When you set out to spring clean your home, you might arm yourself with a vacuum cleaner, polish and bleach – but maybe you should add a grapefruit to your arsenal.
Why? You might ask. Well, this piece of fruit is actually great for cleaning your bath tub! This is not the only bizarre cleaning method which actually works wonders – you can clean awkward shaped vases with rice and computer screens with coffee filters.
The money-saving experts at PromotionalCodes.org.uk have revealed the best tips for keeping your home neat and tidy on a budget by using some unorthodox methods.
‘The annual spring clean is a bit of a tradition but is still a serious chore which could cost a fortune if you decided to shell out on the latest cleaning products,’ Darren Williams from PromotionalCodes.org.uk said.
‘Our tips are perfect if you want your clean over and complete in no time at all and want to keep it budget-friendly. When you save time and money on cleaning not only will your home look and feel great but you’ll have some extra cash left over as well.’
Here are 15 cleaning hacks for you to try out and save you a few pennies in the process…
1. Clean surfaces with water and vinegar
This is a fairly well-known cleaning solution but it’s cheap and effective. Mix water and vinegar together with a 50:50 ratio and start cleaning those surfaces, including worktops and kitchen shelving.
2. Steam clean microwave
Get your microwave sparkling by mixing two tablespoons of white vinegar and a few drops of your favourite essential oil with water and blast it for five minutes. This is cost-effective and requires absolutely no scrubbing.
3. Clean iron with salt and foil
One great way to clean a grimy iron is to turn it on – using no steam – and iron a piece of aluminium foil with some salt sprinkled on top. The salt will pull off the grime and remove it.
4. Use a toothbrush for cleaning keyboards
It can be pretty tricky to clean in between computer keys with your usual cleaning equipment. This is where a toothbrush comes in – take a damp toothbrush and clean the normally inaccessible bits in between your keyboard.
5. Use a lemon to clean stainless steel
Grab a lemon, cut it in half and use it to scrub stainless steel, including sinks and taps. This will remove water stains and also has the added bonus of making your home smell amazing and citrusy fresh.
6. Clean TV and computer screens with coffee filters
Use a coffee filter to clean the dust and dirt off your TV and computer screens. This is much better than using cloth wipes, which can create static charge and actually attract more dust.
7. Restore water-marked furniture with hairdryer
A hairdryer can do much more than just dry your barnet – hold a hairdryer close to a water stain on a wooden surface, turn it to a high setting, and watch the mark disappear.
8. Use cola to clean the toilet
Pour this fizzy drink down the toilet bowl and flush for a sparkling result.
9. Clean your bathtub with grapefruit
This is one of the more unusual cleaning hacks. Get rid of soap scum and bathtub rings by taking half a grapefruit, sprinkling some rock salt on top and then scrubbing away. It will get your bathroom sparkling and smelling lovely too.
10. Use lint rollers on lampshades
Lampshades are very good at attracting dust so use a standard lint roller to remove the particles with very little effort involved.
11. Clean awkward sized vases with rice
A great tip for cleaning odd shaped vases and glass containers is to fill them with uncooked rice, water and washing up liquid, cover and shake until clean. Rinse and leave to dry.
12. Refresh plastic containers
Do you have any curry stains on your plastic containers and recycled takeaway boxes? Pour a solution of washing up liquid, bleach and water into them and microwave until it reaches boiling point. Leave to cool, pour away and rinse. Voila!
13. Deep clean shower head
Fill a sandwich bag with baking soda and vinegar and tie it around the shower head using an elastic band. Let this soak overnight and the next day clean with an old toothbrush.
14. Use pastry brush to get crumbs out of toaster
Making toast always leads to lots of crumbs. Now you can clear away all those annoying trapped bits – just use a pastry brush.
15. Vinegar and baking soda for oven cleaning
Create a paste using baking soda and water and then apply to the inside of your oven. For the best results leave overnight. The next day spray vinegar around the oven – the chemicals will magically react and allow you to wipe any grime away.