Cleaning and organizing
your home
Improving life at home
Want to create an eco-friendly home? Start by organizing. A clean, organized home can go a long way to help reduce your carbon footprint. And the best part? You save time and money knowing what you have and where it is, so you don’t overspend.
Energy and Laundry
Get the most out of your appliances & reduce your carbon footprint >>
Appliance Efficiency
How to clean your appliances to keep them running efficiently >>
More Cleaning Tips
tried and tested easy cleaning hacks to improve life at home>>
Organize Your
Laundry Room
Reduce time spent on laundry >>
Organize Your
Refrigerator
Optimize the layout of your fridge >>
Organize Your
Cabinets
Create a place for everything >>
Organize Your
Garage
Regain floor space with zones >>
Go green with your laundry cleaning routine
Energy-efficient major appliances will not only pay you back in water savings and energy, they can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and typically provide better cleaning results. Here’s how to get the most out of your appliances.
How often should you wash your clothes?
It’s important to know when to wash clothes to keep them looking and smelling their best without overwashing and wasting water. Our friends at Whirlpool brand provide helpful tips so you will know when to wash different types of clothing and which settings to use. Find them here.
Can washers really clean with less water?
Thanks to auto sensing technology, many washers can now determine the size of your laundry load and use only the amount of water needed to clean your clothes without overfilling. Plus, with concentrated cleaning they can target difficult stains and soil. Maytag brand provides an explanation and quick animation here.
Can you use too much laundry detergent?
Detergent creates suds to help break apart stains and release soils. It suspends soils and dyes into the water so they’re not redeposited on clothes, and then freshens your clothes. But too much detergent may leave clothes less clean while wasting your money. Here are 3 signs you’re using too much detergent from Swash.
Do Energy Star appliances make a difference?
Yes they do! Energy Star appliances meet strict energy efficient criteria and can help lower both operating costs and environmental impact. Maytag brand provides an in-depth explanation of the benefits of owning Energy Star and Energy-Efficient appliances here.
What is a ventless dryer and how does it work?
If you have limited space for laundry appliances, a ventless dryer may be the right choice for you as an energy-efficient option. Because it constantly recirculates air through the drum to pick up moisture from clothes, it then condenses the moisture later in the process through a heat exchanger. Learn more here.
Gas vs electric dryer, what’s the difference?
Gas and electric dryers come with comparable performance, control, sizes and styles. Both have benefits and both use electricity. But you’ll find differences in terms of energy efficiency and cost. Learn from our Maytag experts here.
Keep your kitchen appliances running efficiently
Clean Your Dishwasher Filter
Is your dishwasher filter due for a cleaning? With our Whirlpool brand’s quick and easy-to-follow guide, you’ll get the job done in no time. Keeping your dishwasher filter clean is one key to sparkling dishes. In fact, the filter is responsible for:
- Protecting the pump from being clogged by oversized or foreign objects.
- Cleaning and clearing the dishwater.
- Keeping food particles from recirculating and “resticking” to your dishes.
Learn how frequently to clean your dishwasher filter, how to remove it, how to clean it, and the steps to replace it, all thanks to Whirlpool brand!
Clean Your Microwave
Splatters and soil in your microwave can affect its functionality. Make it a regular habit to keep it in top shape with these tips:
- Place a microwave-safe cup of water and lemon juice in the microwave and steam for a few minutes. The moisture will help soften hard, baked-on stains, and the lemon will help deodorize it.
- Microwave filters should be changed on a regular basis. Most over-the-range microwaves have a grease filter and often a charcoal filter to reduce odors. Check your use and care guide; many filters can be cleaned in your dishwasher.
For more tips and instructions, click here.
Clean Your Oven
When you heat up a dirty oven, stuck-on food can result in unpleasant odors in your kitchen and undesirable flavors in your food. Learn four processes from our friends at Whirlpool brand that can help you get your oven clean, inside and out. Click here to learn how to:
- Clean oven racks.
- Clean the inside of an oven.
- Get rid of oven odors.
- Clean the outside of an oven.
Simply gather your dish or laundry detergent, a stiff bristled cleaning brush, white vinegar or lemon juice, a spray bottle and rags or a dishcloth, and you’ll be ready to make your oven sparkle!
Cleaning hints and tips
Keeping your home clean can feel like a never-ending challenge, but it doesn’t have to be painful! We’ve compiled some of our tried and tested cleaning tips and hacks for every part of the home, from the appliances we rely on, to bed sheets that keep us comfortable, and removing unwelcome stains.
Defrost a Freezer
How long has it been since you defrosted your freezer? It’s especially important for older models of refrigerators and freezers, and while some newer ones have auto-defrost options, it’s still a good idea to keep your freezer clear of frost. Not only can regular maintenance help your freezer stay efficient, it can also give you more room to store your favorite foods.
Whirlpool brand explains how often and how to defrost your freezer here.
