8 Practical Cleaning Hacks You’ve Got to Try

Crazy how time flies, isn’t it? I pulled today’s article out of my own archives – from the Spring 2004 issue of Welcome Home Magazine. (This was a quarterly glossy print magazine I used to publish). Enjoy! 😉

Bathroom Cleaning Tips

Tidy Toilet Bowls

On your way out the door or before you go to sleep at night, drop a couple denture-cleaning tables into the toilet bowl and let them do the work for you. Then simply clean under the rim with your bowl brush and flush.

De-Gunk Shower Tracks

Cleaning around those metal shower door tracks can be time consuming and labor intensive. Use a piece of paper towel to plug up the drain holes in the tracks and pour in undiluted white vinegar. Let this soak for at least 30 minutes and then unplug the holes. Lightly scrub with an old toothbrush and rinse. Pour water from a cup to control splashing and then wipe clean.

Unclog Shower Heads

Undiluted white vinegar is also great for removing mineral deposits that accumulate in shower heads. Pour a small amount of white vinegar into a plastic storage bag and secure to the shower head with a rubber band. Soak for several hours or overnight, then rinse, buff and enjoy the shine!

All-Natural Kitchen Cleaning Tricks

Commercially formulated cleaning solutions are so readily available that we often overlook the potential risks of using unnecessary chemicals. When it comes to your food prep areas, why not try all-natural products instead?

Banish Garbage Disposal Odors

Combine good old-fashioned baking soda and white vinegar to eliminate unpleasant odors coming from your garbage disposal. Then, toss in some cut up citrus fruit rinds for an aromatic fragrance.

No Need for Expensive Cleaning Sprays

For an inexpensive and safe cleaning solution, mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and use to clean countertops and appliance surfaces. (Use full-strength vinegar for more difficult to clean areas). Vinegar is safe to use on all your food-prep surfaces – we use it every night to clean off our glass top dining table, too – and it can really make those surfaces shine!

Cost-Effective Glass Cleaner

For a great glass cleaner, just add a few drops of dish soap to a bucket along with 1 part white vinegar and 4 parts hot water.  Wet a clean wash cloth/rag in the bucket and twist to remove excess moisture. Then wipe the window with the wet, but not dripping, cloth.  For a streak-free finish, use a shower squeegee and some paper towels to remove the excess moisture.

Carpet-Saving Tricks

Did you know the best thing you can do to protect your carpet is to sweep it regularly?

That last word is key. Dirt particles left sitting on the carpet surface act like small grains of glass that actually cause the fibers to come apart and break down.

Another Hot Tip: When sweeping your carpets, the true cleaning action comes on the back pull, NOT the forward push.

So, there you have it… Vacuuming your carpeting often – and with the proper technique – can actually increase its life span.

Unless you have dogs… or kids… or both (like us). Then, you’re pretty much hosed – but your carpet will look better in the meantime. 🙂

Til Next Time,

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