Find out how
these every day items, along with a few nifty tips and tricks can help clean
your home with minimal effort.
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it with your friends and family (or anyone else that loathes cleaning!). Thank
you.
1. Use a lint roller
to dust everything, everywhere Run
a lint roller over your lampshades, windowsills, leather sofas and anywhere
else that dust accumulates. Unlike a feather duster that moves the dust
particles into the air, a lint roller will keep hold of them on their super
sticky surface..
2. Clean your blender
in next to no time For a fuss-free way
to clean you blender, whiz up 3 cups of hot water and a few drops of liquid
soap together for a few minutes before rinsing out.You'll never have to
perilously stick your hand into that jug again!
3. Wash (almost)
everything in the dishwasher Shoes,
toys, plastic cutlery...it can also go through the dishwasher. It’s hot, soapy and washes almost all glass,
cloth and plastic, why wouldn't you make the most of this magical cleaning
device?
4. Use a dryer sheet
to clean dirty dishes
Leave it to soak and any burnt on foods
will dissolve into the water.
Soak a non-toxic and biodegradable
dryer sheet in a dirty pan or dish with some hot water to remove any baked-on
foods. This little trick works better than a scourer, give it a go.
5. Use a butter knife
to clean an air vent
Just cover your butter knife (or any
blunt tool like a spatula) with a cleaning cloth and moisten with a
multi-purpose cleaner then wipe each individual slat.This also works really
well with blinds and any small spaces around the home.
6. De-grease your
pans with newspaper Don't make your
sponges do all the hard work.
Take some old newspapers and scrunch
them up to make homemade scourers. Get rid of that first layer of leftover food
and grease with newspaper first - it works very well at removing
oil - rinse and finish with a sponge and liquid soap.
7. Use salt to clean
your iron
Simply sprinkle some salt onto your
ironing table and run the iron (medium heat) over it a few times. Any residue
should come off and leave a sparkling finish.
8. Remove pet hair
with a rubber glove Lift pet hair all in
one go.
To pick up those pet hairs more
efficiently than ever, stick on a wet rubber glove and wipe your hand over all
the surfaces. Hairs will stick to the glove like a magnet.
9. Get streak-free
windows with coffee filters A
great window cleaner - who knew?
Clean your windows with a cleaning
solution of one part vinegar to four parts water then buff with coffee filter
papers. The tiny fibers won't leave any streaks on your windows.
10. Use baby oil for
a foolproof fingerprint remover Remove
grubby marks or fingerprints from your stainless steel appliances by
dabbing some baby oil onto a cloth and buffing surfaces in a circular motion.
11.
Baby oil will also prevent soap from sticking
to a soap dish or basin, preventing soap scum build-up. Just lay your soap down
in a bed of oil!
12. Clean fiddly
shaped bottles with rice Bottles can be tricky
to clean, but if you have some rice on hand its a complete doddle. Pour a
handful of raw rice into the bottle (make a funnel with paper if you need to)
followed by some warm water and a small squirt of washing-up liquid. Screw the
lid back on and give it a vigorous shake. Rinse out to reveal a sparkling clean
bottle.
13. Use an old
toothbrush to clean a sink drain With
just a lemon, baking soda and a toothbrush, you can clean a grimey sink drain.
You would think
your kitchen sink is relatively clean, considering the number of times per day
you use it. But simply letting water run down the drain throughout the day just
won't cut it with germs and bacteria—you need to sanitize! Check out our
step-by-step process to get your sink and disposal clean and safe, without the
use of harmful chemicals or cleaners.
What You Need: Liquid dishwashing soap; Distilled
white vinegar; Baking Soda; Sea Salt; Lemon (or lime)
and Ice With: Old toothbrush and a Soft sponge
Instructions: For daily cleaning, a mild soap and nylon sponge or
soft rag can be used to wipe your sink down. All-purpose or glass cleaner can
be used in a pinch, but it's important to avoid ammonia, bleach, or abrasive
cleaners on stainless steel. Abrasive sponges should also be avoided; all of
these can alter the sink's finish.
1.
Thoroughly rinse out your sink. If you have a stainless
sink, salt and acid in food can potentially damage the finish, so it's
important to rinse food and liquids to prevent pitting.
2.
Sprinkle baking soda onto the surface. Working it into
a paste, rinse thoroughly.
3.
Line the sink with paper towels soaked in white
vinegar. Allow it to sit for 20 minutes and then dispose of the paper towels.
4.
Rinse the sink with warm soapy water.
5.
For the faucets and handles, wipe with a mild soapy
solution. The toothbrush can be used to get in the hard-to-reach areas. If spots
remain, a cloth soaked in white vinegar can be used. Once you're finished
cleaning, thoroughly rinse once more time and dry with a soft rag. Your sink
should now be fresh and clean!
To clean the garbage disposal:
1.
Sprinkle a half cup of baking soda down the
disposal then add one cup of white vinegar. The mixture will fizz and make a
bit of noise, allow this to work for a few minutes while you boil a kettle of
hot water. Pour boiling water down the drain.
2.
Fill the drain with two cups of ice. Pour a cup
of salt (rock salt is great if you have it, I improvised with coarse sea salt)
over the ice cubes. Run the cold water and turn on the garbage disposal until
the ice is gone. The ice/salt mixture will help loosen the grime and debris
from the grinding elements.
3.
Cut a lemon or lime in half. With the water on
and garbage disposal running, add the fruit halves, one at a time, to the
disposal. The fruit will help clean and deodorize your drain.
14. Deep clean your
shower head with a sandwich bag Do
this every few weeks for a clean shower. Fill a sandwich bag with two teaspoons of
baking soda and half a cup of vinegar then attach it to your shower head using
an elastic band.Turn the shower on slightly to let the bag fill up then leave
overnight. The next morning any shower scum and debris will fall off
effortlessly.
15. Refresh your
mattress with vodka A homemade solution
to refresh your mattress.
In a spray bottle, mix half a shot of
vodka with some water and a few drops of your favourite essential oil. Spray
your mattress and let it air dry. The alcohol will help kill the odour
producing bacteria lingering in your mattress.
16. Ammonia =
Oven cleaning made easy Just
a small cup of ammonia will save time, effort...and money! Fill a bowl with 1/2 a cup of ammonia and
place it in a completely cold oven. Leave the bowl overnight or for at least 5
hours if you can. The ammonia will work at dissolving any grease and burnt
areas, so you can easily sponge clean it the next day. This little trick will
save your a fortune in professional oven cleaning.
Live happy, save money and have fun!
- Bird
