HOUSEHOLD CLEANING TIPS (prt 5)

Discover the secret of maintaining cleanliness with less stress and at no cost using some of our regular household items.

* Clean your bathroom with vodka
Got an unloved bottle of vodka left over from a gathering? If you don’t fancy making cocktails, you can always use it to get your porcelain fixtures shining! Dab some onto a soft cloth and give them a rub.

* Stop your airing cupboard smelling with baking soda
Do you find that sheets and towels get a bit stale smelling while in storage? Get out the bicarbonate of soda again to stop your linen cupboard smelling musty. Leaving an open box of baking soda inside it will mask any smells.

* Remove carpet stains with washing liquid
If you’ve just spilled a glass of wine – or anything staining – on to your carpet, spring into action by dissolving one tablespoon of washing liquid into two cups of warm water, and blotting the stain until it disappears. Then sponge the carpet with cold water and blot dry.

* Stop squeaky floorboards with baby powder
If you keep waking up your hubby by stepping on creaky floorboards in the night, he'll thank you for trying out this easy trick. Use talcum powder or baby powder to silence noisy wooden floors. Drop some onto the floor and sweep into the cracks, wiping away the excess.

* Remove coffee stains with toothpaste
Grubby mug? Just like coffee staining on teeth, the answer to your problem is in the bathroom cabinet. Get rid of tea or coffee stains from your favourite cup by rubbing with toothpaste. Then give it a good rinse to make sure your next beverage doesn't taste minty.

* Use bicarbonate of soda to clean your dishwasher
Keeping your dishwasher in good working order will safe you lots of money in the long-term, and it's easy to do. For starters, shake baking soda onto a damp sponge and wipe it around the edges of your dishwasher to remove any food residue.

* Get grease stains out of clothes with cola
If you've got oily food stains on a beloved shirt, it can be saved thanks to an unlikely ally. Add a simple cake of coke into your washing machine along with your detergent and run it on a normal cycle. The acid in the drink will help dissolve tricky stains.

* Clean your toilet stains with Coke
And that's not all that this humble soft drink can offer in terms of cleaning. Get a grubby loo back to sparkling white by pouring in a can of cola. Let it sit in the bowl overnight, give it a quick scrub with a brush and then flush the next morning for a great effect.

created by YOURS MAGAZINE

HOUSEHOLD CLEANING TIPS (prt 4)

Clean white trainers with toothpaste

Tennis shoes a bit grubby? Trainers not looking as new after a few muddy walks? No one will know they're not fresh from the box with this easy trick. Scuffed white sports shoes can be brought back to life by scrubbing with toothpaste. Slightly minty smell, a bonus.

• Clean kitchen cabinets with washing liquid

Greasy, food-stained cupboards can be given a new lease of life when you mix up some washing liquid with some warm water - it's amazing how much grime will come away on your sponge. Once you've seen it, you'll make sure this becomes a regular on your list of chores!

• Clean your chopping board with lemon

Our chopping boards get a lot of use, from joints of meat and fillets of fish, to cutting up fruit and vegetables most evenings - so it's no wonder they end up looking a bit tired. Lemons are great for removing stains from chopping boards, as well as any smells. Still not shifting? Sprinkle with baking soda and repeat.

• Shine silver quickly with toothpaste

If you're lucky enough to own some lovely silver bits and bobs, keeping them in tip-top condition couldn't be simpler. Buff up those wedding presents and silver jewellery with a dab of water and a little toothpaste. Rinse and dry with a cloth and it should look good as new. One of the most satisfying cleaning jobs around, we think.

• Clean garden furniture with washing liquid

If your patio furniture's looking run down after a busy summer, you need to remove any rain staining, lichen and bird poo asap. Add a squirt of washing liquid to a bucket of warm water and rub down your garden table and chairs. Then give them a rinse with the hose.

• Stop rust on garden furniture with tomato sauce

If your patio furniture has rusted too, dab on some ketchup before rubbing away with a cloth – the rust will lift right off. Then use the rest of the bottle on a delicious summer barbecue!

