30 super household cleaning tips!

This isn't usually the sort of thing that I blog about here, but...being a newlywed, these tips are just too darn useful not to share! Thank you to my favourite South African magazine, Idea's! Your monthly magazine is what I most look forward to at the start of each month :) 

You can follow Idea's for lots of design and decor inspiration on Pinterest (click here), and Facebook (click here).

1 Minimise odours in your fridge by placing an open container of bicarbonate of soda or a piece of coal on one of the shelves.

2 Remove rust from chrome by wiping it down with tinfoil that has been dipped in cola. To polish chrome, rub with a crumpled piece of tinfoil.

3 To clean an electric drip coffee maker, fill the reservoir with half water and half vinegar. Place a clean filter paper in the basket and run through the machine’s entire cycle. Repeat twice more using plain water.

4 Add half a cup of bicarbonate of soda to your wash cycle to help remove stains and odours from your washing.

5 Polish stainless-steel cutlery by rubbing the pieces with a cloth dipped in vinegar.

6 To help avoid a clogged drain, put a few tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda into the drain every couple of weeks and flush it down with hot water.

7 Before squeezing a lemon, heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds. This will increase the quantity of juice that you will be able to extract from the lemon.

8 A mixture of dishwashing liquid and sugar is effective for removing oil and grease from dirty hands.

9 Make your candles last longer by placing them in a plastic bag and putting them in the freezer for 24 hours before lighting.

10 Clean the bottom of an iron by sprinkling coarse salt onto a clean cloth placed on top of your ironing board. Set your iron to its highest setting and then iron back and forth over the salt.

11 To descale a washing machine put a cup of white vinegar into the detergent dispenser and then run the machine empty through a complete hot wash cycle.

12 Use cornflour to remove oil stains from delicate fabrics. Cover the stain with cornflour. Leave for a few hours. Shake the clothing free of the flour and then hand wash, or wash on a gentle machine cycle, using a detergent that is suitable for delicate fabrics.

13 Stop drawers from sticking on their runners by rubbing a bar of soap across the runners to make them glide smoothly.

14 Clean a microwave by adding four tablespoons of lemon juice to one cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. boil for five minutes in the microwave, allowing the steam to condense on the inside, then wipe with a soft cloth.

15 Clean stainless-steel appliances by wiping with a small amount of baby oil on a napkin.

16 Remove cat and dog hair from clothes and furniture by rubbing the items with damp rubber gloves.

17 Add two teaspoons of vanilla essence to each one-and-a-half litres of paint to reduce overpowering paint smells.

18 Remove mildew by mixing one part bleach with 11 parts water. Wearing rubber gloves, use a sponge or soft-bristled brush to apply the solution. Rinse with a damp sponge and wipe down.

19 Remove rust stains on white clothes by applying a mix of cream of tartar and lemon juice. Leave to dry, rinse thoroughly then wash as usual.

20 Retard grease build-up in your oven by periodically wiping the interior with a vinegar-soaked cloth.

21 Remove rust stains on white clothes with a mixture of cream of tartar and lemon juice. Apply the mixture to the stain, leave to dry then rinse thoroughly before washing as usual.

22 Remove deodorant stains from a garment by dissolving two aspirins in a little warm water and applying the paste to the stain. Leave the paste to dry, then brush it off and launder the garment as usual. Be sure to test this on a hidden spot first to see whether the fabric dye holds.

23 Erase scuff marks on smooth leather shoes by rubbing the marks with the cut edge of a raw potato and then buffing.

24 Clean a narrow-necked vase by filling it with hot water and a couple of fizzy denture-cleaning tablets. Leave to stand overnight, then rinse and dry.

25 Sanitise a cutting board by using a scrubbing brush and a mixture of one teaspoon of bleach with one litre of water. Do not rinse. Let the board air-dry on its side.

26 Remove old paint stains from wood or plastic by softening with linseed oil. Wipe off. For tougher stains, use a razor blade and carefully scrape off.

27 Clean your coffee grinder by grinding acupofriceinit from time to time. This will sharpen the blades at the same time.

28 Make your home smell fresh by simmering orange peel, cinnamon sticks, cloves and abayleafinapot of water for half an hour.

29 After you have cleaned your paintbrushes, rinse them in a little fabric softener to make them softer for the next job.

30 To remove stains from a teapot, fill it with cold water. Add a little chlorine bleach or a fizzy denture-cleaning tablet. Leave for an hour then rinse thoroughly.