Cleaning can be a mundane chore, but you can save time and money with these cleaning hacks. Spring cleaning is right around the corner, and every house deserves a little extra love. The easy to use tips and tricks below can help you with everyday cleaning and deep cleaning tricks to help keep your home pristine.
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Repurpose Dryer Sheets
Consider using used dryer sheets to help clean water stains from a mirror, wipe down appliances, clean shower doors, and wash baseboards. There are many other uses for dryer sheets, so they do not need to be thrown away after being used in the dryer. Repurposing a dryer sheet is a cheap and effective method of cleaning.
Garbage Disposal
Put in a fresh fragrance in the kitchen by chopping slices of lemon and placing one or two pieces through the garbage disposal. This simple task can make your kitchen smell fresh, and it is a great trick to use before having house guests over.
Clean Your Sponge
If you leave a sponge in the sink while still soaking wet, you allow bacteria to enter the sponge. It is essential to wash out the sponge after use and then squeeze out all the excess water allowing the sponge to dry out.
To keep your sponge clean and bacteria-free, microwave the sponge for 30 seconds to eliminate any germs. Cleaning your sponge should be done regularly to avoid any build-up of bacteria. Make sure to be careful removing the sponge from the microwave because it could be very hot. Another way of cleaning a sponge is to put it on the top rack of a dishwasher.
Unblock Air Ducts
Over time air ducts can become clogged, and this poses a few problems. The air coming into the house is not adequately filtered if your air ducts are full of dust. Gently clean out grimy air ducts with a damp cloth. Be sure also to check your drying machine vents. If a drying machine vent is severely clogged, it poses a significant fire hazard and should be fixed immediately. Dryer vents can be fragile, so it is best to consult with a specialist before trying to clear the vent yourself.
Get Rid Of Water Stains With Vinegar
If you find water stains all over your glasses, then vinegar can come to the rescue. All you have to do is take vinegar and water in equal parts and apply it to the stains and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. After that, use a scrubber or a toothbrush to scrub it all away, and then rinse it with water and wipe it off. Water stains can be hard to scrub off, so make sure to allow the solution to sit on the glass to break down water residue’s build-up. Shower doors with excessive build-up will require a hard bristled brush and a squeegee to remove excess water from the glass while cleaning.
Clean Stainless Steel Appliances
A significant drawback about stainless steel is that it gets filthy with all the fingerprints: however, cleaning them well can make them shine. Everything that you require is a cloth and glass cleaner. Spray glass cleaner onto the cloth, then wipe down any stainless steel appliance. Stainless steel with excessive fingerprints or oils can be cleaned with a cloth and a little rubbing alcohol.
Cleaning Shower Doors With Lemon
Citrus fruits are a great sponge to clean areas with hard water build-up. This easy cleaning hack requires a lemon or grapefruit and some coarse salt. Cut the fruit in half, coat the open end in salt, and start scrubbing. The citrus mixed with coarse salt creates the perfect sponge for cleaning bathroom tubs and glass shower doors.
Cleaning A Burnt Pan
Refill the pan with water and then mix a cup full of vinegar in it. Boil it, take it off the stove and add baking soda to it. Allow it to rest until it is lukewarm, then srub the pan’s bottom with a wooden spoon until all the remnants are removed. It is an easy way to make old pans look almost brand new.
Freshen Up Your Sneakers
No one wants stinky feet, so to avoid smelly feet try to freshen up the scent of your shoes. To quickly accomplish this, place baking soda in your shoes when they are not in use. Before you leave the house next tap out any remaining baking soda out of the shoes. You will also avoid the embarrassment of smelly feet and feel more confident taking your shoes off. Shoes that sit by the front of the house can cause a strange smell, so consider placing baking powder next to the front door for ease of use.
Conclusion
We tend to find the solution to our cleaning problems outside of our houses. Without giving a second thought, we spend our money on unnecessary and expensive cleaning products. Before buying another cleaning product, consider homemade cleaning solutions instead and repurposing items that would usually be thrown away.