Written By Jason Roberts
Cleaning is one of the hardest chores one has to do around the house. The following tricks make the whole process easier.
Carryall Apron
Remember that old kitchen apron you have thinking of throwing out? Convert it into a carryall apron and use it to stash all your cleaning supplies for easy reach as you move from room to room. This way, you don’t have to carry a cleaning bucket all over the house and your hands remain free to polish and scrub surfaces. To convert a long apron, turn up the bottom twelve to eighteen inches and create pockets vertically using a sewing machine. The sizes of the pockets should be determined by the size of the cleaning supplies.
Aluminum Foil to Scrub Off Baked Foods
See those remnants of food stuck on the casserole dish or the baking tins? They are not easy to get rid of. Roll a wad of clean aluminum foil into a ball, even one that you used to cover food a day before, and use it to scrub them off. Use it with dishwashing fluid.
Baking Soda to Clean Silver
Everyone needs a no-polish shortcut that enables him/her to clean their silverware to the point where they sparkle so here’s one. First, wash the silverware in warm water using a mild soap. Place the silverware in a pot lined with aluminum foil. Mix one quarter cup baking soda, one quart boiling water and two tablespoons in a separate pot. Pour the mixture over the items, cover with a lid and let it sit for about five minutes. This will give the solution enough time to remove any stains from the silver. Finally, remove them, rinse and dry with a clean cloth.
Votive Cleaner
Candlelight can be very romantic, but there is nothing romantic about prying votive out of the candle holders. The risks of breaking the glass as well as the ineffectiveness of the whole process are just a few of the hinderers. Instead, try placing the candleholder in the freezer for a while and afterwards, the votive comes right off.
Dust-free Cleaning with a Pillowcase
Yes, it is entirely possible to clean the ceiling fan without the dust flying all over the room. Just slide a pillowcase into one blade at a time and draw the pillowcase. The dust comes right off in the fabric without creating a dusty mess in the room.
Mildew Prevention
It’s hard enough to clean mildew and keep it from growing again. So why not prevent it instead? This way, you always have the upper hand. Reducing dampness in the house, keeping surfaces clean and improve air circulation are a few practices that help to prevent mildew growth. Where the basement has poor ventilation, use open shelves, airtight containers with desiccants to store items and use a fan and/or a dehumidifier. Leave the incandescent light bulbs or use desiccants in musty closets to keep the air dry.
Clean Soap Residue With Dryer Sheet
Rather than tossing the used dryer sheet, sprinkle it with water and use it to clean the soap residue that has built up on the shower doors over the weeks. You’ll be surprised at how well it can get rid of scummy stains.
Drying Decanters
Drying the insides of decanters is quite the challenge. Air drying them only condenses the water making it stick on the sides and this may discolor the decanter in the long run. Towels don’t fit inside either. Try rolling a paper towel and insert it into the bottle, about three quarters inside the decanter. The towel will absorb all moisture without leaving any stains.
Cleaning Coffee Grinders
To clean the inside of the coffee grinder, toss a handful of white rice. It will effectively remove stale odors as well as trapped coffee grains. Afterwards, toss the rice out of the grinder and wipe it clean with a cloth.
Cleaning Fur
So you have a pet and despite how adorable it is, it is always leaving fur behind. Do not stress, because it only takes a damp rubber glove to get it cleaned up. The fur sticks to the glove like a magnet.
Dusting the TV or Computer
If you do not have a special vacuum cleaner like this one or at least a microfiber cloth, dusting the TV and your computer may prove challenging. Using a coffee filter will accomplish the task just fine and leaves these surfaces lint free.
Cutting Boards and Lemon
Food stains on cutting boards, whether made of plastic or wood, are disgusting to say the least. Lemon juice offers a solution to cleaning them effortlessly. Just cut a lemon in two halves, squeeze the juice onto the cutting board, scrub it and let it sit for about twenty minutes. Finally, rinse it. The result is a clean and an exotic lemony smell.
Baking Soda to Unclog Drains
Baking soda is not just for cleaning silverware. It can also be used to unclog drains. Pour a half cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by a half cup of vinegar. Cover it with a cloth and give the mixture five minutes to act. Afterwards, flush the drain with hot, steaming water.
Deodorize Garbage Disposal with Ice Cubes
Occasionally, your garbage disposal will produce a stinky odor, which is sometimes so bad you do not want to enter the kitchen at all. Are you having such an experience? Well, feeding a few ice cubes made of vinegar down the disposal should help get rid of the bad odor. Grind the cubes and flush them with cold water.
Bottle Washing
Cleaning small necked decanters as well as antique bottles can be drudgery at times. To avoid this, drop a tablet or two of denture cleaner in a bottle of water, let it sit overnight and scrub the bottles and decanters with a narrow, nylon brush.
There you have it. Cleaning should not have to be so hard. At least, not if you are wise enough to take advantage of the above cleaning tricks.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Which cleaning hack are you planning on trying first?
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