Cleaning Tips

How-to deep-dives and longer-form practical content — the pieces we’d actually print out and tape to the inside of a cleaning closet.

All cleaning tips

1307 posts
Cleaning Tips

Living Room and Family Room Cleaning by Surface

Living room cleaning by surface: the touched surfaces, the dust collectors and the floor. What to do weekly, what to do rarely, and a guide for every task.

Otesse · 6 min read
Cleaning Tips

How to Clean a Guitar Body, Fretboard, and Old Strings

How to clean a guitar body, fretboard, and strings: identify the finish first, stick to dry microfiber, and condition only an unfinished fretboard.

Otesse · 6 min read
Cleaning Tips

DIY Kitchen Degreaser Recipe for Baked On Cooking Grease

A DIY degreaser that works on baked on grease: alkaline plus surfactant plus dwell time. Here are the ratios, and the surfaces it will damage.

Otesse · 6 min read
Cleaning Tips

How to Clean Pavers Without Blasting Out the Joint Sand

How to clean pavers without stripping the joints: nozzle and distance control, why the sand is structural, and how to re-sand and reseal properly afterward.

Otesse · 6 min read
Cleaning Tips

How to Clean Grease Off Kitchen Walls Above the Stove

How to clean grease off kitchen walls without burnishing the paint: test the sheen first, work bottom to top, and keep water away from outlets and switches.

Otesse · 5 min read
Cleaning Tips

How to Clean a Wire Cooling Rack With Baked On Drips

How to clean cooling racks: soak in hot water and dish soap to soften baked on drips, then use a soft brush, since abrasives strip chrome and cause rust.

Otesse · 6 min read
Cleaning Tips

How to Clean a Two Story House Without Wasted Trips

The stairs are the real cost in a multi story home. A caddy per floor, a staged staircase, and a top-down route cut the trips that waste the time.

Otesse · 6 min read
Cleaning Tips

Can You Mix Bleach and Dish Soap Together in One Bucket?

Can you mix bleach and dish soap? No. Unknown soap ingredients can react with bleach to release toxic gas. Use this safe two-step method instead.

Otesse · 6 min read
Cleaning Tips

How to Label and Dilute Spray Bottles Without Guessing

An unlabeled bottle of clear liquid is a hazard to whoever picks it up next. What to write, how to measure, and why leftovers never get combined.

Otesse · 6 min read
Cleaning Tips

After Heavy Rain: Cleaning Mud Tracked Through a House

Cleaning mud tracked in the house works better if you wait. Let it dry, lift the solids, then damp clean -- and stop the next round at the door.

Otesse · 6 min read
Cleaning Tips

How to Defrost and Clean a Freezer Without a Big Mess

How to defrost a freezer in about two hours without flooding the floor, why an ice pick can end the appliance, and how to keep frost from coming back.

Otesse · 5 min read
Cleaning Tips

How to Clean a Muffin Tin With Baked On Ring Residue

How to clean muffin tins: soak each cup in hot soapy water to soften the baked ring at the rim, then use a soft brush rather than an abrasive pad.

Otesse · 6 min read

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