Our Top Cleaning Hacks which you must try yourself at home

Clean pet hair & fur out of rugs & carpets with a window squeegee

Motive: With vacuuming, fur weaves its way into the rug fibers and hair can get tangled in the brush roll. Edged with rubber, a squeegee glides along a rug smoothly, creating static electricity that draws hair and fur from the carpet.

Solution: Run a dry squeegee across the rug in overlapping rows. Collect clumps as they form and discard. It’s that easy!

 

Use packing tape as a duster

Motive: It’s easy to ignore lampshades, speakers, and the insides of drawers because it’s tough to get them clean with regular dusting. With its strong adhesive, packing tape is the answer – it grabs dirt from fabric and crevices.

Solution: Press a foot-long stretch of tape onto the surface, then pull it back to pick up the dirt.  Or for example, to get crumbs out of drawers, ball up the tape, leaving much of the sticky side facing out. Tap the ball onto the debris, applying extra pressure to catch stubborn pieces and watch them cling to the ball.

 

Mop with your feet, not your hands

Motive: Cleaning floors with a rag and the standard hands and knees method takes a lot of effort. If only there was a way of saving your back and knees with all that pressure. Legs are typically stronger than arms and also the added force speeds the process.

Solution: Grab a cloth and let it absorb your cleaning solution and use your leg/foot as the handle. Or even better! wear a pair of thick absorbent socks, then put them on and absorb the mixture. Glide one foot across the floor while using the other for balance. Continue doing this over and over across the floor to clean dirt and pick up dust, starting with the farthest corner and working toward the entryway. When you’re finished, toss the cloth/socks in the washing machine.

 

Use car wax (polymer-based) to prevent toilet-bowl stains

Motive: Traditional formulas work for a bit, but a car waxes polymer-base will coat the surface for months on end, keeping it slick so nothing sticks.

Solution: Clean the toilet to remove existing stains. Afterwards, dry the interior with a cotton cloth, and use a separate cloth to apply the wax. Make sure to open a window for ventilation as the given off smell can be quite strong. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes before it’s used again. For upkeep, every few months, pour a half-cup of distilled white vinegar into the bowl to prevent water rings from forming until you wax it again.

 

Tackle marks on upholstery with shaving cream

Motive: Sometimes you don’t have the right stain solution on hand. No problem! Shaving cream is an ideal substitute. Its lather can penetrate nearly any stain and lift it to the surface (Test first in an inconspicuous place to make sure of course.)

Solution: Apply a small blob of shaving cream to a damp cloth. (Use a standard white shaving cream rather than a gel version for optimum results). Dab this onto the spot and let sit for 30 minutes, then blot with a clean and damp cloth. If any stain remains, reapply and let sit overnight.

 

Cleaning stained food storage containers is the sun

Motive: Even if you put the containers in the dishwasher, you can never get them fully, good-as-new clean. The sun’s rays are akin to a natural bleach, so they eliminate most stains.

Solution: After washing the containers in the sink with dish soap and warm water, place them on a clean tea towel in the sun. Let them sit in the sun for the day (Easier said than done knowing the Irish Climate!). Rinse and let dry.

 

Use newspaper to soak up garbage spills

Motive: A newspaper lining absorbs your bin bag leaks so you don’t have to wash out the bin later.
Solution: Place yesterday’s news at the bottom of your bin with a plastic bag underneath – to keep the paper from sticking to the can. Discard it all when you put out the bins.

 

Wash your blender with a press of a button

Motive: A blender’s sharp blades and ridged interior can be tricky and dangerous to clean.
Solution: Fill the blender halfway with water, add a few drops of dish soap, and blend on low for 10 seconds. Wipe down the upper area with the soapy water and a sponge, then rinse.

 

Quick clean your mattress with a spritz of vodka

Motive: Mattress upkeep is often overlooked, even though a quarterly clean is recommended. Vodka is an odorless disinfectant that evaporates fast, so you’ll never have to do a deep clean.
Solution: Using a vodka-filled spray bottle, spritz the mattress and pillows when changing the sheets for a quick effective clean.

 

 

Credit: Real Simple.