27 Household Cleaning Tricks Every Parent Should Know

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Living with kids is dirty business.

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

1. Get rid of carpet stains with just three ingredients.

Hydrogen peroxide, water, and lemon juice. That’s it! Learn more here.

2. A lint roller makes picking up glitter a snap — even glitter a vacuum can’t get up.

3. Remove your little Picasso’s crayon markings from the wall with WD-40.

Windex, Goo Gone, and baking soda also work, but a lot of Pinterest suggestions didn’t when tested in real life.

4. WD-40 can also get crayon stains out of clothes.

That is just one of many techniques you can use to get out even washed-in crayon. Learn more here.

5. Clean Lego bricks in your washing machine.

They’ll come out looking brand new and work every bit as well as they always did. Find out more here.

6. Baking soda is your friend when your kid throws up on something in the house.

maxximmm / Getty Images

Once you’ve cleaned up the puke as much as possible pour a heaping helping of baking soda onto what’s left. It will form into powdered clumps, which you can later vacuum up. You’ll be amazed with how good the area looks and smells!

7. Baking soda is also a key part of removing pee stains from a mattress.

You especially need to know this one if your kid is newly potty trained. Find the deets here.

8. Clean sippy cups with white vinegar to get rid of that stinky smell.

It’s super easy. Learn how here.

9. If your kid spills Kool-Aid onto your beautiful white carpet, you can get it up using dish soap, vinegar, and salt.

Tammy Bryngelson / Getty Images

Save the heart attack for later. Learn more here.

10. Keep stains from setting in when you’re away from home with Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover.

11. Picking up small toys is a snap using a dust pan.

12. Whip up a batch of “doll hairspray” (fabric softener and water) to detangle doll hair.

“@Netmums: Fab life hack http://t.co/F9drxVtm3I “

— J_I_Marsh (@Joanna)

13. Get rid of pit stains on your teenager’s T-shirts by wetting the area with lemon juice, adding a tablespoon of salt, then rubbing the fabric between your fingers.

Joao Seabra / Shutterstock

Letting the T-shirt dry out in the sun will help the stain disappear even more.

14. You can clean the backseat of your car’s upholstery with an easy DIY stain remover.

All you need is Dawn dish soap, white vinegar, and club soda. Learn more here.

15. Keep your kids from making a mess all over the house with this clean-up hack.

Tell your kid they can only bring as many toys out of their room as they can carry in a pillow case. Then, when they’re done playing, they can take the toys back in the pillow case. Learn more here.

16. Remove permanent marker from hardwood floors with a dab of toothpaste.

Learn more here.

17. You can also use toothpaste to make your kid’s sneakers look as good as new.

Learn more here.

18. Remove even the most stubborn marks with these magic erasers.

They really work, but you have to be careful or they’ll take the paint off your wall.

19. Get set-in baby food stains out of a onesie using Dawn, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda.

Learn more here.

20. Clean your kids toys and a whole lot more in the dishwasher.

This is especially smart when the flu has swept through your house. Learn more here.

21. Some toys — especially stuffed animals — are hard to clean without ruining, but it is possible to give them a gentle surface cleaning with dish detergent, water, and paper towels.

Learn more about this — plus other cleaning tips — here.

22. If a stuffed animal needs more in-depth cleaning, however, you can put it in the washing machine.

You have to know what you’re doing, though. Learn how here.

23. If your kid gets gum on their cotton clothes you can get it off by putting the clothes in the freezer.

Robert Byron / Getty Images

This hardens the gum and makes it lose its sticky adhesiveness. Learn more here.

24. You can safely clean car seat straps using baby wipes.

Find a hundred (!) more clever uses for baby wipes here.

25. Clean baseboards using dryer sheets.

This not only gets up the dust but coats the area so dust doesn’t accumulate nearly as quickly in the future.

26. Get crumbs out of even the most difficult nooks and crannies using this homemade slime.

Find out how to make it here.

27. Make outdoor toys look as good as new even if you don’t have a power washer.

Learn how here.

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