Work from top to bottom, and from back to front (i.e., toward an exit or opening.;
, Vacuum it or wipe it off with a dry towel. Don't start by making it wet and sticky. Use a hard plastic vacuum nozzle and take it off and wash it first if you're concerned it has been somewhere dirtier than the surface to be cleaned (such as a kitchen counter).
 A few dozen terry-cloth white towels such as those sold for automobile-related uses are excellent for wet and dry cleaning. Avoid colored ones, which hide dirt but bleed and stain surfaces they are used on and clothes they are washed with. The terry cloth loops absorb a great quantity of dirt rather than smearing it around, so avoid non-fluffy towels. Keep them in a bin or stack so they need not be folded. Use a different part or another when one may be spreading dirt around rather than simply removing it. Wash them with detergent, bleach and hot water with other things normally, by themselves if they're somewhat gross, or throw them away as they become potentially uncleanable and hazardous to other items (such as extremely greasy).
 A heavy dampening with dish soap, water, time and multiple passes with a rag to remove each layer of newly-softened dirt can be very effective. It also avoids introducing dirt-collecting scrapes. Work on another area while one sits. Electrical items generally can be surface-cleaned with soapy water but not immersed; if any water gets inside, let them dry for a long time before using them.
 Your arm and hand weigh quite a bit and have significant internal friction. Little dirt particles weigh next to nothing and, if loose or loosened by water and chemicals, take next to no force to move. If you swing your arm or twist your wrist each time you move a few little bristles or a wadded corner of a towel over a small area, you'll tire after cleaning a small area and removing an insignificant mass of dirt. Cover a wide swath with each pass with a wide cleaner, such as a broom, mop, or broadly folded cloth. Scrub it well with each pass with a broad cleaner, such as a push broom, big, floppy mop, or a cloth allowed to trail out widely behind your hand. Use an implement that doesn't fill up with dirt quickly, such as terry cloth or (again) a big push broom so a pass isn't interrupted by a loss of cleaning effectiveness. For something with corners, choose an implement that can conform to maintain broad contact, such as a cloth or scrubbing sponge rather than a stiff brush much of which will be held up by an edge or point. For a big space, such as a floor, use leverage to cover a greater area with each pass where possible. For instance, hold the end of a mop handle fixed in one hand, and move the middle modestly with the other. The working end will swing far., Hard scrubbing and gritty cleaners (even "gentle" ones) can introduce dirt-gathering, dull scrapes. Use them as a last resort only.
 Dangerous chemicals are generally not more effective. Hand dishwashing liquid and water dissolves grease and loosens most dirt very well. It is extremely cheap and works great; it's even enough on glass. Use just a little soap where thorough rinsing is impractical. Use a proper mop to apply it to waterproof floors such as tiles (be careful not to fall) -- a sponge mop applies and removes it slower but can work OK; a floor wiper is not very good. Most surfaces have been made with the possibility of contacting them in mind. Use other cleaners only for specific purposes, and with careful protection and ventilation. Do not mix them because they can sometimes react in hazardous ways.


Acid-bearing toilet bowl cleaner should be used only in the toilet bowl and squirted under the edge of the rim and scrubbed with a plastic brush to remove malodorous uric acid crystals.
Acid-bearing shower cleaners such as "soap scum" removers are good for removing deposits left mostly by hard water. (Actual soap and mildew not in water deposits will remove easily with soapy water).
Specialized mixtures such as glass cleaner are often available inexpensively in bulk packages or concentrated forms. Try hardware and warehouse stores, or mail-order maintenance supply dealers that focus on commercial customers.
Bleach solution kills mildew and hides residue. Wear only expendable clothes when using it. Mildew spores are ubiquitous and need very little to eat. Mildew will return and live in damp environments. Keep the shower curtain open all the way and use a fan or keep the bathroom door propped open when the bathroom is not being used to hinder its growth.
Alkali such as lye (the solid crystals are much cheaper) removes residual drain clogs after a blockage has been removed by plunger, snake or hand (such as a hair blob). It just leaves a dangerous corrosive clog if put in standing water.
Hydrophobic, volatile solvents such as acetone are good on certain kinds of paint and grease but attack many finishes and are flammable and not good to breathe. Rubbing alcohol is often effective and somewhat less risky though still somewhat flammable.
,, Do this when they are clean; don't seal the dirt in. Modern wood finishes generally don't need any treatment. Worn finishes such as wooden floors can be sealed with wax to reduce penetration of dirt and water which can weaken them further. Unfinished wood surfaces can be sealed with drying oil such as linseed oil (whose application and soiled rags involve a fire hazard beyond the scope of this article). Fabric can be protected with treatments such as "Scotchgard". Materials exposed to direct sunlight can be protected from deterioration which tends to attract dirt with "Armor All" or other UV-blocking protectants and materials exposed to moisture can be protected with water-resistant protectants such as leather treatments.

Don't work against yourself by re-soiling clean areas.
Remove loose matter in its easy-to-remove loose state.
Use the right material or product.
Let water and chemicals do the work.
Put your effort into moving your cleaning surface, not yourself.
Don't use harsh methods unless necessary.
Avoid dangerous chemicals and complicated, expensive cleaners unless necessary for a specific application.
A squeegee, often sold for automotive use such as the "California Water Blade", can remove soapy water and dirt from counters, tubs and more in a single pass rather than in fractional increments.

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A "steam" carpet cleaner is very effective on carpets, upholstered furniture (watch for fading and don't get it too wet), including in auto interiors.

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Some surfaces can be treated to reduce dirt accumulation.
Finished.
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