7 Cleaning Tips to Make Up for That Missing Hour This Weekend
Sure, it’s going to be nice later this week when it’s not pitch black at 6 pm. But before we can fully appreciate that, we all get to commiserate over that lost hour. Maybe you would have used that hour cleaning your kitchen? (We believe you.)
Here’s something to make you feel a tiny bit better: These 7 cleaning tips will help you make up for the missing hour this weekend. Also remember: It’ll soon still be sunny at warm at 7 pm!
1. Set your oven so that it cleans itself while you sleep.
When it comes to cleaning your oven, you probably think you have two choices: Scrub really hard for an unending period of time, or smell stinky fumes from the oven’s self-cleaning setting. But we’ve actually got a really smart method that does most of the work for you overnight while you sleep — even if it’s only six hours this weekend instead of seven.
2. Soak your baking sheets.
Another thing you can set up to clean while you sleep: your browned and discolored baking sheets. Follow our directions and know that the longer the cleaning solution sits (read: the more time you spend sleeping or doing anything else), the better your results are going to be. We love a good hands-off project.
3. Run your dishwasher with a bowl of vinegar.
No one wants to spend a shorter-than-usual day cleaning the inside of their dishwasher. Don’t! Instead, just add a bowl of white vinegar to the top rack before you run your next load. It’ll help to de-gunk the holes in your dishwasher’s sprayer arm and will get your glasses looking a bit clearer, too.
4. Run your dishwasher with your fridge shelves.
If your fridge shelves have seen better (read: cleaner) days, take them out and run them through the dishwasher. The rinse cycle will do all the scrubbing for you and then all you have to do is decide if you really need seven jars of expired mustard.
5. Use a pair of dish gloves to quickly de-fuzz your upholstery.
If you have a dog who sheds, you know that cleaning up pet hair is not a quick task. But if you slide on an old dish glove, you’ll be more efficient than ever. The rubber helps catch hair as you wipe your hand over the fabric. Clean that couch in record time and then go outside to play fetch with fido.
6. Clean your microwave by nuking a lemon.
Instead of scrubbing each splatter by hand, just nuke two freshly squeezed lemon halves and they’ll wipe right up.
7. Bring your steamer into your kitchen.
This works kind of like the microwave tip above: The hot steam breaks up grease and grime so that you don’t have to waste time scrubbing. Just wave the steamer over your stovetop or your greasy cabinets and follow up with a quick-but-efficient wipe.
What are you doing to make up for that missing hour this weekend?