12 Unusual Everyday Hacks To Clean Your House

When it comes to spring cleaning our cribs, we are often seeking shortcuts to make the task easier. Here are 12 cleaning hacks that may not have been the first thing to cross your mind, but which are all helpful at making your place a spotless haven.

1. Use ketchup to clean a steel pot or pan

wikihow

Ketchup, or tomato sauce, is another common thing in the house that can double up as a cleaning product. Put a little ketchup on a sponge and with a little muscle power, scrub away at some of those grease and rust spots on your pots and pans. It works just as well for silver as it does for steel and copper.

Alternatively, spread some ketchup across the space on your pan or pot you want cleaned. Let it soak, and you’ll be able to polish them off.

2. Using bread to pick up tiny shards of glass

Via savvysugar.com

To remove the last of those microscopic pieces of glass - which we often discover are still on the floor when we feel them in our feet - simply grab a piece of bread. Wipe the bread across the surface and it will absorb all of the small shards that are often not visible, or which the vacuum may have just missed.

3. Cleaning with vodka

Via blissfullydomestic.com

That’s right, vodka can do more than simply being the life of the party. Don’t go drenching your mattress with your bottle of Smirnoff, but a light spray of vodka is all it takes to disinfect and freshen up your mattress. The alcohol will neutralise smells, and will not leave any toxins behind.

4. Dusting vents with a cloth-covered knife

Via homesweethomebodies.net

Air vents are often narrow, hard-to-reach spots when it comes to cleaning. A great tool to get in there sits right in your kitchen drawer. Grab a knife, wrap a small cloth around it and spray a little cleaning solution on it.

Slide the knife in between the slates and run it from one end to the other. Remember to adjust the rag to ensure you are wiping with a clean part and not one already covered in soot.

5. Use vinegar to shimmer up a tap

Via lifehacker.com

Vinegar does have its fair share of uses when it comes to household cleaning. Among these is the cleaning of shower-heads and taps. If you can remove the tap, place it in a bowl of white vinegar and leave to soak over night. If this can’t be done, not a problem! Place white vinegar in a small plastic bag and use an elastic or hair tie to keep the tap soaked.

6. Removing microwave odors with lemon, salt and vinegar

Via orderuporganizing.tumblr.com

With so many different smells being produced in the microwave it is no wonder that it retains some odd odors. An ideal way to clean and deodorize your microwave involves two easy steps: sprinkling some kosher salt on half a lemon, and using this lemon piece to give the interior a wipe.

These should give your microwave a fresh scent. However, if you’d like to be extra sure that you won’t be getting any residual wafts next time you heat it up, place bowl of vinegar and leave the door shut for an hour or so.

7. Cleaning the toilet with Coke

Via firetown.com

Cleaning the toilet is a necessary evil. Why not make life a little easier by pouring a can of coke into the bowl? Let it sit for an hour, and the acids in the drink will eat through the stains. Flush a couple of times just to make sure there is no residual sugar.

8. Cleaning paintings with bread

Via realsimple.com

A surprising way to clean any watercolour that may decorate your home involves very softly wiping the inside of a bread loaf across it. The same goes for oil paintings, however keep an eye out for any fragile paint pieces that may easily fall off. Remember to break off dirty pieces of bread and to use a soft brush to gently remove any bread crumbs that may have stuck.

9. Cleaning paint with pimple pads

pinterest

Have paint stains on a table or other household surface? Not a problem if you have some pimple pads (facial cleansing wipes) laying around. The alcohol in these will soften even dry paint, and will not leave any marks on your surfaces.

10. Use mayonnaise to remove water marks on wood

Via centsationalgirl.com

Spills are inevitable. Believe it or not though, mayonnaise can be your saving grace in a situation involving water on wood. Use a tablespoon to spread the mayo on a paper towel, place this lightly upon the stain, and leave for 15 or so minutes. Fats in the mayonnaise are absorbed into the dampened wood causing the marks to disappear.

11. Clean with curiosity

Via outrageoussports.com.au

An attitude change may be all it takes to get the tedious work done, and perhaps even make it feel less like tedious work. Change your mindset from one of annoyance and negativity toward the mess, and see it as an opportunity to practice staying present in the current activity - and making the most of it.

Use your cleaning time as an opportunity to explore new music while doing something that isn’t just sitting around. Perhaps it may be a grounding exercise, and a chance to let your thoughts flow in silence. Embracing these streams of thoughts and feelings toward cleaning may just have you wondering where the time went when you have finished dazzling up your home.

12. Have someone do the house cleaning for you

Via airtasker.com

Now, you could just take the easy road out and have someone take care of the tedious work for you. The steps are easy: order a quote and book the service at a site such as Airtasker or Gumtree. Then, sit back and relax as someone transforms your home into a spotless paradise.

13. Make some natural cleaning solutions

Via poppyjuice-poppy.blogspot.com.au

Get back to basics and prepare natural solutions to cleanse a range of household items. You can easily make, for instance, a disinfecting spray from essential oil and vodka or hydrogen peroxide.

For when you next need to clean stainless steel, mix vodka and essential oils. Perhaps you’d find a vinegar, essential oil, and hot water mix convenient to clean hardwood floor, or would like a vodka, water, and essential oil mix on standby for air freshening. Specific recipes can be found online.