20 best tips for cleaning your home and stain removal
FROM cleaning up broken glass to deterring pests or tackling stains on clothes and furniture, we have 20 simple, natural solutions that work.
FROM cleaning up broken glass to deterring pests or tackling stains on clothes and furniture, we have 20 simple, natural solutions that work.
1. Eucalyptus oil removes the gummy residue left by shop stickers.
2. Buffing a marble tabletop with car polish leaves a thin, invisible film that helps reduce the risk of stains.
3. To remove furniture indentations from pure wool carpet place a tea towel over the area and then press with a warm iron. The heat will lift the fibres. Do not attempt this with synthetic or a wool/synthetic mix carpet.
4. Light a match and let it burn a few seconds to remove toilet smells.
5. To stop bathroom mirrors steaming up, regularly rub a dry bar of soap over the surface and rub in with a clean cloth.
6. Stop clothes with thin straps falling off hangers by sticking small felt furniture pads onto the hanger just beyond where the straps sit.
7. To remove oil from silk clothing, gently rub cornflour into the area and lightly brush off. Cover the oil mark completely with more cornflour and leave to sit for a few hours. Shake clothing free of flour and then hand wash, or use a gentle machine cycle, using soap suitable for delicates.
8. To keep spiders or any other nasty surprises out of shoes you keep outside, (such as your gardening shoes or work boots), place old stockings over the top of them. Make sure the stockings don’t have holes in them, and if they don’t fit snugly over the top, use an elastic band to secure them.
9. To make candles last longer, cover with a plastic bag and place in the freezer for 24 hours before lighting.
10. To keep your car windows ice and frost free when left outside overnight in the wintertime, mix three parts vinegar to one part water, put it in a spray bottle and spray on the windows as needed.
11. To prevent buttons from becoming loose or undone, dab a little clear nail varnish on the top thread or onto the stem of the thread and leave to dry.
12. To remove pollen stains, take a piece of sticky tape about five centimetres long, gently press the sticky side to the pollen mark and lift off. Repeat with clean sticky tape as required. Do not try to brush it off.
13. To reuse the bits of soap that are always left over, combine them with glycerine and some warm water. Pour into a bottle for a handmade liquid soap.
14. To pick up small fragments of broken glass, press pieces of bread onto the affected area.
15. If you have an aquarium, save the water each time you change it and water your house plants with it. It’s full of nutrients and makes a great fertiliser.
16. To stop ants entering your house, draw a chalk line on the ground where you want them to stop. If you live in a rainy area where ants are a problem, you must re-draw the chalk lines each time it rains.
17. To deter silverfish, place whole cloves in wardrobes and drawers.
18. To get blood out of fabrics, use hydrogen peroxide. Apply it directly to the stain and then launder in the washing machine.
19. To remove body oil stains from collars and cuffs of coloured shirts and blouses, rub hair shampoo directly on the stains. Rinse out the shampoo, then wash the clothes as usual.
20. To revive a vase of wilted flowers, add a teaspoon of mild detergent.
For 20 more cleaning tips visit Homelife.
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