40 handy hints for cleaning every nook and cranny of your house

The advantages of traditional oven cleaners are power and speed. But for many of us, the disadvantages outweigh the good, specifically, the corrosive chemicals and caustic fumes that this type of oven cleaning can produce.

A simple, more natural way to clean your oven is to place an oven-safe pot or bowl filled with water inside. Set your oven to 230 degrees for 20 to 60 minutes to loosen dirt and grease with the steam. Once your oven is cool, wipe off the condensation and the grease will come with it. If stubborn spots persist, scrub with a paste of baking soda and lemon or vinegar. This steam-cleaning option doesn’t take as long as pyrolytic cleaning and doesn’t produce smoke, either. It’s a win-win! Check out these 11 chemical-free ways to clean your home.

Even if you empty your dryer’s lint trap before each load, chances are there is still lint build-up around the area that could potentially cause a fire. (Here are 20 things that could be a potential fire hazard that you need to know.) So it’s important to deep clean the area once in a while, and this handy hint will get the job done.

Wrap a clean rag around one end of a paint stir stick. Remove the lint trap and clean out the area with the rag-covered stick. To help the lint stick to the rag, dampen it with water first.

Start by threading the machine screw through the brush head so the head of the screw rests in the brush head hole. On the other side of the brush head, slide on the washer and secure it in place with a nut. Make sure to tighten it well with a wrench. However, do not over-tighten, as this may cause the plastic brush head to crack. Next, attach the scrubber head to the drill.

To clean, fill a bowl or bucket with hot water and dish soap (or the cleaning agent of your choice). Dip the power scrubber into the mixture just enough to saturate the bristles and do not submerge the drill! Now simply point and press the drill to start and let the drill brush do the work.

Attach a dry cloth to the Swiffer’s rectangle end and swipe it along the wall to pick up dust, cobwebs and dirt and more. Then press an edge of the rectangle end along window and door trim to pick up dust that tends to collect quickly in those areas.

The extension handle on the Swiffer makes reaching these high surfaces simple and safe – so you don’t have to stand on a step stool or ladder. When you’re done dusting, just toss the disposable cloth in the garbage.

When you need to clean a computer monitor or TV screen, reach into your kitchen cupboard for a coffee filter. Thin, cloth-like paper filters are great at picking up fine dust particles, and one filter goes a long way. You can also use coffee filters for dusting knickknacks and other home accessories, while you’re at it. Add a spritz of cleaning solution and the coffee filter will catch even more dust and disinfect surfaces, too.

If your disposer has developed an odour, it may contain bits of rotted food. Here’s how to clean them out:

With the water running at about half throttle, drop in orange or lemon peels. Run the disposer for five seconds. Citric acid from the peels softens crusty waste and attacks smelly bacteria. Give the acid about 15 minutes to do its work.

Turn on the water and the disposer and drop in a few ice cubes. Flying shards of ice work like a sandblaster inside the disposer.

Run the water until the bowl is about half full. Then pull the stopper and turn on the disposer to flush it out.

For tiny trinkets and knickknacks with small parts that are difficult to clean with a standard household rag, try this handy hint: Slip on a pair of soft (preferably cotton) gardening gloves. Then use your fingers to clean the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies of your collectibles. To get rid of germs in the process of dusting, spritz the cotton gloves with a small amount of antibacterial cleaning solution.

To get rid of hard-water build-up on a faucet, try this natural solution: Cut a fresh lemon in half. Then press the lemon onto the end of the faucet. Put a small plastic bag around the lemon and secure it around the faucet with a rubber band. Be sure that the rubber band it cinched tightly and that the lemon is around the end of the faucet. Leave the lemon in place for a few hours to allow the citric acid to work its magic.

After you remove the lemon, you may need to use a gentle scrubbing pad to wash off any loosened hard-water build-up. Then wipe the faucet with a damp cloth to remove any leftover lemon juice, and your faucet will be squeaky clean – and you didn’t need to use harsh chemicals! Head here to find 5 more extraordinary uses for lemons.

When I’m working outside and have messy work shoes, I will step into plastic grocery bags and tie the handle loops around my ankles to hold them on. This keeps me from dragging in mud and such when I need to come inside for just a minute or two. It also keeps me out of trouble with my wife! – Lance Wiist

It’s easy to clean baked-on food and spills from your microwave Here’s how: Partially fill a measuring or coffee cup with water and add a slice of lemon. Boil the water for a minute, and then leave the door closed and let the steam loosen the mess. After 10 minutes, open the door and wipe away the grime. Here are some professional solutions to the 10 toughest domestic cleaning problems.