The 5 Most Game-Changing Cleaning Tricks of 2022

Cleaning, decluttering, and tidying up may not be the most glamorous part of life, but they are essential ones. Keeping your home polished not only helps you stay healthy, but it can boost your overall mood and sense of wellness, too. Just imagine the feeling of climbing into fresh-from-the-dryer bedsheets, as one classic example. 

The good news is, cleaning doesn’t always have to feel like a chore. Given the right tools and help from a few hacks — not to mention, the right playlist — it can even be enjoyable. Over the last year, Apartment Therapy has published numerous cleaning tricks to assist you, and I’ve rounded up some of our favorites so that you can tackle this to-do list ahead of the new year and beyond. 

From plastic spray bottles to disposable sponges, the unfortunate truth is that the modern conveniences of cleaning can generate loads of waste. That doesn’t mean you can’t make some eco-friendly changes, however. An easy one to adopt is using old sheets, towels, and clothes that you’ve cut up as cleaning rags in lieu of paper towels. Keep them organized in “dirty” and “clean” bins under the sink — and keep paper towels out of the landfill.

Moisture combines with hard water residue, soap scum, body oil, and dead skin cells to form dirt, so while rinsing off may leave your body clean, it actually creates muck in the shower. You can prevent buildup by taking two minutes to wipe off the walls, tiles, and tub immediately after you step out, taking one of the key factors out of the equation.

Chances are that your rug is due for a deep clean, but you’ve been putting it off for want of the right equipment. Well, what if I told you that all you need to refresh your floor coverings is a vacuum? The trick is to run it over both sides of the rug several times, using a combination of suction and pressure to rid the fibers of dust and dirt. And if you don’t own a vacuum, you can always go the old-fashioned route of beating the rug outside.

Sweeping and Swiffering may be a regular part of your routine, but those methods may not be the most effective for removing pet hair, which gets trapped in broom fibers and sticks to wet surfaces. Enter: the oversize lint roller. This tool has a long, sectioned handle that allows you to easily roll it over the floor, underneath furniture, or across Fido’s favorite spot on the couch.

If you’re anything like me, then the first step of any cleaning routine is overcoming a feeling of dread. The toilet needs scrubbing, the closet needs tidying, and the linens need laundering. Instead of spending a weekend tackling everything at once, however, it’s more approachable to set a 20-minute timer and focus on a task that aligns with your energy level at any given moment.