When you’ve had a long and challenging day at work, the last thing you want to do is come home and deal with a huge to-do-list of chores around the home. Cleaning is hardly the most exciting part of being a homeowner, but it is something that we all need to do if we want to keep our properties looking beautiful year after year.
- Use Baking Soda for Grease If grease and built-up residue on your kitchen counters are giving you a headache, then this natural solution will help. Simply mix 2 parts baking soda with 1 part vegetable oil for a powerful scrub that will leave your kitchen sparkling. This works for wood and cabinet handles too – and is particularly useful when combined with the scrubbing action of an old toothbrush.
- Remove Hard Water Stains Spruce up your stainless steel faucets, sinks and other appliances with the juicy side of half a lemon. This will instantly erase hard water stains and get your metal looking clean and sparkly again. All you need to do is let the lemon juice sit for a few minutes then rinse it with warm water.
- Banish Smelly Towels If you have a habit of leaving your towels sitting in the washing machine for too long, you’re probably familiar with that unpleasant mildew smell. Get rid of it by throwing the sheets back into the wash with a cup of vinegar.
- Clean your Iron Speaking of unwanted smells, get rid of the burning scent that comes from scorch marks on your iron with a bit of salt. Place a pillowcase on your iron board and pour salt on top of it, then iron the salt with the steam option off.
- Spruce Up a Stale Mattress All mattresses get a little smelly after a few months thanks to a build-up of dust and dead skin. To freshen your bedding, add about fifteen drops of essential oil to a box of baking soda and sprinkle it over the bed. Vacuum the mattress to remove the soda and enjoy a fresh new scent.
- Clean Dusty Air Vents Air vents can get pretty dusty over time when they’re ignored by homeowners. Fortunately, you can clean your air vents by wrapping a rag around a butter knife and sliding it through each gap carefully. It’s a great and simple cleaning solution.
- Get Rid of Sticky Marks If you’re sick of labels ruining your ceramics, fill your sink with warm water and about a scoop full of Oxiclean. Soak your ceramics for thirty minutes, and the labels should fall off without leaving any unwanted residue behind.
- Make Your Own Cleaning Spray Make sure you’re ready for any cleaning emergency with a non-toxic make-at-home cleaner. Add about four tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of warm water for an excellent multi-purpose cleaning solution. This should work great on virtually all counters and appliances.
- Eliminate Fridge Odours Prefer the scent of fresh coffee to leftover food? Place a bowl of coffee grounds into your fridge, and you’ll absorb any unwanted smells. Remember to replace the coffee grounds every two months or so to keep your fridge smelling fresh.
- Shine Up Baking Sheets Finally, give your cookie and baking sheets a new lease on life with a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide and another 1 part baking soda. Spread the mixture on the stained sheets and let them sit for a couple of hours before wiping the mixture away.
