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Wave goodbye to it all: Splotches of mildew in your shower, deeply embedded pet hair in your carpet, and caked-on food splatters in your microwave.

Homes can get SO nasty. And if you don't know how to clean a particular mess, you can end up spending way too much of your precious time and elbow-grease energy, only to get disappointing results. Been there, done that myself. Never again! With these tips, you'll know exactly what you need to do to shine up crusty glass shower doors, eliminate even that several-year-old carpet stain, and banish the cooked-on food on your stove. *bookmarks for later*

That's exactly what I did with our filter, which hadn't been cleaned or replaced in over three years, and it worked like a charm! Yep, I took these pictures myself! And yes, I also made sure the PB jar's lid wasn't close to submerged, and I washed the jar afterward.  

Sure, it's not expensive to buy a new filter (they run about $10 from Amazon), but we're renters, and I wasn't sure what brand we needed to get. Our NYC landlord was not about to replace it for us without a loooooot of hassle. Aluminum ones like these are perfectly washable. If you have a charcoal filter, though, you'll need to replace it if you want it to remove odors the way it's designed to. 

Get a large Dawn dish soap refill from Amazon for $8.69. 

Sure, you could use an old toothbrush for this too, but it'll take you longer because the brush head's not nearly as long as this one. Reviewers say the stiff scraper end of this brush really helps get into tricky corners, too. 

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $4.99 (available in 5 color combos). 

The reviewer who got these pictured results used Purple Power, which works wonders on stuff like nasty car wheels, greasy clothing stains, and built-up oil on stoves. While it's excellent for heavy-duty problems, it is a tad harsh, so always test it in a hidden area before using it on painted surfaces or fabrics. 

Get two spray bottles of it from Amazon for $17.43. It's also available as a gallon of concentrate for $17.99. 

I do exactly this about every six months or so, and it works every single time! See my full shower hack review.

A different type of microfiber than the towels you use for car and other house cleaning, these have a super tight weave that's safe for more delicate surfaces like camera lenses, eye glasses, and modern flat screen TVs. 

Get a three pack from Amazon for $14.99. 

1. Turn the water to your toilet off with the little metal valve in the back. 

2. Flush the toilet so the tank empties, but doesn't refill (because the water's off). 

3. Pour a half cup of citric acid in the tank. 

4. Fill the tank up with hot water (some people boil it, some people just use hot from the tap). 

5. Let it sit for at least two hours, and up to overnight. 

6. Give it all a scrub with your toilet brush. 

7. Turn the water back on, and flush a few times till all the mess is gone! 

Get a two-pound bag from Amazon for $14.99. 

You do have to let it sit for four to five hours (or even overnight), but the results, as proven by the review photos like the one here, are worth it. The gel formula lets it stick and stay exactly where you put it down, which is why it works better than just spraying with regular bleach: The bleach stays right on the mold stain until it's gone, without drying up or running off. 

And spoiler alert: I'll show you later in this post that this cleans the mold in front-loading washing machine gaskets, too!

It really is like magic: It can also remove rust stains from color-safe fabrics, among many other surfaces. One reviewer who mentioned BuzzFeed said they needed to leave it for a while for it to really work on their stains, but it did! 

Heads up that some reviewers say it's fume-y, so you'll want to open a window while you use it. 

Citric acid could work here too, if you want to leave it sitting overnight. But if you want that ring gone in five minutes of scrubbing, the pumice stone's the way to go. Get one from Amazon for $10.80.

You'll probably still need a pumice stone to get it clean the first time, but regular use of these can help keep your toilet hard-water-stain-free for longer. 

These are both made and sold by Bombs Away, an Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania-based small business that sells handmade cleaning and bath products. Get them on Etsy for $12+ (available in seven scents). 

All you have to do is restamp as needed (about every 12 days or so, depending on how often the toilet's flushed). If you can't imagine not using your toilet brush, you can use the small remaining bit of gel to scrub down the bowl before applying more. I used these all the time in college because my roommates and I couldn't be bothered to scrub, and they do actually work! You just press it beneath the rim (after a regular toilet cleaning, of course!) and let it get to work. Oh, and make sure to stamp it somewhere it won't become a, well, "target" and get sprayed off before its time.

