I expect most of us don't want to spend hours on housework do we?!
Here are 20 'tips' that save time on various household duties that I would like to share with you. Some are well known, some not so well known.
In no particular order:-
1. If there are fingerprints over your stainless steel appliances, pour a little baby oil on a clean soft cloth and rub gently. This will make them disappear.
2. If you have items under your fridge, washing machine etc, instead of picking the applanaces up and moving them and then putting them back (which can be a pain if they are heavy or awkward), you can clean under them using a stick covered with an old sock and then run it underneath. This way you don’t even have to lift the appliance at all and you recover the items! A ruler works just as well.
3. If your salt is lumping together and getting hard inside the salt container, just add a few grains of rice. Rice is amazing at absorbing moisture, and will keep the salt dry.
4.You can get rid of those annoying stains on the bottom of your mug from tea or coffee by placing half a sterilizing tablet inside a mug of warm water and leave for around an hour.
5. It is easy to clean your microwave by boiling a cup of water in it first because the steam from the water condenses on the walls, loosening the caked-on food. This makes it easy to wipe it off. This same trick actually works pretty well in the oven. Just make sure the cup is microwave proof!
6. If you have a nasty odor in your kitchen you just can’t seem to get rid of, try baking an orange peel in your oven. This will help to get rid of the bad smell and replace it with a good citrusy one!
7. To clean your fridge seals, use an old toothbrush spread with baking soda and rub over. Dirt disappears.
8. By keeping your cling film in the fridge, a lot of people find it much easier to use when it is cold. A friend told me this the other day!
9. Are you put off using your blender or food mixer because of all the cleaning that is involved after using it? Let the blender clean itself. Just add hot water and a little washing up liquid, put on the lid securely, and turn it on. The blender cleans itself! Rinse out the blender thoroughly when it’s done and that's it!
10. Pour boiling water and soda crystals down your drain every once in a while. This helps to push the oils from foods down the drain so that they don’t cake onto the insides of your pipes and cause blockages. It also helps with dispensing odours.
11. Baking soda is not only great for getting rid of foul odours in your fridge, but in other spots in the kitchen too. In fact, if you just sprinkle a little bit at the bottom of your kitchen bin before you put the next bag in, it will prevent nasty smells!
12. Keep your old toothbrushes. They are great for a million purposes in and out of the bathroom. For eaxmple, use them to clean the grouting on the tiles in the bathroom or kitchen. They are also handy for cleaning around taps with white vinegar.
13. If your clean washing is really creased before ironing, unwrinkle clothing while you shower. The steam will loosen the creases out. They’ll be much easier to iron then!
14. Clean your toilet using flat cola. Yes, this is an odd one, but loads of people swear by it! Pour in a can of cola and leave for thirty minutes. Come back and flush. You should find yourself looking at a sparkly clean toilet bowl! I cannot understand how people actually enjoy drinking coca cola!
15. While sorting out your laundry, place small items like socks, underwear, and tights inside different pillowcases. This saves you from having to sort them out later, and will prevent you from losing the items.
16. If you have scratches on glass surfaces, try rubbing some toothpaste over the surface, and then polish with a soft cloth. This can really improve the appearance of the glass too and is cheaper than specialist glass cleaner!.
17. Flies hate lavender, so it’s a great flower to put next to your windows. As a bonus, it smells amazing and helps relax you.
18.Turn a broken rake into a tool holder. Those broken prongs may not be able to do their original job anymore, but they can still hold your tools. I always place the rake high up on the wall in the shed and cover the prong tips with some pieces of sponge to avoid nasty nicks on hands!
19. Baking soda is a good alternative to bleach. Bleach can damage fabrics, but baking soda is a lot gentler and can still have a whitening effect
20. If you have grease stains on your clothes, try rubbing on them with chalk. The chalk powder will absorb the grease with ease. Baby powder also works for the same reason.
So there we have my list. Do you have any tips of your own to share with us??
Valerie Nonow has sent me these two tips.
1. Put your banana skins in your flower pots outside you will have lots and lots of flowers.
2. Dry your shirts on hangers. No ironing .
Mary Burns suggests:-
White vinegar great for so much e.g freshening your washing machine. Put a little in the drawer. To get rid of smells in the kitchen put a bowl of white vinegar out, so easy and so cheap!
Yvonnne Probert says:-
If clothes are crumpled. Put a couple of ice cubes with the clothes in the tumble dryer. Turn it on, long enough for the cubes to melt then take out the garment and put on a hanger.
Hey presto, no ironing! Phil, my husband swears by it!
