How to Clean Appliances, Furniture and Floors in Your Home

Disclaimer: The information found on this page is for informational and educational purposes only.

Always make sure to test the area and product, get the proper clearances and/or to consult the advice of a professional before attempting.

Knowing how to clean hardwood floors, carpeting, ceramic tile and other types of flooring is key to removing dust, eliminating germs and helping your home to look its best for many years to come.

Rooms like the bathroom and kitchen need more cleaning than other parts of the home, but this may depend on whether you live with children or pets. 

While the kitchen, bathroom and other high-traffic areas typically need more cleaning than other parts of the home, it is important to stay on top of your household chores, or you could harm your health.

If you fail to clean your home as regularly as you should, you could invite mice, bugs and other critters into your home, and you could even worsen your allergy symptoms.

After spills occur, learning how to clean a carpet and other floors can help to keep bugs and other creatures out of your home.  

You may also forget to clean your appliances as often as you should, especially if you’re not wiping them down after each use.

However, having a clean microwave filter is just as important as keeping the inside of the appliance clean, as a neglected microwave will not last as long.

To extend the life of your microwave and other appliances, refer to the operating manual for specific information on caring for the product. 

To learn more about cleaning a microwave, hardwood floors, carpeting and furniture, review the sections below. 

How to Clean Hardwood Floors

Learning how to clean your hardwood floors properly will protect your investment for many years to come, as hardwood floors require regular sweeping, vacuuming and mopping.

Here are several ways to keep your hardwood floors clean and in excellent condition:

• Sweep, mop or dust your floors at least once per day.
• Vacuum your floors using the hardwood floor or bare floor setting once per week. 
• Mop high-traffic areas every other week, being careful not to leave any standing water on your hardwood floors. 
• Clean your floors with an appropriate brand of wood cleaner once per month. 

While the process of how to clean old hardwood floors is the same, you may choose to refinish older floors every few years, especially if they start to look worn. 

How to Clean a Microwave

There are several ways to achieve a clean microwave without bringing strong commercial cleansers into your home. Here’s how:

1. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with water and dish soap. 
   • If you wish to deodorize the microwave, as well, you may add baking soda to the mixture. 
2. Microwave the mixture for one minute. 
3. Remove the bowl from the microwave.
4. Use a damp sponge to remove any debris from the inside of the microwave. 

When cleaning a microwave, you must also remember to clean the grease filter if you own an over-the-range microwave. While cleaning guidelines vary by manufacturer, you will typically need to clean the filter at least once per month to keep it from clogging. 

Here’s how to clean a microwave filter in seven easy steps:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. 
2. Unplug the microwave.
3. Remove the grease filter from the underside of the appliance.  
4. Slowly add one half cup of baking soda and a few teaspoons of dishwashing liquid to your pot of water.
5. Place one end of the grease filter into the pot of water. After the water begins to brown, flip the filter over to clean the other side. This process may take up to 15 minutes or longer.  
6. Repeat as necessary. 
7. Rinse the filter with water and allow it to dry before reattaching it to the microwave. 

How to Clean a Carpet

Knowing how to clean carpet properly is key to keeping your home fresh and free of excess dust, especially if you live with children and/or pets.

To remove dust, dirt and other debris from your home, vacuuming carpets at least once or twice per week is essential.

However, spills from food, urine stains from pets and various other incidents will require you to clean your carpeting more frequently. 

When learning how to clean a carpet spill or stain, the following tips can help to simplify the process:

• Spray a mixture of white vinegar and warm water onto urine stains from pets.
• Use rubbing alcohol and a clean towel to blot away makeup, grease or stains from crayons.
• To remove stains from blood or fruit juice, pour a capful of three percent hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain

Moreover, learning how to clean tile floors is also important, as this type of flooring is often found in kitchens and bathrooms.

To keep your tile floors clean and free of build-up, remember to sweep or vacuum them at least once per week. 

At least once per week, you should also use a rag or chamois-type mop to wash your tiled bathroom floors with water and a mild detergent.

As for your kitchen floors, however, you can wash these once every two weeks. 

In addition to cleaning the floors in your kitchen, it is important to clean your cabinets and sink to keep these areas looking as fresh as possible.

When learning how to clean kitchen cabinets, you can simply pour equal parts of white vinegar and warm water into a spray bottle, as this solution can be used to remove grease naturally.

Then, spray the mixture directly onto your cabinets before wiping the solution away with a soft cloth after a minute or two. 

When faced with how to clean a kitchen sink, you may choose to use white vinegar in this part of the kitchen as well.

To disinfect the sink and remove stains, simply spray the sink with white vinegar and wipe the area down with a clean paper towel.

How to Clean a Microfiber Couch

You should clean microfiber couch pieces whenever you vacuum your floors, as this will help to keep your furniture in excellent condition for many years to come, especially if pets have access to your furniture.

To clean the couch in less time, you typically need a stiff brush or vacuum with an upholstery attachment. 

If you spill on your microfiber couch, you may treat it with baby wipes or a dampened microfiber cloth. However, it is important to treat the stain as soon as possible, as this will keep the stain from seeping into the fabric. 

How to Clean Outdoor Cushions

When faced with how to clean your outdoor cushions, refer to the product’s cleaning guidelines, as you may need to follow specific instructions to protect the cushions from further damage.

If you cannot find this information or if no specific instructions are included, you may perform the following steps:

1. Combine one teaspoon of dish soap, one teaspoon of Borax and one quart of warm water into a spray bottle.
2. Spray the mixture directly onto the cushions.
3. Allow the mixture to sink into the cushion for up to 15 minutes.
4. Before the cushions dry, use a garden hose to spray them down.
5. Let the cushions air dry by standing them on edge.

Moreover, the process of how to clean outdoor cushions is even easier if your cushions have removeable covers. To clean these types of cushions, you may be able to put them in your washing machine.