Clever Home Hacks to Simplify Your Life

Is your busy lifestyle keeping your home a mess and not organized? No matter what cleaning and organizing you do, you just can’t keep up? Here you will learn how to use these simple home hacks to give you more time and less work around your home. I’m going to show you DIY projects and hacks room by room that I have found to save me time around the house.

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You do not need fancy supplies for these home hacks. Find what you need already around your home, Dollar Store, or thrift store. I love to upcycle, using what I already have.

Need more time in your busy life? Use these simple home hacks to make life simpler, to organize your home and have more spare time.

Clever Home Hacks Video

Tips and Tricks Room By Room

Here are the home hacks sorted room by room. I’m giving you my top hacks that I use to save time around my home.

Don’t miss the section at the bottom devoted to home hacks for kids.

Laundry Room Hacks

I’m going to start with home hacks for laundry. If you have a laundry room, it quickly gets cluttered and is a great place to throw laundry to get it out of sight. If you don’t have a laundry room, putting away laundry makes the biggest difference in your home looking tidy.

5. Bonus small laundry room hack, add a hanging cabinet rack on your shelf.

1. Small Laundry Rooms

Are you limited with space with your laudry room? For tight spaces, try these shelves and racks. See the tutorial here: Small Laundry Room Hacks.

2. DIY Laundry Detergent & Stain Remover

With a few household ingredients, make your own laundry supplies. Treat stains and save money! I’ve been researching laundry cleaners and these are the ones I like to make. See the full tutorial at DIY Laundry Cleaners.

For the tub itself, place 1 quart (4 cups) of vinegar in your tub and fill all the way up with hot water. Run your regular wash cycle. Again you can add lemon juice to cut the smell of the vinegar if you like. Once it's complete you can opt to do a second rinse cycle if you like.

3. Deep Clean Your Washing Machine & Dryer

With my family of four, I know the heavy use my washer and dryer gets. Keeping your washer and dryer clean is often something we forget. See the full maintenance tips here: Clean Your Washer & Dryer.

Are you looking for ways to reuse those dryer sheers? I have several dryer sheet hacks that you need to know and can start using today.

4. Dryer Sheet Tips

Dryer sheets are not just for the dryer. Use them all over the house to clean and deodorize. See the full tutorial at Dryer Sheet Hacks.

Kitchen Hacks

Getting in and out of the kitchen after cooking a meal is important to me. Kitchen hacks are the biggest time saver. Here are hacks to keep your kitchen clean and organized:

Here's what didn't work... Ketchup/Tomato Sauce - I spread ketchup on the left side and tomato sauce on the right. I let it sit for 15 minutes.

1. Copper Cleaning Hacks

Even though this is a cleaning tip, I’m including this hack for the kitchen. Don’t miss how to clean a copper pot or pan. You can even use ketchup. See the all the tips here: Copper Cleaning Hacks .

I have filled up 2 of these containers with storage baggies, plastic wrap, tinfoil, wax paper, etc. and then I can stack them vertically in my pantry. This saves space, helps them look organized, and they stay in place.

2. Pantry Closet Projects

Are aluminum foil, parchment paper and Ziploc bags falling on you in your pantry when you reach for something? Find these containers at the Dollar Store. It is a cheap and easy storage solution. See all 11 tips here: Walk-In Pantry Organization Tips

I get my sink wet, and then I sprinkle some baking soda into my sink.

3. Stainless Steel Cleaners

I love my stainless steel appliances, but I have to constantly have to clean them. They easily show and fingerprints. Here are my top tips for cleaning the kitchen sink, dishwasher, stove top, and refrigerator. See the full list here: Homemade Cleaner for Stainless Steel.

I poured a little vinegar and a little lemon juice into a bowl and I'm going to fill that up with water. I've placed the bowl into my microwave and I'm going to set it to run for 10 minutes.

4. Kitchen Cleaning Hacks

Let’s be honest… is your microwave clean? Have you tried this lemon juice hack? It works great on my microwave. See this tip and more here: Kitchen Cleaning Hacks.

Looking for more help? See these hacks using kitchen supplies:

Bedrooms and Bathrooms Hacks

The bedroom quickly gets cluttered on laundry days. Here are tips to keep your bedroom closet space optimized and your bathrooms clean.

