7 Everyday Cleaning Tips & Hacks

Speed up home cleaning by putting into practice these 7 essential cleaning hacks for your home. You won't believe what a dryer sheet can do.

Rugs and carpets

Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda mixed with your favourite essential oil over high-traffic areas or areas where pets settle. Use a sieve to keep it even, leave it on for a few hours (maybe even overnight) and then vacuum away. The bicarb will soak up any odours.

Rust patches

If you have a few rust patches on your towel rails or radiators or on garden furniture, dab on some ketchup before rubbing away with a cloth – the rust will lift right off.

Rusty cutlery If your knives and forks have rusted, stick their ends into an onion a couple of times and the rust should lift straight off.

Iron

To clean a sticky iron, mix one part salt with one part white vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for about 30 seconds, then stir to dissolve the salt. Dip a cloth into the mixture and vigorously rub the bottom of your iron. This should remove the residue that is causing the dragging and give your iron a good clean and shine.

Kettle

Use a mixture of part water and part white wine vinegar or lemon juice to keep limescale and hard water stains away.

Lampshades

Use a lint roller to take the dust off lampshades. A lint roller is delicate and won’t push the shade out of shape like a vacuum nozzle could.

Microwave

Microwaves can easily be splattered with food and, if you forget to clean up straight away, this will harden and become hard to wipe clean. Place a bowl of water with a few slices of lemon in the microwave and set on high for 5 minutes. The steam will soften the dirt and the lemons will degrease and make it smell amazing.