12 Easy Entryway Cleaning Hacks

Regaining control of this often-neglected high-traffic spot is easy with quick, bite-sized tasks that can be tackled in less than 10 minutes each. Sarah McAllister, the viral Instagram sensation behind Calgary-based cleaning business Go Clean Co., and Shaneka Shaw Taylor, Patience Omokhodion and Alecia Burgess, founders of a now-closed professional housekeeping and concierge company in Toronto, share their best entryway cleaning tips to make a great first impression.

Click here for our kitchen cleaning hacks, here for our bathroom cleaning hacks, here for our bedroom cleaning hacks and here for our living room cleaning hacks.

1. Shoe tray

From mud to salt buildup, this overlooked spot could probably use a little TLC. Mix hot water with a few drops of dish soap and use a scrub brush or an old toothbrush to loosen the dirt and get into the crevices. Rinse and let dry. (Do this outside to save yourself more work later!)

2. Wallpaper

Wallpaper doesn’t stand up well to cleaning, and anything too abrasive—like Mr. Clean Magic Erasers—will take the paper right off the wall. In some cases, an art gum eraser might do the trick. For tough scuffs, McAllister recommends using a damp cloth and a gentle soap, taking care not to watermark the surface.

3. High-touch surfaces

For disinfecting surfaces, McAllister swears by a family recipe of one-third cup bleach mixed into one gallon hot water, with one teaspoon powdered Tide laundry detergent stirred in to cut through dirt. Once you’ve wiped surfaces with a microfibre cloth (the texture helps get gunk out), let them air-dry. The solution doesn’t need to be rinsed.

4. Doormat

Take the mat outside, shake well and vacuum. To get rid of stubborn dirt, scrub with water, dish soap and a soft-bristled brush. Rinse and let dry.

5. Floors

Vacuum or sweep up dust, hair and dirt. Then damp-mop with a floor cleanser or McAllister’s solution of hot water and one teaspoon powdered Tide (bleach can damage hardwood and marble), switching the water when it looks dirty. “Once dry, vacuum one last time to pick up anything that’s still stuck to the floor,” says McAllister.

6. Doors

“When disinfecting, don’t just focus on light switches and doorknobs; the frame and the door itself are typically covered in fingerprints and just as germy,” warns McAllister.

7. Baseboards

Start by vacuuming the area. Shaw Taylor, Omokhodion and Burgess use Magic Erasers to make scuffed baseboards look new again. Be sure to wipe down the wall with a damp cloth afterward to get rid of streaks.

This article was originally published in 2021; updated in 2023.