Amazing Cleaning Hacks for Lazy People [How to Make Cleaning Easier]

You want a clean house, but you don’t have the time or energy to get to it all. You’re far from lazy, but these genius cleaning hacks for lazy people can save you some time, so why not give them a try.

I’ve been cleaning the house for as long as I can remember. Since I’m the type that likes to work smarter but not harder, I’m always looking for different ways to do things, especially if it’s quicker or ends with a better result. You can find all my latest tips on my cleaning page.

Over the years, I’ve learned what shortcuts I can take, which tips work, and which hacks aren’t worth the cyberspace they’re floating in. I’ll tell you my favorite hacks that work, and a few I won’t waste my time on.

Without further ado, here are the cleaning hacks that even the laziest person can find time to do!

1. Get a Robot Vacuum

It’s seriously the best cleaning hack ever. You can set it to clean while you’re out. Then you come home to clean floors and all you have to do is empty the collection chamber so it’s ready to go for the next time.

I set mine to run every day while I’m at work. It does an amazing job of helping me keep up with the cat hair from my two long-haired cats.

An added bonus, you can tell everybody to keep their stuff off of the floor so the vacuum can do its job.

lady sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee while a robot vacuum cleans the floors

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2. Spot Clean

If there was no such thing as a robot vacuum, spot cleaning would be my number one hack, but nothing beats a robot vacuum, so spot cleaning gets second.

It’s quick and easy. If you see a dirty spot, wipe or clean it up immediately. It only takes a minute or two when the spot if fresh, but if it has time to soak in or dry up, it’ll take much more time and effort to clean it later, and it might stain.

If I’m running short on time during my weekly cleaning routine, I’ll just spot clean everything and make sure I allow enough time the following week for regular cleaning.

That means instead of mopping my entire kitchen floor this week, I might just use the wet jet to clean up any noticeably dirty spots. If my refrigerator doesn’t have any visible fingerprints or smudges on it, I’ll just wipe down the handle and be done.

Spot cleaning will save you a ton of time and still leave your home looking and feeling clean.

GET YOUR CLEANING DONE DURING THE WEEK!

weekly cleaning checklist on a tablet

Join thousands of VIPs for cleaning, decluttering, and organizing tips sent straight to your inbox. As a welcome gift, we’ll send you this FREE printable Weekly Cleaning Checklist that lists exactly what to deep clean in every room of your home.

3. Keep Cleaning Kits in Several Rooms

Keep a cleaning kit in each of the major areas of your house. You’re more likely to do a little cleaning if the supplies are handy and ready to go.

You can transfer most of your cleaning solutions to smaller bottles to make them easier to store in each room. Just don’t forget to label them appropriately.

I keep a kit under the kitchen sink, a kit in the utility closet, and a kit in each bathroom. That puts a kit in each major area of my home, but easily accessible from other rooms.

My base cleaning kit consists of a bottle of spray disinfectant cleaner, a bottle of glass cleaner, a can of compressed air or gas, disinfectant wipes, a couple stiff-bristled brushes, and a few microfiber cloths in a clear caddy.

The only cleaners I don’t transfer are the toilet cleaner and the shower spray foam.

4. Brush and Blast Grimy Spots

This is one of my go-to cleaning hacks, and I’m always shocked that more people don’t use it.

Use compressed air/gas and a stiff-bristled brush to blast grimy spots.

Start by brushing the spot to loosen and dislodge as much dirt as possible. Once the grime is loosened up, blast it out with the compressed air, then vacuum or wipe up any remaining debris.

I use a stiff-bristled paintbrush for gridded and vented areas, and a grout brush for small, tough crevices like remote controls, computer keyboards, light switches, window tracks and the bottom of the shower door frame.

You can check out our post on How to Clean Window Tracks to get a better idea of this method.

Add in a spray bottle of cleaner and you can clean around the hinges and the bottom of your toilet.

