Love cleaning the house? Hate cleaning the house? Either way, these cleaning hacks will get you through your weekly chores faster, easier and happier.\De-tarnish your silver without all the elbow grease: Line your sink with aluminum foil, pour in 1/2 a cup of table salt and 1/2 a cup of baking soda, fill with hot water and then add the silver. After half an hour, the tarnish should have transferred to the foil.
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- Is the kitchen sink disposal starting to smell funky? Throw in orange and lemon peels, then flip the switch on to grind them up. Enjoy the fresh, citrus-y aroma and convince your friends that you spent the afternoon cleaning.
- Hate when the sponge in your kitchen sink never dries out because it’s too busy sitting in wet, grimy filth? Use a medium or large binder clip to help it stand up straight on your counter – it’ll dry out much more quickly this way.
- Get rid of grease stains on furniture by coating the stain with cornmeal. Let it sit for fifteen minutes before vacuuming it up.
- If you rarely use your George Foreman grill because it’s a nuisance to clean, this will save your life…or at least your dinners. As soon as you’re done using the grill, unplug it and then place a wet paper towel on the plate. Close the lid to steam clean. Wipe dry with a new paper towel. This steam cleaning approach works for other griddles, cast iron and non-stick pans.
- Not lucky enough to have a self-cleaning oven? Yeah, me neither. Mix vinegar, baking soda and a few drops of Dawn dish detergent to make a paste. Coat the inside of the oven, shut the door and turn it on for five minutes. Then turn it off, open the door and after fifteen minutes, wipe the paste off.
- Drop an Alka-Seltzer tablet into your toilet bowl to flush away the grime. Let it sit in the bowl for 20 minutes so that the citric acid kicks in, then flush and wash your toilet to regain its porcelain shine.
- Do the cabinets that are near your stovetop get gunky? Mix a little bit of baking soda with a small amount of vegetable oil. Use an old toothbrush to scrub the mix onto the cabinets, then wipe clean with a dry cloth.
- Blinds don’t just get normal-dusty. They get caked-on dusty. Dip a sock in a solution of white vinegar and warm water, then wipe those blinds clean.
- Rub your spotty metal faucets with wax paper to prevent water marks and fingerprints from ruining their shine.
- Make your own Febreze: Get a spray bottle and add 1/8 a cup of fabric softener, 2 tablespoons of baking soda and hot tap water. Shake well and spray.
- Still can’t get those window tracks clean even though you moved into your apartment three years ago? Dip a Q-tip in vinegar and wipe, wipe, wipe. Just be sure to have a handful of Q-tips at the ready.
- Right before you turn the water on to shower, spray the walls with a no-wipe cleaner. The splashing water and hot steam will do the rest of the work. If you need to scrub the grout, bring a rough sponge in with you and scrub as the water runs.
- Can’t get in between your Mac laptop keys? Use a new makeup brush to dust away any debris in those little, teeny creases. If you want to get the grime off the keys themselves, spray a small amount of Windex on a soft cloth and wipe clean.
- If you use your blender a lot, you’re probably sick of taking it apart to clean it out. Every other time it needs to be washed, just pour in some dish liquid and water, turn it on for a minute and then rinse it out.
Life Hacks are one of Briana Cameron’s favorite things to research and blog on. As a marketing consultant for a https://www.barriecleaningservices.ca, she has been focusing on some cleaning techniques for her home coming into the holiday season.
Follow my general cleaning board on Pinterest.
Related Cleaning Hacks
- The Best Homemade Glass Cleaner (DIY Windex)
- Inside Tricks to Speed Cleaning Your Home
- How to Clean Your Bathroom in 15 Minutes
