5 Home Cleaning Hacks to Try This Summer

Nobody enjoys cleaning the home, especially when the sun is shining. So why not try these cleaning hacks, courtesy of home services provider Helpling, so you have more time to enjoy the summer sun.

Baking Soda is your friend

This seemingly innocuous white powder is one of the most versatile natural cleaning ingredients there is. You can use it on:

• A stained carpet. Sprinkle baking soda on to the stain, followed by a bit of hot water. Leave the mixture a few hours, or overnight if possible, then dab away the dried mixture carefully. If the stain is still there, repeat the process. For particularly stubborn stains, add a bit of vinegar to the water. This is only suitable for bright carpets.
• A dirty oven. Create a paste using baking soda and water and cover the inside of the oven. Allow to dry for approximately 12 hours, then wipe away (using a spatula for the tougher spots). Where the residue remains, spray a little vinegar with a spritz bottle and wipe with a damp cloth.
• Stainless steel appliances. Dip a damp sponge in baking soda and apply to any chrome or stainless steel appliances or utensils that have built up grime on the surface.

The dish washer isn’t just for dishes

There’s all sorts of household items you can run through the dishwasher to save you the job of handwashing them. Refrigerator drawers, children’s toys, stove knobs and light fixture covers can all be cleaned in the dishwasher. You can even wash potatoes in there (without detergent of course!). Just put them on a short cycle in the top drawer to save yourself some hard scrubbing.

Dust your blinds with a sock

We all know how dusty blinds can get. But did you know one of the best tools for dusting them is an old sock? 

• Mix up a solution of equal parts water and vinegar.
• Put an old sock on your hand and dip it into the mixture.
• Run the sock over each blind.
• Once you’ve done all the slats, wipe them dry with the other, dry sock.

The end result? Clean and dust-free blinds.

Write a ‘to-tidy’ list for the living room

As it’s often the busiest room in the home, the living room can get messy pretty quickly. Keep on top of it by writing a to-do list of the different living-room cleaning tasks and their frequency, sticking to it religiously. 

• Daily jobs are the simple things like putting away any clutter that accumulates throughout the day, or wiping up spillages or marks from mugs and glasses.
• Weekly tasks include dusting, wiping all surfaces and vacuuming.
• Monthly tasks are things like washing the windows, or vacuuming under the furniture and other hard to reach spots.

Lemon your microwave

We find the best way to clean the inside of a grimy microwave is with a lemon. Simply chop the lemon in half and place it on a microwavable plate, cut side down, with a little bit of water. Microwave this for around a minute – you’ll see the inside getting steamy. Now wipe the inside of the microwave with a kitchen towel. The grime should come off easily as it has been loosened by the steamy, lemony goodness.