15 Brilliant Hacks for a Cleaner Home in 2018

Once a coveted luxury, real silver has fallen out of fashion. Part of its diminished popularity is no doubt due to its expense, but the fact that silver requires polishing to remove tarnish probably also factors into this loss of luster. If you love the look of silver, but your busy lifestyle doesn't afford time for extra cleaning duties, toss a silica gel packet (the kind found in boxes of new shoes, handbags, and vitamin bottles) into your silver drawer. The silica draws in moisture, and the resulting drier atmosphere slows the tarnishing process.

Related: 14 Retro Home Trends It’s Time to Revisit

The awkward corners and crevices in a blender make it difficult (and a little dangerous) to wash by hand. Instead of struggling to slip a sponge under and around the blender blades, try this: Fill the blender one-third full with hot water, and add a few drops of dish soap. Turn on the blender and let it run for a while. The soapy water whirling around the blender will dislodge food particles that you could never have reached by hand.

Related: 11 Ways You're Accidentally Ruining Your Cookware

If you've ever detailed your own car, you know that cup holders are some of the dirtiest parts of the interior. The area attracts dust, spills, and other messes, and its awkward shape and size make it tough to clean. Keep the cup holders tidier and speed up your regular car cleanup by dropping cupcake liners into the bottom of each cup holder. Opt for silicone models, available online or in home centers, to catch drips and debris, then pop them in the dishwasher whenever they get grimy. 

Related: 10 Things You Never Thought to Keep in Your Car

Even vacuum cleaners can't always budge stubborn pet hair that clings to rug and carpet fibers. Next time you're cleaning the floors, here's a tip: Take a squeegee (the kind used for washing windows) and scrape it across the carpet. You will be surprised at how much hair it will pull out of the carpeting. 

Related: You're Not Using Vacuum Attachments the Right Way

It will be much easier to give the bathroom a thorough cleaning if you take a minute to rinse the tub after every bath and shower. By washing suds down the drain, you'll prevent soap from drying and hardening into soap scum, which can be a pain to scrub away later.

Related: 10 Things Never to Flush Down the Toilet

If strong kitchen smells are lingering in the air rather than stuck on countertops or sinks, use steam to kill the scent. Fill a saucepan with one cup of water and a few tablespoons of vinegar, and bring it to boil. Let the mixture boil for several minutes. The released steam will neutralize bad odors, leaving your room smelling fresher and cleaner.

Related: 8 Ways to Make Your House Smell Like the Holidays

It's important to clean the baseboards to rid your home of allergens and keep your house looking neat, but you may be doing this chore more often than necessary. The next time you clean the baseboards, finish up by rubbing a dryer sheet along the molding. The antistatic properties of the dryer sheet help keep dust and debris from sticking.

Related: 9 Things You Didn't Know Dryer Sheets Can Do

If you've been lugging around only one bucket of water when you wash your floors, take note. Using one bucket of suds may seem like the most expedient solution, but consider: Every time you dip a dirty mop back in the clean bucket, you're transferring all the grime you just removed from the floor back into the water. You will keep your floors cleaner and won't need to switch out the clean water bucket as frequently if you cart two buckets of water at a time: one filled with floor cleaner and hot water, and the other with a water-only rinse.

Related: 12 Surprising Ways Spring Cleaning Can Backfire

Make 2018 the year you stick to your resolutions. From saving money to taking on new hobbies, this will be the year you see through on your goals.

Even if you've got your heart set on hardwood flooring, it's worth considering the alternatives. Sometimes, materials that only look like wood can be just as good as—or even better than—the real thing. Explore your options now!