Cleaning Hacks That Martha Stewart Swears By
Whether you're a cleaning novice or pride yourself on being something of an expert, you can never know too many hacks. Domestic goddess Martha Stewart is known for her cleaning as much as her gardening tips and recipes, and she truly does have one for almost every occasion. Some of the most common messes happen everyday, such as when you're cooking or planting new bulbs out in the garden.
The below tips, all shared by Stewart herself, have got you covered for those times when you wished you could get rid of a tricky stain or stop your kitchen from looking like complete chaos when you cook. From waving goodbye to those ingrained marks on your cutting board to banishing unpleasant odors from your shoe cupboard, Stewart has plenty of innovative solutions for when life likes to throw a curveball. Best of all, several of them involve only natural ingredients and the rest can be easily adjusted to fit your lifestyle and preferences.
Parchment paper for reducing messes
If you have ever cooked a large meal and found yourself left with spills everywhere, this hack will change the way you clean. As part of an appearance on the "TODAY" show, Martha Stewart shared that she always uses parchment paper when cooking her Thanksgiving turkey in order to keep the juices contained. "I work on a piece of parchment paper because all the juices are on here, and you go like this, throw it away," Stewart said while demonstrating crumpling up a piece of the paper. "Then your board doesn't have to be sanitized, it doesn't have to be scrubbed," she concluded.
Though Stewart was specifically referring to cooking a turkey, this nifty parchment paper trick can be used for just about any cooking session. Pre-measure and use it to line your countertops, or to cover your cutting boards so you can be assured you're not cross-contaminating when switching between foods (be sure to use a fresh piece of paper for each food group, such as poultry, vegetables, etc). This is an especially useful hack if you find the clean-up takes more time than the cooking, as the parchment paper will stop a lot of mess from seeping through. You could also use foil, though foil tends to tear more easily than parchment paper, and therefore may not be suitable for lining your cutting board.
Salt and lemon for a dirty cutting board
The next time you're cutting a lemon and only need half, don't throw the other half away. You can bring your cutting board back to life with Martha Stewart's ingenious and all-natural method. Speaking on the "TODAY" show, Stewart explained, "If you have a dirty old cutting board, don't throw it away. Use some salt and some lemon and just rub it down first, see if that works at taking off any stains."
The reason this hack works is because the acidity of the lemon will push stains to break down, allowing them to be cleaned away easier. The salt will add an extra bit of grit due to its abrasive texture, providing even more lift to the stains. Stewart went into more detail about the lemon and salt trick during the above segment, sharing, "...If that [the lemon and salt] doesn't work, use a little bit of sandpaper, a little bit of mineral oil, and you'll have a new surface on that old cutting board." Stewart specifically recommends sandpaper, but you can scrub the cutting board with any item that has a similar abrasive surface before re-oiling it with the oil of your choice.
Dish detergent, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide for cranberry stains
If one of your once-pristine white clothing items has a glaringly obvious stain caused by a cranberry juice spill, don't fret. Once again, Martha Stewart has her viewers covered. On an episode of "The Martha Stewart Show," the cleaning expert shared her tried-and-tested method involving dish detergent, white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and an enzyme-based detergent for exactly this. "What you do first is spray it with diluted dish detergent," Stewart explained while spraying a T-shirt thoroughly with the detergent. Follow this up with a few drops of white vinegar and blot once more. Stewart continued, "... Then a little hydrogen peroxide, which you must get out really fast because you don't want a hole in your shirt. Then you put a little bit of enzyme detergent and put it in the washing machine," she finished.
To carry out Stewart's method, you simply need to follow the detailed instructions above before throwing your item in the machine. It should come out good as new. In this case, no ingredients can be substituted, especially the enzyme detergent. Enzymes are what will break down even the worst of stains and get your T-shirt back to looking fresh. It's also important to check you are using white vinegar, and not some other type of vinegar, so you don't accidentally make the stain worse.
