December 19th, 2019 | Updated on June 30th, 2022
Throughout the day, there are numerous minor house chores you need to do. Some of them are pretty quick and simple but others can irritate us and make us waste time.
Luckily, there are tons of useful hacks you can resort to which make your home a more functional place. Make your life inside your home easier with the following tricks.
Kitchen
1. Smart Storage For Plastic Bags
All those plastic bags start piling up pretty quickly, and this is a neat and smart way to store them. When you’re done with using a disinfecting wipes container, put the plastic bags in it. Whenever you need them, just pull them out. You can even add another container with plastic bags in your car so that they are always within your reach.
2. No-Slip Cutting Board
The trouble is that most cutting boards don’t have any kind of rubber surface on their bottoms, preventing them from sliding when you’re using them. However, a couple of rubber bands can be useful , preventing the board from moving. Slip two rubber bands on the cutting board – one at each end, and you’re done. The rubber needs to lay flat so the board is steady on the countertop. At Arcadia Corporate Merchandise Ltd , we are committed to finding the most effective branded promotional products to support our clients’ marketing activity.
3. Remove Odors From Microwave
No need for scrubbing and scraping the microwave to get rid of the food remains and odor. Simply squeeze out lemon juice into half a cup of water and drop the lemon in it. Put the cup inside the microwave for three minutes (that’s the time it needs to boil).
The mixture will turn into steam and fill the microwave. After five minutes, open the microwave and remove the cup, then use a cleaning rag to clean the microwave from the inside. Spilled remains will be easily removed, while the steam will also deal with unpleasant odors.
Bathroom
4. PVC Curling Iron Holsters
Do curling irons quickly make a mess on the vanity in your bathroom? There’s a neat treat for them – take hook-and-loop tape and use it to attach 5-in. lengths of 2″ PVC pipe to the vanity door. Repeat it, only this time with 3-in. pieces of 1/2in. diameter pipe – these will hold the cords of the curling irons.
Don’t forget to measure the curling irons first to determine the length of the holsters. Before you put the curling irons inside the holsters, make sure they are completely cold.
5. Practical Cart
Whether you have your washing machine and dryer in the bathroom or a laundry room, there is probably a lot of unused space between them, perfect for lost socks. Take advantage of this space by building a plywood cart that you will place on fixed carters. You can use the cart to keep detergents and other laundry supplies in it.
6. Clean The Exhaust Fan
In time, the grille on the bathroom exhaust fan can get clogged with dust. Instead of vacuuming, try a quicker trick. Turn on the fan and remove the dust with “canned air” – the dust will be blown outside.
The same trick also works on the return air grilles of the central heating and cooling system. Ryn the system, and the return airflow will move the dust to the filter. Canned air is available in the electrical supplies aisle of hardware stores and home centers.
7. Keep Bathroom Mat In Place
Even though some bathroom mats are non-slippery, they become worn off in time, and you never know when they will fail to work, causing you to slip unexpectedly when coming out of the tub.
The solution is to use tough anti-slip tape and fixate the mat to the floor. The coarse surface of the anti-slip tape will make sure the mat doesn’t move. Alternatively, you can only use the anti-slip tape, as it comes in many forms and shapes.
8. Grapefruit For A Clean Bathtub
Be on the eco-friendly side and ditch the harsh chemicals for cleaning your bathtub. Turn on the water get the whole tub completely wet. Cut a grapefruit in half, sprinkle a bigger amount of salt on the grapefruit and start scrubbing.
It’s the mix of citrus fruit and salt that successfully removes soap remains and other stains that lead to unpleasant odors. The same trick can be used for faucets, sinks, and other fixtures.
Living Room
9. Duct Tape For Pet Hair Removal
Duct tape is extremely useful for cleaning. Its stickiness is perfect for removing pet hair from your furniture – it’s faster and more effective than vacuuming. Wrap a sponge or cloth with duct tape if you need to reach corners.
Wrap the duct tape around a paint roller cover (sticky side out) and roll the paint cover over the carpets and the furniture. As the surface of the duct tape gets full of hair, add more tape over it.
10. Wax Candle Spill Solutions
In case you spill candle wax on a piece of furniture, don’t try to scrape it off – you’ll ruin the piece. Instead, put ice cubes inside a plastic bag, place the bag over the wax spill and let it there for a couple of minutes. When the wax cools down and hardens, it will be easy to pick it up without ruining the furniture.
In case you spill hot wax on the carpet, put a paper bag over the spill and gently go over it with a steam iron. The steam will “lift” the wax from the shaggy carpet and stick it to the bag.
11. Deal With Furniture Scratches
It’s inevitable to get small scratches on the furniture after a while. However, there’s no need to start thinking about paying hundreds of dollars for refinishing. Use a bit of toothpaste to remove the scratches.
Put a pea-sized amount of non-gel paste and keep rubbing it gently it into the scratch in a circular motion until it disappears. Clean the remainder of the toothpaste with a damp rag.
12. Straighten Up Wilting Flowers
Wilting flowers don’t look nice in a room at all but you don’t have to throw them away immediately once you notice they’re looking sad.
Instead, use a couple of plastic straws around their stems. They will help the flowers stay upright and still be able to soak up the nutrients from the water.
13. Fix A Hole In The Window Screen/Screen Door
A hole in the window screen or screen door makes the whole item pretty useless. However, no need for replacing the whole thing; small tears can be fixed with nail polish.
Use clear nail polish and swipe it over the nick – it will be completely invisible in a few minutes.
14. A Healthy Alternative To Air Fresheners
Air fresheners indeed smell great but their effect on air lungs is pretty bad. They have been linked to respiratory issues and eye irritation.
A healthy alternative is to simmer a vanilla bean in two cups of water on the stove. In case you want a spicier scent, add a few cloves of cinnamon. It will perfume the whole house without negative effects on your health.
15. Hairdryer For Removing Crayon Marks
In case your kids (somebody else’s, for that matter) got carried away and used walls inside your home as their canvas for crayon drawings, don’t worry, all is not lost.
Use a hairdryer to heat the area in question for a few seconds. It will soften the crayon’s wax, so it will be simple to wipe it with a soft cloth. No harm was done!
Final Words
You have to admit, these hacks are pretty simple but also incredibly effective and helpful. There is always a better alternative to something, so don’t get agitated if something at home doesn’t go your way because there’s probably a hack that could solve your problem. It’s surprising just how many useful household tips you can find online.
