21 Lazy Cleaning Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner (from a professional)
Your home is your space to unwind and recharge. When you keep a clean and tidy home, you create a nurturing environment that allows you to rest and breathe easy.
Let’s explore some practical habits and tips that will help you transform your living space into a haven of cleanliness and function. These straightforward strategies will make housekeeping a breeze, allowing you to enjoy a nurturing tidy home environment.
1. Declutter
To make your home feel clean, minimal, and open, you need to start with decluttering. When the counters are clear, the walkways are open, and all of your possessions have purpose (nothing is taking up space for no reason), your home feels clean, minimal, and open.
Then, once you’ve gotten rid of clutter, your home becomes much easier to clean. Your space is clear and open which makes for easy vacuuming, moping, dusting, disinfecting, etc.
Keeping a clean home becomes incredibly low maintenance when you declutter first. Start with decluttering.
2. No Shoes in the House
Why wear shoes in the house? Shoes track dirt around your home, they mark-up your floors and they stain your carpets. Sounds like unnecessary work!
No shoes in the house turns cleaning the floors into an easy chore. Simply vacuum and mop every so often.
Shoes in the house make a mess. Leave your shoes by the door.
Need more decluttering advice? Check out our 5 Marie Kondo hacks to get organized easily!
Bathroom Hacks and Habits
3. Declutter Your Bathroom
To keep a clean bathroom, try keeping the counter clear and your storage purposeful and organized. It is much easier to keep a clean bathroom when you don’t have to clear space at the same time.
We recommend limiting the items on your bathroom sink to a toothbrush and a soap dispenser. To do this, you’re going to have to declutter and use your bathroom storage efficiently.
Clean out your medicine cabinet. Clear out under your sink. If you lack sink storage, browse etsy to find bathroom storage that serves your storage needs.
How many bottles in your shower go unused? Unused bottle collect grime and cause your shower to become dirty faster. Declutter your shower.
- Related Post: Bathroom Drawer Organization Hack (Dollar Tree edition)
Related: How to declutter your house room by room!
4. Spruce Up Your Sink
The trick to keeping a clean sink is to wipe it down before it gets dirty. Every couple of weeks, take one minute to spruce your sink.
Spray down the counter, the faucet, and the soap dispenser. Clear the minimal build up of grime and water spots. This habit ensures that your sink never gets too dirty which means it is always easy to clean.
Pro tip: Keep a bottle of cleaner and a roll of paper towels under your bathroom sink for easy access. If you have to track down cleaning supplies, you’re less likely to clean.
Get Organized Fast >>> Free Organize + Declutter Checklist
5. Maintain Your Shower
Clean your shower while you shower. Pick one small spot to clean, then take 30 seconds to clean that one discolored area.
By keeping up on your shower while you shower, you will hardly need to do a major shower scrubbing. And when you do give your shower a deep clean, it takes much less effort.
Pro tip: Keep a bottle of cleaner and a sponge in the shower.
6. Keep the Bathroom Dry
Humid air is an invitation for grime. Get some fresh air flowing through your bathroom after a shower.
Turn on the bathroom fan and crack a window. At the very least, leave the bathroom door open. You should also close your shower curtain after showering so that it dries easier.
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- Hacks to spend less on debt
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Kitchen Hacks and Habits
7. Do the Dishes
Keep the kitchen sink clean and empty. Load dishes into the dishwasher after each meal, or do all of the dishes at the end of every day. Before you go to sleep, make it your goal to have the kitchen sink empty.
8. Clean Your Countertops
Every night, after dinner, clean your countertops. Start with a quick dry clean: sweep all of the crumbs into some makeshift crumb catcher (a dirty dish). Then go back through and do a disinfecting wipe down. Make sure you clean around the sink after the dishes have been done.
Related: Tips To Reduce Your Household Expenses
9. Clean the Range
You cannot use the range without it getting dirty, so be sure to clean the range after every use. Take off the grates to get a good clean around the burners.
A good time to clean the range is while you’re cleaning the countertops. We use the same cleaner on the range as we do the countertops.
If you have an electric range, you can lift up the top to clean the drip pan and burners. Try it now. Just lift it up.
10. Save the Microwave
Clean the microwave less. Get a splatter cover (and make sure it is dishwasher safe). A splatter cover limits the mess to a couple food spots here and there.
Again, while you are wiping down your counter tops at the end of every day, check the microwave to see if it needs a quick clean.
Pro tip: if your microwave is overdue for a clean, wet a paper towel and throw it in the microwave. The steam will loosen up the caked-on food making it easier to clean.
- Related: Habits To Keep a Clean and Tidy Home
Around the House
11. Declutter Your Linen
How much linen do you really need? We’ll tell you.