Get enough to keep your toilet clean for up to four months from Amazon for $9.76.

Get a pack of two bottles from Amazon for $16.30 (about $8.15 each). 

And it takes just 15 minutes to see results; simply run your water, pour in some cleaner, and start your jets. 

Get it from Amazon: a bottle good for four cleans for $22.99 ($5.50/clean), two bottles for $34.99 ($4.37/clean), or a gallon good for 32 cleanings for $89.99 ($2.34/clean).

The brand also makes a highly-rated hot tub cleaner, if that's what you need!

I've used this stuff on a week-old strawberry smoothie stain on a rug, chocolate stains on fuzzy pillows, and other mystery stains, and have seen it for myself — it really does work! It's great for all kinds of stains, like oil, makeup, food, dirt, rust, ink, and wine; even if they're years old. (It won't work on, say, hair dye stains, though. It's a cleaner, not a bleach.) Since having a baby, I've used this stuff on my carpet at least once a week. First, it was spit-up, now it's food stains from when he decides to throw pasta sauce or blackberries. I literally own a one-gallon jug, because we even have carpet where we eat. Yeah, I know, it's gross. Take it up with my landlord. 

Get it from Amazon: a quart for $15.95, or a gallon for $29 ($7.25/quart). 

It won't take very long for this thing to pluck every last piece of pet hair out of your space. One reviewer recommends using short, quick strokes to make it happen as quickly as possible! Oh, and the handle telescopes 36–60 inches, so you can store it easily but also like, use it to squeegee off high windows if necessary.

One of our readers owns this and loves it so much they commented about it:

"I bought the squeegee broom and it did wonders for getting hair (both mine and my cats) out of the carpet, carpet looks great now!" —socks1234, from this roundup of hall-of-fame products

Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (also available in compact and heavy duty versions).

Just spritz once or twice, squeegee, and watch it clump up. Then use your hands or a vacuum to suck up the clumps. 

 From CareaBearaSara. Get a similar squeegee from Amazon for $12.99.

You'll cut down on single-use pad waste while making everyday cleaning about ten billion times easier. 

Get a set of two from Amazon for $14.49. 

It has a sensor so it knows if it's vacuuming carpet or hard floor, and will lift or lower its mop pad accordingly. Because it's doing two functions, along with mapping your home, some reviewers say it takes longer to get the job done, but it does it well and makes life easier. 

Feeling like shopping around more? Check out these pet hair vacuums. 

My mom tried three or four different stainless cleaners before I showed her this one, and y'all: she swears by it because it's easier and faster to use than the others (key for lower effort), and makes all of her stainless appliances SO SHINY! So naturally, I bought a bottle when we moved to a place with stainless steel appliances, and I second every word she says. It's fast, cleans off all kinds of stains, and leaves a like-new shiny finish with a simple spray and wipe!

Because this product also includes a polish, besides cleaning off the current fingerprints and smudges, it also helps protect the surface of your stainless from future messiness. The 16-oz bottle comes with a large microfiber cleaning cloth — the key is to spritz the cleaner on the cloth, so you don't end up with too much product on your appliance (which can cause fingerprints) *or* a slippery residue on your floor. One reviewer does note that it needed to be left to dry for a bit after buffing before it was actually fingerprint-resistant.

Get a bottle and the included cloth on Amazon for $19.95.

If cross-contamination has you concerned, this will cover you! It also helps dissolve any hard water buildup.

This also works with water + vinegar, or honestly just plain water. And of course you can wipe off with a sponge instead. I've been doing this for years, and have yet to find a gross microwave where this doesn't work wonders. Read my full review or watch the Nifty video.

Technically, you can let this sit anywhere from two hours to overnight to get results. And while you might have to do *some* light scrubbing, it should be much easier than it would've been without this cleaner! Don't forget to spray it on the racks too (unless your racks have a special coating on 'em).