Just spray them with cleaner and let it sit for 20 minutes, then scrub with your stiff-bristled brush, blast the cleaner out, and wipe up with a microfiber cloth. Don’t forget to clean the wall behind the toilet while you have the cleaner handy.

Related Article: Dirtiest spots you’re forgetting to clean

gloved hand cleaning a dirty sink faucet

5. Clean Nasty Grout with Toilet Cleaner

If your grout is really dirty, spread some of The Works toilet cleaner over it. Go do some of your other chores and let the cleaner sit for 20 minutes.

When you return, scrub lightly with a grout brush, wipe off the cleaning solutions with a damp sponge, and rinse with water. Your grout will look good as new with minimal effort on your part.

6. Use Your Vacuum Attachments for Dusting

Save time and effort by using your vacuum upholstery attachment to accomplish some of your dusting tasks.

For window blinds, close them completely and run the upholstery attachment from left to right and top to bottom to remove the dust, then flip the closure the opposite way to get the other side. If there are any grimy spots left, just spot clean with a damp microfiber cloth or disinfectant wipe from your bathroom cleaning kit.

I also use it for dusting my lampshades, speaker covers, bathroom fan covers, picture frames, and decorative handles on furniture pieces.

Related Article: Deep clean your bedroom

7. Let Baking Soda Do the Work For You

The trick to using baking soda to clean effectively is to mix it with the right ingredients and let it sit and do the work for you.

Use a paste of Dawn dishwashing detergent, baking soda, and water to make a runny paste. Paint it on greasy, grimy surfaces and let it sit for a could hours or overnight. Wipe with a damp cloth and scrub any remaining grime.

The combination of the baking soda and dishwashing detergent works to break down and absorb the greasy mess, and the water just makes it spreadable. I use equal parts of all three.

See it in action in our How to keep clean your oven post.

8. Embrace the Magic Eraser

I’ve never been able to get a Magic Eraser to clean my oven or glass stovetop very well, but this little gem can make quick work of any textured surface.

It cleans dirt and grime off of trim, moldings, doors, handles, and appliances when no other method has worked. I also use it to remove smudges from all kinds of surfaces including doors, walls, and floors.

Just beware if you’re spot cleaning, the magic eraser spots will look much cleaner than the surrounding areas!

9. Let Steam Do the Work

Steam is actually a pretty powerful cleaner and can do most of the work for you.

Microwave a bowl of water and lemon wedges for two minutes, then just wipe the microwave clean with a dry cloth.

You can also steam up your bathroom before cleaning. It loosens all of the grime and makes it easier to wipe away.

The Cleaning Hacks Lazy People Shouldn’t Bother With

I’ve tried a lot of cleaning hacks over the years and there are a few that take way to much energy, or just plain don’t work at all. Here they are in no particular order.

Baking Soda and Vinegar to Clean the Oven

Unless your oven only needs a good wipe down, it’s going to take a ton of elbow grease to clean your oven with just baking soda and vinegar.

Add an equal part of Dawn dishwashing detergent to the mixture and let it sit overnight and you have a better chance with a lot less effort.

Dryer Sheets to Clean Oven Racks and Baking Sheets

I’ve tried new dryer sheets, used dryer sheets, and liquid fabric softener. I’ve let it sit for 2 hours and overnight.

Even with adding baking soda and aggressive scrubbing, this did nothing.

Instead, make a paste of the baking soda and some hydrogen peroxide, coat the surface and let it sit overnight. Wipe it clean and scrub any remaining grime.

Newspaper to Clean the Windows

Yes, newspaper will keep your glass cleaner from streaking, but it causes several other problems.

When the newspaper gets wet it starts to fall apart and leaves little pieces all over. It also leaves ink residue on our hands and will likely leave ink transfer on your trim and window frame unless you’re very careful.

And who gets newspapers anymore anyway? Stick to glass cleaner and a good microfiber cloth.

What About You?

I shared my favorite lazy girl cleaning hacks, what are some of yours?

Lazy woman sitting on couch drinking coffee and looking at tablet while robot vacuum cleans the floors

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