- Two sets of sheets per bed
- Two sets of towels per person (a towel, wash cloth, hand towel, and a bath mat)
- Two sets of guest towels
- Two sets of pool/beach towels
- Two or three kitchen towels
- A stack of rags for random cleaning
Check out your linen closet. How many towels and sheets go unused? Donate your old, clean linen to clear that space so that your linen storage is organized and functional.
- Related Post: 9 Minimalism Tips to Simplify Your Life
12. Keep Up on Laundry
Wash sheets and towels once a week. Wash everything else as needed. When your clothes hamper is full, do the laundry.
It’s helpful to separate your laundry into 4 piles. Clothes, sheets, towels, and random (e.g. guest towels, cleaning rags, reusable produce bags, etc.)
Pro tip: Declutter your closet and drawers. The clutter makes putting away laundry unnecessarily difficult. Donate or sell your unused clothes.
Related Post: 7 Practical Tips to Organize Your Life
13. Clean Your Floors
If you don’t wear shoes in the house, a quick vacuum and mop every few weeks will keep your floors very clean. (Vacuum more often if you have pets.)
It can also be helpful to spread out the work. Instead of cleaning all of the floors in one day, clean sections over multiple days. Find a routine that works for you.
Pro Tip: Get yourself a cordless vacuum. Dealing with a cord is too much effort and makes you not want to vacuum. You should also switch out your mop for a spray mop. Spray mops make moping a breeze.
14. Move Your Furniture
You want moving furniture to be easy. Being able to quickly slide your furniture allows you to vacuum and mop places that would otherwise collect a lot of dust and grime.
Pro Tip: Moving furniture can be a pain. Why not make it easier on yourself with these furniture sliders? We like this X-Protector variety pack because of the big selection.
- Related Post: 7 Tips to Make Your House Look Expensive on the Cheap
15. Clear the Dust
Check out your ceiling fans. Are the blades covered in dust? The best way to dust your home is with a microfiber cloth.
Microfiber cloths are dusting miracles. Give your fan blades one swipe and they are effortlessly clean. To keep your house clean and clear of dust, just dust where you notice dust accumulate.
Want to hear even more ways Ibotta can save you money? Check out our Ibotta explainer video, here!
16. Put Your Stuff Away
At the end of every day, try to get your home back in order. Clear your space by putting everything back in its place (this is easy to do once your home is decluttered).
If you can keep your home free and clear of stuff, deeper cleaning is low-effort maintenance. Clutter is what makes it difficult to keep a clean home. Work on the clutter and watch your home become open, spacious, and easy to keep clean.
17. Save Money On Cleaning Supplies
There are a few apps and services that offer free money. Here are some of our favorite cash back apps and services (they are all free to use):
- Upside: Use the Upside app is earn free cash back at the gas station. You can redeem your money via PayPal, direct deposit, or gift card. Use the promo code AFF20 to grab a 20 cents-per-gallon sign-up bonus. Download the free Upside app.
- Capital One Shopping: Even when you’re living on next to nothing, you still got to buy stuff online. The free Capital One Shopping browser extension is a great way to save money. Capital One Shopping finds valid coupon codes at check out, and it price-checks other online retailers to help you find a lower price. You can also earn free gift cards with loyalty credits. Get the Capital One Shopping browser today.
- Dosh: If you want to put cash-back rewards on autopilot, then Dosh is the app you want. Link your credit and debit cards, and you automatically earn cash-back rewards at participating retailers. It truly is that easy. Download the free Dosh app and watch the cash dash in.
- Scott’s Cheap Flights: Find the best deals on flights coming out of your airpot. Just tell Scott where you want to go. When a deal pops up, an email will be sent to your inbox (deals range from 40%-90% on average). Sign up for Scott’s Cheap Flights to grab your free 14 day trial (and save 20% on a one-year membership with promo code BUDGET20.)
- Rakuten: When you shop online, the free Rakuten browser extension automatically alerts you to cash-back and coupon-saving opportunities. Get the free Rakuten browser extension
- Insurify: Insurify is a free service that compares insurance rates across the top home and auto insurance providers. Input your policy information, and Insurify will scan for similar policies at better rates than you’re getting.
Free Workshop – Join our free Simplify Money Workshop
The *only* way to save money is to spend less than you earn. That means you need to decrease your expenses or increase your income.
We want to help you do both.
Join our FREE Simplify Money Workshop to learn the fundamentals of growing wealth. Because when you can spend less than you earn, your money has no choice but to grow. You will build your savings and pay down debt.
What’s more? We’ve got a bunch of free money-hacks to share with you:
- Hacks to lower your monthly bills
- Hacks to spend less on debt
- Hacks to start investing
- Hacks to increase your income by $20/month (with no extra effort)
This workshop has everything you need to accomplish the cardinal rule of personal finance: keep your income over your expenses.
