5 Speed-Cleaning Tips To Get Your Home Gleaming in Half the Time
![Overhead view of a woman cleaning stovetop](/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/04/woman-cleaning-stovetop.jpg?w=953&quality=86&strip=all)
Don’t want to spend hours scrubbing your stovetop and shining up faucets? We tapped top Airbnb hosts for their easiest speed-cleaning tips to get your space sparkling in no time. Here’s how to spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying your home!
Send dirt packing with a club soda splash.
With guests constantly on the go at Airbnb rentals, dirt, mud, and sand get tracked onto entryway doormats and indoor carpets. Thankfully, Jeff Pierce, Airbnb Superhost and author of Master of Vacation Rentals (Buy from Amazon, $13), says it’s easy to lift even stubborn stains fast — no steam-cleaning required. Just sprinkle baking soda or salt on spots, then top with a little club soda. Let sit for a few minutes before wiping with a damp sponge. The soda’s carbon dioxide will break down dirt molecules without harming fabric, while the baking soda or salt absorbs grime and odors.
Revive faucets with toothpaste.
When hard water leaves a pesky film on faucets, just reach for a tube of toothpaste, says Andrea Clarkson, Airbnb Ambassador, Superhost and founder of MammaMode.com. Simply spread non-gel toothpaste on the surface and let sit for 10 minutes, then buff with a soft cloth. Detergents in the paste whisk away scum and hard-water marks, while preventing new marks from clinging to the metal.
Nix stove-top grime with baking soda.
Clarkson lifts even baked-in stains with a mix of equal parts peroxide and baking soda. Spread onto surface, let sit five minutes, then wipe with a damp sponge. Peroxide releases oxygen to break down stains while abrasive baking soda cuts through grime.
Get tile gleaming with a white vinegar solution.
Pierce relies on tried-and-true white vinegar in all his rentals to get tile sparkling in a flash. For floors, mix a half cup of white vinegar with one gallon of warm water in a bucket; mop and allow the floor to air-dry. The vinegar’s acetic acid cuts through dirt and residue fast and dissolves it for a clean finish. Plus, pouring the vinegar water down the toilet afterward helps break up rings in the bowl.
Lift sneaky debris with a lint roller.
“Lint rollers are an absolute necessity in the rental cleaning process,” says Pierce. “We use them to quickly pick up stray hairs from guests and pets on throw pillows, furniture, and bedding.” Simply run a sticky lint roller over fabrics, floor cracks, and tile seams to easily lift stray hair and debris.