20 Fast-Acting Products That Will Make Cleaning Your Home A Cinch
Now, I don't know about you, but as the light nights slowly but surely begin to creep in, I'm finding it harder and harder to ignore the dust bunnies not-so-subtly hiding around my apartment. And while vacuuming is the obvious solution, there's nothing quite as long-lasting or as effective as a deep clean - a process we all put off because of how time-consuming it is.
But before we can even think about donning our marigolds, it's important to make sure that our cleaning products and devices are in tip-top condition - otherwise, no matter how hard we clean, we could still be left with subpar results. This, my friends, is where the following 20 products truly come into their own and take the pain out of that all-important deep clean!
1. This spray on, spray off oven cleaner that takes the hard work out of getting a perfectly clean oven.
Credit: amazon.com
"Simply UNBELIEVABLE. Fume-free and no gloves needed, but it dissolves ANYTHING cooked on! Had not cleaned oven EVER. Simply sprayed on, shut door over night, and wiped off with paper towels. Do not have to dread cleaning oven ever again! Can use for everyday spot cleaning with only have to let sit for couple hours for minor things. Used on broiler pan that would not scrub clean with even steel wool, no need to scrub ever again now! My Crock-Pot leaked over the bowl and burned on the inside heating chamber; just sprayed, covered, wiped in morning. Plan on using to clean the grill in spring and I am sure it will make it a breeze." - Andrew J.
You can purchase a can on Amazon for $5.45.
2. Say goodbye to subpar results from your washing machine with these washing machine cleaner tablets.
Credit: amazon.com, amazon.com
"I have been using bleach to clean my machine for some time but decided to give this a try a few months ago. My very first clean with Affresh left me surprised and delighted because not only did it clean my machine, it eliminated the nasty smell that always transferred to my clothes thanks to a build-up of mold I didn't even know about. Every month now, I toss a tablet into the drum and let it work its magic. Now, my machine is cleaner than ever, and my clothes always smell wonderfully fresh. I highly recommend this to everyone." - Kelli Crawford
Buy six tabs on Amazon for just $13.
3. This flexible snake which removes the gunk from your sink with ease.
Credit: amazon.com, amazon.com
"I tried every drain cleaner known to mankind in an attempt to clear my bathtub's drain and nothing worked. Seriously, dudes, NOTHING worked. After reading the reviews on this I figured what the heck, let's give it a try. I wore elbow-length rubber gloves and a medical face mask; I was ready for battle (I highly recommend you do this as well because the splashback is REAL and it smells of demon butt). After shoving it down the drain just once the most god-awful-looking sea monster of a stinky hair clump came out. I did it about a dozen more times until no more hair monsters came up. I turned on the faucet and that sound of water finally draining through the pipes was like angels singing the Hallelujah choir. That pipe is CLEAR, my dudes! I can finally take showers again without feeling like I'm standing in a goopy stank pond!" - Kayla Cooper
Available on Amazon for $5.01.
4. Get a more effective and efficient dry clean with this dryer vent cleaning kit
Credit: amazon.com, amazon.com
"Works great. I used it and an extension kit with extra rods to clean a 21-foot long vent with a two right angle turns and it did a fantastic job with the adapter that lets you put the rod through and attach a shop vac. Got a TON of lint out, about a five-gallon bucket full. Inside of the vent was left shiny and clean. Good for safety especially with such a long vent and to my surprise the dryer actually works quite a bit better now. On the auto cycle, I used to have to run it again if I was drying heavy things like jeans or blankets/comforters etc. to fully dry things. Now it does it in one cycle and takes about 25% less time to go through the auto dry cycle." - Caleb
Available on Amazon for $29.09 and get extension rods (which extend to up to 24 feet) for $17.47.
5. Never again waste time dusting your blinds - just invest in this three-layer microfiber blinds duster.
Credit: amazon.com, amazon.com
"Blinds are good but a nuisance to dust and clean, but this little product works well so I ended up buying a second set for my other house. The covers are microfiber and you take them off and wash them. Having the extra covers is handy because one cover gets dust and dirt on it and then what? You wash it, dry it and continue the job? That's one way to do it. But having several of the little covers works well. Sometimes a little basic product is the best." - Clutter Hater
Available on Amazon for $7.99 (this product comes with microfibre sleeves).