Roll up some of your clothes and you can save space, & organize outfits for your kids. It holds socks, t-shirts, thanks, shorts, leggings, leotards, tights,& legwarmers extremely well.

1. Ways to Use Shoe Organizer

If your closet spills out into the room, optimize space with this hack. Store clothes in a shoe organizer. Want more ideas? Try storing your winter gear, like hats and gloves in the entryway closet. Here are 20 ways to use these hanging organizers around the house: Ways to Use Shoe Organizer.

2. Closet Organization

Closet organization systems can get very expensive. Here are hacks for organizing your closet on a small budget. Read more here: Closet Organization and Hacks. You can find all of these organizers at the Dollar Store.

Use it in your bathroom to clean your shower doors and tile. It works like scrubbing bubbles.

3. Ways to Use Shaving Cream

Do your shower doors look clean or are they foggy with soap residue? Believe it or not, I use shaving cream to clean mine. See more ways to clean with these Shaving Cream Hacks.

Spray shaving cream across the bottom of the toilet, making sure to get that crease against the floor. Spread it around with your hands and let it set for 10 minutes to deodorize the space. Use a damp clean cloth to clean up all of the shaving cream. You can also use vinegar if you prefer a natural option.

4. Toilet Cleaning Tips

Clean toilets are crucial in my house. You won’t believe all these tips that I found to work, even on the caulk around the toilet base. See these hacks for a clean toilet bowl and how to conserve toilet tank water. And, there’s more. I cover tips on how to protect the screws and bolts from rust and keep moisture away. See what I use here: Weird Toilet Hacks.

Want more bathroom hacks? Here are more shower and toilet tips:

Living Room and Office Tips

The living room is a central room in my house and becomes the hub for the family. With everyone’s technology and devices, it is easier to store the internet router there so everyone has access.

There are many shapes and sizes of the router box as well as other electronic devices, but I have found one thing that works pretty much for all of them. I measured my router and I purchased these collapsible bins.

1. How to Hide Router

Keep your router out of eyesight. Use these tips to hide a router in your living room or office. See the full tutorial here: Hide Router

You can place the dust cover around the cable box. You can leave it like that or stack other books with it.

2. Cable Box Hacks

Do you still own a cable box? If you are not using internet tv, see this hack to Hide Cable Box.

For this table I used 2 of the Command Hooks at the top to lead the cable over to a leg. When you get to the leg you can continue using the Command Hooks to run the cable down the leg. In my case I had a switch that needed to be held in place on the leg. I used a regular Command Strip and placed it on the back of the switch, and the other side I peeled off the backing and stuck it to the leg.

3. Hide Cords

This is a perfect hack for table lamps but can work for televisions too. Follow these tips on How to Hide Cords.

Use the microfiber cloth to spot clean some of your stains.

4. Couch Cleaning Hacks

Are you even sure what you will find under your couch cushions? It is always funny to see what I find when I deep clean the couch. See how well a microfiber towel cleans and other hacks here: Deep Clean Your Couch.

Outside and Garden Hacks

Try these outside DIY projects to make your life a little easier. Here are our best outdoor hacks. Lessen your workload with these hacks and spend more time relaxing on your porch or patio.

1. Gardening Hacks

Here are hacks that work in my garden. I use these to landscape, container garden and to grow flowers and vegetables. See how these Gardening Hacks will save you time.

Removing the Grates: We started by removing the grates and flavor bars from our trusty Weber grill.

2. Hacks to a Clean Grill

How often do you clean your grill? Often we forget until it is time to cook. Try these Grill Cleaning Hacks. Be sure to see the hacks that do not work to clean your grill. Don’t even waste your time on those.

Remove the fence cap, add a piece of tape to a key and place it inside the fence cap. You could use any adhesive of your choice. Place the fence cap back onto the post and now you have another spot to hide a key.

3. Hide Door Keys

Are constantly getting locked out of your house? If you lack a good place to store a key, try these ideas. See the full tutorial here: Hide Keys.

This is a single bar of soap. Depending on what you'll be using it for you might want to make more or less.

4. DIY Pest Control

With just a few household ingredients you can make your own homemade pest control. See these tips on how to use household products to help control garden pests, flies and gnats. Try these hacks: Irish Spring Soap for DIY Pest Control and DIY Bug Repellent & Traps. I make and use these every summer and they work!

