There were many times in my youth when my mom lectured me on appreciating the things I had. This was usually after I accidentally complained about doing horrible chores, like sorting the laundry, cleaning my room, or vacuuming the floors. Ugh, cleaning at the age of ten was just the worst! She tried to make me feel better, or worse, by having me count my blessings, like that I didn’t have to hang my clothes outside to dry, sweep dirt floors, or scrub my own laundry in a cold river a mile away. It might have made me grumble more, but she was certainly right. The world has changed drastically over the past century, and cleaning doesn’t consume several hours of our day like it once did. It continues to change as more people work to ease cleaning tasks while helping the environment, and the future of cleaning is looking brighter than ever. Here are five cleaning inventions that will change the way we live in positive ways.

Spaghetti Scrubbers

You might picture a handful of messy noodles dripping in red sauce when you hear the word “spaghetti,” and although these scrubbers aren’t made from your favorite Italian dinner, they are still made from food. The recycled pit of a peach and the long-lasting strength of corn cobs are combined together for a new green cleaning tool. The natural abrasive material makes it easy to scrub areas without using toxic chemicals.

A Self-Sterilizing Door Handle

If you are like me, the mind can run wild with the thought of germs lurking on surfaces that are constantly being touched; a door handle can be cleaned and then covered in germs in just seconds. How exactly can we ease your mind while lightening the cleaning load? With a self-sterilizing handle on the door, of course! This handle uses a UV light to attack germs by turning on while not in use. This means it is constantly being sanitized no matter who is touching it.

Renew Clothes Steamer

Lately, my washing machine has been giving me problems, but one day, after a round of kicking it in frustration, I heard about this amazing clothes steamer. It sounded like a dream, and I literally can’t believe it has taken so long for it to be invented. Instead of spending a good hour or two drenching your clothes with valuable water, this steamer shoots a high-powered blast of steam to get the clothes cleaned in seconds.

Eureka Enviro Steamer Steam Mop

The steam cleaner is one cleaning tool that has been around for years, but this mop takes it from carpets to hard surfaces. I scrub my floors about once a week, but even with constant upkeep, dirt and grime sink their way into cracks, grout, and scratches. The steam from this mop blasts and absorbs the gunk that would normally take hours to remove scrubbing by hand.

Robot Helpers

We haven’t quite made it to having robot maids scrub our windows, mop the floors, and cook us our favorite meals throughout the day, but we are going in the right direction. Robotic cleaners vacuum the floors with smooth movements without needing any supervision. At first, these little robotic cleaners were inaccurate, but they have improved tremendously over time. Instead of spending an hour or two vacuuming your floors, you can leave the task to this high-tech gadget. It will save you time, but it will also make it easier to vacuum floors more frequently. Cleaning is becoming so easy that it is starting to be a chore that is fun!