35 nearly forgotten house cleaning tips from the past

Grandma knows all the best cleaning tips and tricks to save you time, money and effort. You’ll want to stock up on vinegar and lemon juice.

Summer’s heat can sometimes cause garbage bins to give off an unpleasant odour. Reader Michael Sienkowski says, “If you grow mint, cut a fresh sprig and place it in the garbage bin every day. It keeps the can smelling fresh all season long.”

Keep moths away from your clothes with a natural solution. Reader T. Peterson says, “Make your own mothballs by mixing oil of cloves and oil of cinnamon, then soaking cotton balls in this mixture. Place the cotton balls in muslin bags and hang them in your closets.”

Air vent covers are a hidden dirty spot in your home. Marge Grandy says, “I run all my metal heat and air conditioning vent covers through the dishwasher every spring and autumn. It saves lots of time and does a better job than doing it by hand.”

Here are other surprising things you didn’t know you could wash in your dishwasher.

If you use a wood-burning fireplace, you can make your own humidifier. Therese DeVlieger of Davis Junction, Illinois, says, “Fill an old coffee can two-thirds full of water. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange peel and place it on the stove. When the water gets hot, it gives off a pleasant scent and gives the home extra moisture.”

Tired of splattering and spilling ingredients all over your cookbooks? Rosa Graber says, “Once you’ve turned to the page you want, slip the book inside a large plastic food storage bag to protect the pages.”

Learn what your housecleaner secretly wants you to know. 

Mildred Zuercher says this homemade solution cleans windows, glass and mirrors. “Mix 60ml rubbing alcohol, 60ml of ammonia and 350ml of water. Add a drop of blue food colouring and mark it clearly to distinguish it from other cleaners. Pour into a spray bottle and use as you would a store-bought cleaner.”

Tired of scraping stickers off of your new stuff? Herman Ensey says, “Remove sticky price tags from glass by spraying with WD-40. It works well.”

Banish the tarnish with this simple solution from reader Lois Kreider. “Place silver in an aluminium pan or in your kitchen sink lined with aluminium foil. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of baking soda and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 10 to 12 minutes.

To remove hard water build-up on your showerhead, reader Jennie Krell says, “Pour some white distilled vinegar in a plastic bag and place it around the showerhead so the head is completely submerged. Tie the bag around the pipe and leave it overnight. You’ll find the showerhead will spray like new again in the morning.”

This is the best way to clean the bathroom. 

When her handheld can opener gets stiff, Ruth Brennan says she uses a toothbrush, hot water, and dishwashing detergent to clean it. “After cleaning, lubricate the opener with vegetable oil and set it aside for a while. Wipe off the excess oil and it will work like new.”

To colour in nicks or scratches in furniture, cabinets, wood trim, etc, reader C. Clingingsmith of says, “Rub them with a pecan nut. The oil of the nut will ‘re-stain’ the wood.”

Reader Mary Yoder has a solution for sticky situations. “When you must remove a spot of glue, use vinegar. It’s a good glue thinner or remover.”

Stainless steel lost its lustre? Pat Peters says, “Place your flatware in a pan with bubbly carbonated water, soda water, club soda or seltzer. Let set until the fizz has fizzled. Your stainless steel will shine like new!”

Here are more chemical-free ways to clean your home. 

Do you have a tough time cleaning wicker items? Reader Sherry Hearn says, “Just spray your favourite furniture polish onto an inexpensive paintbrush. It makes getting to the hard-to-reach spots easier and takes a lot less time.”

Don’t freak out when the kids’ artwork goes beyond the colouring book. Reader Claire Utt says, “Rubbing alcohol easily removes ink from clothing and crayon marks from woodwork and wallpaper.”

To remove gum from fingers or hair, reader V. Walston says, “Rub creamy peanut butter or vegetable oil into the gum. Wait a few minutes. The gum will come right off. Then wash your hands or hair as normal.”

