13 CLEVER WAYS TO CLEAN

■■ THE INSIDE OF YOUR PURSE
Push a lint roller along the bottom of an empty purse to pick up dirt, loose change, and more. 

■■ STICKY CANDLES
Place a grimy candle inside a stocking and roll it around. The nonabrasive nylon will clean the wax surface without sticking to it.

■■ GRUNGY WINDOW BLINDS
Dip a sock into a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water. Put it on your hand inside out and use it to clean both sides of window blinds at the same time.

■■ DINGY TV SCREENS
Swipe a coffee filter across dusty and staticky computer monitors and plasma TV screens to remove buildup.

■■ A STINKY KITCHEN
Toss orange and lemon peels into the garbage disposal and grind them up for a few minutes to give your kitchen an amazing fresh citrus smell with no work at all.

■■ KITCHEN SINK CLUTTER
Clamp a binder clip onto the short end of your sponge. Stand the clip upright on its side to keep the sponge clean, dry, and mold-free.

■■ PET HAIR HORRORS
Drag a window squeegee (you can find one at any home-goods store) across a carpet to remove pet hair. The rubberized blade will quickly lift fur from rug fibers.

■■ DUSTY CLOTHES
Cut a hole in the center of a cloth napkin and place it over a hanger to keep dust from settling on nice dresses and leather jackets.

■■ THAT RING AROUND YOUR TOILET
Let an Alka-Seltzer tablet sit in the bowl for 20 minutes, and then flush. The citric acid will eliminate rings and stains.

■■ BROKEN GLASSES IN THE DISHWASHER
Stretch a rubber band around a wineglass and over the spokes of the dishwasher rack to keep the glass from moving around and breaking during the wash cycle.

■■ HARD-TO-FILL BUCKETS
If you have a bucket or a large watering can that won’t fit under the faucet, place a dustpan with a hollow handle beneath the stream of water to redirect it into the larger vessel on the floor in front of the sink. 

■■ A SOILED COFFEE GRINDER
If you use this tool to crush spices as well as coffee beans, process a handful of Cheerios in the appliance for 30 seconds. This will remove any smells from the machine before you brew your next cup.

■■ MESSY DRAWERS
Try vertical stacking: Place folded shirts vertically into drawers to make it easy to see and reach what you need.