6. Make your tumbler sparkle again with Bottle Bright tablets.
Credit: amazon.com
"I'm not usually one to write reviews, but these cleaning tablets made my jaw drop. I have a metal Yeti mug that was stained from months of using it for tea. I have tried scrubbing it with dawn and leaving that to sit and nothing would get rid of the stains. I bought these after seeing it on BuzzFeed thinking might as well give it a shot. I put boiling water in the mug, popped in the tablet; it foamed like a volcano and let it sit for half an hour. As the picture shows, my mug now looks brand new. NO stains and I did ZERO scrubbing. My jaw dropped seeing how clean the mug was after pouring out the liquid. Best money spent on a cleaning product ever." - Alex
Purchase a pack of 12 on Amazon for $7.99.
7. You'll understand why this cleaner is called "Oh Yuk" when you see the horrors hiding behind your jets.
Credit: amazon.com
"I bought this and some bath oil as a birthday present for my mom to celebrate her new jet tub. She was a bit put off and explained her tub has a fancy cleaning procedure and it was not needed, that was last month. Last week she called to tell me about the black gunk that came out after using the product, today she told me she purchased it for her contractor who put in the tub (he had not heard of it before) and when he used it a disgusting amount of black schmutz emerged from HIS fancy self-cleaning tub!" - PrettyFunkyPunky
Available on Amazon for $16.99.
8. Clean those often neglected shower corners with a set of drill brushes.
Credit: amazon.com
"I bought this on a whim because my walk-in shower is just a pain to clean. I'm 51 and I guess I've just been old school with how I clean, so hand scrubbing it was for years. The FIRST time I used this to clean my shower it took five minutes AND it scrubbed my shower cleaner than it has been in years. In the corners, the floor, the glass door... everything came out squeaky clean. I'm NEVER cleaning my shower by hand again." - Terry
Buy a set of three on Amazon (available in five colors) for $13.97.
9. Get rid of buildup in your dishwasher with these cleaner tablets to ensure optimal results.
Credit: amazon.com
"Works extremely well. We haven't done any cleaning on our dishwasher in five years, and the sliding dish trays were tough to pull out or push in, there was detergent build up all over the inside, and there was a milky film on all our cups. I bought Affresh, ran the dishwasher with two tablets while it was empty, and the difference was astounding. There was still some build up and I figured it would require another cycle, so I popped another two tablets in, ran the machine a second time, and now it looks and sounds brand new. No more film on the glasses, no more dirty dishes from clogged sprayers, no more odors, or build up around the door seals. I'm going to be buying Affresh from now on, and hopefully, it will extend the life of my dishwasher." - Martoune
Buy a set of six on Amazon for $5.38.
10. Never again have a smelly kitchen with a pack of garbage disposal foaming tablets - they'll get rid of the food particles causing your woes.
Credit: amazon.com
"I ran full hot water for a minute or two then put it to the smallest trickle I could, it took some effort for my sink handle to actually trickle. After seeing it say it only takes two minutes (mine was closer to four) I thought no way it will work. I can literally hear how much easier the disposal spins. I can see the metal, which used to be black. I'm in an apartment where it has probably never been cleaned. The second sink drain I didn't even know was white until this. It had a layer of brown gunk. Simply amazing, I'm shocked how well this stuff works." - J. Peace
Buy a set of four on Amazon for $7.94.
11. Reduce allergens and dust in your environment with this HEPA-grade air filter.
Credit: amazon.com, amazon.com
"We have two of these air purifiers and have had them for about eight months. They really do work at removing dust. We don't sneeze daily anymore. And 10-year-old daughter does not suffer from asthma anymore. It really gets dirty on the charcoal filter, it gets thick with dust and dirt so we know it really does work well. We run these for 24/7 on high and never had any issues. They are worth the cost." - Jay
Available on Amazon for $54.81.
12. Clean the lint trap in your dryer (or refrigerator coils) with this flexible brush.
Credit: amazon.com
"I consider myself a bit of a neat freak and never knew this existed. I used this to clean under my fridge and in my dryer and I got more dust/lint than I was anticipating. It was gross. It was easy to use and clean. I also liked how I could bend it to get into the harder-to-reach spots." - Danielle Edlund
Available on Amazon for $12.99.
13. This mold and mildew-removing gel will quickly spruce up your bathroom(s) and kitchen
Credit: amazon.com
"Wow! I would give this 10 stars if I could. We've had issues for a few years with the caulking behind the handle of our kitchen faucet turning black from mildew. We've scrubbed with what seems like a million different products, with no luck. We were actually just talking about ripping out the caulking and doing a total replacement. But, my husband saw this online the other day and decided to order it. Almost immediately when he applied it, you could see it was starting to work. We left it on overnight and the black is COMPLETELY GONE! It's incredible. 1,000% worth the (small) investment." - Nicole D
Available on Amazon for $12.99.
