Save energy — and money — with these time-saving cleaning hacks by All You. Tackle anything from DIY linen spray to making your own carpet cleaner.
To get stains out of your carpet, try this DIY carpet cleaner recipe from Kids Activities Blog: Use 1/3 of a bottle of hydrogen peroxide (preferably in the dark bottle, which keeps the solution active) and fill the bottle up the rest of the way with water, then add five drops of lemon essential oil. Shake, then spray on carpet. Let set for a minute or so, then scrub gently with a scrub brush. Use a clean rag to blot any extra liquid.
Put glass shades in the top rack of your dishwasher and run a normal cycle to get them sparkling clean.
If you have small holes from nails in your wall, try spackling with white (not gel) toothpaste.
Blogger The Lone Home Ranger uses a mix of 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon vodka, and 1/4 teaspoon essential oil in a spray bottle to freshen up her home. You can also try on a musty mattress.
To quickly clean the dust from a ceiling fan, slip a spare pillowcase over the ceiling fan blade and then pull it off. You'll capture the dust from both sides of the fan — and dust won't fall all over the floor.
Have a furry friend at home? A rubber glove or shower squeegee will remove fur from carpets, furniture, and other surfaces. Just rub over the surface and hair will collect right onto the glove or squeegee.
Keep Home Simple has a great trick for cleaning blinds: just dip a sock in equal parts water and vinegar, put your hand into the sock, and run your hand over your blind slants to clean. Use another sock to wipe dry.
To remove dusty grime from a fabric or paper lampshade, just run a lint roller over it.
"Use newspaper, crumpled up, instead of a rag or paper towel to clean windows and mirrors. Simply spray with cleaner and wipe away with the newspaper. No lint or streaks," says All You Reality Checker Stephanie O.
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