10 Inventive and Easy Cleaning Hacks
Here are 6 simple sanity-saving tips to manage the stress that remains after the holidays are over.
1. DIY Glass Cleaner
Mix 2 cups distilled water, 1/2 cup white vinegar (the workhorse of natural cleaning), and 10 drops of your favorite essential oil in a spray bottle. Shake gently. Lemon or sweet orange leave a clean, fresh scent but you can use any oil you prefer. Spray on windows, mirrors and shower doors and wipe off in a circular motion.
2. Unclog and Deodorize Any Drain
Forget the toxic and expensive cleaning products. What you’ll need: 1/2 cup vinegar. 1/2 cup baking soda. 1 gallon of boiling water. Step One: Pour the baking soda down the drain. Step Two: Pour the vinegar down the drain. Step Three: Cover and wait 15 min. Step Four: Pour the boiling water down the drain. #Unclogged AND deodorized.
3. Did Someone Say Vinegar and Baking Soda?
These will become your go-to natural cleaning products. They also work wonders on bathtub and toilet bowl rings. A good rule of thumb: 1 cup vinegar and ½ cup baking soda unless otherwise indicated
4. Detox Your Garbage Disposal
Drop a few thin slices of lemon or lime down your garbage disposal and grind. Yes, it’s that simple.
5. Sanitize Your Sink Sponge
Run it through the dishwasher or put it in the microwave, wet, for 2 minutes to kill all bacteria living in your sponge. Make sure your sponge does not contain any metal! Wait several minutes before touching as it will be hot. Clean sponges frequently but remember that they are meant to be used and thrown away. Keep a sponge for 2-3 weeks tops.
6. Leaky Trash Bags
Put newspaper at the bottom of your kitchen trash bin to soak up any liquids that somehow always manage to drip out.
7. Floor Tile Grout
Floor grout tends to get pretty icky. For particularly dirty spots, mix vinegar and baking soda together and use a toothbrush to power away the embedded dirt.
8. Safely Clean Your Computer
First, avoid these products: Acetone, Ethyl Alcohol, Toulene and Ammonia. Remember that even the softest paper products can scratch the screen.
To clean the keyboard, add some white vinegar on a microfiber cloth and gently wipe. A cotton swab dipped in vinegar will reach tiny spaces. To clean the screen, a microfiber cloth that’s sprayed lightly with a mix of vinegar and distilled water does the job. Thanks to: @HGTV
9. Delete Cooking Smells
Boil 2 cups water, 1 cup white vinegar and add a few lemon slices over medium-low heat. You could also add a few drops of essential oil to both clean the air and provide a customized and curated scent…see below.
10. Essential Oils
A little essential oil goes a long way. Boil water with 5-10 drops of your favorite oil over medium-low heat. Lavender and chamomile are famous for relaxation while lemon, lemongrass, mint, grapefruit and sweet orange are super energizers. Want something pure and simple? Try 5 drops each of lemon, lavender and rosemary essential oil in the water.