14. Crumbs are every keyboard user's nemesis, but they can be easily removed with a dual-ended electronics brush.
Credit: amazon.com
"I purchased this because it's hard to get that dust/dirt off that can accumulate between the keys. Many brushes (including some toothbrushes) are a little too stiff and in some cases could even cause a problem. This presents a solution. The uses for this product are almost endless. The brush bristles are extremely soft (think even softer than soft paint brushes) and are good for usage on finishes that can easily scratch (ex: acrylic.) The silicone wiper's chisel tip gives you incredible precision when working with smaller electronics/components. Like the brush, the silicone wiper works well on surfaces that are easily cosmetically damaged. With an excellent design, useful features, great ergos, and a reasonable price, I highly recommend this brush." - ZapNZs
Available on Amazon for $4.99.
15. Have your leather goods looking their best by investing in a leather conditioning spray.
Credit: amazon.com
"Works amazing! I have two big dogs who are constantly taking naps on our new leather couches, and this cleaner works so well to clean and make couches look flawless. I love the cleaner & conditioner combination. The convenience of the spray pump and microfiber towel gets tough to scrub dirt out, especially along the bottom of the couches where dirt can be most noticeable. Overall, very impressive!" - Nathan Coughlan
Available on Amazon for $15.98.
16. Losen the caked on sauce in your microwave with an Angry Mama.
Credit: amazon.com
"Seven minutes in the microwave. Seven minutes and the water and vinegar steamed out. I was apprehensive, waiting to see how little this worked, and dreading the smell of vinegar I was so sure would overpower me. The microwave beeped, letting me know it was done. I waited that one minute afterwards, opened the microwave door, and was surprised that the vinegar smell was NOT overpowering. Sure it lingered a little, but it was faint, and when I wiped the microwave down all the gunk in there wiped right off! I love the Angry Mama! I'm so glad I got this! It even came a bit faster than I was expecting when it shipped. I do not regret this purchase at all! I even have one for the microwave at work! Now that will be the true test..." - Sallie Duncan
Available on Amazon for $2.19.
17. This tarnish-removing solution will get your silver jewelry sparkling again in no time.
Credit: amazon.com
"I have several pieces of upscale silver jewelry that have tarnished to the point of being unwearable. Not a great investment. I have tarnish wipes, and those work well enough, but they are really designed for cutlery and not jewelry. Wipes don't get into the crevices of design work, nor do they get inside links on chains. I had come to accept that, no matter what I did, my silver pieces were always going to be a bit dirty looking. When I got this dip, I wasn't expecting much. All I can say is this: WOW. I opened the jar, and dipped in half of a very tarnished (nearly black) bracelet for no more than a second, just to test it. When I pulled it out, I literally squealed. It was like new! Not a bit of tarnish, not a bit of dark, just that pure silver color. However, the smell of this stuff will knock you over. I *highly* recommend wearing rubber gloves when you use this (I didn't but will from now on) and rinsing your jewelry thoroughly after dipping and before wearing." - abby
Available on Amazon for $7.95.
18. Accidentally melted your clothes? This iron cleaner is the solution you need.
Credit: amazon.com
"Amazing product! Iron was used at too high of a setting on a polyester blouse. I was able to clean it in less than 10 minutes with almost no effort. The iron is as good as new, which is more than I can say about the blouse." - RJ
Available on Amazon for $9.99.
19. Shine up everything in your house with a bottle of Bar Keeper's Friend.
Credit: amazon.com
"Great product. It's abrasive enough to get at things that need it, but also gentle enough to where it doesn't wear away at what you're cleaning. My primary use is on a certain brand-name enameled cast iron products. After use, they begin to show residue from the gas stove and whatever you cook in it. A little bit of this and some elbow grease has them looking like new, both inside and out. Our other main usage is on chromed bathroom fixtures. This quickly brings them back up to a mirror-like shine." - Weebus
Buy a pack of two on Amazon for $8.59.
20. It doesn't matter how stubborn the stain is, a cooktop cleaning kit will give you a sparkling finish.
Credit: amazon.com
"Works amazing! I hadn't thoroughly scrubbed my glass cooktop in years, only wiped down with random multi cleaners which never seemed to do much. Then a friend recommended this product... AMAZING! The included scrubbers and scrapers really make the difference. As others have said it will leave your cooktop shiny and new. Even marks that had been on there for years came almost completely off. The key is to use very little product. Let dry to a haze and wipe with a clean dry cotton towel. Just like waxing a car." - B. Swartwood
Buy the kit on Amazon for $10.45.
So, when the time finally comes to give your abode a much-needed deep clean, you know exactly what you need to get your house sparkling like never before - and how to get there in the easiest and most efficient way possible. God bless the internet.