Image by klimkin, pixabay.com
Spring cleaning is something that needs to be done. Some people love it, some hate it, but it’s inevitable, and the sooner you get the hang of it, the sooner your home will be neat and clean.
Here are some tips and tricks to get you started.
Drain unclogging
The water in your sink doesn’t drain fast enough and it’s driving you crazy? Luckily there’s a really easy solution for this problem.
Pour half a cup of vinegar mixed with half cup of baking soda into the drain. Cover it with a wet cloth and leave it for a few minutes. If you have a long wire, string or not too thick cable, use it to poke the drain a bit. Once you’re done, flush the drain with hot water. If this didn’t help, you may have to try it few times, depending how clogged your drain is.
Bathroom and kitchen floor maintenance
Those tiles and reflective surfaces can really show dirt and smudges when they are not properly cleaned. In order to clean these surfaces properly, follow these steps.
First, sweep or vacuum the tiled floors daily to prevent dirt accumulating in the grout or in hard-to-access areas. Always do this before mopping or cleaning it. Next, clean the floors with a cleanser, or warm water with a few drops of vinegar. After this, dry the floors to achieve maximum brightness, and to prevent dirt from sticking right after you’ve just finished cleaning.
Pet fur removal
All pet owners know how furry everything gets when spring starts. If you have a pet in your household, you probably already have your own tricks for removal of those hairs from the furniture and clothing.
One quick fix is to dampen a cloth and stroke the surfaces covered in fur. The fur will get moist and will tangle into a hairball, making it easier to pick up. You could also use a rubber or latex glove the same way, with or without dampening it, and most of the fur will stick to it because of the static electricity created when stroking.
Unpleasant smells
There can be a lot of bad odor sources in the household. Wet towels and sheets, refrigerators, microwave ovens – the list goes on. There’s a seemingly endless sea of products to use in such occasions, but there are some less-costly tricks too.
Cut a lemon in pieces, place it in a cup of water, and heat it up in the microwave. Let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes, then easily wipe the insides of the microwave. This helps with both stain and odor removal. You can also place baking soda or medicinal charcoal by your towels and sheets to absorb the bad smells from their surroundings.
Carpet Stains
Carpet cleaning Perth experts say there are a lot of ways you can remove the stains from your carpets. It’s always best to leave this to the professionals, if the stains are too hard to remove, or if the carpet is really valuable, but you can try some of the tricks on your own.
One interesting way to clean lighter carpets is using a combination of lukewarm water, vinegar and salt. Dampen a cloth in this mix and tap it into the stain repeatedly. You can also make a mixture of 1 cup of borax, 2 cups of cornmeal and ½ a cup of baking soda. Spread this mix over the stained area to stop bad smells coming from it.
TV and Computer Monitors
When dusting and cleaning, bear in mind that TV and computer monitors are not like other surfaces. They are very sensitive and it’s not smart to clean them with microfiber or even worse – with a wet cloth.
One great tip for cleaning these sensitive surfaces is to use coffee filters. They are made of really thin and delicate materials and they are great for cleaning without leaving any scratches or markings on the surface.
General Tricks
When you have finished with all the big tasks and you have only those smaller tasks to complete, like cleaning your jewelry box or smaller appliances, these tricks might come in handy.
Let’s say you want to clean your coffee grinder. There are always those bits of coffee you just can’t get out. Just take a handful of rice grains and add it to the empty grinder. Run it through for some time, and throw away the rice once you’re finished, wipe the grinder off and there you have it – as good as new. For small tasks like jewelry untangling, use baby powder as a way to ‘grease up’ that old necklace and get it done.
This article was contributed by guest author Ian Pearson.