12 Unusual Cleaning Hacks That Actually Work
12.
Clean a grill with an onion- Cleaning a grill with an onion, you say?
Yes, it does sound strange, and it is an unconventional method.
But it definitely helps during the cleaning process.
Barbecuing is fun but what isn’t fun is the extra crud and black stains on your grill.
But by using half an onion and scrubbing it on a hot grill, it’ll help loosen up all
the baked on grime and grit.
For best results, you should heat up the grill first and burn down any leftover food or crud
stuck on.
Then stick a fork on the round part of the onion and just rub away.
It’s a natural way to clean your grill without all the smelly and sticky chemicals involved.
11.
Vinegar bag for shower head- If you find that your shower isn’t working like it used to
then that means it’s time to clean out your shower head.
Mineral deposits can form on your shower head over time, causing the nozzle to clog up.
This leaves you with a weak flow of water and little water pressure.
The good thing is, there is one method that can save you the elbow grease and prevent
slipping in the bathroom.
Start off by filling a clear Ziploc bag with vinegar.
Be careful not to spill any of the liquid on yourself as it can be stinky to rinse off.
Secure the band around your shower head with a twist tie or rubber band.
Let the bag sit there for an hour or two.
Afterward just remove the bag and turn on the water to remove the vinegar.
10.
Baking Soda hacks- Most people turn to baking soda to deodorize their fridge to get rid
of lingering smells.
But baking soda has so many uses that can be used around the house.
For instance, adding one cup of baking soda to a cup of vinegar will unclog your drains
around the house.
Baking soda also removes natural oil build up in your brushes and combs.
Just soak it in a warm tub of water and add in one teaspoon.
Then rinse and leave it to dry.
Baking soda also does a fantastic job of neutralizing odors in mouthpieces like dentures and retainers.
All you need to do is just sprinkle some baking soda in a warm cup of water to keep it fresh.
You can mainly use baking soda for virtually anything around the house.
You can use it to break down grease and oil.
To clean the microwave and the oven too!
9.
Coca-Cola toilet bowl cleaner- It’s safe to say that most of us dread cleaning the
bathroom.
Who wants to spend time scrubbing away?
The good thing is that you don’t have to.
If you have to clean the toilet, just grab a nice cold can of coke and pour it down the
toilet!
It may sound like just a myth, but it’s an effective method.
Due to the soda’s ingredients like carbonic acids and citric, will break down limescale
grime and toilet rings too.
You can also use diet soda as well, as long as the beverage contains carbonation then
you’re ready to go!
After pouring in the drink, don’t flush it right away.
Just let the liquid sit in the toilet bowl for an hour or so.
You can also choose to leave it during the night while you sleep.
Then just flush the soda away, and you’ll be left with a sparkling new toilet bowl!
It’s that easy and straightforward!
8.
Lemon hack wonders- Butcher block stains like coffee rings are all too common, but you can
zap those stains out with a lemon.
You can also incorporate a tablespoon of sea salt and some hydrogen peroxide.
Sprinkle a generous amount of the salt on the entire stain and squeeze out some lemon
juice to make a paste.
Scrub the stain using the lemon pulp side and lets the mixture sit overnight.
You can also use a lemon to freshen up a garbage container by just rubbing lemon juice.
Then rinse with warm water.
Make chrome faucet shine by rubbing with a lemon on the tarnished area and drying it
with a soft cloth when done.
Lastly, you can make your own polish by mixing together a cup of olive oil and half a cup
of lemon juice.
Use this polish to clean wooden floors and furniture!
7.
Silica Gel uses- Most of us probably keep our tools and other belongings in the toolshed.
But Moisture is the biggest enemy as humidity can cause our personal belongings to rust
quickly.
If you place tools such as wrenches and nails or even jewelry in toolboxes or plastic containers,
once the temperature drops there’s no place to moisture to escape.
Rusted belongings can be difficult to remove, but by dropping a few packets of silica gel
in there, it will keep your stuff nice and dry by soaking up the vapor.
You can basically find silica gel packets in almost any packaged product too.
Since the silica beads have a porous surface, it makes it easy for water molecules to stick.
In fact, one beat and hold half its weight, making it a great household item for everyday
use!
6.
Removing gum from hair- If you ever had gum stuck in your hair, then you know what a nightmare
it can be!
Worst case scenario is you’d probably have to cut off a piece of hair and wait patiently
until it grows back.
But not to worry, cleaning gum from your hair is easier than you thought!
All you need is some peanut butter and here’s how to do it.
Grab some creamy peanut butter; then you can use olive oil or vegetable oil as a substitute.
