Sometimes the old ways are the best, and the tried-and-tested methods your grandmother knows has been getting the job done for generations. From natural cleaning recipes to money-saving ideas to make your supplies go further, click or scroll to take a look at these age-old household hacks that will make your home sparkle and run like clockwork…
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Clean with the seasons
Keep on top of housework with a schedule that follows the seasons. Include daily tasks such as making beds; then add in weekly chores such as changing bed linen; monthly jobs such as washing windows and finally seasonal projects such as curtain laundering. Grandma probably made her own, but you can download a whole host of free printables, from days of the week checklists to declutter plans. Thanks, internet.
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Make your bed every day
Grandma always told us you should make your bed as soon as you rise to get a jump on the day, and we now know this to be true. But did you know that turning down your blankets to air the sheets reduces bacteria in the bed? Also, open your bedroom windows at least once a week; it really does help clean out dust and germs.
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Everything in its place and a place for everything
Remembering our grandparent’s spick and span house, it almost seems miraculous. How did they keep it so neat? The truth is, you can’t tidy clutter because there’s no real place to put it. Try and have a monthly clear out to avoid things building up and check out these helpful decluttering tips to stay on top of it.
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Look after the corners
Our grandma used to say ‘look after the corners and the room will look after itself’, which strikes us as profoundly accurate now that we’ve got our own home. These are often problem areas where we throw things that we don’t know where to put. Try adding one storage basket for random items and go through it when it gets full and put everything away or donate it to charity.
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Try rearranging the furniture
Our grandma would use any excuse to rearrange the furniture, (so much so that our grandad would often whack his shins on a newly positioned coffee table!) and now we can really see the benefit. Not only do you shake things up if your home is feeling a bit tired, but you can experiment with where to place furniture to get the optimum layout. You can even swap whole rooms around to see if they function more efficiently.
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Use baskets to organise a pantry
Waste is the ultimate sin, according to Grandma, and one way to keep on top of it is to know what’s in your pantry. Check what you have before you buy extra and try to use up what you’ve bought before you get more. Our gran also had her cupboard organised with little storage baskets and it’s an absolute game-changer.
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Cleaning: always use a caddy
Look under your grandma’s kitchen or utility room sink; we bet all her cleaning products are organised in a caddy with a big handle. It’s a simple storage solution that makes household tasks quicker and easier. Use it to carry every-room products like polish, antibacterial spray, cloths, rubber gloves and window cleaner about the house. Trust gran – your cleaning jobs will take much less effort with a cleaning caddy.
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Use an old pillowcase to dust ceiling fans
Ceiling fans collect dust quickly. Stop blades from throwing particles around the room by cleaning them weekly with an old pillowcase. Slide the open end of a clean pillowcase over the paddle, press down and then slide back, keeping all the dust inside the pillowcase when removing.
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Make brass shine with vinegar
Vinegar and salt work very well on brass that’s seen better days. In the book The Miracle of Vinegar, authors Aggie Mackenzie and Emma Marsden suggest pouring any type of vinegar onto a damp cloth sprinkled with salt and to then get rubbing. The metal will instantly take on its original lovely shine. Rinse and buff dry with a soft cotton cloth to finish.
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Create streak-free windows with newspaper
After cleaning windows with your usual cleaning spritzer, or better still, a diluted white vinegar solution, use an old sheet of newspaper to wipe away streaks on the window pane glass. The paper and ink act as a light abrasive when you wipe in a circular motion and the results are flawless.
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Clean an iron with salt
Want to renew the steel soleplate on your iron? Sarah Saucedo of Thrifty Decor Chick told Home Depot how to do it. “Put a white piece of paper on the ironing board and sprinkle salt over it liberally. Heat your iron to the cotton setting and iron over the salt – there’s no need to use the steam. The salt helps to remove any (grime) stains on the iron plate, with no scrubbing needed!”
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Wash walls from the bottom up
Almost every 1950s housework book advises washing walls from the bottom up. This is because if cleaning solution runs down the wall it is less likely to cause permanent streaks on a clean surface than a dirty one. However, if you make sure the cleaning solution is managed and dribbles are wiped as soon as they appear streaks should be minimal.
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Shine stainless steel with oil
Give your stainless steel kitchen a professional streak-free shine with regular baby oil. First clean appliances with washing up liquid and water along the grain to rid watermarks and stubborn food spills. Then polish up with baby oil for a gleam that would impress a chef. Good quality vegetable oil does the job too and is safe for anything you might want to cook with.
