Get your toilet looking squeaky clean
Add one part baking soda, one part citric acid, a cup of water and mix it all up. Put this mixture into some ice trays and allow them to dry overnight. In the morning, you’ll have your very own toilet-cleaning bath bombs! Throw one in your loo and let it fizz away, cleaning it in no time flat.
Use distilled white vinegar to remove smells
Who’d have thought that something so smelly could remove foul odors from your home? Sounds strange, but it’s true. Simmer a small portion of distilled white vinegar on the stove for about an hour. Once brewed, pour it in a bowl and place it in the fetid room in question. Within 30 minutes, any lingering smells should be gone!
Use shaving cream on your mirrors
Sometimes, no matter what you do, your mirrors fog and smear. After you’ve given it a decent clean, coat the surface with a hefty dose of shaving cream. Mix it all up, then wipe it off with your squeegee. This handy hack will prevent your mirror from fogging up, even after running a hot, steamy shower.
Get rid of grout for good
Grout is a mixture of dirt, bacteria, and potentially harmful mold. To get rid of it, purchase some mold and mildew cleaner. This product does exactly what you’d expect – it removes any traces of dirt in those hard-to-reach areas. Apply the product, let it sit overnight, and wipe it off for a fresher, cleaner bathroom.
Use fresh lemon on your faucets
Try as you might, little seems to remove those pesky mildew stains on your taps. Instead of using an array of chemicals, all you need is a single lemon. Cut the fruit in half, and rub it directly on the faucet, removing all of those stubborn hard water stains.
Mildew begone!
If you wash your clothes and they still have a lingering smell of damp, don’t fear! Simply soak your garments in the basin with a cup of distilled vinegar for around an hour. Then, place them in your washer, adding one cup of distilled vinegar directly into the drum. This will kill any lingering bacteria, keeping your clothes smelling nice and fresh.
Vacuum in those tight spaces
No matter how well you vacuum, there are always specks of dirt left in those hard-to-reach areas. To effectively vacuum your sliding doors, for example, attach an empty toilet roll to the end of your vacuum. It’s the perfect size to reach into those grooves, ensuring every inch of your home is squeaky clean.
Clear out your coffee machine
Over time, your coffee machine accumulates mildew from hard water buildup, preventing it from functioning it properly. To remove this excess byproduct, fill your water reserve up with distilled vinegar. Run it through, then do three further cycles on its normal cleaning setting (with just water), giving you tastier, cleaner coffee.
Dust less!
Dusting is an endless, thankless task. Thankfully, there’s a solution! Mix up water, a tablespoon of dish soap, three tablespoons of distilled vinegar, and one tablespoon of olive oil. The combination can be sprayed on all sorts of surfaces, preventing the future build-up of dust.
Get rid of glass smears
Cleaning windows or mirrors can be a real pain, with constant smears appearing with each and every wipe. To combat this, consider using distilled vinegar. You want one part vinegar to 10 parts water, creating a solution that’ll keep any stubborn smears at bay.
Keep dust off your lampshades
Trying to keep your home dust-free can be a nightmare, particularly when it comes to dust-prone objects like lampshades. Instead of endlessly attacking them with a duster, use a lint roller! These items are much more effective at removing any lingering traces of dust, requiring just a few wipes.
Get rid of microwave grime
No matter how dirty your microwave is, distilled vinegar is here to save the day. Put one cup of vinegar and one cup of water into a dish, then place it in your microwave. Turn your appliance on for five minutes, leaving it to sit for a further five. Once this is done, any grime will be loosened, allowing you to easily wipe it away.
Keep your trash smelling fresh
In warm summer months, your trashcan can stink out your entire home. Next time you take out your rubbish, place a cotton ball coated in your favorite essential oil scent at the bottom of your bin. This will help to combat any scents of stinky, rotting food.
An easy, all-purpose cleaner
Instead of buying endless amounts of products to clean your home, just keep one – distilled vinegar. It’s a great all-rounder, perfect for cleaning an array of surfaces. Not only does the product keep things squeaky clean, but it also kills off bacteria, keeping your home nice and sanitary. Avoid vinegar on waxed wood, natural stone, and electronics.
Keep your toilet brush sanitary
First of all, ensure you’re using a silicone toilet brush, as these are far more resistant to bacteria. Then, clean your loo as usual. Get some hydrogen peroxide and spray your brush with the mixture. Then, place the loo brush between the seat and the lid, letting it soak up all of those clean fumes. After an hour, your brush will be good as new.
Clean your fruits
Get a small dish and fill it up with two-thirds of water. Add a couple of tablespoons of distilled vinegar, and put in the fruits, letting them soak for around 10 minutes. Ensure you effectively rinse the berries, then pat them completely dry. This method will not only remove any bacteria, but it’ll also make your fruits last longer!
Keep your outdoor windows clean
Instead of scrubbing your windows clean – or paying above the odds for a window cleaner – look for a window cleaning product that slots directly into your hosepipe. These handy sprays mean you can coat your outdoor windows in swift swoops, saving you both time and money.
A simple solution for difficult areas
There are many places in your home that are neglected – around the stovetop, window crevices, and skirting boards, just to name a few. To reach them, get a toothpick and a paper towel, wrapping the paper around the object. Spray some anti-bacterial product on the towel and get cleaning!
Clean your garbage disposal
Add a decent amount of baking soda to your disposal unit, then pour over some distilled vinegar until it fizzes up. Then, add a full pot of boiling water to the mixture. This handy hack will effectively clean your sink, without you having to scrub for hours on end.
Freshen up your makeup
Your eyeshadow palette can quickly become dirty, full of smeared traces of powder. Wrap something small and sturdy in a baby wipe, and smear it across your palette. This will pick up any stray pieces of makeup, but will ensure it keeps the rest of your cosmetics in tip-top shape.
