Cleaning Chaos: Smells, Stains & Fur
Users are grappling with various cleaning challenges including lingering odors from freezer incidents and pet messes, stubborn stains on cookware and surfaces, and the constant battle against pet fur. They're seeking effective cleaning solutions and organizational strategies.
SOURCES (60)
“I am moving into a new place this month, and just came by to take some measurements and do an initial clean of the place. Everything looks clean behind the fridge and stove, pantry, cupboards, but under the kitchen sink and behind the bottom drawer…”
“I have just moved out and need some advice on what cleaning products I should buy. I looove a good fragrance but also want strong cleaning power. Any tips? submitted by /u/rozzacomp [link] [comments]”
“What made a professional cleaning service 100% worth it for you? I always love hearing about those services that make you think, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?” 😅 For anyone who’s hired a professional cleaner before, what made the experience really stand out? Was it the attention to detail, how much time you saved, or something they did that you weren’t expecting? Help a new mom out! submitted by /u/Sonia-Langdon [link] [comments]”
“Can someone give me a suggestion of what I could use instead of a broom? submitted by /u/Quiet-Revolution-144 [link] [comments]”
“Ended up getting the Giraffe Tools one. Still trying it out. Seems good so far. I’ll use it for a bit and update later.”
“Just sprinkle baking soda on the carpets and seats. Let it sit for a day or two and vacuum”
“Hi cleaning sub, longtime lurker, first time poster. I have a chair that I need to clean in the next month. The arms are dirty from putting human arms on it I guess. I was thinking to steam clean the arms, but do you think that is the best route? Really appreciate anyone’s input. P.S. this is for a house where I housesit. Need the chair to be clean when they come home. EDIT: Thank you so much to everyone for the thoughtful feedback. I realize I may be overreacting and I certainly don’t want to d”
“Apparently me cleaning a house by removing dirty objects that no longer work doesn't count as cleaning. So wtf am I supposed to do? Hoard everything and become a hoarder? I'm genuinely confused here. submitted by /u/Interesting-Head6617 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all! I got a nice rug an year ago from marketplace ($50) i vaccum regularly but looks very grimy now. Please help me clean it. Professional cleaning is not an option as the price of cleaning will be more than the rug. Pictures of the rug now and cleaning instructions attached. It used to be so much brighter but now its very dull and grimy. Thank you submitted by /u/SatisfactionNo7574 [link] [comments]”
“I googled it and am trying my best with a toothbrush but I’m looking for any tips to get pet hair and dirt out of Velcro so it sticks again. I have 2 dogs (both with undercoats so… lotsa fuzz, and one of them is very good at collecting and then depositing dirt on furniture while the other seems to repel dirt) and a cat, and my spouse and I both have long hair. We got a new very fancy couch this year that has Velcro to hold the cushions on and it has gotten so entangled with the fuzz that some of”
“Ughhh my partner was making a poptart and a bunch of the sugar got in it. I’ve plugged it in and it started smoking and smelt burnt. Idk how tf to clean it or if it would be easier to just get a new one. I’m in a new apartment and don’t have a tiny little bristle brush to try to scrape it. I tried a chopstick. lol it’s not coming off! It’s the really dark spots on both sides Edit/ it’s a bella toasted off Amazon idk if that will help at all submitted by /u/AlienMatter [link] [c”
“I clean the counter, tiles, stove regularly. I cleaned the ventilator filter at least twice since then. I clean spice and drink racks regularly. I don't know where the smell still comes from and how do I get rid of it. I buy my meat only from stores and I don't know why this one smelled so bad. If I'm not wrong it was goat meat. Where am I missing? It's around the cooking area. I am becoming paranoid about the smell. Is it in my pots too? Does my whole apartment smell too?”
