7/13/2020 The Best Cleaning Tips We’ve Learned Over the Past 20 Years | Real Simple

The 20 Best Cleaning Tips We’ve Learned

Over the Past 20 Years
As Real Simple celebrates its 20th anniversary, we’re taking a look back at the best
cleaning advice we’ve ever dished out. 

By Katie Holdefehr

Updated December 30, 2019

Since the rst issue of Real Simple magazine launched in April 2000, our home
department has offered up countless tidbits of cleaning wisdom. For two
decades, our editors have been testing out the latest cleaning products and
vetting cleaning tricks to nd the ones that really work—all with the goal of
saving you time and energy. In celebration of our 20th anniversary, we’ve
combed the archives and asked our resident experts (our Home Director,
Stephanie Sisco, has been with the brand for 10 years!), to nd the best cleaning
advice we’ve ever shared. From a surprising way to clean with bread to the
cleaning products found right in your pantry, here are the cleaning tips you’ll
want to remember for years to come.

RELATED: 12 Things Only Professional Cleaners Know

1 Always Clean From Top to Bottom

Our Home Director, Stephanie Sisco, has said it before and she’ll say it again: The
best way to clean a room is from top to bottom (while working your way out of
the room).

In the May 2016 issue, Debra Johnson, a home cleaning expert for Merry Maids,
explained the rationale: “Always clean from top to bottom so dirt falls downward
and you don’t have to reclean, and tackle oors from the farthest end of a room,
working your way toward the door,” she says. “Just imagine that you’re talking to
a crazy party guest and you need to back away slowly without getting trapped in
a corner. That’s how it is with dirt.”

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2 Vodka Is an Incredible Cleaning Agent (Yes, Really)

Some of our most memorable cleaning tips have been about the harsh chemical–
free cleaning solutions hiding right in your pantry—including vodka. Vodka is
proven to eliminate germs and odors and can be mixed into many homemade
cleaning recipes.

Pro tip: Use any brand, as long as it’s not avored.

3 Clean With Bread

Believe it or not, a slice of white bread is a wonderful cleaning tool. In the April
2019 issue, our senior editor, Brandi Broxson, wrote: “For a DIY duster, I take a
slice of white bread (yes, really) and press it onto the brick wall in my apartment.
The bread absorbs dust and dirt without leaving lint behind like a paper towel or
rag would.” Genius!

Over the years, we’ve also recommended using a slice of white bread to pick up
small bits of broken glass.

4 Dust Your Fan With a Pillowcase

How do you clean a ceiling fan without dumping dust onto your furniture or
oor? The April 2018 issue holds the secret: “Place a pillowcase over a fan blade
and pull it toward you to collect the dust. The debris will stay contained inside
the pillowcase rather than drifting onto the oor,” writes Natalie Ermann Russell
in “Spring Cleaning by the Clock.”

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5
DIY Pet Fur Remover

As a pet owner, one trick for collecting pet fur has stuck with Stephanie Sisco
over the years: Using a damp rubber glove, run your hand over a sofa cushion to
collect fur.

6 Let the Sun Act as a Stain Remover

Forget the bleach the next time your plastic food containers get pasta sauce
stains. “‘Set reusable plastic containers in direct sunlight,’ says Donna Smallin
Kuper, author of Cleaning Plain & Simple. ‘Prolonged exposure will make the
stain disappear,’” writes Blake Bakkila in the December 2017 issue.

7 The Lil Chizler

A favorite among Real Simple editors for many years, the Lil Chizler is a small
tool created to help apply decals, but we’ve used it to do everything from
scraping dirty pots and pans to cleaning up gunk around the kitchen sink.

8 The Invention of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

We may be dating ourselves, but it wasn’t until three years after Real Simple’s
launch that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser hit the cleaning scene—and changed
everything. Now, this cleaning tool is used for many tough cleaning tasks,
including scrubbing a grimy shower curtain.

