Just stumbled upon a few household cleaning tips, and thought I’d pick a few to try out. Here’s a list of things I never knew and haven’t tried. If you’ve tried out any of them, could you let me know how effective it is?
Those marked in red are some I really want to try soon.
- Eucalyptus oil removes the gummy residue left by shop stickers.
- To remove furniture indentations from pure wool carpet place a tea towel over the area and then press with a warm iron. The heat will lift the fibres. Do not attempt this with synthetic or a wool/synthetic mix carpet.
- Light a match and let it burn a few seconds to remove toilet smells.
- To stop bathroom mirrors steaming up, regularly rub a dry bar of soap over the surface and rub in with a clean cloth.
- Stop clothes with thin straps falling off hangers by sticking small felt furniture pads onto the hanger just beyond where the straps sit.
- To keep your car windows ice and frost free when left outside overnight in the wintertime, mix three parts vinegar to one part water, put it in a spray bottle and spray on the windows as needed.
- To prevent buttons from becoming loose or undone, dab a little clear nail varnish on the top thread or onto the stem of the thread and leave to dry.
- To stop ants entering your house, draw a chalk line on the ground where you want them to stop. If you live in a rainy area where ants are a problem, you must re-draw the chalk lines each time it rains.
- To deter silverfish, place whole cloves in wardrobes and drawers.
- To remove body oil stains from collars and cuffs of coloured shirts and blouses, rub hair shampoo directly on the stains. Rinse out the shampoo, then wash the clothes as usual.
- To revive a vase of wilted flowers, add a teaspoon of mild detergent.
- To keep pinking shears or scissors sharp, cut through a sheet of folded aluminium foil or coarse sandpaper.
- To leave a room smelling fresh after you have vacuumed, place a few drops of your favourite essential oil (such as lavender or peppermint) near the vent where the hot air is released. The air warms the oil and blows it into the room.
- To mask unpleasant odors, put some coffee beans in a saucepan and burn them. The smell of coffee will overpower the other nasty odors.
- To clean a microwave oven, add four tablespoons of lemon juice to one cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Boil for five minutes in the microwave, allowing the steam to condense on the inside walls of the oven. Then wipe them with a soft cloth.
- To clean a stainless-steel sink, put the stopper in the sink with two denture-cleaning tablets and half fill with water; leave for several hours or overnight and the next day it should be sparkling. Then use the water to clean the draining board, too.
- To remove fingerprints from stainless-steel appliances, place a small amount of baby oil on a napkin and wipe the affected areas. The fingerprints will just wipe away.
- To remove marker pen off hard surfaces, spray on hair spray and then wipe it off.
- To restore toilet bowls back to their shiny best, clean with old, flat Coke or Pepsi. To dissolve limescale, leave the soda overnight to soak.
- Vacuuming a mattress, particularly along piping and crevices, removes dead skin cells that attract dust mites.
- Clove oil (sold in chemists for toothaches) kills mould spores. Mix three drops in one litre of water and then use to wipe down areas susceptible to mould.
- To get rid of the smell of garlic from your hands, rub against stainless steel – your sink is ideal. Then wash hands with soap or detergent.
11 July 2012 at 10:29 am
Velle, eucalyptus oil is fantastic for removing sticky stuff!!! Chewing gum in the hair…no problem! I’ve tried number 3, 13, 15 and 22…all worked for me. I wouldn’t mind having a go at numbers 6 and 7 :)
11 July 2012 at 11:16 am
yes, eucalytpus oil works wonders!! 3 – yes this works better than anythng!! 9 – yes this works but bars of soap are even better i found (we had an infestation!) 15, 16, 19 – bicarb soda would work as well or better for all these things – its the wonder cleaner along w white vinegar!! 17 – babywipes. they will clean all your stainless steel so quick and easy you will wonder about using them on babies anymore!! ;) great list and some new tips for me to try too, thanks!
11 July 2012 at 12:30 pm
Indeed, no. 3 works every time. It is not the burning of the match though, it is the smoke after blowing it out. Wave it!
11 July 2012 at 12:31 pm
Oh, and 7 and 15 work great as well.
11 July 2012 at 11:54 pm
No. 8 on chalks and ants – I think I’ve tried that and it works.
11 July 2012 at 11:56 pm
Oh, also no. 13 and 15. By the way, for the essential oil, you can also leave 2-3 drops on a piece of tissue paper, then stick the tissue on the air cond vent. The air will blow the vapour around the room from the tissue.
13 July 2012 at 12:28 am
Thanks for the feedback! Tried the Eucalyptus oil the other day, and couldn’t get over how effective it was! Got very old sticker residue off our stainless steel dishwasher, without too much drama. For $2! Am in love.