• Get rid of stains on clothes cheaply with washing liquid

It's so frustrating to stain clothes with food or drink - and why is it that it always seems to be our favourite outfit? Fear not - all is not lost. Rub washing liquid directly into the stain and then rinse with water – it works on most fabrics including delicate wool or silk, as long as you do it immediately.
 

• Use ketchup to shine your copper pans

Copper is having a moment in fashion right now, and copper pans are a gorgeous way to modernise your kitchen. If they get dirty after use, there's a cheap solution hiding in your cupboard. Humble tomato sauce is actually great for cleaning, and will make copper pans shine after a quick rub.

created by YOURS MAGAZINE 

HOUSEHOLD CLEANING TIPS (prt 3)

Today we will be dishing out more of the convenient and low cost house cleaning tips.

HOUSEHOLD CLEANING TIPS 

• Unblock a clogged drain with baking soda

Bicarbonate of soda to the rescue yet again! This time it's a marvel for unblocking hair or food-clogged drains. Pour one part baking soda, followed by one part vinegar down it, then cover with a wet cloth as the two react with one another to clean the drain naturally. Wait five minutes and then run some hot water to clear it.

• Clean white trainers with toothpaste

Trainers not looking as new after a few muddy walks? No one will know they're not fresh from the box with this easy trick. Scuffed white sports shoes can be brought back to life by scrubbing with toothpaste. Slightly minty smell, a bonus.

• Clean kitchen cabinets with washing up liquid

Greasy, food-stained cupboards can be given a new lease of life when you mix up a squirt of washing up liquid with some warm water - it's amazing how much grime will come away on your sponge. Once you've seen it, you'll make sure this becomes a regular on your list of chores!

• Clean your chopping board with lemon

Our chopping boards get a lot of use, from joints of meat and fillets of fish, to cutting up fruit and vegetables most evenings - so it's no wonder they end up looking a bit tired. Lemons are great for lifting stains from chopping boards, as well as removing any smells. Still not shifting? Sprinkle with baking soda and repeat.

• Shine silver quickly with toothpaste

If you're lucky enough to own some lovely silver bits and bobs, keeping them in tip-top condition couldn't be simpler. Buff up those wedding presents and silver jewellery with a dab of water and a little toothpaste. Rinse and dry with a cloth and it should look good as new. One of the most satisfying cleaning jobs around, we think.

• Clean garden furniture with washing up liquid

If your patio furniture's looking run down after a busy summer, you need to remove any rain staining, lichen and bird poo asap. Add a squirt of washing up liquid to a bucket of warm water and rub down your garden table and chairs. Then give them a rinse with the hose.

• Stop rust on garden furniture with tomato sauce

If your patio furniture has rusted too, dab on some ketchup before rubbing away with a cloth – the rust will lift right off. Then use the rest of the bottle on a delicious summer barbecue!

Created by YOURS MAGAZINE 

HOUSEHOLD CLEANING TIPS prt 2

Maintaining cleanliness in our homes and environs may appear money and time tasking, but with the basic knowledge of how to go about achieving this could save us a little time and money. More of the household cleaning tips we need to take note are as follows;

• Use baby oil to remove fingerprints from stainless steel

Baby oil isn't just for smoothing and soothing skin - it's actually a whiz at lifting grease too. If the hood of your cooker, or other stainless-steel appliances, are grubby with finger marks, pop a small amount of baby oil on to a clean, microfibre cloth and give them a wipe.

• Use an old toothbrush for cleaning your bathroom

Don’t throw away your old toothbrush – it can be a really useful tool. Give it a rinse in boiling water to get rid of any germs, and use it to get into nooks and crannys that your vacuum cleaner can't reach. It’s especially handy in the bathroom, for cleaning hard to reach areas around the tap or drain.

• Use a fabric softener sheet to stop your bin smelling

There's nothing more annoying than emptying your bin to find it's still smelly afterwards. If you've got a stinky bin, pop a fabric softener sheet into it alongside the bin bag for an instant air freshener. You can experiment with different scented varieties too.

• Stop shoes smelling with bicarbonate of soda

Yet again, baking soda to the rescue! If your trainers or day shoes have seen one too many sweaty walk and are getting a bit niffy, it's an easy problem to remedy. Sprinkle some baking soda into smelly trainers for an instant lift.

