we were too young/irresponsible to do). Like vacuuming, dusting, cleaning windows, deep bathroom cleans etc.
  If you really want to pay someone to do little things like put away all your stuff, that’s your call. I’d much rather do that myself and pay someone to do the cleaning I don’t want to do. I mean, I can’t afford that right now, but someday I’ll never have to dust again. © muddyrose / Reddit

How to clean naturally with lemon and salt: If you’ve got a lemon and some salt, you’ve got a cleaner. Slice the lemon in half, dip it in coarse salt, and start scrubbing.
The acid from the lemon breaks down grime, grease, and stains. The salt adds grit, enough to lift the dirt without wrecking the surface. It works on sinks, cutting boards, stovetops, tubs, anything that looks gross and needs to not be.

• Cleaning my kitchen sink until it shines can instantly transform the entire look of the space. It will appear cleaner and more inviting. Since the sink is often the focal point of the kitchen, removing stains, crumbs, mineral deposits, and water spots restores its sleek, polished appearance.
  It completely elevates the room, a sparkling sink shows good hygiene and makes the whole kitchen feel brighter and more welcoming. Most people swipe down their kitchen counters and call it a day and completely sleep on this easy tip.
• Daily setting a 15-minute timer and doing what I can in that amount of time, whether that’s picking up/tidying/making the bed, or, if the house is tidy, actually cleaning. Even on days when I’m tired and don’t feel like doing anything, 15 minutes is doable (for me anyway). 15 minutes doesn’t seem like long, but it helps keep things under control. © Unknown author / Reddit
• If you have a huge pile of laundry to fold that is overwhelming you, fold the towels first. They are the bulkiest items, and the pile will get smaller very quickly. It helps with the mental aspect of reducing the overwhelmingness. © neuroundergrad / Reddit
• I was sick of not being able to see my floor, so I just spent an afternoon cleaning my room. I was surprised by how much better I felt, and I’ve never looked back. Now I usually clean it about once a week and I get excited for it too. It’s really nice coming home to a clean room after a long day! © Thebestwolfgang / Reddit

Use a squeegee to remove hair from carpets: A rubber squeegee, typically used for cleaning windows, can also be a great tool for lifting pet or human hair from carpets. Simply drag the squeegee across the carpet, and the rubber edge will pull up hair that’s embedded in the fibers, making it easy to collect and dispose of.

• When I did housekeeping during college, I noticed that many people neglect to take down their shower curtains periodically for washing. That’s the accumulation of body oils, fluids, etc. that has splashed off your body. You can disinfect and make a bathroom sparkle, however, the stench off the ripe curtain. © Unknown author / Reddit
• When cooking, clean as you go. Don’t dump things in the sink and leave them there. Just give it a scrub with the brush and rinse it out. That way you can cook a meal and have a nice clean kitchen at the end. © HappySparklyUnicorn / Reddit
• The company I used to work for taught us a whole system of how to clean a house. Work from left to right, top to bottom. As soon as you enter a room, start to the left of the entryway and move in sections about as wide as your arms are when spread open. Start at the top of that section.
  For example, if there is only a light switch in that section then you start there by dusting it, even wiping it down with a surface cleaner, then move down and dust the base board. This system really works in more complicates rooms like kitchens and bathrooms because it ensures you don’t miss a surface.
  Another tip is to always do your vacuuming last. As you clean each room you’ll probably be knocking dust and particles and whatnot onto the floor, so once the room has been dusted and surfaces have been wiped down you can finish off with a good vacuum. © Unknown author / Reddit

Cleaning can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling a busy life and a hectic work schedule. But a few smart, low-effort cleaning hacks can make a big difference and help keep your space in check.