If last-minute guests leave you short on time to vacuum up after your four-legged friends, try this trick: Slip on a pair of rubber cleaning gloves, wet them lightly, then rub your hands over couches, blankets, or the cat's favorite sunny window seat. The loose fur will come off the upholstery and stick to your gloves!

If you think that removing hard water stains require expensive, chemical-filled cleaners, think again. It requires as little as half a lemon! Just rub a wedge over water-stained chrome fixtures, and the citric acid will cut through rust and stains in no time. While you're at it, head back into the kitchen for another unlikely stain fix: A sheet of wax paper worked over your clean fixtures helps repel water and stains.

Related:  10 Clever Household Uses for Lemons

Skip hours of scrubbing cooked-on food from your microwave walls by nuking a microwave-safe bowl filled with water and lemon slices. When you bring it to a boil, the water and steam loosens gunk and grime, making clean up as simple as wiping down the interior. (Now's a great time to pick up a microwave cover to prevent future messes.)

Related:  How To - Clean Any Appliance

Did you know you could wash your shower liner? Most people don't, but it's a great way to save money and quickly clean an item you would normally have to replace. Simply toss in the wash with a few soiled towels, and add a half-cup of baking soda in with your normal amount of detergent; then, at the rinse cycle, dump in a half-cup of vinegar. Hang to dry.

Related:  10 Quick Fixes for a More Relaxing Shower

Tired of scrubbing food residue off your fridge shelves? Try this quick hack and save your future self some time: Line your shelves with plastic wrap. If there's a spill, just peel away the mess!

Related:  10 Insanely Creative Shelves You Can DIY

Ironing can be a real chore, but you don't have to break out the ironing board every time you want a neatly pressed outfit. Instead, take the day's laundry with you when you take a shower, and hang up a few items of clothing on the curtain rod opposite from the shower head. The steam from your soak will eliminate wrinkles—and free up your time!

Related:  9 Smart Hacks for Laundry Day

Save valuable time on laundry day by investing in a hamper with multiple sections. This heavy-duty laundry sorter comes complete with four separate sections, each able to hold one load of laundry. Now you can easily sort all your colors into the appropriate piles as soon as you toss them in the hamper! Available at Amazon; $30.

Related:  10 Easy Laundry Room Storage Solutions

Ah, the beauty of a machine you can set to clean and forget about. But if you're using your dishwasher solely for cleaning dishes and silverware, you're definitely not getting the most out of your appliance. Your dishwasher can actually sanitize and shine almost anything that won't melt in super high temperatures. So, between loads of cookware, consider throwing in a few old, dirty sneakers in the mix, and watch them magically look brand new again.

Related:  Over a Dozen Things You Didn't Know You Could Clean in the Dishwasher

Cleaning those hard-to-reach areas on a regular basis can be a hassle. So when you get around to it, use a dryer sheet to wipe down blinds, fan blades, and any other areas where dust builds up frequently. Not only will the dryer sheets knock the dust off pretty much any surface, but the chemicals will also help repel dust so you can go longer between cleanings.

It's a fact of life in many homes: The surfaces not seen every day are the likeliest to accumulate dust, dirt, and grime. The tops of armoires, bookcases, and upper kitchen cabinets are prime examples of out-of-sight areas with a tendency to get pretty filthy. In these spots, lay down some wax paper. Now, instead of cleaning by hand, you can simply remove the wax paper (along with the gunk it's collected) and put down a fresh sheet—no fuss!

Related:  15 Remarkably Easy Steps to a Dust-Free Home

With minimal effort, you can clean your toilet in three minutes, tops. The key is an unlikely (though surprisingly effective) addition to your arsenal of cleaning supplies—Alka-Seltzer. Drop two tablets into the toilet bowl, then walk away, leaving the acidic effervescence to work its mysterious magic. When you return, it should only take a few swipes with the toilet brush to restore the porcelain to its pristine state. Flush, and you're all done.

Related:  8 Unusual Tips for Your Cleanest Bathroom Ever

When you've invited over guests and want to use the good silver, keep it simple: Only wipe up the utensils you'll use (not the full set!). Skip a creamy polish and simplify things by using silver wipes—they'll remove tarnish almost effortlessly.

Related:  10 Alternatives to a Formal Dining Room

Loathe to wash dishes by hand, but not fortunate enough to have a dishwasher? Fill kitchen sink with hot water and dish soap when you start cooking, then move pots and pans as you empty them from stove to soak during dinner—they'll be much easier to clean afterward. Then, prop a tablet into the kitchen and and bring up Netflix to make your chore pass quickly.

Related:  Your Dishwasher Can Do Better - 9 Tips to Boost Performance

For more on cleaning, consider:

8 Cleaning Mistakes Everyone Makes

10 Things You Didn't Know a Sponge Can Do

8 Unusual Tips for Your Cleanest Bathroom Ever