10 Weird Cleaning Hacks That Actually Work
Spring is upon us, the perfect time to dust away the last of the winter blues. Check out these weird and wonderful cleaning hacks to help you on your way, without forking out for expensive cleaning products!
1. Lemon in the Microwave
Are you tired of getting halfway into your microwave to scrub off the residue of yesterday’s ready meal? Try putting a few lemons in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes on full power. Watch the lemon release the grease and simply wipe clean with a cloth, no scrubbing required.
2. Rhubarb To Clean Your Pots
How long can you ignore burnt pots for? Until you fork out for a new one? Think again. This hack will save you some money and give your burnt pots a new lease of life. Simply boil some water in the pot in question, with a few stalks of rhubarb in it. After 3-4 minutes take the pot off the heats and leave to cool, before grabbing a sponge to give it a quick wipe and your pots will be as good as new.
3. Baking Soda Hack
Has your oven door suddenly gone from clear to frosted glass? Do you want to be able to see your cakes rising or keep an eye on that pizza? We have the answer. Make a paste from baking soda and water; cover the door with the paste and leave to sit for 15-30 minutes. When the times up, simply wipe off and you should take the grease with you, leaving it crystal clear.
4. Coke to Clean
We’ve heard the rumours about our beloved fizzy drink and unfortunately for our insides, the rumours are true. Tough toilet stains? Grab a bottle of Coca Cola and pour it around the rim of the toilet bowl, leave it for around an hour then give it a scrub with a toilet brush to remove any stubborn stains. Cheaper than most toilet cleaners and does a better job!
5. Heat Away Crayon Stains
Have you got yourself a budding artist, letting their creativity flow around the house, wherever that may be? Walls, doors or floors? Wax crayons are the bane of every parent’s life but apparently every child’s favourite decorating device. If you find yourself with any unwanted wall art, before you start scrubbing, grab your dryer to heat the crayon ‘art’, this will loosen the stain, then get some warm soapy water and it should be much easier to remove.
6. Blend Away
Once you’ve blended your Kale and spinach, the only thing worse than drinking it is Cleaning the blender. If you survive the first superfood smoothie and want to try it again, don’t waste time and put your fingers in danger trying to scrub out the remaining contents. Fill the dirty blender with warm water and dish detergent and blend just like you would your kale. Keep blending until it’s clean but remember to rinse, or tomorrow’s smoothie might have an unwanted flavour.
7. Olive Oil Coaster Hack
Do you have a stack of coasters in the middle of your coffee table, but you somehow appear to have a new circular wood design on the table? Don’t panic you don’t need to fork out for a new table or invest in large plant to cover them up. Check your cupboard for some olive oil and table salt, and then combine the two to make a paste. Apply the paste to the affected areas and leave for around an hour then wipe clean. Don’t be disheartened if the stains don’t go immediately; check back in a day or two and coffee table gate will all be a distant memory.
8. Iron Your Carpet
No amount of rug rearranging can cover some carpet stains. Forget expensive carpet cleaners, grab your iron and a damp cloth, place the damp cloth over the stain and press with your iron on a high setting. The steam from the iron will lift the stain and once your carpet is dry, the stain will be no more.
9. Toothpaste Cleaner
Sick of toothpaste around your bathroom sink from careless brushers? They could actually be doing you a spring clean favour. Next time you get some toothpaste around your sink grab a sponge and give your sink a quick scrub with it. The toothpaste acts as a gentle bathroom cleaner and will leave your sink sparkly clean and minty fresh.
10. Sponge Microwave
All this spring cleaning is great but might leave you wondering just what is on your well-used sponge. Don’t fear, we have the perfect trick to leave your sponges good as new… well almost. Take your sponge (with no metal!) and make sure it is saturated with water, place in the microwave for around 1 minute to banish 99.9% of germs. You never know it might even be good enough to use for next years spring clean.
