15+ Time-Tested Cleaning Tricks That Are More Effective Than Ultra Modern Cleaning Products

Few people like to deal with cleaning, especially when it comes to removing stains from the toilet, clothes, or furniture. Luckily, various cleaning products are now available in supermarkets to help you with this. However, some of them can be quite expensive. So, the Internet users shared their time-tested cleaning tricks online.

And in the bonus section, you’ll find out why you need to think twice before start cleaning.

“I used the overnight vinegar hack to clean a decade’s worth of scaling on the shower chain.”

“You basically pour distilled white vinegar into a small Ziplock, submerge the affected area and tie it with a rubber band overnight. Then I used a scrub daddy and wiped off excess stuff in the morning and voila, nearly brand new shower head chain. I used it on faucets around the house too, beautiful results. Only warning: the vinegar can eat through cheaper steel.”

• That’s a decade worth of scale? Mine looks like that after a month even with a water softener. © Kreyaloril / Reddit

“Tips for how to care for my vintage porcelain sink?”

“Are there any chemicals I should be avoiding? I was planning on just using a vinegar/water spray, dish soap, baking soda and some soft scrub.”

• That is a beautiful sink. Use gentle dish soap on it. That’s what my great grandma used on hers. It wasn’t as beautiful as yours, hers had just plain ivy. She also used a leather car chamois on hers after every use. © FairyRogue / Reddit

“Why are my supposedly clean, machine washed towels this dirty?”

• Do you have hard water? If you have hard water, do you have a water softener? Hard water reduces the effectiveness of detergent substantially. Hard water can also contain a lot of dissolved iron, which can build up on fabrics and water-using appliances and fixtures. I’ve found that adding a cup of regular ammonia to the wash cycle gets towels cleaner and doesn’t harm fabrics like bleach does. It works well to break down grease and dirt and leaves towels soft and fluffy. I use plain ammonia or sometimes the lemon-scented kind. You can also pre-spray areas before you wash, ammonia is excellent on sweat stains. It doesn’t leave any lingering odor after washing. © Amandersaurus / Reddit

“Seems my lunch soup leaked onto my leather chair. Tips for stain removal?”

• Use a dry cloth and gently dab (never rub), When the excess liquid has been blotted up, blot the water with a clean, dry cloth, and then let the leather air dry. Once it’s dry, you can condition it with a leather conditioner to help restore its natural oils. 24-48 hours to dry. Stop eating lunch at your desk. © optix_clear / Reddit

“The dog has emptied his anal glands on the sofa. I’ve put all the covers in the wash, but the smell is still lingering on the yellow cushions.”

• When my cat had a liquid poops tantrum on all 3 cushions of my couch, I thought my life was ending, it was like he not only pooped on my couch but also on my heart. I mixed dish soap with hydrogen peroxide, scrubbed it, dusted it with baking soda and then let it dry in the sun. The cushions were saved, hooray! © Onamonapeeonya / Reddit

“How do I clean this? In the kitchen. Caked on grease and dust.”

• Take the blades down first. Then use a paint scraper with a razor blade to get the heavy stuff. Then spray a degreaser. © Scoginsbitch / Reddit
• Spray them with cooking oil, let the oil sit for 15 and then use the pillow case method. Oil because “like dissolves like” and it’ll be way easier than going straight for the degreaser. © pontoponyo / Reddit

“These have been through 3 cycles in the washer! What now?”

• Squirt some dish soap on a toothbrush/nail brush and gently scrub it into the pile. Let it sit for a day. Rewet when putting into washer. Works better than the “special” stuff. © oldrivets / Reddit
• I think cold water will help lift the stains better than hot. Counter-intuitive, but that’s what I seem to see advised. © Whirloq / Reddit

“How could I remove these stains? My fiance washed my silk dress that is over 20 years old. It caused the red to leak all over the dress.”

• Read the label. Dab the stained area with white vinegar. Wash by hand with Orvus horse shampoo. Lay flat on a towel to dry. Steam it to get the wrinkles out. Unfortunately, the stain is due to dye that was used to permanently impart color on silk. It is unlikely even a professional could get this stain out. © mongoose_eater / Reddit

“Many people are asking what products to use for grease on top of cabinets. Here is how I do it with a window scraper.”

