No Products in the Cart
Free Shipping Within Singapore For Orders Above SGD $49
You don’t have to be a clean freak to enjoy staying in a clean house. But, a clean home encourages peace of mind and makes you comfortable. However, you have to admit that cleaning is not the easiest thing to do, especially if you work from 9 to 5 or wake up early for classes.
Now, amid the global pandemic, children are always at home, which means you need to clean your house more often. And also, you need to disinfect your home to protect yourself and your family against the virus.
So, if there is any tip you can use to make your cleaning fun, more effective, and less time-consuming, then it is worth a trial.
This piece will cover 27 innovative, simple and effective home cleaning tips and tricks you can try at home and notice the changes.
1. Dryer sheets to clean your pans
As you cook more, your pans tend to get a discoloration or spots that are hard to remove with regular soap and scrubber. So, to get rid of the grime sticking to your cooking sheets, dryer sheets are the new way to go.
Steps:
2. Grapefruit and salt for cleaning your Bathtub
In the same way, you need to clean your towel after bathing; you need to clean your bathtub often to avoid discoloration and staining. And according to Krazy Coupon Lady, a DIY expert, grapefruits are what you need to clean your tub cost-effectively.
Steps:
3. Use lemons to clean your cutting board
Wooden chopping boards are a little tricky to handle in the kitchen. Unlike their plastic counterparts, you can easily pop into the dishwasher; the wooden board needs special care when cleaning.
Use of too much soap could end up contaminating your food, and improper cleaning leads to bacterial buildup.
While avoiding all the hassle, you can always use a lemon to clean your chopping block.
Steps:
By the end, you will have a virtually spotless cutting board.
4. Say bye-bye to watermarks using newspaper.
When cleaning your windows, glass tops, shiny surfaces, or mirrors, using a piece of cloth to dry the wet surface leaves lint behind. But when you use lint-free fabrics, you might spend the whole day wiping the water and still end up with streaks.
However, there is a new and easier way to clean your mirrors and windows, and yet, it is cheap.
The secret is to use newspapers when wiping down.
Steps:
5. Baking Soda to freshen your mattress
When we talk of cleaning your house, you have probably never thought of cleaning your mattress. You believe that you are regularly in a clean and safe environment by changing your bedsheets and pillowcases regularly.
However, a damp mattress could be a good breeding ground for bacteria and mold, resulting in respiratory complications. To remedy the situation, all you need is a vacuum cleaner and a packet of baking soda.
Steps:
6. Use lemons to clean your drains.
A lot of goo goes down the drain, whether in the kitchen or the sink by the bathroom. You clean greasy hands or pans, and all the oils stick to the sides of the drain.
With time, the drains accumulate enough dirt and start to send out an unpleasant smell in your kitchen or bathroom.
Thankfully, the solution is within your kitchen.
Steps:
7. Un-scratch your plates using baking soda
Baking soda remains to be a cleaning powerhouse. And now, it is not only cleaning but also returning your plates to their original state.
When you eat, you tend to braze your plate with your knife or fork here and there. And with time, your dishes lose their shinny and endless sparkle.
Fortunately, you can make them look brand new using baking soda only.
Steps:
8. Disinfecting your cleaning sponges
A lot of people ignore their cleaning sponges once they finish cleaning. Since they are already used to clean utensils, why clean them again?
It is a common notion, but you forget that the sponge could trap some food residues and dirty water in their space. And when not cleaned properly, bacteria and mold could grow in these cleaning sponges, making it even more dangerous to use when cleaning your utensils.
However, you can disinfect them anytime at home by tossing them into the oven.
Steps:
This method is proven to kill up to 99% of the germs found in cleaning sponges.
However, do not pop in any metallic scrubbers in the oven. Doing so is going to see you visit the supermarket for a new microwave in no time.
9. Ammonia for cleaning stove burners
Grease travels everywhere when you cook in the kitchen. And with time, it could accumulate to dangerous levels. Researchers discovered that more than 40% of house fires start in the kitchen, and most of those happen on the stove.
To get rid of the gunk stuck to your stove burner, it is possible, using ammonia and a sandwich bag.
Steps:
10. Use vinegar to kill bacteria in coffee machines.
Unlike what you would expect, coffee makers host some of the notorious bacterial activities in the kitchen. Since you cannot reach parts by hand or dish wash, they remain with stale coffee for long periods.
And if you use your coffee machine daily, then you might not see the need to clean it as often. However, you also risk ingesting these bacteria.
To clean your coffee machine;
11. Steam cleaning your microwave
Microwaves handle all sorts of foods, and some may scatter and land on the walls. So, you end up with a stuck-on mess that, no matter how hard you try to scrub, you can’t seem to obliterate.
Do not worry; steam can make your work effortless.
Steps:
12. Self-cleaning blender
Cleaning a blender is a task at its league. You want to be careful enough to avoid the blades and get in there to clean the bottom part.
Sometimes, you even get off with a small cut on your finger or a broken nail from all the hassle. So, why not use a new and better way to clean your blender without touching any blade?
Rather than risking your hand, use these steps to clean your blender;
Steps:
13. Get odorless garbage disposals with lemons.
We throw all sorts of trash down the garbage disposal. There are dry and wet things down there. It only takes time until they start rotting and giving off a repulsive smell. Soon, you begin to notice the odor in your kitchen.
You can always freshen these garbage disposals with minimal ingredients found in your fridge on the bright side.
Today, we will be using lemons.
Steps
14. Get rid of mildew using vodka.
Vodka can do a lot more in your house than just making martinis.
When you are struggling to get rid of mildew spots on your bathroom tiles, then it is time you took out that bottle of vodka from the freezer.
