whether you re a frequent cleaner or professional at tidying up and leaving your home spotless knowing a few quick and easy tricks can make your life a whole lot easier cleaning is hardly anyone s favorite way to pass time anyways clean better and faster with our smart ideas that use unexpected household items and creative cleaning techniques 1 get rid of any funky smells that build up in garbage disposal over time by grinding up some lemon or lime peel instantly this will cleanse and eliminate bad odors thinly slice a lemon take out the seeds slip it down your drain no bleach required a fresh citrusy scent should fill your kitchen 2 are your windows or mirrors starting to look cloudy don t reach for paper towels and a glass cleaner try using clean coffee filters for spot free glass cleaning and shine 3 vegetable oil is great for frying but it can also be used to clean wooden floors polish your wood floors and make them the shiniest ever by combining equal parts vegetable oil and vinegar in a spray bottle spritzing the floor and mopping up the solution follow up with a clean cloth or dust mop 4 we all know that white vinegar is a household champion for many of us baking soda is another champion you can add to the list of your go to soldiers around the house this mild alkaline compound is a salt and it has many uses apart from baking it can also be used for doing laundry for brighter cleaner clothes add 1 cup of baking soda to your washing machine after it has filled then run your cycle as usual baking soda has natural deodorizing softening and brightening powers the perfect cleaning combo and gentle on clothes 5 scrubbing pots and pans is never a favorable chore to do and it can seem impossible and daunting when you re trying to remove heavily burnt on food using just a scrubber and soap to make the job easier drop a dryer sheet into a dirty pot that is filled with soap and water allow the dryer sheet to sit in the soapy water for an hour then be prepared to be amazed at how easily all the gunk and grime come off 6 oil based stains are confusing and can be tough to eliminate whether on furniture or clothing skip the dabbing and scrubbing and remove those tough stains once and for all by treating them with a mixture of equal parts baby powder and dish soap 7 cornstarch is used in most households as a thickening agent in soups stews and stir fries but it can also perform well around the house as a cleaning agent use cornstarch as your secret gritty cleaning agent apply a paste of cornstarch and water to your tarnished silver let it dry then wipe it off to reveal that sparkling surface 8 no matter your skin tone sunscreen is crucial for protecting you and your family from the sun s harmful uv rays but did you know that you can also use it to protect your furniture clothes and other surfaces from a rogue permanent marker rub in a large amount of sunscreen to get rid of those impossible to remove permanent marker stains