If you’ve got kids, you’ve got messes to clean up. No matter how much you try to prevent spills and stains and other mishaps, they still happen. Let’s face it: You’re not in complete control. You gave that up when the little buggers were born.

But fret not! Take a look at these cheap, simple, and effective ways to clean up after the mess your kids leave for you.

1. Mattress Pee Stain Remover. Pee happens. Often. And even if you’re careful, inevitably your little one will catch you off guard and pee on your beloved mattress. Have no fear, as pee cleaner is here!

From inspired-housewife.com:

Ingredients
You need a measuring cup, tablespoon, funnel, and spray bottle.
8 ounces/237 ml hydrogen peroxide 3% (this can be found in a brown bottle in the first aid aisle of most pharmacies or stores)
3 tablespoons/45 grams of baking soda
1 drop of liquid hand dish washing soap

Instructions
Mix all ingredients into the spray bottle, do not shake the bottle, and use within 20 minutes. Do not attempt to store the leftover solution. because it will leak out of the bottle. The mixture only works if you use it immediately, because the cleaning byproducts are active for only a short time period. You should see the stain lift and disappear within 5-10 minutes. Once the mattress dries, if a baking soda film remains, then simply wipe or vacuum it off.

2. Grass Stain Remover. We all fall down. Some of us more often than others. Sometimes we get a little dirty. And you’re not really playing hard if you don’t get a few scratches and stains. Grass stains can be tough to remove, but give this a try.

From Spoonful.com:

1 Tbs. dish soap
2 Tbs. hydrogen peroxide

3. Bathtub Cleaner. Our bathtub got dirty even before kids, but now with children, it looks stained and dirty sooner.  We’ve tried some of the off-the-shelf solutions, but they’re not great.  Then we came across this one, which is cheap, and easy and works great.

From This Simple Home:

I bought a scrubbing wand. Using water and a measuring cup, I learned how many ounces it held and the location of the halfway point on the wand. Next I filled it halfway with vinegar, followed by BLUE Dawn. (I read somewhere that the blue version is most effective for tub cleaning purposes. I cannot say if it is true or not.) Then, I placed it in my tub so that it wouldn’t be forgotten.

The next morning the vinegar and Dawn scrubbing wand impressed me. It was easy to clean. I didn’t need to scrub hard since the scrubber provided the elbow grease for me. I used it as I showered, and it worked FABULOUSLY! When I got out of the shower and put on my glasses, I saw one corner that wasn’t clean. I took my scrubbing wand to it (not hard though), and it was instantly clean.

4. Carpet Stain Remover. At our house, we have a “no shoe in the house” policy. While it gets followed most of the time, when we have people over, shoes often get worn inside and all of the nasty stuff that can get in them can end up in our carpet. Plus, spills happen, not to mention the little ones somehow, some way going to the bathroom on a carpet. Fear not, as there’s an easy and effective way to get those stains out!

From onegoodthingbyjillee.com.

I filled an empty spray bottle with 1 part ammonia & 1 part HOT water, sprayed it LIBERALLY on the stain, laid the clean white towel on top of it and started ironing away! I repeated the process maybe two more times….and the stain was GONE. A stain that has been there for I don’t even remember how long! Gone! G O N E! My 16 year old son was helping me and he and I were AMAZED! We could hardly believe our eyes. It was so easy and quick and there wasn’t even any scrubbing involved. Who would have ever thought to use a steam iron and a towel to draw the stain up out of the carpet? Well, probably some of you…but not me! lol. Simply brilliant.

5. Fingerprints-on the fridge. When we’re in the kitchen making meals, our hands get dirty and greasy, and then we touch the refrigerator. And then our kids walk up and touch the fridge — and there hands are almost always dirty! So our refrigerator begins to look like an ugly piece of modern art. But thanks to this little handy-dandy solution, you can keep it nice and clean … for a little while, at least!

From homestoriesatoz.com:

In a spray bottle, I mix together 2/3 parts white vinegar, a few drops of dish soap, and 1/3 part water. Just spray it on … …and use a microfiber cloth to wipe it off. The cloth makes a big difference in getting a good clean.