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There's a reason these hand-me-downs have stood the test of time. 

Cleaning is a skill you have to hone. No one comes out of the womb knowing how to blast a red wine stain out of a white shirt, so it makes sense that most of us have picked up a lesson or two from our more knowledgable family members. The most common? Grandma. Here, family matriarchs share their shiniest tricks: 

Don't shower yourself with dust the next time you go to clean your fan. Emily White, owner of Two Maids and a Mop, was taught by her grandma to use a pillowcase so you can catch the dust in it, then dump it in the trash afterward. "You just stretch the entire case over the blade and wipe off the dust inside," she says.

This might sound like an extra sloppy mess — until you really think about it: "If you wash them from the top down, the water that runs down the still-dirty parts of the wall will create 'clean streaks' on the wall," explains Katherine Trezise, president of Absolutely Organized, who learned the trick from her grandmother. Huh, go figure.

"I knew kids when I was growing up who had to get emergency short haircuts, because they got gum in their hair," says Elisa Sheronas, a retired public relations professional. But to avoid the same shaggy fate, she was taught to cover the gum with peanut butter, then let it sit. 

"It's been years since my grandma passed, and I still use baking soda with a bit of water to scrub the floor, especially the grout between my tile," says Carrie Aulenbacher, a freelance writer. "It's safe around children, isn't harsh on the floor, and has no smell." You can also use this pantry ingredient to clean countertops, stainless steel sinks, microwaves, and more.

"My great grandma lived through the Great Depression, so her most basic instinct was to make what she had on hand last," explains Emma Gordon from Clutter.com. Not only does this trick double the lifespan of a sponge, but it'll also help your dishwashing tool dry faster and fit into tight spaces more easily.

If the holidays creep up on you, leaving you with no time to buy cleaner to shine your silver, don't panic: Toothpaste will save the day. "Yes, use this to clean and polish up our silver pieces," says Chantay Bridges, a realtor at TruLine Realty. Just rub it onto your collection, rinse, then dry and you're all set.

"We used to get tar on our feet at the seashore," says Sheronas. "When others were using harsh solvents, which smeared all over our feet, my grandmother and mom would put some olive oil on a soft cloth. The tar would come right off with a few wipes."

If you can't go outside, you might as well be productive — at least, that's the philosophy of The Purrr blogger Karen Lopez's grandma. "On raining days, you have to clean. Not tidy up like during the week, you have to do an extra chore," she explains. She credits tricks like this for why her home always looked like a museum growing up.

According to Linda Shafran, a professional publicist, her grandma said you should turn the pillowcase inside out and put your arms inside. Then grab two end corners of your pillow with your hands and pull the pillowcase down on top of the pillow. "I've been doing it ever since!" she says. 

It's a bummer when air-drying clothes means wrinkles galore — but it doesn't have to be that way: "After my grandma saw me ironing clothes that were hanging to dry, she mentioned putting wet clothes in the dryer for five minutes before hanging them to dry," says Zaida Khaze, founder and CEO of Wiggletot. "Once the clothes air dry, they are wrinkle-free."

Lauren is a senior editor at Hearst. She was previously the senior editor at WomansDay.com and the home editor at GoodHousekeeping.com and HouseBeautiful.com. Her book club, ramen, and jean jackets are a few of her favorite things.

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