When your hands are dirty from the garden, reader Marjorie Little has a great tip. “Tuck a bar of soap in the toe of a nylon stocking and tie it to your outdoor water tap for fast garden clean-up.”

Perk up your patio with this suggestion from reader Ann Norstram. “Rust stains from outdoor furniture can be removed from concrete by using lemon juice and rubbing with a soft linen cloth.”

Here are the spots you should never skip when spring cleaning. 

Keep your grill looking great. Nancy Merica says, “Lay a barbecue grill rack on the lawn overnight. The dew will combine with enzymes on the grass to loosen any burned-on grease. Try it with messy oven racks, too!”

For dusting under furniture and hard-to-reach places, reader Deanna Thomas says, “I slip an old sock onto a fly swatter and sew it securely into place. It’s very handy.”

Don’t miss these other brilliant uses for old socks.

Reach into the fridge for this handy hint. L.E. Ford says, “Patent leather handbags and shoes can be quickly brightened with a polish of milk. Apply with a soft cloth and rub into a shiny new finish.”

Reader Milton Olson says, “Fill a paint roller with your favourite wall washing solution and use a clean paint roller to wash your walls. Rinse with clear water. It goes much more quickly than sponging.”

Don’t fret when you accidentally get hairspray on a mirror. Reader Ann Peardot says you make the glass spotless again by rubbing the mirror with a sponge or cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol.

To keep shower doors shiny and clear, Mildred Sherrer says to use a soft cloth moistened with baby oil. “It prevents scum build-up from dirt and soap, and hard water spots won’t appear for several months.”

Here are 22 bathroom mistakes you never knew you made. 

Reader Maureen Beaver says wadded up aluminium foil makes a great kitchen scrubber. Use it to tackle tough stains and baked-on food.

Here are 9 more amazing uses for aluminium foil.

To preserve the bright shine of brass, reader Lucile Trent says, “Clean it with Worcestershire sauce. It does an unbelievably good job!”

Avoid a tangled mess in the laundry. Katherine Kalmbach says, “If you button shirt cuffs to the front of a shirt before putting it in the washer, the sleeves won’t knot and tangle in the wash.”

If you break a plate while making a sandwich, grab some extra bread. Reader Carolyn Robinson says, “Clean up slivers of broken glass without hurting yourself by pressing a slice of fresh bread lightly over the area, then immediately disposing of it.”

Clean two messes at once. Reader Marge Harold says, “If you have a small plastic wastebasket in your bathroom, empty it and use it as a bucket when you clean your bathroom, so it gets cleaned, too.”

To easily clean your microwave without chemicals, Mary Alice Warren says, “Place 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or baking soda in a bowl. Heat on high until the mixture boils. Let steam accumulate on the walls and door of the microwave. Remove the bowl and wipe down the interior.”

Check out these 10 things you didn’t know your microwave could do. 

When your hands get badly stained or extra dirty, reader Mildred Shlenz says, “Add a teaspoon of sugar to the lather when you wash them. They’ll clean up easily.”

Eliminate stinky scents at home and on the road. Reader Sally Tilson says, “Sprinkle baking soda on your car’s upholstery and carpeting before vacuuming to remove odours.”

This decorative directive comes from reader Menno Erb. “When silk flower arrangements look old and dusty, dip them gently and quickly in warm water with dish detergent in it. Then place them on a towel to dry. They come out looking new!”

Give yourself an added incentive to finish the ironing. Reader Harlin Jacoles says, “Add a little witch hazel to the water in your steam iron. Your clothes will smell sweet and fresh.”

Don’t miss these other hacks to make your home smell amazing. 

Shaving cream has more than one use in the bathroom. Roy Lairmore says, “Your bathroom mirror won’t fog up if you clean it with canned shaving cream. It works on eyeglasses, too.”

Next, learn the secrets of people who always have clean houses.

Sign up here to get Reader’s Digest’s favourite stories straight to your inbox!

Source: RD.com