Completely cover the gum with either of the two by using an old toothbrush or your fingers.
If you used the peanut butter, the oils from the spread would cause the gum to get hard
and make it less sticky.
Wait for a few minutes then slowly remove the chewing gum.
It should all come out in one piece.
However, if you have gum stuck on your eyebrows or eyelashes, it’s best to use vegetable
oil for the best results.
Afterward, you can rinse off your hair with shampoo and conditioner.
5.
Toothpaste- We use toothpaste to clean and whiten our teeth to give us a bright pearly
white smile.
But did you know that toothpaste is an awesome product to clean jewelry and fine silver and
a ton of other things too?
Anything from gold chains to diamond rings can make it sparkle and shine just by using
toothpaste!
All you need to do is grab an old toothbrush and dampen it.
Add a touch of toothpaste and gently scrub.
Then rinse off with warm water.
For fine silver like teapots and utensil, dab a bit on a soft washcloth and rub gently
like you’re waxing your car.
When you’re all done, just wipe the toothpaste away!
Also, if you have any scratched DVD’s no need to throw them away.
You can actually remove the scratches by rubbing a bit of toothpaste on it with a soft cloth
and then cleaning it afterward with another fabric.
4.
Cleaning Pen or Markers- You can scrub for hours, but those pesky pen or marker stains
are still there.
You might think the only fix is to repaint the wall but with this trick, you won’t
have to!
All you need is some hairspray!
It doesn’t matter what type of brand it is either.
Just spray some hairspray on the marker stained wall.
Then wipe it off with a damp wash towel.
I know it sounds crazy, but it really does work!
In fact, hair spray can also remove those tricky stains from your clothes too.
Just spray some hairspray on the clothing and place it in the washing machine like you
normally would.
Don’t knock it til you try it!
You might just be surprised at what you find!
3.
Removing red wine stains- Spilled red wine on your tablecloth or shirt?
No need to panic!
There is a simple, quick fix and the only materials you need are boiling water, a bowl,
a pot holder, a clean white cloth and table salt.
It’s important to start off by blotting the stain.
Don’t rub!
Now slide a bowl over the fabric, keeping it in the center.
Then secure it with a rubber band.
Sprinkle some table salt on the affected area and leave it for five minutes.
The sooner the salt is applied, the easier it will be for the stain to lift.
Slowly and carefully, pour boiling water over the stain with enough force to flush out the
stain.
Throw the fabric in the washing machine using the hottest setting.
Keep washing if necessary.
Don’t put the clothing in the dryer until the stain is gone.
Doing so can make the remaining stain set due to the dryer’s heat.
2.
Vanishing makeup from clothes- Girls everywhere know the struggle of getting liquid foundation
on white clothing.
Not only is it annoying but it’s time-consuming to remove.
You could toss it in the washing machine or wash it off with bleach, but there’s a much
easier alternative that will be sure to surprise you!
The next time you accidentally spill liquid foundation on your favorite white blouse,
try this trick.
Start off by applying shaving cream to the stained area of the shirt.
It can be any type of brand and let the product soak in for three to five minutes.
Allow it to sit so it can lift off as much of the foundation as possible.
Then vigorously rub the shaving cream into the area the best you can.
This is going to take some work.
Then rinse with cold water and apply more shaving cream and rub.
Afterward, rinse off your shirt in hot water and voila!
Just like magic, your blouse should look as good as new!
1.
Cleaning blood stains- Blood stains are one of the hardest things to remove because it
sets in making it a pain to clean.
Some solutions recommended include ammonia and enzyme soap, but these harsh chemicals
aren’t always so pleasant to deal with.
Luckily there are simple solutions to clean out the blood from your clothes.
All you need is a mild detergent, a fresh lemon, a large tub and a soft white cloth.
Remember to keep the fabric away from warm or hot water to soak your blood stained clothes
as it warms up the protein from the blood and makes it tougher to remove.
First, lay out the stained part of the clothing on a flat surface.
Wet the soft cloth and blot off as much blood gently.
Be sure not to scrub the clothing.
You can also choose to turn it inside out if that helps to prevent it from spreading.
Then afterward, fill a large tub with some cold water and squeeze some lemon juice into
it.
Soak the clothing in the tub for sixty minutes.
The acidity from the lemon juice should help break down the stain.
While it is still soaking, add some mild detergent directly over the stain and softly blot it
out again.
Let it dry, and your stain should be gone!
Now for stubborn stains, like the blood that has been in clothing for a few days, you might
have to use hydrogen peroxide since the blood has already set.
But remember that using a lot of it would weaken the fabric so use carefully.