Use your dishwasher
Your dishwasher doesn’t just need to be used for dishes and cutlery. Use the top rack of the appliance to wash things like your toothbrush holder, children’s toys, and any dish brushes. Not only will this save you heaps of time, but it’ll also clean these items more effectively, completing stripping them of any bacteria.
Get your stove looking squeaky clean
Your hob can be one of the hardest appliances to clean. With caked on excess food, it can take a great deal of elbow grease to get it looking brand-new. Instead of endlessly scrubbing, use a mixture of vegetable oil and kosher salt. Together, these substances make easy work of any stubborn stains.
Clean from top to bottom
This may seem obvious, but it’s a tip that many people overlook. Cleaning from top to bottom essentially just saves you time. If you do it the other way around, you’ll have to go over the floor that you’ve already spent hours getting perfect. Go top down for a quicker, easier clean.
Mop your walls
Instead of endlessly scrubbing the dirt off your walls, use a mop! Mix up the usual solution that you apply to your floors, dunking your mop into the concoction. Wash your wall from top to bottom, resulting in a glistening, clean-smelling house in no time flat.
Crosshatch vacuuming
For the most effective vacuuming, you want to start at the back of the room, before gradually moving forwards. You want your first round of vacuuming to be horizontal, before going over the same area vertically. This way, you create an effective crosshatch that’ll ensure no traces of dirt are left behind.
Slow your vacuuming down
Most of us whiz around with our vacuum, wanting the tedious task to be over with as quickly as possible. However, this may result in more cleaning in the future. The slower you go, the more effective your vacuum works, picking up the most amount of dirt possible.
Clockwise cleaning
When you do your weekly (or daily) clean, always ensure that you work in a clockwise motion throughout the room. This way, you’ll ensure that each and every area has been covered, leaving no specks of dirt behind. It’ll also save time, reducing the amount of backtracking you have to, by pushing the grime in a forward motion.
An easy, simple floor cleaner
Start with two cups of warm water, then add a quarter cup of distilled white vinegar. Add half a teaspoon of dish soap, and you’re good to go! This solution will have your hardwood or laminate tiles sparkling clean in no time flat. Either spray the solution directly onto the surface or add it to a specialized mop.
S-shaped scrubs
The best way to clean your worktops and surfaces is to do so in an s-shaped motion. Not only does this method ensure that you don’t miss a single spot, it also prevents any stubborn streaks from appearing. It also prevents dirt redistribution, resulting in a more effective clean.
Let your cleaning products sit
It can be tempting to spray a surface and immediately wipe it dry, trying to speed up the entire cleaning process. Unfortunately, this doesn’t result in a clean home. Products need time to soak into a surface, effectively removing any traces of bacteria. Let them sit for five to 10 minutes for a cleaner, more hygienic home.
Simplify your products
Don’t be fooled by marketing products – you only need a couple of cleaning goods. Stick to a DIY cleaner (such as a distilled vinegar mix) and an all-purpose spray. Armed with these two powerful products, you have everything you need to have a sparkling clean environment.
Ditch microfiber cloths
Instead of going through multiple microfiber cloths per cleaning session, opt for Swedish dishcloths, instead. These products are not just more durable, but they’re also much more hygienic. Apply some disinfectant to the cloth and clean away, rinsing and reusing the cloth as often as you need to.
Get shinier silverware
After years of use, our cutlery can go from dazzling to dull. To recapture that shine, simply scrunch up a small ball of aluminium foil and place it in your dishwasher, next to your cutlery compartment. After just one wash, you’ll have shining silverware that looks brand new.
Mop socks
These nifty little products aren’t an effective cleaning tool, but they do have other uses. Wear some mop socks while you’re cleaning your floors to keep any pesky footprints at bay, resulting in a floor that’s got a shimmering shine across the entire surface. You can even wear them around the house to help pick up traces of dust.
Ditch dry dusting
Instead of dusting your home with the same old dry cloth, run it under the tap first. A dry cloth will only push dust particles around, resulting in an endless cycle of wiping. A slightly damp cloth, however, will pick up dust, removing it from your surfaces entirely.
Use a toothbrush
If you’re in a pinch, use a toothbrush to reach those stubborn, hard-to-reach areas. You can pick up decent electric toothbrushes for around eight dollars. It’ll be money well spent, as you’ll be able to clean around windowsills and door frames without busting your back.
Get a shinier shower head
Stubborn hard water spots can seem almost impossible to remove. Thankfully, there’s a fix. Simply soak a microfiber dish cloth in some distilled white vinegar. Then, wrap the cloth around your shower head, leaving it for around an hour. Remove the cloth and give the faucet a wipe, resulting in a shiny, shimmering shower head.
Make your home smell fresh
No home feels truly clean unless it smells nice. Purchase a room spray – don’t be put off by the price, it’ll be a one-time purchase. Once it starts running low, add two cups of fabric softener, before filling the bottle up with water. Give your home a spray, ensuring the whole place smells deliciously fresh.
Use vinegar to soften your towels
When you’ve had a towel for a while, it can become rigid and stiff. To get that soft, fluffy feeling back, run your washing machine with your towels in, just with water. Get one cup of distilled vinegar and pour it directly onto the item. Run them on a hot cycle with no detergent, and your towels will feel good as new.
Get rid of those pesky weeds
There are many weedkillers out there – all of which are effective at removing any unwanted plants. However, these products are usually toxic, making them harmful to pets. Instead, consider using distilled vinegar. Mix the vinegar with a cup of salt and a splash of detergent, and get ready to spray those weeds away!