Reading Time: 10 minutes 19 Secret Cleaning Hacks the Pros Keep to Themselves
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Professional cleaners have an arsenal of clever cleaning hacks that can make your life easier and your home sparkling clean. But hiring professional cleaning services can quickly burn a hole in your pocket.
According to 2024 data, house cleaning services cost anywhere from $25 to $80 per hour, or an average of $117 to $235 per visit. Luckily, achieving a spotless home doesn’t have to come at a high price.
As someone passionate about finding smart ways to save cash while keeping things natural and safe, I’m excited to share 19 insider tips that cleaning pros would rather keep secret.
Get ready to clean smarter, not harder!
Table of Contents
1. Say Goodbye to Hard Water Stains
Alright, let’s start with one of the toughest rooms in the house, the bathroom. Hard water stains on toilets can be unsightly and difficult to remove. A simple and cost-effective solution is to use a pumice stone.
Gently scrub the stains with the pumice stone, and they will disappear, leaving your toilet looking fresh and clean. A pumice stone costs around $5, while professional toilet cleaning services can cost upwards of $10.
Related: How To Clean A Toilet Bowl And Remove Hard Water Stains
2. Shower Head Sparkle
Over time, mineral deposits can build up on shower heads, causing reduced water flow. Soaking the shower head in vinegar will help break down this buildup.
Let it soak for a few hours, then wipe away the loosened deposits. Vinegar costs about $1, significantly less than the $10 price tag for professional shower head cleaning.
Related: DIY Homemade Shower Head Cleaner – No Tools
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3. Microwave Marvel
Next up, let’s tackle the heart of the home, the kitchen. We’ve all been there, you pop something in the microwave, and the next thing you know, it’s a big mess. Splatters, spills, and who knows what else.
To clean the microwave easily, place a bowl of water with a few lemon slices in the microwave and run it for 2-3 minutes. The steam will help loosen stuck-on grime for easy wiping.
This natural method costs around $0.50 for lemons versus $10 for professional kitchen cleaning services.
Related:
4. Oven Overhaul
Cleaning the oven is probably one of the most dreaded household tasks. It’s a real workout, and let’s be honest, who wants to spend hours on their hands and knees scrubbing away? But this hack will make it a whole lot easier.
To clean your oven simply make a paste with baking soda and water, spread it all over the oven, and let it sit overnight. In the morning, wipe it all down, and your oven will be sparkling like new. No more elbow grease required.
At about $1 for the baking soda, this hack is a bargain compared to professional oven cleaning services that can run you around $20.
Related:
- How To Clean Oven Glass Door: Inside, Outside, And Between!
- How To Make Your Glass Stovetop Sparkle (With Video)
5. Crystal Clear Windows and Mirrors
Alright, let’s move on to those pesky windows and mirrors. We all know how quickly they can get covered in fingerprints, smudges, and streaks.
Vinegar is a cleaning powerhouse that can leave your glass surfaces streak-free. A simple mixture of vinegar and water in a spray bottle works remarkably well at leaving glass surfaces streak-free.
Vinegar costs about $1 versus up to $5 for professional window cleaning per service.
Related: Revive Your Vinyl Windows’ White Brilliance!: How To Get Rid Of Yellow Grime For Good
6. Newspaper or Microfiber Magic
Speaking of streak-free windows and mirrors, did you know that you can use newspaper or a microfiber cloth to wipe them down? These materials are amazing at leaving a crystal-clear finish without any pesky streaks or smudges.
Plus, they’re eco-friendly and super affordable, costing around $0.50, leaving glass pristine without the added expense of professional services at $5 or more.
7. Tennis Ball Scuff Buster
Moving on to those floors. Unsightly scuff marks on vinyl or linoleum floors can be buffed away using an unexpected item, a tennis ball.
Simply rub the tennis ball over the marks for an easy, $1 solution versus $10 or more for professional floor cleaning services.
8. Vinegar Tile Trick
Tile floors can be a real pain to keep clean, but this hack will make it a breeze. Just mix some warm water and vinegar, and you’ve got yourself an effective and affordable cleaning solution.
This hack will cost you about $1 for the vinegar, while professional tile cleaning services can cost around $10.
Related: 50+ Uses for Vinegar – Home, office, car, garden, beauty, health, and pets
9. Mesh Bag Magic
Tired of your delicate items getting all tangled up and stretched out in the wash? Well, this hack is for you. Just toss them into a mesh bag before throwing them in the washing machine, and they’ll come out looking as good as new.
This $5 laundry hack protects garments and saves money compared to $10 or more for professional laundry services.
10. Vinegar Softener
Speaking of laundry, did you know that adding a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle can help remove soap residue and soften your clothes?
