9 Unusual Cleaning Hacks That Work Like a Charm

Tired of cleaning hacks that never work and end up being a big waste of time? Stop spinning your wheels, skip the trial and error, and check out these 9 unusual cleaning hacks that actually work.

The internet is full of helpful household cleaning tips. Unfortunately, many of those useful tricks are complete duds.

The “newspaper for streak-free windows” cleaning hack might get the windows clean, but it leaves black smudges on your white window trim. The “rubber gloves to pick up cat hair” trick works for all of 2 minutes, then you spend 10 minutes trying to get the hair off of the gloves so you can finish the job.

They all sounded great when you read through them, but in reality, they don’t really work.

I hear ya! I’m a sucker for anything that makes cleaning a little easier. I’m always trying new things and have suffered through my fair share of cleaning hack disappointments along the way.

The good news is I also found some cleaning hacks that work really well, and here they are.

Cleaning Hacks That Actually Work

Whether you’re bored with your usual cleaning routine, or just looking for ways to clean faster and more efficiently, check out these insane cleaning hacks that actually work!

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1. Use a Couple of Dryer Sheets to Remove Burnt-On Food

Would you rather throw the pot away than spend days scrubbing that burnt-on mess? This cleaning hack will make that mess a whole lot easier to deal with.

Grab a couple of dryer sheets and lay them in the bottom of your pot. Fill the pot with water and let it sit overnight.

The next day, dump out the water and scrub any remaining bits with the wet dryer sheets.

If the pot doesn’t come completely clean, repeat the process with another dryer sheet and only fill enough to cover the remaining mess.

*This hack works really well for burnt-on food particles, but not so much for burnt-on layers of grease.

2. Make Your Dry Erase Board Look Like New With Hair Spray

Over time the smudges and stains on your dry erase board get a little harder to clean. Use some hairspray to remove them a little easier.

Spray the board with hairspray, and wipe it down with a microfiber cloth to remove the tough spots.

Once you’ve removed all of the spots, wash the board off with a little soap and water to remove any stickiness from the hairspray. Buff dry with a clean microfiber cloth and your dry erase board is like new.

3. Refresh Your Mattress With Vodka

Could your mattress use a little refresh? Grab the Vodka!

Pour a couple of shots of plain vodka into a spray bottle and spritz your mattress. Let it air dry and put the sheets back on.

Prefer a scented spray? Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the bottle.

Out of Vodka? You can use rubbing alcohol instead,

4. Clean Your Cast Iron Pans Using Sea Salt

Do you worry about damaging the seasoning on your cast iron pan every time you have to clean off stuck-on food? Worry no longer.

Sprinkle some coarse sea salt into your pan, add a little bit of lukewarm water and use a dishrag to scrub the salt into the stuck-on food. Once you’ve removed the stuck food, rinse the pan and dry it thoroughly.

This trick works great for those tough messes, but don’t use it as your regular cleaning method or you’ll have to re-season your pan.

5. Use Mouthwash to Clean Your Washing Machine

Has your laundry started to smell musty even when it is fresh out of the machine? If so, maybe it’s time to clean your machine.

Don’t bother buying expensive washing machine cleaners. Just add a capful of mouthwash to your empty washing machine and run the “sterilize” or ‘whitest whites” cycle.

The mouthwash will kill any germs that may be lingering in your washing machine and leave your laundry smelling clean and fresh again. 

6. Prevent Foggy Bathroom Mirrors With Shaving Cream

Tired of the bathroom mirror fogging up? Good thing your husband left his shaving foam sitting on the counter again.

Apply some shaving foam to your bathroom mirror and wipe it off with a clean cloth. Your mirror will be sparkling clean and it won’t fog up next time somebody takes a shower.

Too bad the shaving cream doesn’t clean the hard water stains on the shower doors.

7. Get Streak-Free Windows Using Coffee Filters

Windows come out streaky every time you try to clean them? Use a few coffee filters and say goodbye to streaks for good.

Grab your favorite window cleaner, spray it on the window, then use a couple of coffee filters to wipe them sparkling clean.

The coffee filters absorb the excess cleaning spray and won’t leave black smudges like a newspaper can.

8. Use Baking Soda to Remove Burnt-On Grease From Your Stove

Removing burnt-on grease from your stove or oven doesn’t have to take a ton of elbow grease. Try this crazy cleaning tip and your stove or oven will be sparkling clean again.

Combine baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to create a fairly thick paste. Slather or “paint” the paste on the surface you wish to clean.

Let it sit for 30 minutes, then use a rigid nylon or plastic scraper to remove as much of the resulting gunk as possible. Scrub any remaining spots and wipe clean with a slightly damp rag.

Want to get rid of the stubborn baked-on grease in your oven? Try this cleaning trick for the oven.

9. Clean the Toilet Without Scrubbing

Toilet bowl looking a little nasty? Grab a can of Coke.

Pour the full can of Coke into your toilet bowl and let it sit for at least a couple of hours (the longer the better). Flush and enjoy your sparkling clean toilet.

If the toilet has a lot of hard water buildup, you may need to scrub with a stiff sponge or pumice stone.

What Cleaning Hacks Work for You?

Whether you’re spring cleaning or just trying to get things done, it’s always great to learn new cleaning tricks. Even better when they make the job easier.

Sure, there’s some questionable cleaning advice on the internet, but there’s some really good information too, so don’t give up looking.

Do you have any unusual cleaning hacks that work well for you?