Tip and Tricks for Cleaning an Apartment

No matter the size of your apartment, finding the time and energy to clean it can be a hassle. From getting on your knees to scrub the floors to finding a ladder to clean the ceiling fan, this task can easily begin to feel overwhelming. If you’re looking for an easier way to do things, you’re in luck. By adopting some fun and clever cleaning tricks, you can save time (and energy) while still keeping your apartment looking great. The only thing you’ll regret is not having thought of them yourself!

1. Re-Use Dryer Sheets

If you have leftover dryer sheets, put them to use for cleaning around your house. Not only are these great for buffing out water spots and rings they can also quickly remove soap scum on your shower door. Dryer sheets can remove the soap scum. You can even use these thin and fragrant sheets to dust around your house to help keep allergies at bay.

2. Simplify Ceiling Fan Cleaning

If it’s in your budget, a duster with an expandable handle is a great investment for cleaning your ceiling fans. However, if you want to clean without one, you can do so much more easily with a pillowcase. All you have to do is slip the pillowcase over the blade and slowly pull it off. As you pull, the top of the blade will be wiped by the pillowcase without dust flying everywhere. While this still requires a step ladder or stool, it’s quick, easy, and doesn’t involve a scrubber.

3. Stop Scrubbing Your Microwave

Cleaning the inside of your microwave shouldn’t be an all-day event. To make it easier, fill a bowl with water, lemon slices, and a splash of vinegar. Place this in the microwave and cook for 5 minutes. Once finished, remove the bowl and wipe the interior of the appliance clean. Food should be easier to remove and most liquids will brush right off with a washcloth.

4. Dust Without Pulling a Muscle

It can be difficult to dust hard-to-reach areas with a cloth and spray. Fortunately, you can make this easier with a spatula, rubber band, and washcloth. To do this, dampen the washcloth before you tie it to the bottom of the spatula. This will allow you to easily reach different areas without over-extending yourself. If you don’t have a spatula, a clothes hanger is another great tool you can tie a washcloth to.

5. Make Toilet Cleaning a Breeze

If you want to invest in something genuinely useful, a robotic toilet cleaner is something you won’t regret. This will automate cleaning one of the most unpleasant areas in the home and save you some time. If this isn’t an option, you’re not out of luck. You can make toilet cleaning easier with a bottle of hydrogen peroxide topped with a trigger spray. Just let it soak for 15 minutes and it will quickly wipe clean. Two tablets of Alka Seltzer left to soak in the toilet bowl for 15 minutes before brushing can also make cleaning less of a hassle.

6. Quickly Clean Up Pet Hair

While dryer sheets are excellent for cleaning up pet hair around the house, rubber gloves work beautifully as well. Just put on the gloves and rub your hands on your furniture, floors, and even clothing to get the hair off quickly. To clean the hair off of the gloves, just wash them in the sink or dip them in a bowl of water. If you do this before vacuuming, you should be able to prevent hairballs that ultimately clog vacuum hoses.

7. Keep Floors Clean

A robotic vacuum is one of the best investments you can make, although these can be pricey. If you’re looking for a free way to keep your floors clean, all you need is your vacuum. This will suck up all the crumbs in the kitchen without the work of sweeping. When it comes to mopping, lightly spray your floors with cleaner and put on some fuzzy socks. Then, step on a small microfiber towel and start scooting around your floor. Since the floor shouldn’t be wet enough to be slippery, you can clean with your feet and stop scrubbing on your knees.

8. Refresh Trash Cans

If your trash cans have started to smell and have questionable stains inside of them, make cleaning easy by putting them in the shower. Spray with a little bit of white vinegar in-between rinsing and you’ll end up with a trash can that you can put in your home without feeling embarrassed.

9. Get Smudges off of Stainless Steel

Although stainless steel is a beautiful choice for appliances, it can easily get dirty with smudges and spots. Fortunately, you can easily clean this with glass cleaning spray and a microfiber cloth. Since you likely already have cleaner for your glass, this saves you money while still giving you the shiny results you’re looking for. Whether you use this on your fridge, dishwasher, or toaster, it’s sure to improve the look of your kitchen overall.

10. Spot Clean Grout

When your grout in the bathroom starts to look stained and old, you don’t have to replace it. Instead, buy a bleach pen and you can spot clean every single area in a matter of seconds. What’s even better about having one of these pens is the fact that you can use it in the kitchen, laundry room, and anywhere else you need bleach concentrated in a small area. It’s a purchase you’ll use daily because it’s so easy and convenient.

11. Freshen Up Your Dishwasher

With so many dirty dishes running through your dishwasher, it’s easy to see how it can get dirty and even smelly over time. Fortunately, cleaning it is easy and only requires white vinegar and baking soda. To start, clean out the drain trap at the bottom of the dishwasher to remove any debris that it has caught. After that, place a bowl filled with vinegar on the top rack and start the dishwasher on a regular wash cycle. Once finished, sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and run through one more cycle on hot. Once finished, your dishwasher will look and smell like new.

12. Stop Scrubbing Faucets

If you’re tired of scrubbing water stains off of your faucets, make things easier with a few washcloths. Just soak these in white vinegar and wrap them around the faucets that you want to clean. Allow to sit for a few hours, then come back and remove the washcloths. Wipe the faucets dry and they will look sparkling clean. These can even get to the bottom of faucets so you’re not stuck scrubbing hard-to-reach areas with a toothbrush.

13. Clean Your Tub Without Scrubbing

To get soap scum and stains off of your tub without scrubbing, just combine equal parts of white vinegar and your favorite dish soap in a spray bottle. Gently shake, then spray all around your tub and allow to soak. When you feel enough time has passed, just wipe clean with a soft washcloth and your tub will look great without any deep scrubbing necessary.

Cleaning Made Easy

Cleaning your apartment will be easier and less stressful when you use the tips above. What’s especially great is that most of these tricks don’t require any special tools, so you can get started using them right away. Whether you use one or all, you’re likely to save yourself a lot of time when you want your place to shine.