Cleaning and Organization Hacks

Now that we have covered hacks room by room, I want to show you a few more hacks that I have found to work very well.

Cleaning Tips

For these cleaning hacks below, I like to use natural cleaners. Supplies you may need for these cleaning hacks are: baking soda, vinegar, dish soap and of course, warm water.

Use the multipurpose cleaner to clean your counters (not safe on granite or marble counters), & tile and grout backsplashes, showers, bathtubs, & sinks.

1. Using Vinegar to Clean

I use white vinegar to clean almost everything after a suggestion from my contractor that replaced tile. See these Easy Vinegar Cleaning Tips.

If you don't have a vacuum cleaner that can use this easily take an Old Sock. Maybe one that you don't have a match for anymore and you can use this to Simply wipe down the blinds as well the other thing it can do is get right in between each of the blinds for a little extra cleaning. You can also make them damp so that it cleans them even better and the great thing about something like this is you can wash and reuse it again and again.

2. Surprising Ways to Dust

Don’t just grab a dusting cloth. See my Dusting Hacks. You have household items that work better on certain items. Don’t miss what I have found that works the best to dust blinds and lampshades.

If you are using a broom pan here's a little hack. Sweep the dirt into a little pile, spray that broom pan with just a little bit of water sweep up the dirt onto the broom pan. What you'll find is all of that stuff will stick right onto the broom pan and you can go throw it away easily.

3. Floor Cleaning Tricks to Save Time

See the best tricks to make floor cleaning easier. See my storage tips for a broom and mops and don’t miss this dust pan tip to get up a pile of dirt. See all the Floor Cleaning Hacks here.

Now if you have any silver this is the greatest hack! Take these little magic erasers and rub the silver and they'll polish the tarnish right off! This works great on silverware, sterling silver jewelry, etc.

4. Sponge and Magic Eraser Hacks

See what all you can clean with a magic eraser. I’ve always been a big fan of Magic Erasers and even use them on my shoes. You can buy off brands and they work great. Or, use sponges. Here are Ways to Use a Sponge to Clean Your Home.

Looking for more cleaning tips? Here are more ways to use and make natural cleaners:

Storage & Organization Tips

If you are limited on space or can’t make a dent in cleaning, this section is for you. Start by optimizing your storage space and geting rid of clutter. From the garage to the pantry, here are ways to maximize your space and get organized.

Our winter gear storage is in these dollar store bins hung up with command hooks. You can see the full tutorial here on this project

1. Storage Ideas from Dollar Tree

Storage supplies can come with a cost. I like to shop Dollar Tree for storage containers to use around the house. See how I organize accessories in my junk drawer and what I use for stairway baskets here: Dollar Tree Organization Ideas.

First let's start with Command Hooks and how to use them They come in a lot of shapes, sizes, and also come with a weight guideline. So pick accordingly depending on what you are hanging.

2. Command Hook Hacks

Once you start using Command hooks, they quickly become a staple in your household supplies. See these Command Hook Ideas to use them around your home.

Need more organization ideas? See these:

This next hack works with any hanger. Just grab some rubber bands and put them on either end of your hanger. This will keep your shirts and tank tops from sliding off. If you are hanging your pants on a hanger you can end up with a crease, but I have a solution.

Recycling & Upcycling Hacks

If you don’t have these items already at your house, keep an eye out for them at the thrift store. I wanted to include these hacks, so you can recycle items you already have around the house. See how you can reuse old blinds, tea bags, blinds, and rubber bands:

Home Hacks for Kids

Here it is. The final section of home hacks.

I’ve given you the best hacks I use in my home. In case you are living with kids, I want to give you a few extra when it comes to safety for young children and toddlers. And, of course, a few to keep them busy with meaningful activities.

I placed 10 water bottles up like bowling pins. You can use used water bottles and just put a little bit of water in them for weight. You can also use old pantry cans or pop cans as well.

Try the pool noodle hacks for a bumper for mattresses just using a fitted sheet and a pool noodle. Pool noodle hacks have saved me a lot of money. They are cheap and easy to find and use. You can even use them for DIY Outdoor Games. For a complete list, see this selection of Pool Noodle Hacks.