Join our free 5-day Simplify Money Workshop, and start growing your wealth today.
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*Capital One Shopping compensates us when you get the Capital One Shopping extension using the links we provided*
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About the author Wendi Warren
Wendi Warren is licensed professional clinical counselor, a certified human resources professional, a digital marketer, and founder of Wendi’s Weekend Trips & Whatnot blog. She and her husband, Bobby, live in Wooster, Ohio, with their pets. In her spare time, she freelances for Wooster Media Group LLC.
Wonderful cleaning tips I’m definitely going to give them a try, my house gets a spring clean every spring, it’s nice to have that fresh summer is on its way smell, and cleaning deep down everywhere is just what my house needs, ready for the lovely summer with doors and windows open most of the day and neighbours wonder how you’re home looks and smells so good thanks to your lovely cleaning tips
I am interested in the 21 cleaning hacks you’ll have for budgeting couple
Truly amazing hacks! Thanks for sharing!
I never pour boiling water diwn the drain eever since my late husband warned me due to PVC fittings in our new kitchen. Even when draining water from a pot, I run cold water at same time.
Thankyou for the tips. I find it easier to just keep on top of things by leaving a room how it was and put things away when you are finished, then choose one room per week to give an extra clean.
I think breaking stuff into smaller chunks and also reducing distraction time (staying in one room) is really helpful when cleaning. I also like to have timers on sometimes to challenge myself and also when taking breaks so I know I’ll have to get back to cleaning.
Thanks for the advice, may be I will stop blaming myself for the mess and start using your tips )
Omg I think you wrote this with me specifically in mind!!! I’m both lazy and busy, if that’s possible.
But this weekend I’m making a plan to start with my unused areas first!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and thoughts. I have struggled for the last three years to find motivation to clean my house to a high standard. It always seems to make me feel like I’m just a kid doing chores again, and those were never fun. I also never thought about starting in rooms that are hardly used first. You were totally right by the time I clean the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and my bedroom I have no energy left to clean my spare room. Even though it desperately needs it. Thank you again so much, this post was incredibly helpful and captivating!
To clean my garbage disposal I run until empty and then I close the other sink with a stopper. I then turn water to hot, drop a few drops of Dawn. The disposal will get a rush of bubbles that will help clean disposal and drain. I do this almost daily. Keeps that opening from disposal to drain clean.
Great idea Linda!
Great article and honestly, I love your entire blog! You always have the BEST tips & tricks! I have to say, between all of the regular housework to tend to, all the other things add on to make it nearly impossible!
Thanks for the kind words Mia.
I’m so glad to see people using Dollar Tree for cheaper cleaning products— that has been one of my cleaning
secrets for years! I’ve never tried using a crevice cleaner before to clean in between the tile and tub, so I might have to get one of those because they seem pretty handy. I actually just got my bathroom floors cleaned by a professional tile cleaner, so I want to keep them clean for as long as possible. Thanks for the tips!
A toothbrush works just as good as any crevice cleaner! I like to use the ones the dentist gives us at cleanings because I use different toothbrushes. So I save these for cleaning and since they are individually wrapped for overnight guests who need a toothbrush!
Toothbrushes are great for cleaning. You know what’s better? A dental brush! The angled head makes it easy on the wrist and it has a small super stiff bristled brush on the opposite side of the regular bristles for tiny crevices.
Don’t forget both stiff and soft paint brushes for dusting all those places your usual duster doesn’t reach.
Lemon juice and baking soda for your grout. People say make paste blah blah blah ,I sprinkle it then squirt lemon juice watch it fiz, scrub with brush ( I use a shower brush so I’m not in hand and knees forever) then mop.
I clean house for a living
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We have a garbage disposal that can get nasty with some black looking goop, especially under the rubber flaps. So we use a cup brush or bottle brush and scrub under neath the flaps and inside the disposal. (Make sure the disposal is off when you do this!) I usually just use hot water and bleach,(but you can use any cleaner), to scrub and rinse the brush. I do this until the brush comes out clean. It usually gets rid of any smells in your disposal.
If we don’t want the bleach smell, then we chop up a lemon, lime or orange, and toss a couple small cubes in the garbage disposal. Turn on the hot water and have it run into the disposal. While the water is running, flip on the disposal and run for about 10-20 seconds. It will leave a citrus scent and naturally disinfect it at the same time. Sometimes I do this between the deep cleanings.
Wow, these tips are great! Thanks so much for sharing Mandie!
If I start with what I hate to clean most, that would be my mini blinds. I find that wearing cotton gloves over plates gloves and using soap and water or Murphys Oil soap and water works best. I’ve tried hanging them on the outside of the house, putting them in the bathtub, etc. But the cotton gloves work the best for me.