Everybody’s home gets messy – unless you maybe have a housemaid… But then again, if you did, you probably wouldn’t be reading this. So, if you are on your own, we at the Cleaning Jobs – Helpling bring you 5 amazingly clever cleaning hacks for your messy home. These will help you finish your chores in no time – and will also save you the effort, literally! Here they are:
- Use vinegar for just about anything
Vinegar is a liquid consisted of about 5-20% acetic acid, which makes it perfect for cleaning. Both white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are excellent in cleaning endeavors. Burnt-on grease? Mineral deposits on your spigot? Vinegar can easily solve these problems. You can even use it to steam-clean your microwave – just put a glass bowl filled with a solution of 1/4 cup vinegar in 1 cup water inside, turn on the microwave for 5 minutes on the highest setting. After the bowl cools down, use the remaining liquid to dip a sponge or cloth in it – and swipe the microwave in order to remove stains and splatters inside the microwave. The other example of vinegar being extremely efficient in cleaning is when used on mineral deposits on your bathroom sink. Wrap the sink in some cloth, soak it in vinegar, leave for a few minutes – and enjoy the view! Many cleaning products don’t get this effect, so always keep some vinegar in your home.
- Toothpaste cleans more than just teeth
You almost definitely always have toothpaste in your home, and its cleaning properties are awesome, so yes, toothpaste makes its way to this list. Toothpaste doesn’t just very successfully clean stuff – you can also use it to prevent bathroom mirrors from fogging. Simply coat the mirror with the toothpaste and wipe it off before showering. When you finish using the shower, the mirror won’t be fogged-up and you’ll be able to see yourself clearly! Toothpaste is a good choice even when cleaning the bathroom sink. You just squirt some toothpaste on the sink, rub it with a sponge and finally rinse it out. Done.
- Lemons are not only for lemonade
If you love lemons, you will love them even more now! Due to the citric acid they contain, lemons are another cleaning wonder. Let me tell you how you can easily clean wood cutting boards just with one-half of a lemon and a bit of coarse salt. Firstly, sprinkle the cutting board with some salt. Then, use the lemon to rub the surface of the board – downside, of course, squeezing slightly to release the juice. The lemon you are using doesn’t have to be freshly cut one, a mostly squeezed lemon will do just fine. After you’ve finished scouring, let the cutting board sit for about 5 minutes. Next, grab a bench scraper and scrape the dirty liquid off the board. Finally, rinse the surface with a clean wet sponge. That’s it, go now and make yourself some lemonade, you deserve it!
- Baking (and cleaning) soda
Sodium bicarbonate, or commonly referred to as baking soda, is primarily used in baking as a leavening agent. Besides that, baking soda is incredibly useful when it comes to cleaning. You won’t believe the universal efficiency of this substance until you try it… That’s why we will mention some examples of using the baking soda in cleaning, so you can see how it works, and apply the knowledge afterward. Baking soda can be used for cleaning your toilet – simply add 1/4 of soda to the bowl, swirl and then scrub. This substance has another incredible property – it is not toxic, actually, it is edible. That means you can use it to clean some things that otherwise would be very risky when using standards detergent – your children’s toys, pet’s bed (even your pet’s teeth), basically everything that you once worried about when treating your loved ones. You’re having a clogged drain, or you just want to deodorize it? Baking soda solves this too. Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a 1/2 cup of vinegar (these two, soda and vinegar, are an awesome combo), then cover it with a wet cloth (this is optional), wait about 5 minutes and finally flush it with hot water. The drain will be good as new! Extra greasy dishes and pans are no problems when you’ve got soda – dial up your dish detergent’s power with it. You can use it to clean and freshen-up your dishwasher or coffee maker simply by running an empty cycle with baking soda. Options are limitless – be creative and know that you can’t make a mistake with baking soda. And don’t forget to combine it with vinegar, together they make wonders!
- Incredible Coca-cola
You probably know this one. Coca-cola is one of the most famous brands, instantly recognized all over the world. So you’ve probably heard about its cleaning properties – but let’s sum them up. Coca-cola solves cleaning issues both indoors and outdoors. Your driveway’s full of ugly, black oil stains? Simply (and cheaply) pour one bottle of coke on the stains and let it soak for a few hours. When you return, just rinse the area with a hose. Your driveway will, once again, be the one to be proud of. Since we’re outdoors, head to your garage or workshop, grab your old rusty tools and soak them in any kind of container with coke. Let that rest for 24 hours and when you’re back, your metal tools will look just like when you bought them! Another thing Coca-cola is good at is removing clothing stains. Forget the expensive stain removers and simply add one can of Coca-cola into the wash alongside with the usual water and detergent, run it through normal cycle and enjoy the effects – clothes with grease, asphalt or blood stains are now stain-free!
Hope we helped you with these tips, don’t hesitate to use them – and don’t forget to keep these things always in your home, they will turn out to be such effective and cheap cleaners!