“Ozone machine is the ticket. Like the other person said, after the carpet cleaning. Good luck”
“I recently came into ownership of an old recliner. It's a really nice cloth lazy boy type chair and in good condition, considering it's been in a basement for about 20 years. The problem is it smells faintly of BO. Is there a good way to get rid of that? My instinct was to just coat the whole thing in febreze but I don't want to damage the chair or have it just mix with the existing smell. submitted by /u/Natural-Garden-809 [link] [comments]”
“Unfortunately, a very difficult 6 months of grief and other things— I really neglected deep cleaning the house. I really need tips for: Pet odors Vinyl wood floor cleaning Bathrooms Keeping things smelling fresh I want to make my house one my mom would not yell at me about. Thank you!! submitted by /u/carameleyedgirl [link] [comments]”
“My new kitten has been driving me nuts and his latest stunt is peeing on my new books!! This happened bc im sick rn and didnt clean his litterbox last night like I should’ve so its my own fault 🤧 any ideas on how to clean these books without ruining them? So far ive just wiped them down with a disinfectant wipe but i doubt thats enough. The Zelda book is still in its plastic cover but i am nervous to open it and still smell pee inside of it, it was a birthday gift from my youngest sibling 🥲 al”
“I'd hit it with an ozone machine (cheap on amazon) and a carpet cleaner (like a bissel little green) + shampoo”
“Hello Cleaners! I’d like to thank everyone for their advice and entertaining comments. I never expected so many people to see the post and share their advice. As can be seen in the pictures, I got the magnet off! Taking the advice that was provided, extra GOOGONE and elbow grease were used. As well as WD40, acetone, and isopropyl alcohol. I can’t say for sure if anything helped more than another because I was desperate and threw everything at it. What I can say is that at the end, the WD40 seeme”
“We recently moved into a new home, and the rotting stench from the refrigerator/freezer makes it unusable. (It fills the entire apartment if you open the door for even a second.) I thought I would be able to take care of it myself, so I ripped out and scrubbed all shelves and drawers. I unplugged the appliance and spent literal HOURS scrubbing, one night with vinegar water and baking soda (Didn't TOUCH the smell), then, after a couple of days to dry out, with bleach water. (When I cleaned th”
“not baking soda. I had two open boxes sitting in there for five weeks and they accomplished nothing. background: the chest freezer in the garage died while we were gone for nine days in August. I'm not going to describe what was in it. we bleached it twice, ran it empty, left the lid open in the sun for the better part of a week. still had the smell the second you lifted the lid, that sweet thing that sits at the back of your throat afterwards. my neighbor, who is 80 and has an opinion about”
“not baking soda. I had two open boxes sitting in there for five weeks and they accomplished nothing. background: the chest freezer in the garage died while we were gone for nine days in August. I'm not going to describe what was in it. we bleached it twice, ran it empty, left the lid open in the sun for the better part of a week. still had the smell the second you lifted the lid, that sweet thing that sits at the back of your throat afterwards. my neighbor, who is 80 and has an opinion about”
“Hey! I'm moving into a new house within the next couple weeks but the house absolutely reeks of cat pee and dog smell. How do I go about eradicating the smell? I'm not sure where the source is but the whole house is really stinky. Could anyone advise me on the best course of action to get rid of it all? Thanks! FYI: Its a lovely house overall and I do not want to pass up the offer, if I can get the smell sorted I'll be happy submitted by /u/ValuableStill3564 [link]”
“This is a big problem of mine. I simply do not know how to properly organize things. I can sweep vacuum scrub but actual items where do you start? Does anyone else have this issue? I feel stupid posting this as an adult but any advice would be appreciated. Just looking for a starting point. Thanks submitted by /u/GMSkills [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone, I just washed a bowl that had raw minced meat in it. I don't have a dishwasher, so I wash everything by hand. I grew up in a household where everyone just used regular soap and normal tap water to wash dishes that touched raw meat, and nobody ever got sick. But looking online today, everyone is acting like you have to microwave your sponge or soak it in bleach, otherwise you're going to get E. coli. They also say you need 140°F+ water to kill germs, but obviously, no one is”
“I am looking for any and all suggestions for this! I’m having a rug emergency (house guests are coming to stay in 48 hrs). We have window AC units, and I just noticed today that the house has a smell to it. I discovered finally that the rug in our dining room (9’x12’, decently thick) is soaked from the AC unit leaking condensation into the house instead of draining outside. Is there anything I can do to deal with this quickly? We don’t walk in that spot often so unfortunately the rug is quite so”
“Freezer of an RV I need to clean out , Dead maggots inside and nasty liquid I don’t even know where to start submitted by /u/minibikr670 [link] [comments]”
“Freezer of an RV I need to clean out , Dead maggots inside and nasty liquid I don’t even know where to start submitted by /u/minibikr670 [link] [comments]”
“BIN is a great product for sealing the walls and even floors, superior to KILZ for odors. For a DIY make sure to follow the safety instructions. BIN has an alcohol content and is flammable. Also, use PPE to avoid the fumes.”