This hack is not only cheap, but it’s also way better for the environment than those chemical-laden fabric softeners.
At $1 per bottle, vinegar is far more economical than the $10 typical cost of professional laundry services.
Related: DIY Reusable Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets
11. Lint Roller Pet Hair Buster
If you are a pet owner, you’re probably all too familiar with the constant battle against pet mess, particularly the pesky problem of pet hair. A simple lint roller quickly picks up stray fur from furniture and clothing.
This $5 solution eliminates the need for expensive $10+ professional pet hair removal services.
12. Olive Oil Stainless Steel Shine
Stainless steel appliances can be a real pain to keep looking clean and shiny. Those fingerprints and smudges seem to appear out of nowhere. But this hack will make it a breeze to keep them gleaming.
Just mix some olive oil and vinegar, and you’ve got yourself a streak-free cleaning solution that will leave your appliances looking like they just came off the showroom floor.
This streak-free, $1 solution replaces pricey commercial polishes and saves over hiring $10 professional appliance cleaning help.
Related: How To Clean Stainless Steel: Complete Guide Including Do’s & Don’ts
13. Toothbrush Detail Cleaning
Got some hard-to-reach areas that always seem to collect gunk and grime? I’m talking about those tight corners, crevices, and nooks and crannies that never seem to get fully clean. Well, this hack is for you.
Just grab an old toothbrush and use it to scrub those trouble spots. The small bristles will get into all those tight spaces, leaving them sparkling clean. No more struggling with oversized brushes or sponges.
This hack will cost you about $1 for the toothbrush, while professional detail cleaning services can cost around $10.
14. Rice Vase Cleaner
Got a vase that’s looking a little worse for wear? Maybe it’s got some tough stains or mineral buildup that just won’t budge? Remove stuck-on grime from the inside of vases by adding uncooked rice and warm water, then swirling and shaking.
The rice gently scrubs away buildup without scratching for around $0.50, far cheaper than $10 vase cleaning fees.
15. Rubber Glove Glass Picker-Upper
If you’ve accidentally dropped a glass and don’t want to risk cutting yourself while cleaning up the mess, simply grab a rubber glove and use it to pick up the shards. The glove will protect your hands from any sharp edges, making it a breeze to clean up even the messiest spills.
This $1 solution prevents injuries and negates the need to pay $10 or more for professional glass cleanup services.
16. Baking Soda Thermos Cleaner
If your thermos appears a little funky on the inside, maybe it’s got some tough stains or odors that just won’t go away, try this simple solution: mix some baking soda and water, and give it a good shake.
The baking soda works as a gentle abrasive for $1 versus $10+ for standard thermos cleaning.
Related: 10 Common Cleaners You Didn’t Know Were Harmful, and What to Use Instead
17. Lemon Cutting Board Freshener
Is your cutting board looking a little worse for wear? Maybe it’s got some tough stains or odors that just won’t go away, no matter how much you scrub? No problem! Just grab a lemon half and use it to scrub the board.
The lemon’s acid helps remove stains and odors, leaving boards clean and deodorized for just $0.50 instead of paying $10 for professional cleaning.
18. Coffee Ground Pot and Pan Scrubber
Are those baked-on food stains in your pots and pans refusing to budge? Don’t reach for harsh abrasive cleaners just yet. Used coffee grounds make an excellent, gentle scouring agent that can tackle even the toughest cooking messes.
Not only is this cleaning hack incredibly affordable, costing around $0.50 for used coffee grounds, but it’s also eco-friendly, compared to the $10 or more you might pay for a professional pot and pan cleaning service.
Related: 12 Kitchen Hacks that Reduce Food And Financial Waste
19. It Is East To Clean A Coffee Maker
Over time, mineral deposits can build up in coffee makers. Run a vinegar and water solution through the brew cycle to dissolve buildup and deodorize the machine.
Vinegar’s $1 cost trumps the $10 price tag for professional coffee maker cleaning services.
Related: How to Clean Keurig Coffee Maker – Easy & Quick Video Tutorials
Clean and Save
Professional cleaners don’t want you to know their sneaky cleaning tricks. But now you’re in on 19 awesome hacks to get your whole home sparkling clean without spending big bucks.
Clever DIY cleaners, affordable household products and right strategies put the power back in your hands. These cleaning hacks will prevent messes from piling up, making your cleaning routine far more manageable.
Say bye to pricey cleaning services, with a little elbow grease and these insider secrets, you can do it yourself for way less money. Get ready for a fresh, clean home without that painful cleaning bill!
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AI was used for light editing, formatting, and readability. But a human (me!) wrote and edited this.