Steps:
The alcohol content in vodka breaks down the mildew and kills any fungi, making it a cheap, effective, and must-try home cleaning tip.
15. Squeaky clean shower doors using lemon
When bathing, soap and other chemical products end up on the shower walls and door. With time, you notice a grimy layer of dirt on the door, giving you a hard time cleaning your shower.
When faced with such trouble, do not worry. A slice of lemon and kosher salt are the secret to a squeaky clean bathroom door.
Steps:
The acidity in the lemons eats away the scum formed from soap, while the abrasiveness from the salt helps you scrub it off your bathroom door.
16. Use wax paper to clean your taps.
Anytime you clean anything in your sink, you probably end up scrubbing your tap, resulting in rapid wear and tear. With time, no matter how much you wash the faucet, you will not achieve the glossy look you are after.
However, if you want to make your sink spotless and shiny:
The waxy residue prevents any stains from sticking to your sink in the future, which means less scrubbing and more shine in your kitchen.
17. Vacuum your blinds
Blinds are a challenging item to handle. Unlike regular curtains that you can just toss into the washer, blinds need special care to clean effectively.
And unlike how it appears to be, using a feather duster takes a lot longer than you might anticipate. Also, you always end up cleaning the walls and the floor to remove any dust that fell from the blinds.
So, if you can get the job done in one go, then you should try it.
The secret to a faster and more effective cleaning is using a vacuum instead of a feather duster.
Steps:
18. Shaving cream to remove upholstery stains
Sometimes, you drop a plate of pasta on your couch or leave a mark from a pen. When such happens, you do not have to hire professional home cleaning services.
If you have shaving cream, then you can try removing the stains yourself
Steps:
Caution:
19. Use vinegar to clean carpet stains.
Sometimes, a glass of wine or juice slips off your hand or gets knocked off the table and lands on the carpet.
If it is a white or bright-colored carpet, you get a colossal stain that causes disdain in your living room.
To best handle, the problem, attend to the stain immediately and with suitable materials to avoid spreading the stain.
One way to deal with carpet stains at home is by using vinegar.
Steps:
The idea is to blot the stain so that it does not spread. And since applying direct heat to the stain could result in a more permanent stain, covering the stain with a wet cloth makes it easier to remove.
20. Bleach your washing machine
Unlike what you think you know, a washing machine is not self-cleaning. Under the drum, there could be moisture trapped in there or dirt residues from the water used to clean your clothes.
So, if you do not take some time to clean the washer, you might end up with musty washing machines.
And contrary to popular opinion, pouring in detergent and typical wash is not enough to remove the dirt and kill countless bacteria and viruses found in the washing machine.
Instead, you can use bleach to disinfect your washing machine in these simple steps:
21. Cleaning window screens with detergent
One of the most annoying parts you might have to clean at home is the window screen. Yes, they are effective in trapping dust and keeping bugs off. But when it comes to cleaning, unless you have a power washer, you might spend a few hours on a small screen, trying t handle every hole on it.
Instead, you can use detergent to make them squeaky clean in no time.
Steps:
22. Use machine-washable mops
Every time you clean your home, you reach out for the mop, disregarding the fact that it might have bacteria or mold growing on it.
And like it is the case with most people, you probably have never spent enough time cleaning your mop. But even if you did, you still end up with bacteria that are so tough that chemical disinfectants do little to help.
To avoid the risk of spreading these organisms all through your house, you can switch to machine washable mops.
You can detach these mops from the handle, toss them in the washing machine and hang them to dry, ready to use the next time you clean the house.
23. Get spotless showerheads with vinegar.
Spotty showerheads are a nuisance and could be harboring millions of micro bacteria that could affect your skin or respiratory system.
Luckily, you can remove these spots using tools and ingredients you can easily find in your kitchen.
While at it, you can also unclog your shower in the following simple steps:
24. Use vinegar to clean your humidifier.
A humidifier holds water and heats it to specific temperatures to create steam. And while you might think it is ok to let it be, the water in your humidifier could provide the perfect grounds for germs to breed.
These micro-organisms would then travel in the air and end up in your system, causing unexplainable complications.
However, you can clean the humidifier with vinegar in less than an hour.
Steps:
25. Squeaky clean candle handlers
Everyone enjoys a candle-lit dinner every once in a while. And sometimes, you find yourself in a blackout, in need of candles.
If you are planning a surprise romantic dinner, and you take out your candle holders, will they be presentable?
If not, do not worry. You can clean them in easy steps and spare enough time to set the table.
Steps:
26. Get rid of odors from your sneakers.
Sweaty feet are the worst enemy you can have to your sneakers. While sweat builds up inside, it is unavoidable. Cleaning your shoes every time you come from spin class can also be overwhelming.
The best you can do to ensure that you always have fresh-smelling shoes is to take measures to dry the sweat or water in your sneakers.
You can do this by:
27. Cleaning your cast iron cookware
Every kitchen deserves a cast-iron skillet. And while this cookware provides the perfect surfaces to cook, they are also tricky to maintain.
Despite their unrealistically even heat distribution during cooking, cast iron utensils tend to have many buildups.
And considering you should never wash them clean, it becomes even harder to maintain them in their tip-top shape.
However, if you are looking to remove the gunk on the cast iron cookware without tossing it into the dishwasher, below are a few helpful steps:
By now, you have noticed that a lot of cleaning around the house can be done in less than five simple steps, using readily available ingredients. Add sparkle and shine to your home today using something as minor as wax paper or even get rid of stubborn odors using baking soda.
Get rid of grime, mildew, scum, and dust every chance you get using the above-listed home cleaning tips and techniques.
I bet you wish you knew about these techniques earlier. But now that you have learned a tip or two, you can start cleaning with little effort and achieve great results.