• If the cabinets are not coated with paint or wood varnish, but have a plastic laminate or “hardened cardboard” surface, you can apply a weak solution of sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide with a cloth. The oil gets dissolved very quickly, but of course the paint will come off too. © Jason_Peterson / Reddit

Just look at these professional tricks that can help you clean your house much faster.

“I’ve cleaned my shower 3 times, but there’s still black and brown stuff between the tiles. Any advice?”

• I work as a residential cleaner and one of my clients taught me a trick that has never failed me. So, first you need 4 things; 2 of which are personal protective equipment: a face mask, rubber gloves, bleach, and paper towel ( preferably a durable kind). Have a window open or fan for ventilation. I would put a medium size container with some bleach inside and take a sheet of paper towel, twist it up to look like a stick. dip it inside the bleach till saturated, then press the length of the paper into the corners and along the gaps where the walls meet. Press it there firmly and it should just stay. Continue doing this up the entire area required and once done, let the paper towel stay there until completely dry. Usually the next day. Dry peel the paper towel off and with it most of the black/brown should come off with the paper. No mess. © Elevyn11 / Reddit

“What is this black stuff in my coffee mug? Doesn’t come off with soap or anything.”

• Professional potter here. The dark marks are caused by your spoon rubbing against the glaze. It’s traces of metal from the spoon. It’s not harmful to you, but you can remove it with scouring powder products. Fun fact, the material that makes glazes white is Zirconium, same thing used to make fake diamonds. It is an incredibly hard material, which is why it will scrape the metal off of your cutlery. © goodelephantpottery / Reddit
• Try denture cleaning tablets. They’re cheap and amazing at removing tea tanning stains without scrubbing, so may work on your metal deposits. © Tough-Cheetah5679 / Reddit

“I love everything about the house I shifted into yesterday save for this terrible little detail. I know it can be saved, I trust you’ll help me.”

• Try putting vinegar in a large enough bag to fit and secure around the shower head with strong or rubber bands. Let it soak in the vinegar with a little water for several minutes then scrub. © welchies / Reddit
• If you can heat the vinegar, it may work better. © pakratus / Reddit

“My daughter just colored on the arm of the sofa with crayon. I was able to get most of it out with the upholstery cleaner, but there is still some tints of color.”

• Scrape off as much crayon as possible. Use carpet cleaner per the manufacturer’s direction. Repeat as needed. I find very hot water is also helpful. © FlashyCow1 / Reddit
• You might have some luck using a leather brush. The bristles help get the cleaning product deeper into the material. I use these on my car upholstery all the time, and they clean like magic with the proper cleaner. © gwhite81218 / Reddit

“Just discovered laundry stripping, and oh my god.”

• Okay, you’re going to hate hearing this, but this is caused by using too much detergent. © WarpHound / Reddit
• Whenever my “whites” have become not so white, I fill my machine with hottest water possible, add laundry soap, add laundry soap booster, a dishwasher pod or two, a 1/2 cup bleach then add laundry which I agitate, then soak for 6 to 8 hours, with me agitating the load 3 to 4 times throughout the soaking. I then complete the wash cycle being sure to second rinse all soaps and bleach away. And my whites come out nice and crisp white as if they were brand new. © wet_solution / Reddit

“I burnt bread, and it still smells burnt in my house.”

• Throw some spices in a pot and simmer. Like a little vanilla, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg. Don’t let the water run out. Don’t burn it. © jessie15273 / Reddit
• Put out a bowl of vinegar it will help with the smell. Do not heat the vinegar, it will smell worse than the bread. © belckie / Reddit

Bonus: “Had a cocoa powder mishap in the kitchen. Thought vacuuming would be a quicker way to clean up than mopping. Well, I was wrong!”

“When I emptied the contents of the canister into the trash, the cocoa powder stubbornly adhered to the plastic. It took 7 paper towels, 4 Q-tips, and a toothpick and steak knife to serve as crevice tools to clean the canister. Then I had to clean the filter and filter compartment. Mopping would have been 3 times quicker!”

• Silver lining, vacuum probably smells pretty good when you use it now. © SalsaPicante11 / Reddit