“I have contamination OCD and I’m trying to figure out whether I’m dealing with a legitimate cleanliness concern or an OCD compulsion. My 3-year-old niece came into my bedroom and stepped on my IKEA POÄNG chair cushion while wearing the shoes she had been wearing outside. The chair is right next to my bed, and I normally put my sleeping pillows on the chair while I’m making my bed. Because her outside shoes were on the cushion, I’m now thinking about spraying the cushion with hypochlorous acid sp”
“Struggling how to clean the lint out. Thank you. submitted by /u/pinkbubblecat [link] [comments]”
“I have a one bedroom apartment. A cat. I have so much dust constantly! Cat hair all the time even with brushing her very often. All the air purifiers I see are so expensive $100 to me is a lot. I don’t want to constantly buy filters either. submitted by /u/OkLuck5511 [link] [comments]”
“anyone have any methods for getting that old stale smell out of burp cloths? we have started to use them for cleaning up his dinner mess now that he’s big on food… so I usually run them under water and then a day later they get that funky smell to them 😵💫 so yah, what’s your trick for getting rid of it or are they toast? submitted by /u/paganism- [link] [comments]”
“Can someone help me figure out how to clean my fridge door? Just gone to wipe it down today and there’s loads of these back dots on the door. It doesn’t appear to be in the surface, it’s totally flat and I can’t even scrape it off. Tried antibacterial spray, soap and water and nothing will make it budge. Any suggestions? submitted by /u/CozyRosemary [link] [comments]”
“Advice very much welcome. I was so close to puking, I had to throw baking soda on this, turned the air filter on high, and left. I need some serious help. This may not have never been cleaned. Those aren’t my pans btw. submitted by /u/omg_get_outta_here [link] [comments]”
“Best tips for bad smell inside fridge submitted by /u/Exootil93200 [link] [comments]”
“I really wanted to help my boyfriends daughter fix her brand new sweat pants and I made them worse lol and I’m normally good at getting stains out 😅 It was a lot worse, I did the freezer trick and was slowly chipping it away, but they got mixed in laundry and got washed, thankfully I noticed and didn’t put them in the dryer submitted by /u/Ashcrashh [link] [comments]”
“A while ago my friend left her Chinese food dinner in a paper bag I had on my carpet that I was using to collect (clean) recycling. I did not realize it until a couple days later, but she mistook this as my trash and tossed her leftover dinner in the pile, and the leftovers leaked through the bag. I’m planning to move out of my apartment soon and am wondering what I can do to clean this carpet stain so that I don’t get charged to replace the entire carpet. Any advice is greatly appreciated!! ”
“I left to go on a trip and when I came back, I found out that the power had gone out.. all of the food (especially meat) in my fridge was rotting. I've tried cleaning it over and over, but for some reason, the rotting meat smell still lingers and won't go away. I've tried bleach, baking soda, vinegar, lime, and leaving in different types of paper to absorb the smell. Letting the fridge air out won't help either. I can't replace the fridge and it doesn't have a water dispe”
“Just bought a house and these fridge and freezers were left. No idea what's on them. Looks like mould but don't know how it could be? They're fine inside. I've gone at them with pink stuff spray and a scourer but to no avail. Does anybody have any tips? UK based. submitted by /u/Initial-Client3516 [link] [comments]”
“Eek! My husband and I left the swiffer standing up in the kitchen and used it briefly and then left on vacation, it must have still been wet. What do?! Note: this is a crappy ancient rental and the floor is in rough shape already, so i don't need to go crazy re finishing the whole floor or anything, I just need to remove the black and make it look presentable. submitted by /u/Strawberry1217 [link] [comments]”
“HELP! I was away from my home for two months, and I thought I had gotten rid of any perishables before leaving. Looks like I forgot a bag of potatoes. When I found them, they were all mush/liquid. I scrubbed and cleaned as much as possible, but now it smells like industrial bleach mixed with rotten potatoes. For reference, they were on the lower shelf of a corner wooden cabinet. Normally I’d just torch the shelf and replace it, but this location would be a nightmare to pull apart and replace. An”
