Cleaning hacks using everyday items

There are so many little things that need doing all over your home, but if you use regular items already in your cupboards, they are less likely to be put off for ‘one day’ when you have all the special potions and gadgets. Try these tips to clean up quickly and efficiently, inside and out.

Clean your jewellery

Restore the shine to silver by submerging tarnished items in a bowl of tomato sauce! Let them sit for 5-10 minutes (but no longer). Remove and gently scrub with an old toothbrush before rinsing it off with warm water.

For gold, crack a beer! Simply pour some pale ale on a clean cloth and rub gently.

Use the same method with vodka to brighten up diamonds and gem stones and to clean your eye glasses. Alternatively, just grab a tube of toothpaste – it makes an awesome all-purpose jewellery cleaner. Any left over ‘cleaner’ can be used to celebrate your hard work!

Kitchen items

Clean and deodorise your chopping board by sprinkling salt all over your chopping board then rubbing it with half a lemon. Rinse for a great, chemical-free clean.

Streaks, fingerprints and marks on stainless steel can be maddening. Remove grime, dirt and fingerprints from appliances by using a pinch of cream of tartar on a damp sponge – the citric acid will help to break down the build-up.

Scrub glass baking dishes clean with a screwed up ball of tin foil and dishwashing liquid if you don’t have a scourer handy.

Bring burnt pans back to life by filling your burnt pan with water, adding two cups of vinegar and bringing to the boil. Take it off the heat, add two tablespoons of baking soda and rinse it clean.

Keep your bathroom shiny and clean

Grapefruit and salt will shine your tub! Apply salt to those dirty grey ring marks around your bath, then rub them with a cut grapefruit and watch them magically disappear.

Shine up your bathroom fixtures by rubbing with half a lemon to remove limescale build-up and get a gorgeous gleam.

Laundry hacks

Remove grease from clothing before washing – simply rub white chalk over grease stains before throwing them in the wash – the chalk absorbs the grease for a perfect clean.

Lipstick stains can easily be removed by spraying them with hairspray, rubbing them with a damp cloth and then washing as usual.

Remove paint from clothes by scraping with a razor.

Office, the dirtiest place in your home

Is your computer keyboard gunked up? 8. Use an old, dry, clean toothbrush to clean your keyboard – the small bristles are perfect for dislodging between-the-keys muck.

Lounge and bed rooms

Deodorise your sofa or mattress by sprinkling it liberally with bicarbonate of soda, leaving for 10 minutes, then vacuuming thoroughly.

Cleaning blinds can be very fiddly unless you sacrifice an old sock to the cause. Soak it in a 50-50 vinegar and water mixture, squeeze out and put the sock on your hand. Simply run along the blinds – you’ll be able to clean both sides at once!

Pet hair on furniture can be tricky to remove – try running a squeegee along carpets or furniture to easily remove pet hairs. Or simply don rubber gloves, wet them and run your hands along the hair-infested surfaces.

Remove dust from lampshades effortlessly using a lint roller.

Glitter travels like nuclear fallout. Next time your children or grandchildren spill glitter, reach for the playdough and kerb the mess by squashing it into the dough. Voila! Sparkly playdough and no mess.

It’s hard to get every tiny shard of glass off a floor after a breakage. Try using a piece of bread pressed into the floor to pick up those tiny little shards that are usually only found by bare feet.

Garage

Garage floors can be grime-free with the help of good old Coca-Cola – pour some over those oil stains on your garage floors, scrub with a brush and hey presto! Rinse well to prevent sticky patches.

Dropped your phone in water?

Save those silica gel packs – if you’ve bought a new handbag or luggage, never throw away those silica gel packs – they are a fantastic way to dry things out by absorbing moisture. Use them to try to suck the moisture out of your mobile if it gets wet, or place them inside your toiletries bag to keep things dry.