Unleash your inner neat-freak with these cleaning hacks

Cleaning is an important chore, but it can take up a lot of your time. If you want to speed up the process, the cleaning hacks below can help expedite the time you spend on your chores. Additionally, you can save a bit of money by using simple ingredients to make effective and non-toxic cleaning products.

Baking soda and vinegar for bathtub water stains

Soaking in a tub after a long day at work is heavenly, but no one likes those gross water stains that form at the base of your bathtub. With some baking soda and vinegar, you can say goodbye to spending several minutes kneeling on the rim and scrubbing until your hands are sore and back hurts.

Mix one cup of vinegar, half a cup of baking soda and hot water, then pour the mixture into the empty tub. Let the mixture sit in the tub for five minutes.

Fill the tub with hot water until it’s at least a quarter of the way full, then let the water sit for another five minutes.

Once you’re done, drain the water and wipe the tub down. (Related: How long does coronavirus last on surfaces? (And how to clean and disinfect surfaces properly).)

Tinfoil and baking soda for a dirty oven

If you don’t want to spend too long kneeling and scrubbing all the dirt in your oven, use this hack with baking soda and tinfoil.

First, open the oven door until it lays parallel to the floor. Pour 3/4 cup of water over the surface, then and sprinkle baking soda over the water.

Let the mixture sit for 30 seconds to a minute. Ball up a piece of tinfoil, then carefully scrub the surface.

Once you’re done scrubbing, dry off the mixture with a clean rag. Remove the remaining baking soda with a damp cloth. When you’re done, your oven door should be clean and sparkling.

Squeegee for carpets with pet fur

Pets are adorable, but when they start shedding, their fur can get stuck in your carpet. Instead of wasting time vacuuming fur from your carpet, use a squeegee.

Rake the squeegee across the carpet to pull up all the pet fur. Once the hair starts balling up, clear it off the floor using your hands and a trash bag.

Essential oil, vinegar and water for musty-smelling upholstery

Your family spends a lot of time hanging out in the living room. But if you notice a musty smell coming from your furniture, it’s time for a quick cleaning session to make your upholstery smell clean and fresh again.

Grab a spray bottle, then fill it halfway with water. Add a couple of drops of vinegar, then several drops of your favorite essential oil, like lavender.

Shake bottle and test the solution on a small unseen patch on the furniture. Make sure it dries alright before spraying it all over the rest of the furniture or upholstery.

Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to dry, then run a vacuum over the area. This should get rid of the musty smell in your upholstery.

You can also try these disinfectant essential oil blends:

• Geranium and lime
• Grapefruit, lavender and lemon
• Lavender and rosemary
• Lemongrass and lavender
• Peppermint and tea tree
• Tea tree and orange

The next time you want to clean around the house, try these simple cleaning hacks and use non-toxic yet effective ingredients like baking soda, essential oils and vinegar. Combining these items from your pantry will help get rid of stubborn water stains and make your upholstery smell like fragrant essential oils.

Sources include:

Healthy-Holistic-Living.com

SimpleLifeMom.com