• Get felt tip pen stains out of wood with Toothpaste 

If the grandchildren have gone crazy with the marker pens on your bannisters, table or anything else made from wood, rub it gently with a little bit of toothpaste to lift off the stain. Then go and give them a good telling off and a nice (easy to erase) set of pencils instead!

• Clean your hairbrush quickly with washing liquid and water

We don't really think about cleaning our hairbrushes (other than to remove hair) but when you think about it, it makes sense that they get grubby with grease and product build-up, just as our hair does. Get rid of residue from hair spray, dry shampoo or any other hair products by mixing washing up liquid and warm water and giving it a dip.

• Make a natural scented vinegar cleaning product to help around the house

Mix one part white vinegar with one part water to make a basic household spray (great for anyone suffering from allergies as it’s so gentle). Can’t stand the ‘fish and chip’ smell? Add some fresh herbs to the mixture – sage is particularly clean smelling, but you can experiment with anything that's growing in your garden really.

Created by YOURS MAGAZINE 

HOUSEHOLD CLEANING TIPS

A house should not just provide shelter but should also serve as a place of safety, convenience and perfect ambience. when your house is always clean, you will enjoy the  peace and freshness it offers which is why we must always ensure to maintain a clean and healthy home.

There are various simple ways to maintain cleanliness in our homes without going through much stress nor rub a bank, all we need to do is make it a priority and be consistent in our effort to maintaining cleanliness. While for some of us that has a busy and tight schedule, lots of qualified professional cleaning service providers are available to help you achieve your cleanliness goals.

YOURS MAGAZINE has put together some best household cleaning tips and tricks to help you get a spotless home without spending much using natural, cheap, quick, helpful and cheerful cleaning tips. We will be dishing out some of these tips to enable you achieve your cleanliness goals.

1.    Use a wet rubber glove to removePet hair
 A damp washing up glove can easily be dragged over soft furnishings like sofas and curtains (and even trouser legs!) to remove animal fur.

2.    Use a flip flop to remove pet hair
Not got any washing up gloves? Using a (clean!) rubber flip-flop on your furnishings will work just as well. It's especially useful if you're constantly losing flip-flops and end up with odd ones.

3.    Use a coffee filter to clean glass or mirrors easily
 Smarten up grubby windows without any chemicals – just give them a sweep with a clean coffee filter. It works like magic.

4.    Use tights to stop your vacuum cleaner hoovering up coins
Don't throw away those laddered tights! Save money and precious small objects by using the foot of a pair of tights over your hoover nozzle. It will catch any change, hair bands and other bits and bobs before they get sucked away.

5.    Clean your microwave naturally with a cup of water
If your microwave is looking a little unsanitary after one too many food explosions, don't panic - it can be cleaned for free in just a jiffy. Just pop a heat-proof cup of water with half a lemon and its juice in the microwave on a high setting for a minute or two. 1. Leave the mixture in the microwave with the door closed for 5 minutes for the steam to do its work, then easily wipe down the inside of your microwave. The lemon will leave your entire kitchen will smell clean and fresh!

6.    Reuse cleaning sponges – just microwave them clean
It can feel like you're constantly buying new packs of kitchen and bathroom cleaning sponges, and not only do the costs add up, but it's not great for the environment to keep throwing dirty ones away. Get more use from your cleaning sponges by giving them a quick one or two-minute blast in the microwave on a high setting. This will kill off bacteria.

7.    Make a quick natural cleaning product for your whole home
Feel like a money-saving magician with this easy-peasy recipe. Just mix four tablespoons of baking soda and a litre of warm water to make a cheap and natural all-purpose cleaner.  Use liberally on your surfaces, floors and anywhere else that's in need of a scrub.

8.    Clean lime scale from your shower head using vinegar
We love it when we can make kitchen cupboard ingredients into a germ-busting cleaning product. If you're looking for a more natural (not to mention thrifty) way to clean your home from top to bottom, Vinegar is your new best friend. Soak your shower head in a mixture of boiling water and vinegar to unclog any lime scale easily. More vinegar cleaning tips.