6 Clever Cleaning Hacks to Make Your Life Easier
Cleaning. It might not be everyones favourite activity, but it is a necessary task we all do daily. In fact, one survey by Stats SA found that the average South African spends anywhere between 3.3 to 4.3 hours on household chores every day! With work and other commitments to tend to, its easy to see how cleaning can leave us feeling frazzled with little time to fit in our favourite pastimes. So how can we spend less time on household chores and more on the things we actually enjoy? Continue reading to discover six clever cleaning hacks that'll save you time and make life that much easier!
1. A streak of good luck
Ever spent a couple hours carefully cleaning all the windows, only to discover them laden with soap marks later? A trick to banish all those unwanted streaks is to forgo store-bought or soap-based window cleaners and opt for a simple homemade solution of vinegar and water. Simply mix one part hot water with one part distilled vinegar, then clean with a sponge or squeegee for a sparkling clean and streak-free finish!
Bonus tip: Direct sunlight is another leading cause of streaking, so always wash your windows in the shade to avoid the need to re-wash them later.
2. Iron out the wrinkles
When it feels like theres always a pile of clothes to iron, lighten the load by being proactive on laundry days. Two simple tricks to try: put freshly washed garments straight onto hangers before hanging them out to air-dry or place a clean, damp washcloth into the tumble dryer with a load of wet clothes. These solutions will go a long way to help stop wrinkles in their tracks and cut back on ironing time.
Bonus tip: Once your garments are dry and ready to be folded, follow this time-saving trick for folding up short-sleeved shirts in just two seconds!
3. Stain no more
Struggling to get rid of stubborn oil splatters or yellow pit stains? No need to employ some elbow grease or scrub the day away. The solution is freely available in a bottle of baby powder! For this hack, all you need to do is sprinkle baby powder on the stain, rub it in well, and it should come straight out in the wash. Ironing baby powder directly into the fabric will also help to prevent stains by forming a protective barrier against skin oils and perspiration.
Bonus tip: Another handy baby product to keep on hand is baby shampoo great for removing makeup stains from various different surfaces and fabrics.
4. It's in the details
Hands up if you spend way too much time trying to find the perfect angle when cleaning all the nooks and crannies in your kitchen or bathroom. It might surprise you to hear that the solution is already right there! Those chopsticks from last nights dinner? That old toothbrush youre about to bin? Both can be turned into nifty cleaning utensils to get into those tiny crevices and tight spaces.
Bonus tip: Kitchen tongs and butter knives wrapped in a damp microfibre cloth are also super useful for cleaning in-between dusty blind slats or air vents.
5. A little spray goes a long way
Not just useful in the kitchen, cooking spray is incredibly handy for cleaning the bathroom too! Did you know you can use a can of cooking spray to clean everything from the bathtub and taps to the shower tiles and doors? Since oil breaks down lime deposits and grime, a quick spritz of cooking spray is all thats needed to help keep these areas clean and shiny.
Bonus tip: A light coating of this pantry staple is also great for preventing sauce stains on plastic containers.
6. All in one
When socks end up in the living room or toys make their way to the bathroom, try this simple hack for getting them back to their rightful place. Take a basket with you as you clean, picking up and packing away all the odds and ends as you move from room to room!
Bonus tip: You could also use a refuse bag to avoid those back-and-forth trips to the rubbish bin.
***
Do you have a helpful cleaning hack to add? Feel free to share it with us on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages!
