Quick, Simple, Natural - The Best Home Cleaning Hacks
How to make every corner of a home sparkle using the everyday products you’re already likely to have on hand.
04/05/2024
There’s nothing like a good hack or two to get one excited about a task that’s not necessarily known for getting people, well, excited. SweepStars, who clean thousands of South African homes every week via the SweepSouth home-services app, know every hack in the book, as well as how to make every corner of a home sparkle using the everyday products you’re already likely to have on hand. They share some of their top tips.
Kitchen Quickies
If there’s one product you need
for a clean and fresh kitchen, it’s vinegar. A
natural (and cost-effective) cleaning staple,
vinegar works on everything from old stains in
coffee mugs to getting the funky smell out of
the dishwasher. For the latter, simply fill a
mug with vinegar, place it in the top rack of an
empty dishwasher, and then run it on a regular
cycle.
Similarly, if you’re struggling to
get rid of old food splatters in the microwave,
place a bowl filled with one-third vinegar and
two-thirds water inside the microwave. Heat for
five minutes until the microwave is steamed up.
Baked-on food splatters will now be soft enough
to remove with a quick wipe. If not, simply
repeat the process.
Give stainless steel
kitchen appliances like fridges and dishwashers
a shine by rubbing coconut oil or baby oil onto
them with a soft cloth.
Live your Best Life in the Lounge
Water stains on wooden
tables can be tricky - once the damage is done,
it’s done, right? Wrong! Simply apply petroleum
jelly to the stain and leave it overnight, and
wipe clean the next day. Another way is to mix
equal parts vinegar and olive oil and rub the
stain with a cloth, moving with the wood grain.
Use another dry soft cloth to buff it up.
People who want to elevate their home
cleaning game know that the tools we use to
clean also - especially! - need to be cleaned.
This includes the vacuum cleaner that can easily
be refreshed by cleaning the hoses, filter and
dust canister with a solution of bicarbonate of
soda and water. Rinse with water, then allow to
dry.
Brighten the Bathroom
Few
things make a bathroom in general or shower in
particular feel as dirty as soap scum and mould.
The natural way to tackle this is by mixing
three cups of water with three teaspoons of tea
tree oil in a spray bottle. Spray on the shower
walls and floor, or any other problem areas in
the bathroom, leave for half an hour, spray
again, then scrub to remove residue, and rinse.
Clean the drain (this works in the kitchen
too) with a mixture composed of half a cup of
bicarbonate of soda with a quarter cup of salt.
Sprinkle the mixture down the drain, followed by
a cup of warm white vinegar. Let it sit for 10
minutes, then pour hot water down the drain.
Bedroom Bliss
When last did you think
to clean the curtains - aka dust and allergen
traps - in your bedroom? Not to worry, it’s
never too late. Use your vacuum cleaner on a low
setting to give your curtains a quick once over.
If you have a clothes steamer, use it on your
curtains once they’re dusted, to refresh them.
Wardrobes too can be major dust collectors.
Start by taking out all your clothing (consider
using this as an opportunity to also donate the
pieces you no longer want or need), vacuuming up
any dust then wiping down the inside with a mild
water and soap solution to get rid of dust and
dirty marks. Sachets filled with fresh lavender
or rosemary and hung from the clothing rail will
also act as a moth deterrent, plus add a fresh
scent to your wardrobe.
Simple, natural and easy. All the features good hacks are made of!