Cinnamon, shaving foam and vinegar: Surprising hacks to keep your home clean
THE SPRING clean season is well and truly upon us.
Finding the time to deep clean the house is no easy feat
The days are longer, the air is warmer and windows are being opened. Spring has sprung and many Brits are preparing to roll up their sleeves and deep clean the house.
But finding the time is certainly no easy feat.
According to a new study, 82 per cent of Brits admit their homes are filthy but many of us will opt for surface cleaning as opposed to a spring clean.
The research, conducted by online electrical retailer AO.com, found the most dreaded jobs include cleaning the oven, windows an toilet. Alarmingly, a quarter of Britons have never cleaned their mattress.
Use vinegar to clean household taps, says AO.com
While some of 'old fashioned' methods of spring cleaning still do the trick, keeping the home clean does not have to be a grim task. Below are AO.com’s surprising house-cleaning hacks to keep your abode fresh.
1. Use cinnamon to make your home smell sweet
Apparently it's not just a delicious addition to your food. Simply sprinkle 2-3 tbsp. of cinnamon on a rug or an area of carpet and vacuum up to create a sweet scented home.
2. Lint roll your lampshade
Lint rollers work wonders on clothing, so who not spread this magic to lampshades too? Use a typical clothing lint roller on your delicate lampshades to remove the annoying and stubborn dust that they attract.
3. Apply shaving foam to your mirror
Who said shaving cream is messy? The bathroom item can in fact be used to do the opposite. Squirt some shaving foam on your mirror and wipe clean with a cloth to remove any smears.
Use cinnamon to make your home smell sweet
Life improvement tips for a harmonious home
Simply sprinkle 2-3 tbsp. of cinnamon on a rug or an area of carpet and vacuum up to create a sweet scented home.
4. Clean stainless steel with olive oil
This might be a cleaning hack you already know. Use a small amount of olive oil on a cloth and wipe over your kitchen stainless steel, removing any stubborn smears and fingerprints and leaving a gleaming finish.
5. Remove pet hair with rubber glove
There is nothing worse than persistent pet hair covering your interiors. Give your furniture a rub down with a pair of rubber gloves, pet hair will stick to them making it much easier to remove from surfaces.
6. Oven cleaning with bicarbonate of soda
Oven-cleaning does not have to be a big job. Simply add bicarbonate of soda to water in a spray bottle to create a cheap but effective cleaning solution, perfect for cleaning stubborn grime in ovens.
7. Clean sponges in the microwave
Household sponges come into contact with a substantial amount of bacteria. Sanitise your household sponges in the microwave. Simply saturate with water and place in the microwave for at least 1 minute. This will help kill any bacteria contained in the sponge.
8. Use vinegar to clean household taps
Vinegar is much more multi-purpose than many people realise. Wipe grubby taps with a cotton wool pad soaked in vinegar to help remove smears and stains. It also works well at reducing lime scale too.
9. Dishwasher tablets to maintain your washing machine
Dishwashers need washing too. Every couple of months, add a dishwasher tablet to an empty cycle at 60 degrees. This will help kill any bacteria living in the hidden parts of the drum and should prevent lime scale too.
10. Deodorise mattress with baking soda
Mattress care is one of the most neglected items on the spring clean agenda. Sprinkle a baking soda all over your mattress and leave for 1 – 8 hours. Vacuum up excess baking soda to reveal a freshly deodorised mattress.