I love cleaning hacks because they make cleaning easier and less annoying. Also because I love learning new ways of doing things, and new ways of using things. Here are some cleaning hacks that will make your life a little easier, and also make you say “oh, that’s so cool!”

• Blender: I’ve always hated taking apart all the pieces and scrubbing to get them all clean. Not anymore! Fill the dirty blender halfway with water and a few drops of dish soap, blend on low for 10 seconds, and rinse.
• Mattress: Spray with vodka to disinfect without a chemical odor. The alcohol will also help it to dry quickly.
• Crayon on walls: Rub with baking soda toothpaste.
• Greasy stove burners: Put them in zip top bags with 1/2 cup of ammonia. Seal, let sit overnight, and wipe with a sponge.
• Cheese grater: Grate a raw potato and rinse.
• Laundry: Speed up dryer time by tossing a dry towel in with wet clothes. The towel will help absorb some of the moisture.
• Oven: Place a bowl with 1/2 cup of ammonia into a cold oven and leave it overnight. In the morning you’ll only need to wipe it.
• Silver: Make polishing silver less of a chore by lining a large pan with aluminum foil. Add 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup baking soda, fill with hot water and let the silver soak for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry your shiny silver!
• Small items in the dishwasher: Zip them into a lingerie bag. This is a great way to clean and sanitize toys.
• Sneakers: Clean the white parts of sneakers with nail polish remover.

Pretty clever, huh? Try these hacks and make cleaning a little easier!