Sadly, that's not a hack I can promise you — if you know one, be sure to tell me all about it in the COMMENTS— but I have done some of that time-consuming research for you. I've gathered a dozen of the most pinned cleaning tips and tricks on Pinterest for you, and even better, most of them don't require anything more than what you already have in your home. How cool is that?
1. Get that microwave clean.
Nothing says "Yum!" like trapping your food in an enclosed box splattered with the leavings of every other meal for the last month, but cleaning a microwave can be a lot of trouble. A couple of tablespoons of vinegar in a bowl of water (and a toothpick to prevent an explosive mishap — SCIENCE!), on high for 5 minutes can loosen everything right up. Leave the steaming bowl in there for a couple of minutes for extra oomph, then wipe everything out with a sponge.
2. Use olive oil to fix scratched furniture.
Just rub olive oil into the surface of a scratched up table to make it look like new again. You can also use a ratio of 1:1 vinegar and oil. Just don't accidentally use that super tasty, super expensive bottle of olive oil your in-laws gifted you.
3. Don't forget your cupboards.
Even if you're good at remembering to wipe down the front of your cupboards regularly, bits of grease and gunk from cooking can build up in the nooks and crannies, leaving them dingy. A paste made from one part vegetable oil to two parts baking soda will get those cabinets looking as good as new.
4. Skip the expensive cooktop cleaners.
While it's true that glass stovetops require a little more TLC, you don't need to buy a specialized cleaner to get them shining. A mix of dish soap, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide will do the job just as well.
5. Vinegar is also great for shower tracks.
Get those narrow, nasty tracks clean with a toothbrush and white vinegar. This is also great for the tracks on windows or sliding doors. If the dirt is particularly stubborn, add a bit of baking soda to the mix.
6. Dust your blinds regularly.
A regular dusting schedule does little good when you skip your windows. Get it done super quickly by securing microfiber cloths to a pair of tongs and running them along each slat.
7. Make grout shine again.
Another great cleaning use for that bottle of white vinegar. Mix with equal parts water and spritz onto dirty tile grout. Let it sit for a few minutes, then scrub clean with a toothbrush.
8. Soak the limescale off a shower head.
Note to self: next time I'm at Costco, buy the REALLY BIG bottle of vinegar.
9. Never scrub a stove burner again.
Seal your greasy burner in a Ziplock bag with 1/4 cup of ammonia overnight. The trapped fumes and condensation will break down the gunk so that it wipes right off in the morning.
10. Rubbing alcohol can save microfiber furniture.
Just saturate the stain and scrub with a brush. Alcohol evaporates so much faster than water that you won't end up with a water stain.
11. Don't neglect the inside of your slow cooker.
Sure, we all clean the part of our crockpot that we actually cook in, but how long has it been since you cleaned the actual cooker it sits in? Over time, bits of food can get lost down there, creating funky smells. When you see it getting grungy, just give it a wipe down with the same cleaner you use for your oven. Just make sure it's safe to use on aluminum.
12. Make homemade toilet cleaning tablets.
By mixing together citric acid, baking soda, and a bit of dish soap, you can make these fizzy cleaning tablets in only a few minutes. Just drop one in the toilet, watch it fizz, and flush. As an added bonus, these little cleaning bombs can also replace the detergent tablets in your dishwasher.
0 comments: