10 Incredible Cleaning Hacks

Cleaning Never Looked So Easy

Cleaning can be dull and boring, but it doesn't have to be. What if we told you that with some simple tips and tricks you could clean quicker and better, and end up with an incredible looking home? Work smarter, not harder, and cross off your must-do chores with these ten brilliant cleaning hacks.

1. Garbage Deodorizer

Your kitchen garbage bin is often one of the smelliest places in your house, but with one of these trusted cleaning hacks, you can neutralize food smells. It’ll only take five minutes.

To deodorize your garbage bin, you’ll need to mix three essential oils. Simply mix 18 drops of rosemary essential oil with six drops of grapefruit essential oil and two drops of peppermint essential oil. You can do this in a small glass bottle, ideally one that has a pipette. Shake well before use.

Use the pipette to place a few drops of the mixture into the bottom of your garbage bin. Alternatively, put a few drops of the mixture onto a few cotton wool pads and leave these at the bottom of the garbage bin - but make sure you replace these regularly.

2. Shower Head Cleaner

Your shower head can quickly become dirty as limescale builds. To clean your shower head, fill a carrier bag with white vinegar and seal it tightly to avoid spillage. An elastic band should do the trick.

Leave overnight before removing the shower head from the bag. This is one of the best house cleaning hacks around and will have the silver of your shower head sparkling in less than 24 hours.

3. Toilet Cleaner

Toilet cleaning is one of the most laborious tasks on your to-do list, but a simple home cleaning hack involving baking soda and vinegar will have your toilet bowl gleaming in no time.

To clean your toilet, simply put 10 drops of tea tree oil into a spray bottle and mix with ¼ cup of white vinegar. Shake the mixture before using it.

Put four ounces of baking soda directly into your toilet bowl and then spray your solution into the bowl. Use a toilet brush to scrub the mixture. You’ll notice it starts to fizz, which means it’s working.

4. Microwave Cleaner

Microwaves can quickly become one of the dirtiest appliances in your home, especially if you’ve recently had a porridge or soup explosion. Fortunately, cleaning a microwave can be done with nothing more than a few natural ingredients and a little bit of elbow grease.

Fill a bowl with ½ cup of white vinegar and add two tablespoons of lemon juice. Make sure the bowl is made of a microwave-safe material. Place the bowl and mixture into the microwave for about three minutes. Remove the bowl once cool, and use a cloth to wipe the inside of the microwave's top, bottom, and sides.

5. Silver Cleaner

Are you expecting the in-laws to pop over soon? If they’re anything like ours, they always point out the silliest things to try to embarrass us, so why not beat them at their own game this time by shining up your silver?

This cleaning hack is really easy. Simply line the bottom of a tray with foil and boil a kettle. Place your silver cutlery in the tray, add the boiling water and pour in four ounces of baking soda.

6. Bathtub Cleaner

Being the largest item in the bathroom, an unclean bathtub will draw attention for all the wrong reasons. Fortunately, tub cleaning can become a daily task you don’t mind doing with this amazing cleaning hack.

Simply mix one cup of water with equal parts vinegar, adding a few drops of lemon essential oil to the mix too. Spray the inside and outside of your bath, and voila, it’s clean!

7. Tile Cleaner

Whether in your bathroom, kitchen or garden, we’re confident you have tiles somewhere around your home. Tiles become dirty over time, especially if walked over or close to kitchen hobs.

Fortunately, with three simple ingredients, your tiles will come out a treat.

Mix six tablespoons of white vinegar with one tablespoon of baking soda and ½ cup of hot water in a bottle. You’ll need to reuse an old spray bottle or buy one from your local refill store. Add 10 drops of lemon oil, shake and spray onto your tiles.

Leave for 30 minutes, and wipe any remaining mixture off with a cloth.

8. Kettle Cleaner

Perhaps the cheapest of all make-at-home cleaners is kettle cleaner. You can clean the inside of your kettle with nothing more than two lemons. Yes, you read that right - just two lemons.

Squeeze as much juice as possible from one of the lemons into the kettle. Slice the second lemon into segments and add these to the kettle. Fill the kettle with water, boil and, once cool, pour out the water and remove the lemons. Your kettle is now clean. Time for a cup of coffee, we think.

9. Wood Polish

Wooden surfaces don’t show dirt as easily as other surface types, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

To make a high-quality wood cleaner, you’ll need ¼ cup of olive oil mixed with equal parts white vinegar in a spray bottle. Add a citrus oil of your choice - our favorite is lemon - and spray it onto your cloth before wiping down wooden surfaces. Your wooden surfaces will look less dull.

10. Deodorize Shoes

Not everything we have in the house stays at home, and this means we could take bad smells into the outside world.

To clean funky-smelling shoes, simply place rubbing alcohol into a bottle and spray into the inside of the affected shoes.

Now, what are you waiting for? There's no excuse to put off deep cleaning your home!