Your Source For All of Your Filter Needs

1. Clean small to medium sized toys in the dishwasher

You can put almost any hard, plastic or metal toy in the dishwasher for quick cleaning and sanitizing. Here is a short list of other things you can put in the dishwasher: vent covers and grilles, cup holders, light fixture covers, switch plates and outlet covers, stove knobs, refrigerator shelves and drawers, cabinet hardware, soap and tooth brush holders, desk accessories, trash can lids (if they fit) garden tools and sports equipment like shin guards, hard balls and helmets. (photo courtesy of Jim Bauer/Creative Commons)

 

2. Clean ceiling fans without getting dust everywhere

An easy way to quickly clean a ceiling fan is to put an old pillow case over each blade, and slowly wipe the dust off allowing it to fall into the pillow case. You can do each blade of your fan with one pillow case. Then simply take the pillow case outside and shake out the dust into a trash can. Wash, rinse and repeat. (courtesy of Homemaker Chic)

3. Clean blinds with a pair of tongs

Grab a pair of tongs from your kitchen, use rubber bands to tie two microfiber cloths onto each part of the tong. Wipe away! (courtesy of OneCrazyHouse)

4. Use a seam ripper to cut the hair out of your vacuum bristles

You know what a seam ripper is right? That little tool you can buy for cheap that rips seams out of clothing when you sew. Buy an extra one next time you’re at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby and use it to quickly cut the gross hair right out of the vacuum bristles instead of using scissors which actually takes longer. (rehanadujour.com)

 

5.  Garbage disposal smelling funky?

Use some cut up lemons or oranges and dump them into your disposal with cold water. You can also add a little baking soda in there to help reduce the smell. (apartment therapy) One clever trick Bitz & Giggles does is put cut up lemons and limes into a ice cube try with some water. Freeze them for  few hours, and now you’ll have garbage disposal cleaning tablets to throw in whenever you need.

6. Use a bagel!!??! to safely clean precious paintings.

Yes, actually you can use any white bread. You just need the squishy white part. Using the inside of a bagel or white piece of bread, gently wipe the outer frame and the picture itself. Once your bread is dirty, throw it away. (or throw it out for the birds). Then if you see any remaining pieces of bread on your painting you can use a super gentle soft bristle paint brush to gently wipe the crumb pieces away. (courtesy of ‘the brick house’ blog)

7. Clean your oven hood filter in a pot of boiling water and baking soda.

Yep, that’s right. Depending on how big your filter is, get a pot big enough and fill it with boiling water and baking soda. Put the filter in for 10-15 minutes to let the grime soak away. Tip, don’t fill the pot to the top with water, fill it about 1/2 so when you put the filter in, the water doesn’t overflow. Also, don’t dump the pot of grease filled water down your sink, dump it outside if you can. (onegoodthingbyjillee.com)

 

8. Keep a dish wand in your shower for multitasking greatness.

Fill a dish wand with one part vinegar, and one part dish washing detergent. Leave it in your shower for on-the-go cleaning whenever you feel like something needs a quick scrub down.

 

9. You can use WD-40 to erase scuff marks on floors.

Whaaaaaat! Spray a little WD-40 on a little scrub brush. Apply to scuff marks on floors, viola! (courtesy of Pinterest)

 

 

10. Use a lint roller to clean your lampshades.

Yep, it’s that simple. Dusty lampshades? Use a lint roller to gently collect yucky dust. (courtesy of Creeklinehouse)

11. Use a new invention called a ‘hair catcher’ to prevent hair from getting down into your drain and clogging it.

So yea apparently there is this cool little thing you can buy for about $10 on amazon, that you put in your drain for about 2-5 months. (depending on how much hair you have). All you have to do is pull it out of the drain when it’s time, see the disgusting hair that comes out with it, and throw it in the trash. (image courtesy of Amazon & Hi Gnome)

12. Get rid of dusty walls before you paint using a swiffer and a microfiber cloth.

I can’t really think of a better chore to assign to my  seven year old. Wrap an old washcloth, rag or microfiber towel onto the end of a swiffer and swiffer away the dust on your walls. It’s much easier than taking a rag and doing it manually. (courtesy of The Seasoned Mom)

13. Clean your microwave without having to do any manual scrubbing.

Ok, if you haven’t heard of this one by now, you may be living under a rock. Take a microwavable bowl, fill it with water and vinegar and add a toothpick so the water doesn’t boil over. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Then wipe with a sponge and the food and dirt will come right off. No more using your fingernails to scrub little spots of dried up spaghetti sauce off the top. (courtesy of Sweet Southern Mel)

14. Remove hard water deposits from faucets and your fridge water dispenser with cleaning vinegar and iodized salt.

All you need to do is make a paste. Put some of your iodized salt in a small bowl, with a splash of cleaning vinegar and mix together. Put the paste onto your faucets or anything that has those stubborn hard water deposits and let sit for a 10-15 minutes. Wipe off the paste and use a scrubber sponge if there are any spots left over. (Courtesy of thisgrandmaisfun.com)

 

 

15. Clean porcelain sinks with a bleach and a product called Bar Keepers Friend (Soft Cleanser).

I hate my white porcelain sinks because you can see every stain and scratch. I’ve tried using magic erasers which do help, but here is another technique. First scrub your sink with the powder dish washing detergent, then rinse and wipe. Then use a little bit of bleach to get the yellow stains out. Then use this product I keep hearing about called Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser. This is the final and third step.  Apply a small amount of this soft cleanser directly on the areas where you see stains and scrub in a circular motion.

 

 

There you have it. Have you tried any of these cleaning hacks? Have they worked, not worked? Please feel free to share any additional tips, tricks or cleaning hacks that aren’t on this list.

DiscountFilters.com knows how busy American homeowners are (because that’s what the company is made up of). That’s why we love to share tips and tricks when it comes to cleaning, organizing, health, and more! Another way we help homeowners save time is by selling our American-Made air filters and American-Made water filters online. No running to the store, trying to find someone who can help you, and ultimately realizing they don’t have your size… DiscountFilters.com is the best place to order your filters because of our low prices, vast inventory, great customer service, and easy-to-use website.