Pillows and Mattress Covers
Body oils, dirt and lotion can soil your bedding and dust mites build up over time. One of the most common questions our consumer scientists get, is whether you should wash your pillows and how often? The simple answer is yes. Most pillows, including down and feather, are machine washable, however, some are not. Always check the care label for specific instructions on how to wash your pillow. Here are some tips on washing and drying your pillows from our experts at Maytag.
Clothing
Struggling to remove tough stains from your clothes? “Stain Assist” provides you with step-by-step instructions on how to remove stains in a range of categories from cosmetics stains, such as lipstick or cologne, to food stains like mustard or ketchup, and household stains like shoe polish or candle wax.
Washing Machine and Dryer
Cleaning your washing machine is an important way to help keep your family’s clothes smelling fresh and looking clean. Whirlpool brand recommends these five steps every thirty days to prevent soil and detergent from building up in your washer.
Did you know daily use of your dryer can fill your appliance with dust and lint over time, which can affect your dryer’s performance? Cleaning your dryer and vent can help keep your drying times shorter and your clothes in good shape. Use this guide to help understand what needs to be cleaned, how, and when.
Organize your laundry room
For some of us, laundry may feel like a never-ending activity. For others, it’s a “when I really need it” activity. No matter how often you wash, dry, iron or mend, organization is the magic ingredient to cut down the time you spend on laundry. Here’s some storage inspiration to make the most of your laundry room:
Think like a minimalist
Take everything out of your laundry space, sort through what you don’t need and donate it to friends you know will love it, or a local nonprofit. Remove the stuff that creates a mess and you’ll cut down the stress.
Maximize storage
Get creative! No matter the size, almost every laundry room or closet will allow for storage space. Start with open shelves, a door rack, and a cart to hold laundry baskets or supplies.
Go higher
Our friends from Whirlpool know it’s hard to finish laundry with clutter on the floor. Need to find a place for cleaning supplies? How about a peg board on a wall? With a few hooks and baskets, you can organize these items in no time.
Want even more ideas? Click here for the best ideas on how to
Five Laundry Room Ideas for an Organized and Intentional Space
from our Swash brand team.
Organize your refrigerator
Organizing the refrigerator doesn’t always feel like a fun job, but it can be! By following a few simple steps, you can optimize the layout of your refrigerator to make better use of space and keep food fresher longer. Here’s how:
The Door
Temperatures in the door are slightly warmer, making it a good place for items that are less perishable like ketchup, butter and soda.
The Shelves
Crisper Drawers
High humidity crisper drawers will help keep fruits and vegetables with thin skins fresh, like spinach, citrus fruits, asparagus, broccoli and strawberries. Low humidity crisper drawers are best for fruits and vegetables with thick skins, like peppers, avocados, cantaloupe and green onions.
Check out Crisper Drawers 101 for more information
Organize your kitchen cabinets
Decluttering your cabinets is one thing, but organizing them is a game changer! Think how much time you could save if everything had a place, and how much money might be saved if you never purchased duplicate items again. From pots and pans to cleaning supplies, we have easy tips to help you make the best of your storage space.
Dishes and Glasses
Start here, and keep the most often used items in front for easy access. Our team from Whirlpool brand has clever ideas for storage.
Cookware and Bakeware
Once the mugs, plates, platters, bowls and glasses have a place, store cookware and bakeware near the range for easy access while cooking. Nest mixing bowls and pots inside each other and stack lids and cookie sheets vertically.
Food Items
Store food items in cabinets away from any appliances that produce heat, and arrange by size and type. Just like refrigerator and freezer storage, be mindful of any expiration dates and keep older items toward the front.
Our friends from Whirlpool brand offer
12 easy steps
to keep your kitchen cabinets organized. Click here.
Organize your garage
Garage organization doesn’t have to be difficult—just take it one step at a time.
TACKLING THE GARAGE ZONES
Think of your garage storage in terms of activity zones. Some areas can be meant for quick, grab-and-go items like car keys, jackets and shoes. Other zones may be useful for long-term, out-of-the-way storage. Addressing your garage in this way can make the task of getting organized less overwhelming, allow you to regain your floorspace, and get the most out of the gear and equipment you own.
Find more inspiration and expert advice from the Gladiator team about garage organization.
LAWN AND GARDEN
Yard tools tend to be susceptible to seasonality and weather changes. The key: your lawn gear and gardening tools should always be available when you need them, but unobtrusively stored when you don’t.
Home Improvement
Regardless of your skill level, home improvement jobs necessitate space to do the work and space to store your equipment. Here are some tips to get you organized in your projects.
Rarely used items
Whether it’s seasonal decorations or big, bulky gear, your infrequently used items don’t have to take up valuable floor space in the garage. Here are some quick ways to make the most of the space you have.
Sports and recreation
Don’t be intimidated by the mess of sports and rec equipment. With an active organization system, there’s a place for everything.