“been doing a deep dive on this for like a week now. my countertop ice maker has been putting out ice that tastes kinda off, not terrible but def not right. looked it up and settled on a shortlist of a few cleaners but im not super confident i picked the right ones, my main thing is just getting rid of whatever buildup is causing the taste issue. dont need anything fancy. has anyone actually tested a few ice maker cleaner options side by side or know which ones are worth trying vs which ones are”
How get off smell fridge submitted by /u/Exootil93200 [link] [comments]
“Currently sweeping my floors but I lost my IKEA PEPPRIG dustpan and my new dustpan is driving me nuts! Dreaming of my little Pepprig submitted by /u/Inside_Amphibian8551 [link] [comments]”
“Long story short, a few packs of steaks exploded once upon a time in this fridge, and it was never cleaned. I can't take the smell anymore so I've decided to tackle it on my own but needs some ideas. Soap and water with a scrub daddy has done nothing. submitted by /u/0ddball_city [link] [comments]”
“Genuinely wtf do I do here. I’ve used Clorox wipes and soap and water and the crumbs go away but not the splatter and grime. I see barkeepers friend get thrown around on this sub but I’m not sure which variety to use. I am so close to just hiring a task rabbit to come in and do it for me but I want to learn how to clean this right on my own before blowing that kind of money. Help!! submitted by /u/curlsncats [link] [comments]”
“I have never cleaned an oven before ( cooking is new in my life ) but it is starting to get kinda Smokey when in use it and I know it’s time ( please don’t judge ). Can I get some tips ? I am going to go to the store today and try and get some oven cleaner and some sponges and some gloves just really clueless about what I’m doing and any help at all would be appreciated. Thank you so much in advance. submitted by /u/PDX-Kayaker [link] [comments]”
Fridge clean submitted by /u/Exootil93200 [link] [comments]
“My ceiling fan was cleaned 4 days ago and I cleaned my coffee bar (my #1 problem area) and vacuumed the room 3 times in one day. Next day coffee bar was covered in hair. I turned off the fan 2 days ago so there was no air flow and yesterday I cleaned the entire coffee bar again. Today (seen in pictures) it’s already covered in hair. I have no idea how cat hair is still floating to it. The bar is not sticky. I alternated different cleaning solutions to test (dish soap, ms meyers spray, plain wate”
“Any tips on how/which products to clean? I live in London, Uk I enjoy making many things in the oven doing a deepclean submitted by /u/mankerdota2 [link] [comments]”
“It isn’t water because I tried blotting it and it’s still there 2 days later. What is it and what can I do about it? submitted by /u/TiffanyTwisted11 [link] [comments]”
“After taking the pictures I got rid of the empty cans, but I want to declutter/clean so badly and I don’t know where to start because I was never told to clean or do chores as a kid. It feels really embarrassing being 21yrs old and not knowing how to make my own space look nice because I was never taught to. I know that’s no excuse though. The only place I store stuff is in my closet where I keep little cubby containers and that’s very full already. Soon, I’m getting a smaller bed and taking out”
“I truly hate vacuuming and mopping but we have a dog that sheds a lot and it's also just the thing that makes me feel like my house is the most "clean" after doing. I'd love to get into the habit of light vacuuming every couple of days and mopping 1x/week (we don't wear outside shoes in our house) but what tips/tricks do you guys have to make this feel less like a chore? submitted by /u/flmay [link] [comments]”
“I don't understand the concept of cleaning garbage disposals. The wash water from doing dishes goes through it at least 4 times daily at my house.”
“Over the last two months, I have not cleaned a single thing in my house. I know that this makes me a yucky slob. I fell into a grief hole and stopped functioning. It started with a friend passing, then a whole pile of double evening and night shifts, then my uncle passing, more doubles, the funerals, more doubles, catching covid (so embarrassing), and finally ended with my soul dog dying unexpectedly from a bowel obstruction, which caused a lot of vomiting everywhere. I just started getting my s”