Chopping boards
The combination of salt and lemons is a great tool for cleaning wooden chopping boards. Once you’ve covered the board in salt and wiped it down with a cut-open lemon, simply rinse it in some hot water.
The microwave
Squeeze out some soap onto a wet sponge, then rub it on something to get a good amount of foam. Put the sponge into the microwave, switch it on at minimum power for 30 seconds. Open the door and wipe the microwave from inside. This way, cleaning the microwave is not only much easier, but it will also help to remove any foul smells and microbes stuck to the sponge.
Mattresses
Given enough time, all mattresses become dirty. To get them looking like they’re brand new once again, you merely need to sprinkle them with baking soda, leave it for a few hours and then vacuum it up. All traces of dirt and smells will disappear. This method also works with an old sofa.
Irons
Spread some paper out on the ironing board and then sprinkle a little salt on it. Turn the heat setting on your iron up to the maximum, making sure that there is no water in it, and that the “steam” function is disabled. Pass the hot iron over the salt – this works wonders to get rid of dirt.
Clean Top to Bottom, Left to Right
Don’t start a room by wiping the coffee table, then cleaning the blinds, only to watch the dust from the blinds coat your newly cleaned coffee table. Sardone says to start at the top of the room, such as dusting a ceiling fan, and work your way down to the floor to eliminate redundant work.
Likewise, cleaning left to right ensures that you cover the entire room instead of darting from place to place.
Keep Proper Tools at the Ready
Having all the tools and cleaning products you need at arm’s reach means you won’t waste time walking back and forth to the cabinet under the sink. Sardone recommends wearing an apron, or even a carpenter’s tool belt, and filling the pockets. This might be hard with several large bottles of cleaner, but you don’t need large bottles—pour the cleaners into small, reusable spray bottles that are easy to carry. You can also place your supplies in a caddy or a bucket to stay organized and save time.
Battle Bathroom Mold
Mold haunts bathrooms that aren’t well-ventilated because water remains on the walls after bathing. Use hydrogen peroxide in a trigger-spray bottle to battle mold and mildew, Dellutri says: “Spray it on, let it sit 3 to 5 minutes, and it will kill the fungus.”
To keep mold from coming back, use a fan when showering. When you’re done, take a couple of minutes to squeegee the water off the tile walls and shower door.
Silverware
A piece of chalk wrapped in gauze placed in the drawer or box with your silverware can help prevent the latter from losing its sheen or becoming permanently stained.
Windows
Clean the windows in the usual way, but make sure to rub them dry with a newspaper. This method will help to remove all the stains and give a glow to the windows.
Clothes
It’s easy to get rid of grease stains on clothes using crumbled-up chalk. Simply rub the chalk into the stain, and in a few hours the chalk will fully absorb the grease. This method is most effective for fresh stains.
Venetian blinds
Venetian blinds can be very tricky and time-consuming to clean. Few people realize that you can actually use an old sock to clean the individual parts of the blinds with a minimal amount of effort.
Carpets
Mix one part of vinegar and two parts of water together in a bottle with a spray mechanism. Spray the mixture on any stains on the carpet and cover them with a wet cloth. Turn on the iron, set it to steam mode, and pass it over the cloth for 30 seconds. Goodbye stain!
Keep Stainless Steel Shining
Fingerprints, smudges, and watermarks are the enemies of stainless steel sinks and surfaces. Mineral oil can help you beat them, Dellutri says. “Pour some mineral oil on a cloth and wipe it down once a week. This repels the water.” The mineral oil also helps keep toothpaste and other items from sticking to the sink, making it easier to wipe clean.
Clean the Microwave Like a Champ
The inside of your microwave probably looks like a war zone. Unfortunately, baked-on food—especially if it has been sitting for days or longer—can be tough to remove.
The trick: Have the microwave help you. Dellutri says to put a coffee cup full of water in the microwave and heat it up until it’s boiling hot. “This creates moisture that loosens up anything on the top, sides, or bottom of the microwave,” she says. Then take a damp cloth and wipe the surfaces clean.
Spruce Up Your Sponge
Though you should replace your kitchen sponge anywhere from once a month to once every two weeks, depending on how much you use it, you can make a sponge last by giving it a good cleaning. However, that old trick of putting a sponge in a microwave probably isn’t your best move.
According to Good Housekeeping, the best way to clean a sponge is by mixing three-quarter cups of bleach in one gallon of water and soaking the sponge for five minutes, then rinsing.
Restore Your Pots and Pans
If you want to get your pots and pans looking new, The Spruce suggests using some baking soda. For porcelain-enameled cast-iron cookware, fill the pot or pan with about one quart of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add two tablespoons of baking soda, stir, and let simmer for several minutes. Then dump out the pot and rinse the pan with warm water.
Non-stick frying pans can also benefit from a mixture of baking soda and water. Simply cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of water and sprinkle baking soda over the water to create a thin paste. Let the pan sit for several hours, then rinse and wash the pan.
Dust Off Your Blinds
Don’t let your blinds collect dust. According to Country Living, if your blinds are dusty, you will only need a vacuum with the brush attachment, a feather duster, or a microfiber cloth to clean them. For wooden slatted or mini blinds, simply shut the blinds and vacuum or wipe the dust away. For any other material, vacuum the front and back of the shades to whisk away dust.
If a deeper clean is necessary, plastic and metal blinds can be restored using an even mixture of warm water and white vinegar with a few drops of dish soap mixed in. Wet a sponge in the solution, wring it out well and wipe down each slat. For wood blinds, use furniture polish, and for microfiber or cloth blinds, gently wipe them with mild soap and warm water solution.