Then just wipe clean to reveal the sparkle. From My Thirty Spot. Get a highly-rated dish brush from Amazon for $11.99.

Kayla, a former editor here a BuzzFeed, tested it out herself when she used it on her enameled stove — and it made the stains completely vanish! Get a bottle from Amazon for $7.45, or read her Barkeeper's Friend review for more.

They simply slide right in there, or you can use an included adhesive to make 'em more permanent. Because they're stainless, they won't warp with the heat.

Note that if your disposal's clogged, though, this definitely won't take care of the problem. For that, you'll probably need to call a plumber.

Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $12.32.

Get a 16-ounce bottle of mineral oil from Amazon for $8.55.

I mean, you're still washing dishes and there's no real shortcut for that, but seeing what it did in the above during and after, I don't think that you'll find much that anything requires too much scrubbing when you soak it in this for a second.

In fact, Elizabeth Lilly, an editor here at BuzzFeed, swears by this stuff! She says: "I live without a dishwasher, and I honestly use that as an excuse to order takeout. But, as soon as I got my hands on a bottle of this stuff (regular Dawn is my go-to dish soap, BTW), I put it to use on both a saucepan I used to make homemade enchilada sauce *and* the casserole dish I baked those enchiladas, which had a ton of caked-on food. It really does work like I say it does! Like, scary well."

Get four bottles from Amazon for $16.63.

It works for all kinds of shoes, of course! This one's made by Forge and Flower, a small Massachusetts-based family-owned business. 

Get it from Forge and Flower on Etsy for $60. 

- Large cabinets that'll look like any other piece of furniture ($162.99 on Amazon)

- Big cubbie benches that could be the start to a DIY mudroom ($106.83+ on Amazon)

- Smaller shoe ottomans for tiny apartments ($96.82+ on Amazon)

- Basic racks that could sit just inside the back door ($24.87 on Amazon) 

- Over-the-door racks you could stash inside your coat closet ($32.97 on Amazon)

Enlisting an old beach towel really can work wonders to keep your floors cleaner, especially if you're consistent about giving them a quick wipe-down.

But if you deal with lots of mud or sand that gets embedded between their toes, a paw washer could help. Its silicone bristles are super gentle, so many dogs don't mind them, and they help rinse off most dirt and mud with just a quick dip or two (for particularly muddy days, you may have to change the water once or twice, but that will still be easier than pulling out the hose). Just imagine how much cleaner your floors would stay if your dogs stopped bringing dirt inside with them, period!

Get one on Amazon for $13.49+ (available in two sizes and five colors).

Or at least make it look, like, 1000x better.

Get it from Amazon: a quart for $15.95, or a gallon for $29 ($7.25/quart). 

Yes, this is the same stuff featured above for bleaching moldy bathroom caulk! 

Promising review: "We moved into a new house with a front-load washer that clearly had not been cleaned for years. The gasket was full of mold. I put this gel on the mold, waited 24 hours, and the mold had completely disappeared. 10/10!" —Thomas J.

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in three sizes and a two-pack).

While it works well even when dry, one reviewer who lives in a particularly dusty place recommends keeping a bucket of soapy water nearby, so you can rinse it off occasionally. 

* Low-Effort Ways To Keep Your Home Like, 90% Clean All Through Spring

*  I’ve Got You Covered With These Elite Cleaning Products

* Products Parents Swear By For Keeping Their Homes (Mostly) Clean And Organized

* Stop Procrastinating On Cleaning Your Bathroom, And Use These Products

* If A Stain Has Been Bothering You *Forever*, Check Out These Tried-And-True Stain Removers

* Places You Should Probably Clean And Definitely Haven't

* People Who “Hate” Cleaning Swear By These Products, And You Will Too

BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.

Natalie Brown, a mom, Senior Editor on the BuzzFeed Shopping team, and BuzzFeeder since 2015, is constantly on the lookout for smart, genuinely effective problem-solvers, especially anything cleaning, home, parenting, fashion, and skincare related.