Tips for Cleaning Some of the Worst Messes

Thankfully, people are finding clever ways to clean the worst messes, like these three great tips from Woman’s Day:

1. Filthy Drip Pans. Over time, food that spills or drips out of the pots on your stove fall down into the drip pan. You may not always notice it immediately or you may run out of time to clean it. Then, one day, you look down and it’s a caked on, horrible mess.

If this happens to you, try this: fill your sink with warm water and a little bit of dishwasher detergent (it’s stronger than dishsoap). Let them soak for half an hour before wiping them clean.

If the mess is still stubborn, preheat your oven on low, spray some oven cleaner on the drip pans, then put them in the oven and turn off the heat. Leave them in the oven for 30 minutes, then wipe clean.

2. Filmy Glass Showers. Use vinegar to clean the glass door as it will cut through the grime better than regular soap or cleaners. Once you get it clean, the big secret is prevention.

Go to your local car parts store and buy water repellent protectant. It’s often used on windshields and it makes water bead up and roll off of a surface. Apply it to your shower and you won’t have to scrub again for a while!

3. Dusty Venetian Blinds. Venetian blinds are like dust magnets. How can you get them clean without either dusting each slat individually or removing the whole rig?

Turn your blinds either up or down, then dust with a microfiber cloth that’s only slightly damp. Once you’ve done the whole blind, turn the blinds in the opposite direction and wipe again. Repeat on the other side, and you’ll have hit every part in just 4 wipes!