Cleaning How To & DIY

Get your home sparkling clean by discovering our step-by-step cleaning tips & ideas.  

Fabric blinds

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How to Clean Fabric Blinds

Follow these easy cleaning and maintenance tips and techniques to keep beautiful, functional fabric blinds looking their pristine best.
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How to Remove Pollen Stains from Outdoor Furniture

This guide will explain how to remove pollen from outdoor surfaces to keep chairs, tables, and outdoor cushions clean throughout the pollen-heavy months.
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How To Get Rid of Pink Mold in the Shower

Pink mold is a stubborn bacteria can be hard to clean, and even harder to keep it from coming back. This guide will explain everything you need to know about how to get rid of pink mold as well as prevent pink mold in the shower in the first place.
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How to Pressure Wash Your Windows

You’d be surprised how much difference having clean windows can make with your home. But window washing actually isn’t an easy task, especially if you have multiple floors. Here is how to pressure wash windows to achieve sparkling results.
S21 E22, Mauro Henrique teaches Kevin O'Connor about paint cleanup
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Mauro’s Pro Tips for Paint Project Clean Up

Paint expert Mauro Henrique shows host Kevin O’Connor which paints are easiest to clean as well as how to clean up after a paint job.
S21 E21, Mark McCullough shows Kevin O'Connor how to clean hardscape
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How to Clean Hardscape

Mason Mark McCullough shows host Kevin O’Connor how to remove organic stains from hardscape like bluestone and limestone blocks and pavers.
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The Best Methods for Cleaning Throw Pillows

Throw pillows are accent pieces that get quite a lot of use—and you may not be cleaning them as often as you should. Here’s how to wash and spot-treat these décor staples, so they are as good as new.
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What is Laundry Stripping and How Does It Work?

Deep-clean your laundry with a tried-and-true treatment that deep cleans by removing dirt and residue trapped within your clothes, towels, and bedding. Read this guide to learn more about laundry stripping and how to do it safely and effectively.
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How to Eliminate Dryer Odors

You know it’s not time yet to replace your dryer, but there’s a stench coming from it that makes you want to buy another one. No need to spring for a brand-new appliance. We’ll show you how to remove the smell from a dryer for next to nothing.
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How to Remove Paint from Concrete

Nothing ruins the look of a concrete patio, driveway, or walkway like a paint stain. Whether it’s a fresh spill or paint baking in the sun for years, this guide on removing paint from concrete will help. It contains tips on products and techniques for saying good riddance to ugly paint stains on your concrete surfaces.
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How to Dispose of Old Gasoline

Did you know that the fuel for your vehicle or power equipment can expire? Here’s how to tell if it’s no longer ok to use and find out how to safely transport and get rid of it.
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The Best Way to Clean a Flat Screen TV

If you see more dust, fingerprints, and smudges than the actual show you are watching, your flat screen probably needs a good wipe-down. But wait: Chemicals and paper towels can actually harm your flat screen TV. This guide explains a better way to clean your tube without the risk of damaging the screen or the electronics behind it.
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How to Get Rid of Smoke Smell in Your House

Whether it’s from a fire in the home or a wildfire nearby, put that scary memory behind you with these effective tricks for removing the odor of smoke. Here’s how.
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Best Methods for Cleaning a Bathroom Exhaust Fan

Bathroom exhaust fans are essential to a healthy home, as they extract humidity, odors, cleaning-agent fumes, and airborne contaminants from the confines of your bathroom. So, how do you keep your exhaust fan clean? Follow our step-by-step guide on cleaning a bathroom exhaust fan to keep yours operating at its best.
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How to Shampoo Your Carpet

Whether you want to do it yourself or hire a professional cleaning service, giving your carpet a deep clean with shampoo helps keep it in the best possible condition.
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How to Clean a Washing Machine

Banish errant soils, product residue, odors, and bacteria from the washer to ensure that laundry comes out as fresh and clean as possible.
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How to Clean a Gas Stovetop

It’s no surprise that your stovetop can get messy—it’s where you cook and prepare most of your meals. It’s easy to neglect cleaning it regularly, but you can remove cooked-on stains and grease with ease with a few simple steps.
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How to Clean a Shower Head

Your shower keeps you clean every day—are you returning the favor? Shower heads need to be cleaned regularly to perform optimally and stay bacteria-free. Fortunately, keeping them clean is an easy, set-it-and-forget-it task.
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How to Get Rid of Pet Odors in Your Home

No one will know a pet is in the house when you take these steps to remove odors from furniture, flooring, and the air.
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DIY Natural Cleaning Products

Keep your home clean and safe from harsh chemicals with these natural products and DIY cleaner recipes.
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10 Overlooked Places to Clean Around Your Home

Add these often missed spaces and appliances to your normal cleaning routine to ensure your home is squeaky clean.
S20 E4, Mauro Henrique cleans dried up paintbrushes
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How to Clean Dried Out Paint Brushes

In this video, Ask This Old House painter Mauro Henrique explains that while paintbrushes need to be cleaned after every use, all is not necessarily lost if the paint dries on a brush.
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How to Steam Clean an Oven

Using steam power is a popular, chemical-free method for cleaning a host of household surfaces, but how well does it work on gunky oven interiors? Read on to find out.
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How to Add Dust Collection to a Mobile Workbench

In part four of this series, House One Editor and DIY Expert Jenn Largesse shows how to build a dust collector to her Ultimate Mobile Workbench.
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How to Clean a Bathtub

If your bathtub isn’t as squeaky-clean as it should be, it might not be your fault. Soap scum and dirt can build up even with regular cleaning. The following tips will help bring your tub back into the bathroom spotlight.
Lifestyle image of a stainless-steel cooking range in a sparkling modern kitchen. Cover image for the This Old House Reviews Team's guide on how to remove scratches from stainless steel surfaces.

How to Remove Scratches from Stainless Steel

Learn how to remove scratches from stainless steel surfaces and discover effective products to make the restoration process quick and easy.
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How to Clean Concrete

From driveways to patios, and all the areas in between, here are the best ways to clean concrete floors.
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How to Remove Sticker Residue

Got some nasty, fuzzy residue stubbornly sticking around from an old label, price tag, or sticker? Removing it can be a hassle, especially if you don’t want to damage the surface it’s adhered to. For the quickest and most effective ways to remove sticker residue, check out these tips.
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How to Clean Shower Doors

Soap scum, hard water stains, and pesky streaks can all take away from the neat appearance of a glass shower door. We’ll walk you through how to clean shower doors and prevent stains and grime from building up.
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How to Clean Painted Walls

Scuffs, marks, and stains on your walls can make even the cleanest room look shabby. The good news is that you don’t have to go out and buy a special cleaner or any tools for this job. Here’s how to clean painted walls easily.
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How to Clean Fireplace Brick

If you’ve got soot stains on your fireplace’s hearth or brick facade, we’ll walk you through how to clean fireplace brick to get rid of unsightly black discoloration and the smell of smoke.
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How to Clean a Wool Rug

Although wool rugs can mostly be kept tidy with regular vacuuming, you’ll probably want to give them a more thorough cleaning about once a year. Learn how to clean a wool rug and remove troublesome stains with this quick and handy guide.
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How to Clean a Popcorn Ceiling

Giving your popcorn ceiling a facelift can be a grimy and time-consuming job, taking up the better part of an entire weekend, but you can certainly do it yourself. Read these tips on how to easily and safely clean popcorn ceilings.