Every time I visited my grandma’s house, I was always welcomed by two things – something yummy straight out of the oven, and a kitchen that was completely spotless.
Actually, her whole house was always kept clean and tidy, and never a single item put out of place.
I’ve always had her organized and spotless home as an inspiration of how I want to keep my house.
Here are some old time tips and tricks how to make this happen as easy and efficient as possible.
Cleaning is a skill that always can stand to be improved.
No one is born knowing how to remove tough stains out of clothes quickly so it only makes sense that we can learn a thing or two from a more experienced family member.
Get rid of your store-bought, toxic cleaning products and implement these 17 house cleaning tips from grandma instead!
House Cleaning Tips: Bathroom Cleaning
1. Clean The Bathroom Mirrors
Cut an onion in half and rub it over your mirror’s glass. Then, mix some water and baking soda together and use that to wipe down the mirror to remove the smell from the onion.
Let it dry and your mirror has been naturally cleaned!
2. Clean The Shower and Bathtub
Scrub your bathtub or shower with lemon juice to get rid of the soap scum. The acidic juice will break down the bacteria and dirt found in the soap scum, and leave your shower or tub smelling lemony fresh!
3. Remove Hard Water Stains
Mix half water and half vinegar in a spray bottle, then spray the mixture in your tub and shower and wait a few minutes before wiping clean. The hard water stains should now be gone!
4. Clean the Shower Head
Fill a plastic bag with vinegar and tie it to the shower head so that the shower head is soaking in the vinegar.
Leave it overnight and let the mixture do its magic. In the morning, take the bag off and rinse by running a hot water shower.
It doesn’t take more effort than this to get a completely clean shower head!
5. Unclog the Shower Drain
Pour one-half cup of salt down the clogged drain. Heat 2 liters of water until it is nearly boiling, then pour it down the drain slowly and flush with hot tap water.
It may take several rounds of salt and hot water, but eventually, the abrasive texture of the salt will force the greasy build-up out and allow your drain pipes to run more freely!
House Cleaning Tips: Kitchen Cleaning
6. Remove Rust from Knives
Rub your kitchen knives with onions or cut into an onion continuously, in a sawing motion. Onions are acidic and will make your knifes rust-free!
7. Clean Up Grease
Dampen a sponge, put some baking soda on it and wipe down your greasy counter tops or cookware. Use another damp sponge or towel to wipe the area clean from grease!
8. Unclog the Kitchen Drain
Boil 2 liters of water and stir in a few tablespoons of natural hand washing dish detergent. Slowly pour the nearly boiling water down the slow running drain and then flush with hot tap water.
The hot water will melt the grease and the dish detergent helps to dissolve the fat, leaving your drain pipes free-flowing!
9. Refresh The Dishwasher
Pour one cup of white vinegar into the bottom of your empty dishwasher and run through a cycle of running water.
You can also sprinkle one cup of baking soda in the bottom of your dishwasher and leave it overnight. Run an empty cycle the next day and enjoy a sparkling clean and odor-free dishwasher!
House Cleaning Tips: More Easy Cleaning Tips
10. Keep Fabric Colors from Fading
Add 1 Tablespoon of salt to the water in your washer to make sure your clothes stay bright after being washed. Salt is sodium chloride, and chloride is great at preventing color fading!
11. Disinfect Your Home
Put some vinegar in a bottle, spritz it on surfaces, then wipe the areas clean with a sponge or soft cloth. This is a perfect way to disinfect everything when someone in your family is getting over a cold!
(If you want to really disinfect an area after someone had the flu, you should use something stronger like this to be on the safe side)
12. Renew stained linens
Toss your stained linens (tablecloths, napkins or doilies) in hot water and add four black tea bags. Let it sit for 10 minutes, remove the tea bags and add the linen instead.
Let it sit until you reach the desired shade and let it dry to set. Then wash it in cold water and your linen will look brand new again!
13. Make Your Own Cleaning Products
Store-bought cleaning products are usually full of toxins and aren’t really safe. There are plenty of cleaning products you can make yourself out of ingredients from your pantry.
You can make natural cleaners for your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, well, your whole house, and they’re both better and cheaper than anything you can find in the store!
14. Keep Your Rags
Save your old and worn out clothes and use them when cleaning your house. They work just as great as these best selling cleaning cloths but are way more environmentally friendly.
They are also a lot more friendly to your wallet!
15. Get Rid Of Stains On Pots And Pans
Apply a mixture of three parts baking soda to one part water, and leave it on the bottom of the pan for 10 minutes.
Scrub away any stubborn spots with a non-scratch sponge after and it’ll look like new again!
16. Freshen Up Floors
Use baking soda with a bit of water to scrub the floor. It’s not harsh on your floor, doesn’t smell, and is completely safe around your children!
17. Shine Your Silver
Use toothpaste to clean and polish your silver pieces. Just rub it onto your collection, rinse, then dry and you’re all set.
This is a great last-minute tip for when the holiday creeps up on you and you’ve forgotten to buy silver polish!
And there you have it! 17 house cleaning tips your grandma probably knew too and used all the time!
Need more Cleaning Tips and Inspiration?
Did you know you really can Clean your Whole House with Baking Soda? Yes you can!
Are you making any of these Mistakes when Washing your Clothes? Well….stop that. Your clothes and electric bill will thank you.
Want to start your own house cleaning business? It’s a low cost way to get started running your own business.