Here at Expert Home Tips we love a good cleaning tip! We've got articles dedicated to making the cleaning chores as easy as possible with all kinds of secret tricks. Some have turned into trusted favourites, and while we all know we simply love vinegar for cleaning, I wanted to bring you some all NEW cleaning tips that you may have never heard of before.

Check out my list of cleaning tips and let me know in the comments section if you have discovered any never-been-heard-before hacks that you'd like to share with us! I'd love to hear from you.

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Easy cleaning tips for a spotless bathroom

1. Use the Spray & Sit method

Spray your cleaning solution evenly and lightly across the entire surface. Avoid the common mistake of spraying heavily in one area and wiping outward - this leads to areas getting missed out. Let the solution sit for five to seven minutes before getting to work, most people start immediately wiping but you want to give the solution sufficient time to start penetrating the surface and killing off the germs and bacteria. Do another task while you're waiting.

2. Remove stubborn mold with cotton balls

If you don't stay on top of mold it can really get ahead of you! At first sighting of the green/black stuff make sure you take action with this great little tip. It works on both sprinklings of mold and for particularly bad areas of accumulated mold in your grout too - just take some cotton wool balls and soak them in a strong bleach or specialist mold remover.

Line them around the affected areas and let them sit overnight. In the morning take a good scrubbing brush with bristles and after removing the cotton balls, scrub with force and the mold should dissolve and lift off.

3. The easiest way to clean your shower curtain

It's easy to just bin a filthy shower curtain and replace it with a brand new one - plastic ones are ridiculously cheap - but why not make do by giving your shower curtain a deep clean. The easiest way to do this? Chuck it in the washing machine with a bunch of towels, to keep it from bunching, and a cup of white vinegar. Just remember NOT to put it in the dryer.

4. Your kitchen scrubber works better in the bathroom

They are designed for washing dishes, but with their long handles they are ideal for quick clean-ups in the bathroom too - you can even fill it up with bathroom cleaner or white vinegar. Just leave it on the side and ask family members to give the basin or shower a quick once over when they've finished in the bathroom.

Similarly, you'd be surprised at how many everyday household items can actually be used to organise your kitchen. Check out my article to find 16 genius ways to use everyday items in your kitchen.

Clever tips for a cleaner living room 

5. Freeze your candle votives to remove wax

With the influence of Hygge, we've learnt to embrace candles and tealights in 2016, but has anyone noticed how messy votives can quickly get? I found a great little trick from Martha Stewart on how to clean votives quickly and efficiently... stick them in the freezer for a few hours! The wax will begin to shrink enough to pop right off.

6. Keep your supplies close to hand - this is genius!

You know the saying... 'out of sight out of mind'? Well that totally relates to cleaning, if the supplies are under the kitchen sink you'll perhaps think twice before getting them out and cleaning. It seems more of an effort right? This little tip I found has actually revolutionised the way I tackle cleaning...

Keep various dusting cloths and multi-surface sprays around your home, for example, I like to keep a microfiber cloth in a drawer next to my TV stand. It makes it a lot easier to quickly dust or remove grubby marks upon spotting them and doesn't feel like I am actually cleaning. Funny how the mind works!

7. Explore your vacuum cleaning attachments

The vacuum cleaner along with the washing machine and dryer are our most powerful cleaning tool and must be used to the max! If you're guilty of just using the vacuum itself and not exploring the attachments then make your New Year's resolution to use at least one or two of them when hoovering.

With a soft bristle attachment, you can clean the sofa, soft furnishings, dining chairs and even curtains. Use the narrow attachment to clean dust from windowsill, windows and the tiny crevices and corner of your floor.

TOP TIP: Should you dust or vacuum first? Find out the answer in our blog post. 

New cleaning tips for pet owners 

8. Baby wipes really are your best friend

Keep a packet of baby wipes by the front door so when you come back from a muddy walk you can quick grab the surface mud and dirt from your dog's paws. I also use unscented baby wipes on my dog's folds on his face to help keep them free from dirt and grime.

Check out my article for 38 more uses for baby wipes around the home.

9. Forget the lint roller... a duct-taped paint roller is what you need

It's a classic cleaning tips for pet owners - remove pet hair with a lint roller. Have you noticed though that it's not really very efficient and you go through lint rollers like nobody's business? When you're tackling heavy shedding - my pug heavily moults all day every day - you need something more powerful...

The stickiness of duct tape make it perfect for lifting up large amount of dog hair in one go so make your own industrial lint roller by wrapping duct tape - sticky side up - around an old paint roller. You can use it sofas, in the car and on your clothes. I found this tip on The Family Handyman and have been using it ever since!

10. Double up on placements to keep feeding areas clean

Placemats beneath your pet's bowls can indeed keep them clean and it's certainly easier to give them a quick wipe down after feeding time, but if your pet is anything like mine then there'll be food on the walls too!

Take a second placemat and rest it against the wall too so you can prevent bits of food and water splattering on the walls. This tip made cleaning really easy and kept raw food out of the skirt boards.

Brilliant kitchen cleaning tips

11. Commit to a basic kitchen routine

Wiping down the surfaces, sweeping the floor in the evening and clearing the dishwasher or sink are four essentials jobs that will help your kitchen remain cleaner. Everyone want to wake up to a clean kitchen and an empty sink in the morning so make that your motivation not to procrastinate. Treating yourself to a glass of wine or a piece of dark chocolate at the end helps!

For more ways to make cleaning fun, or well, slightly more barely shall we say - make sure you check out Stephanie's 17 amazing ways to make cleaning easy.

12. Clean baked-on dishes with dryer sheets

Lasagnes and other baked dinners are delicious, granted, but the dishes can be a nightmare to clean. Instead of reaching for the scrubber, head to the laundry room and grab a couple of dryer sheets.

Fill the dish with warm water and add a dryer sheet before it leaving it to soak. When you return the food will come off with just a quick sponge and rinse.

There are some great alternatives to dryer sheets, too! Take a look. 

13. Clean greasy surfaces with... OIL!

You've heard of the expression 'fight fire with fire'... well, you can also fight oil with oil! If your kitchen surfaces have been left with a greasy film (I know mine was when I first moved into my home), squeeze a few drops of oil onto a kitchen towel and wipe it across the offending surface. The grease and grime should wipe off in just one go - who knew?

14. Double line your kitchen bin

This is more of a time-saving hack, but this tip will also help keep your bin cleaner for longer. Double lining your bin with black bags will save you time when you're changing the bins and help catch any spills or rogue bits of food and drips.

Genius cleaning tips for parents

15. Toothpaste removes colouring stains from wood

Grab a tube of toothpaste when the kids have gone colouring crazy! Toothpaste will help erase any marker stains from wood when applied almost immediately, a very handy little trick when you need to act fast.

16. Use your hoover to clean toys

Inbetween regular deep cleans in the washing machine, you can use the attachments on your vacuum cleaner to hoover dust and dirt that has accumulated in your kids' cuddly toys and any other plush items like baby entertainment mats.

17. Wipe away wall doodles with baking soda

Got the next Picasso on your hands? Remove crayon from your walls by grabbing a damp sponge and sprinkling on some baking soda before scrubbing lightly at the doodles.

18. Put LEGO in the dishwasher

No parent has time to individually clean LEGO pieces! Put them into a laundry bag and put them into the dishwasher, it works a treat at removing germs and dirt. You'll be surprised at how many things you can clean in the dishwasher, make sure you check out my article for a long list.

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