Windex for polishing stainless steel
Stainless steel can feel like a chore to keep clean, let alone gleaming. However, with the help of Martha Stewart, you can get your steel looking polished once more. "I have so much stainless steel — I use Windex, that's my secret for a really nice shiny stainless surface," Stewart told a viewer tuning into a segment about spring cleaning on the "TODAY" show, adding, "And use a soft rag, don't use anything abrasive on stainless steel."
To execute Stewart's tip, grab a couple of soft microfiber cloths and a bottle of Windex. Start out with just one or two spritzes of the Windex onto a cloth and gently clean the surface of whichever stainless steel item you're working on. Follow up with a new cloth to wipe any remaining Windex away. You can try this hack on surfaces, pans, and much more, but remember to wipe down surfaces with a damp cloth after, just in case any Windex remains. Never mix Windex with vinegar during or immediately after cleaning. Windex contains ammonia, which will create chlorine gas when combined with vinegar. Chlorine gas can cause severe eye, skin, and chest irritation, so it's important you don't accidentally expose yourself to it.
Bleach for banishing dirt stains
Getting a stain on white clothing is always frustrating, but Martha Stewart has a way to remove stubborn dirt stains that accumulate when you're out all day in the garden. In an episode of "The Martha Stewart Show," she shared, "I go down into my laundry and wash my whites in good, hot water with a small amount — like 3/4 of a cup of bleach — in my laundry." If the stain is particularly bad, Stewart recommended to pre-soak the item in water with about the same amount of bleach and then washing as usual.
Stewart mentioned Clorox specifically for washing clothes, but any brand of bleach will have a similar stain removal effect. Bleach removes stains via a process called oxidation, which essentially draws the color out of stains and makes them appear invisible. Using bleach in your laundry is safe for most white items, but make sure to wear gloves when putting it in your laundry and when pre-soaking an item in a bleach mix. Additionally, check the label, as some fabrics are more delicate than others. After the wash cycle has finished, we recommend running another empty cycle to ensure all traces of bleach are washed away from the machine.
Vodka to neutralize unpleasant shoe odors
It makes a great base for many alcoholic drinks, but did you know that vodka will make bad smells vanish too? Per an Instagram post in partnership with Tito's vodka, Martha Stewart showcased all of the ingenious ways the alcoholic beverage can be used. One such way is to use it to wave goodbye to the odors that often float out from your shoe cupboard. No judgement here — everyone has a pair of shoes that perhaps smell a little funky. Luckily, as demonstrated by Stewart, all you need is vodka. In the video, Stewart can be seen spraying some boots with the alcohol, stating, "Say goodbye to musty smells."
The way vodka works at neutralizing unpleasant smells is that it's a natural disinfectant, meaning it will kill any nasty bacteria causing your favorite pair of boots to smell not-so-great. Vodka will also act as a deodorizer to get your shoes back to smelling fresh. The easiest way to carry out this hack is to dispense some vodka into a spray bottle, spray a small amount into your shoes, and leave them out for a few hours. Ensure you're using pure vodka, not one that has been flavored or mixed with other ingredients. Otherwise, the disinfecting and deodorizing effect may not work (and your shoes may smell even weirder).
Baking soda to clean your bathtub
Baking soda is a must-have if you love to well, bake, but it's also an incredible natural cleaning agent. In a YouTube video demonstrating all the different ways baking soda can be used, Martha Stewart revealed how the staple pantry ingredient can get rid of that telltale ring around your bathtub. "Just put a little bit of baking soda on a damp sponge and gently rub [at the mark]. It's a very mild abrasive and it really will take that right away."
Stewart recommended Arm & Hammer baking soda, but you could use any generic brand to achieve the same effect. The key here is to not scrub too hard or use an overly rough sponge, as this could take the shine off your bathtub. Instead, reach for a soft sponge or a microfiber cloth. Start out with just a small sprinkle of baking soda and add more if needed. Compared to harsher scrubs, the mild abrasiveness of the baking soda will allow you to lift the stain without damaging the material of your tub.