A Note From Our Cleaning Expert
When it comes to keeping your house clean all year, you may be thinking, “Where do I even begin?” I’m here to say: we’ve got you! To help you get started, we’ve assembled the very speediest tips and top tested product picks from our Cleaning Lab pros to tackle those pesky problem spots. But we didn’t stop there. The Good Housekeeping Institute pros in our Kitchen Appliances, Home Improvement, Textiles and Sustainability Labs share valuable tips and advice from their unique perspectives and experience too. Whether you’re tackling chores indoors, outdoors or simply looking for ways to green up your cleaning routine, you’ll find solutions here. So, roll up your sleeves and let’s get cleaning!
Kitchen Know-How
Keeping this busy space spotless shouldn’t be a full-time job. With a few mindful moves, you’ll be cooking!
- Go at the grease.
Make it a habit to wipe down your cooktop after every use, even if you don’t see splatters. Otherwise, invisible droplets of grease will get based or burned on when you simmer or sauté and become harder to remove. - Manage fridge mishaps.
Tackle dried and frozen-on spills in the refrigerator or freezer quickly and easily with a well-wrung-out hot, wet cloth. Place on the hardened blog and wait a few minutes, then pry up or wipe away the softened mess. - Beware of migrating germs.
To avoid cross-contamination, use separate towels for dying hands and dishes, separate cutting boards for preparing meat and veggies, and separate cloths for wiping counters and drying dishes. Wash or replace them often.
Kitchen Must-Do’s
“Clean as you go” is essentially the golden rule in the kitchen. It might seem like a lot of work at first, especially if you’re not used to it, but you’ll be thankful later.
– Nicole Papantoniou, Director, Kitchen Appliances Lab
Simple Bathroom Strategies
Turn your bath into the spa retreat of your dreams.
- Give glass a treatment.
Apply a water-repellent coating, like EnduroShield [link] or Rain-X [link] to glass shower doors and surrounds. Doing so helps water bead and run off so cleaning is easy and spots are less likely to form. - Buff chrome and mirrors.
Hang a mini microfiber cloth inside a vanity cabinet door to promptly dry water droplets on sinks and splatters on mirrors so these surfaces will stay shiny and spot-free. Encourage family members to use it too. - Deal with dust.
Dust and hair are easier to gather when dry. Before wet-cleaning bathroom surfaces, use your vacuum’s crevice tool to nab debris lurking in corners, behind the door, on and around the toilet and wherever else it collects.
To help prevent mold from taking over my shower curtain liner, I wash it regularly (having a machine-washable style is a game changer!), and I dry it with a towel after each shower.
– Emma Seymour, Associate Director, Textiles Lab
Outdoor Insights
Hosting a party outside? Make sure your entertaining space will be clean and guest-ready.
- Cover all bases.
Stash cushions and pillows in a shed or a deck box when not in use to keep them clean, dry and mold-free. In the off-season, use covers on the grill, furniture and outdoor pizza oven to keep them cleaner until spring. - Do doormats.
Place dirt-grabbing doormats outside all entrances to your home to trap grit that could ultimately damage floors and carpets. Shake mats or sweep or hose them off regularly to keep them at their cleanest. - Spruce up siding.
To erase patches of green algae (not mold) that can mar the look of vinyl siding, mix 1/3 cup of chlorine bleach into 1 gallon of water and apply with a brush or sponge, let sit 6 minutes and then scrub if needed. Rinse well.
Beautify Your Backyard
I love pressure washers, but you need to respect how much power they can generate. Always start with a wide spray setting, moving to a narrower nozzle as needed. Stay away from the red zero-degree nozzle, since it can damage surfaces and cause injuries.
– Dan DiClerico, Director, Home Improvement Lab
Sustainable Solutions
Making even small changes with the environment in mind can have a big impact.
- Choose reusables.
For many cleaning tasks, reusable tools like microfiber mob pads, dusters and cloths are preferable to disposables when it comes to helping the environment. After washing, let microfiber air-dry (it’ll be quick!) rather than tossing it into the dryer — you’ll save energy! - Be patient with eco-conscious products.
Plant-based cleaners are effective alternatives to traditional ones, but they may take longer to get the job done. They dissolve grime and kill germs gradually, so follow the label: For the best results, let them work for the required time before wiping. - Pick smart packaging.
Innovative product containers are everywhere. Recyclable boxes are kicking plastic bottles and tubs to the curb, and concentrated refills eliminate the need to buy new bottles when sprays run out. Look for ways to reduce your cleaning-packaging footprint.
Cleaning is an easy category to switch to more sustainable products. Start by looking for those with EPA Safer Choice certified ingredients and minimal packaging.
– Sabina Wizemann, Director, Beauty and Environment Lab
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
