We recently asked members of Reality Checker Central to share their spring cleaning know-how—from DIY power-cleansers to strategies for removing hard-to-clean messes like stovetop grease. Here, 16 of our favorite user-tested spring cleaning tips (trust us, you’re going to want them before your big spring cleaning session!).
DIY Shower Solution: “I make an all-purpose cleaner with 1 part Dawn dish soap and 5 parts white vinegar in a spray bottle. It’s great for the shower.” –Carol S.
All-in-One Liquid Soap: “I dilute Lysol liquid soap in a spray bottle for fast clean-ups or pour it into a bucket with water for bigger clean-ups. It smells good, cleans well and disinfects… and that bottle goes a long way!” –Nancy C.
Best Bleach: “Borax is good for cleaning your whole house, and it’s also safe to clean the dishwasher and garbage disposal.” –Angela B.
All-Natural (and Best for Pets): “I use white vinegar a lot. It does have a very distinct smell that tends to linger for some time, but I feel as thought it cleans thoroughly. I also enjoy that because it isn’t a chemical mix, it’s safer for my animals to be around.” –Lindsey C.
Multi-Purpose Dish Soap: “Dawn dish soap is very multi-purpose for cleaning your kitchen and bathroom. It’s also good for a deep clean on your hair to remove product build-up that your regular shampoo might start to ignore.” –Sarah Z.
Go-To Grime-Stoppers: “Ajax dish detergent is gold; it gets the grime out of everything. Also, vinegar is a staple in my house. I’ll often put an inch of cleaner in a spray bottle and fill the remainder of the bottle with vinegar. It works great!” –Sue K.
Quickest Stovetop Solution: “A paste made from peroxide and baking soda to clean the stovetop works great!” –Paula A.
Remove Stuck-On Grease: “Having trouble getting dried-on food and grease from your stove? Use oven cleaner to take grease, grime and stuck-on food off your kitchen areas: spray it on, leave for 1-3 minutes then scrub lightly, then wipe, rinse and clean.” –Liz S.
Pre-Wash Stain Power: “If you have grass or dirt stains on whites (such as ball uniform pants), try soaking them in hot water and powder Cascade. It works like magic!” –Barbara C.
Glass-Top Stove Hack: “I finally discovered the most efficient way to clean my glass-top stove: the miracle worker is pumice! (Yes, the stuff you keep in the shower to de-callous your feet.)” –Roberta Z.
Simple Sterling Silver Shiner: “To clean sterling silver, put crumpled aluminum foil in the bottom of a plastic bowl, put in the silverware (make sure they’re not touching), sprinkle with a box of baking soda, pour boiling water over (don’t splash yourself!). It creates an amazing foam and the tarnish just disappers.” –Audrey M.
Best Stain Remover: “I’ve had many bad stains completely disappear after using Shout Advanced Stain Remover Gel. My son came inside one day with his brand-new white shirt dirty from top to bottom. Shout helped me make it look like it had never seen a stain!” –Erin F.
For Gleaming Wood Floors: “I have wood floors in my dining room, and I wash them with vinegar, baking soda and Dawn. It cleans extremely well and also takes care of any odors. If you have pets, it’s a great cleaner for pet stains, as well.” –Dorothy S.
DIY Laundry Detergent: “My favorite thing is homemade laundry detergent, and my newest obsession is Castille soap and all the things you can make with it. There are so many products you can make at home that cost pennies, smell better and are less caustic than other cleaners.” –Jessica B.
Top Store-Bought Cleansers: “I used to use bleach, but I heard so much about the dangers of inhaling bleach fumes. I now use Lysol Oxy cleaners. No bleach, and they clean better! My family always notices how clean everything looks and smells!” –Belinda M.
Oldies But Goodies: “I love my two standbys, Clorox and Pine Sol. To me, these two cannot be beat as far as cleaning and disinfecting goes. With all the cold and flu symptoms this winter, I have used a lot of these two products.” –Barbara C.
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Photo credit: Goldmund Lukic/Getty Images
