5 Cleaning Tricks Professionals Learned From Their Grandparents (and Still Use!)

With our social feeds filled with cleaning hacks, sometimes the best advice comes from a more traditional source: our grandparents.

Grandparents have a wealth of wisdom gained through years of experience. When they began managing their households, they relied on tips shared through word-of-mouth, magazines, and books. With fewer advertised cleaning tools and products, they often turned to simple, affordable solutions to keep their homes spotless.

If you're interested in going back to basics, these cleaning tips from our grandparents are a great starting point.

Lemon for Cleaning, Polishing, and Stain Removal

Cleaning expert Petya Holevich learned from her grandma that lemon juice is a versatile cleaner. Its natural acidity makes it perfect for cleaning and deodorizing almost anything.

Her grandma used it to clean glass, polish brass and copper, and especially for laundry.

"Lemon juice was a natural whitener my grandma loved because it was inexpensive and something we always had at home," Holevich says.

Her grandma would soak faded or stained whites in a gallon of hot water with the juice of one lemon for a few hours before running them through the washing machine on a rinse cycle. For tougher stains, she'd rub lemon with a bit of salt on them.

She would finish by letting the clothes line dry in the sunshine, which acts as another natural bleaching agent.

Want more cleaning and organizing tips? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest hacks, expert advice, and more!

Soaking Up Oil Stains With Flour

Oil stains can be tough to remove, but Holevich's grandma had an easy solution for cleaning them from porous surfaces. Whenever she'd spill a bit of oil on her apron, floor, or counter, she'd pull out some flour from the pantry and sprinkle it on the oil stain.

After letting the flour sit for a few minutes to absorb the oil, she would wipe it down with a sponge or cloth.

Holevich uses this trick herself and finds that other powder products like baking soda and baby powder work well too.

Sanitizing With Bleach

Cleaning expert Mary Gagliardi remembers her grandma using bleach to tackle mold and mildew in the bathtub and shower. Without a bathroom fan, she needed to stay on top of this issue, and bleach was her go-to solution.

"My grandma trusted bleach for cleaning and killing germs because by the mid-'60s, it had already been used for fifty years," she says. "It was also used by her grandma!"

Following in her grandma's footsteps, Gagliardi swears by bleach for whitening laundry, disinfecting toilets, and sanitizing baby bottles and other dishware after hand washing.

Using Fabric Towels Instead of Paper Towels

Paper towels aren't great for the environment and can be costly. You can save money and be eco-friendly by following Holevich's grandma's lead and using washable fabric instead. The best part is you don't even have to spend money on cleaning rags.

"Instead of paper towels, my grandmother used fabric towels and cloths, some even made from old t-shirts and pillowcases, which she could wash and reuse," she says. "They lasted a long time and saved us on household costs."

Vinegar, Water, and Newspaper for Cleaning Glass

Professional cleaner Karly Smith vividly remembers her grandma using a homemade solution of vinegar and water on the windows and wiping them clean with crumpled newspaper.

"She always said using newspaper left the glass streak-free and added a little shine," Smith says.

Smith's grandma taught her how to make do with less and maintain a clean house even when life got busy, greatly influencing her career as a professional cleaner.

"My grandma Charlotte, who raised three boys on her own—including my dad—was always on the go," she says. "Whether vacuuming, making a perfectly made bed, or peeling eggs for a church dinner, she exemplified the importance of doing it right the first time because who has time to do it over?"