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9
Wash Makeup Brushes with Legos

In our April 2019 issue, senior editor Brandi Broxson offers up another nugget of
cleaning wisdom: “I apply a dab of dish soap to makeup-brush bristles and sweep
them over a Lego baseboard under warm running water. The pegs agitate caked-
on makeup so the brush eventually rinses clean.”

10 Another Use for Baby Wipes

In the April 2018 issue, we reconsidered the best way to clean baseboards:
“Instead of micro ber cloths, use baby wipes to clean baseboards,” writes Natalie
Ermann Russell. “They’re nontoxic, making this a perfect task for children. Plus,
the wipes lack heavy cleaners, meaning they’re gentle enough for painted
woodwork.”

11 Keep Shower Cleaning Supplies Handy

Sometimes, brilliant cleaning tips come right from our readers. In the April 2017
issue, we published this tip from reader J.F., via Facebook: “I keep a dish wand
lled with equal parts dish soap and vinegar in the shower so I can scrub while
I’m in there. Works like a charm!”

12 A Natural Solution to Protein Stains

“You don’t need bleach to get rid of protein stains, like blood, sweat, and tears.
(OK, maybe tears are not a big laundry issue.)” writes Nicole Sforza in the April
2014 issue. “One natural option: Toss stained socks, tees, and undies into a big
pot of water with a few lemon slices and bring to a boil for a few minutes.”

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13 A Trick for Removing Price Stickers

“To remove sticky residue from price tags on glass, I put a bit of creamy peanut
butter on a piece of paper towel and rub it in a circular motion until the glue is
lifted. Rinse with soap and water or use glass cleaner and a micro ber cloth,”
recommends our SEO editor, Lauren Phillips, in the April 2019 issue.

14 For When You Forget to Use a Coaster

“If I forget to put a coaster on my wooden bedside table and water rings form, I
use a hair dryer to help remove the moisture absorbed by the table. I nish with
olive oil for shine,” writes Donna Smallin Kuper, author of Clear the Clutter, Find
Happiness, in the April 2019 issue.

15 When You Accidentally Leave Clothes in the Washer

Even if clothes are freshly washed, if you forget to take them out of the washing
machine, they’ll quickly develop that dreaded mildew smell. But in the August
2014 issue, we offered a simple solution: “Rewash the load with 1 cup white
vinegar (and no detergent) to kill the mildew odor,” writes Nicole Sforza.

16 Use a Squeegee Outside the Shower

If you have a rug that’s been busy collecting hair and pet fur, run a dry squeegee
over it. The plastic squeegee creates electromagnetic energy that helps attract
the fur, Melissa Maker, the founder of Clean My Space, explained to us back in
2015.
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17 Removing Crayon Marks on Walls

Over the years, some of the most memorable cleaning tips have come from our
readers, including this one from reader Ashley Dean in the May 2012 issue of
Real Simple. “I’m a kindergarten teacher, and sometimes my students
‘accidentally’ draw on the classroom walls. To remove their masterpieces, I
follow this advice from my mom: Wet a rag, smear toothpaste on it, and use it to
scrub the wall clean. My mom learned the tip from her mom, who learned it
from her own mother. It really works.” The next time your little one draws an
uncommissioned work of art, you’ll know what to do.

18 Deodorize a Garbage Disposal

Over the years, we’ve recommended a couple methods for deodorizing a

garbage disposal that really work. Try putting ice cubes made out of vinegar
down the disposal, turn it on, then ush with cool water. Alternatively, place an
orange or lemon peel down the disposal to give it a fresh citrus scent.

19 Clean Up Glitter Spills

Once glitter gets into your house, it’s almost impossible to get rid of. The next
time glitter spills or you need to clean up after a craft project, grab a lint roller.
The sticky sheets will quickly collect every last sparkle.

20 The Foggy Mirror Fix

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To prevent your bathroom mirror from fogging up, wipe it with shaving cream,
then remove with a clean cloth. The residue will resist moisture, helping keep
your mirror clear.

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