Keeping a house or a flat clean is often a chore no one likes doing. Of course, it’s good exercise, and it can help clear your mind if you are pondering a particularly bothersome issue - but even then, it’s just tiresome and strenuous, especially as you have to keep doing it over and over again.
Add to that the pace of modern life, and you’ll come to the conclusion I have - there is very little time in the day and the week in which we will be able to, and want to, clean our homes.
To help you overcome some of the most common cleaning issues in your own space, here are my simple hacks that will save you time, money, or effort.
Oven racks, dish racks, cutting boards, and the like
I often find that my oven rack and dish rack are the worst to clean, because they are so fiddly and require a lot of scrubbing. However, if you leave them to soak overnight, you can literally just wash them in the morning and they will be squeaky clean.
Place your oven rack in the tub and cover it in water. You can add a towel underneath it to prevent any damage to the tub, and you can add some dish soap to the water for added effect. Once it has been soaking for 8-10 hours, you’ll find most of the stuff that’s been stuck to it comes off with ease.
For cutting boards and especially dish racks, I like to use a similar method. I place them in the tub and coat them with a mixture of sodium citrate and dish soap. This dissolves all the gunk, and I can just use a toothbrush or a small brush in the morning for scrubbing.
Pans, pots and kettles
No matter how well we wash them, the bottoms of pots and pans tend to get that layer of limescale over time.
Instead of scrubbing like mad, try to use some bicarbonate of soda to clean the bottoms, which will require much less elbow grease.
You can also use white vinegar in a solution of water, and lemon juice works just as well.
If you want to descale a kettle, you can apply the same mixtures - but note that it will require a bit more time, as the kettle will likely be in much worse shape, given the fact that it’s often used for boiling just water, and that we never really tend to clean it properly.
Glass stove tops
Your glass stove top can also be cleaned with the use of white vinegar and baking soda, as these two ingredients form the basis of most natural household cleaners.
The trick here will be not to scrub too hard, and to find a brush that will not damage the glass.
I’d also recommend doing this little hack at least once a week, or even more often. You’ll notice that your kitchen is much cleaner if you keep just the stove top clean, as the marks and rings from cooking tend to show up after just one meal, and they are usually what makes the kitchen look messy.
Sofas, blankets and pillows
If you find your sofa or chairs have a lingering smell that is less than pleasant, instead of masking with some sort of deodorizing product, try to get rid of it altogether.
Just brush the area down first, getting rid of any dust, and then sprinkle it with baking soda. You can leave it on there for as little as 20 minutes, but if you want it to work harder, you can extend that period. After that, just vacuum all of it up.
You can do the same for pillows and blankets you don’t have the time to wash and dry. Just make sure you get all of the baking soda out and that you vacuum thoroughly.
Computer screens, remote controls, phones
Computer screens, TV screens, but especially keyboards tend to get a bit sticky and dirty from prolonged use.
The easiest way to clean them is with vinegar (again). Make sure you use a very soft microfibre cloth for wiping. Don’t use any kind of paper product (like tissues), as it will leave more stains, and you’ll only end up with more of a mess.
Wipe down with a clean and dry cloth after you’ve worked with the vinegar. For tougher spots, you can use a cotton swab soaked in vinegar, and then wipe dry.
To sum it up
Vinegar and baking soda will be your best assets when it comes to easy and natural cleaning in the home. Find a ratio that works for different areas, and don’t be afraid to use them.
You can also use lemon for the same purpose, and invest in some better quality cloths that will not damage your surfaces.
As long as you don’t wait too long for the mess to become really bad, you can keep your home clean with just a bit of regular weekly maintenance.
Author Bio:
Mother of two and an aspiring baker, Joyce started blogging during the 2020 pandemic. She is still unsure about her voice (which is why she writes under a pseudonym), but is aiming to overcome her fears and write as much as she can. You can find her at The Confused Nester.