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A trick for cleaning silver
This brilliant video demonstrates a cleaning trick that is almost like magic. You put one tablespoon of salt, one of bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda) and warm water into a glass container lined with aluminium foil and by placing your silverware or jewellery on the surface, a simple chemical process cleans away the tarnish. No need to scrub, just gently rinse in clean water and polish with a soft cloth.
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Dust with socks
Odd socks are a laundry day dilemma. So, here’s a new purpose for the lonely ‘soles’. Pop them on like mittens to transform them into a practical dust buster. They apparently also make especially good Venetian blind cleaners; tilt slats to a fully closed position and simply wipe across them, or open fully and run the ‘glove socks’ gently in between the slats.
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Revitalise carpet with bicarbonate of soda
Another bicarbonate of soda homemaking trick is to use it to refresh carpets. Apply liberally in piles when removing both greasy and non-greasy stains. Or, to eliminate odours simply sprinkle the powder over carpets and rugs in the evening and leave it overnight. In the morning when you vacuum the area, you’ll find that the area smells fresh all over again.
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Lift carpet fibres with ice
Vanish carpet dents left by heavy furniture with ordinary ice cubes. Lay the cubes on the dents and leave them to melt. Blot any excess water and repeat if necessary. Then, when the fibres are all back in shape you simply wait till it’s dry and then vacuum normally.
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Use lemon on chopping boards
Lemon is a natural cleaner and deodoriser. It cuts through grease leaving a refreshing citrus scent. Cut one in half and rub it over a wooden chopping board, leave for a few minutes, then rinse and blot dry. It will neutralise those lingering onion and garlic smells. You can also leave half a lemon in a fridge to keep it smelling fresh.
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Use vanilla extract as an air freshener
Grandma knew a thing or two about natural cleaning products and air fresheners. If you’re keen to avoid chemical-laden air fresheners and plug-ins, why not try this real grandma tip: “before inviting guests over, I boil a small pot of water and I add a few drops of vanilla extract to it. Sometimes I add orange peels. I leave this on the oven for a few minutes to get my entire home smelling good.” Try it, everyone will be amazed by your sweet-smelling abode!
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Remove baked-on grease with cola
Cola has been around for centuries, and thanks to its effectiveness as a grease remover, you can use it to help remove stubborn grease from your pots and pans. If you have baked-on food in a pot or saucepan, add a can of cola to it and place it on the hob on a low heat. Leave it for 30 minutes or an hour if it’s really baked on, then remove from the heat. Use a scouring pad or sponge to scrub away the grime.
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Laundry: make a natural linen spray
Give a laundry and soft furnishings a natural and refreshing scent with a homemade linen and room spray. Use rubbing alcohol, vodka or natural skin toner as a base and add essential oils as desired. Dilute with distilled water to keep fabrics mark free. Take a look at this tutorial to make a lavender and lemon linen spray.
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Sunshine is a natural bleach
Drying clothes outside is cheap, eco-friendly and gives laundry a fresh clean smell better than any fabric softener. But did you know that sunlight is a great natural whitener and brightener too? For an extra boost, spritz stains with a mixture of lemon juice and water before washing.
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Use pegs to change bed linen
Changing bed linen doesn’t need to be a dreaded chore. Once you’ve put two duvet corners into the cover keep them in place with pegs and then pull the rest of the fabric down into place. It’s that easy! Use traditional wooden clothes pegs like grandma or go for these discreet quilt cover clips, which can be kept in place whilst sleeping too.
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Wash smalls in mesh bags
Never be left with odd socks again by keeping underwear and delicates in a bag when washing. This will also protect washing machines from a loose bra wire, beads and sequins, which could break the machine.
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Clean the washing machine with bicarbonate of soda
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) is a non-toxic cleaning staple that works wonders on almost any cleaning mission. To make your washing machine as good as new, mix the powder into a paste with water. Then, clean the inside of the drum, plastic rim and drawer to remove slime and grime. Finally, mix a new batch with white or clear vinegar and use during a hot cycle to thoroughly refresh the internal pipes.
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Thrifty tips: apple cider vinegar is a pet-chewing deterrent
Teach your pets to stay away from furniture by mixing a homemade chew barrier. Cats and dogs do not like the smell or bitter taste of vinegar so will hopefully be repelled. Try this recipe that will cost just pennies to make: mix up one part vinegar with two parts apple cider vinegar. Water it down with tap water for a milder spray. If you prefer a refreshing scent substitute the apple cider vinegar with lemon juice.
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Crochet cute cleaning cloths
Crochet pads and cloths are sustainable and make a great yarn project for beginners. The texture of the crochet stitches is ideal for cleaning without scratching and they can be washed and used again and again. Visit lovecrafts.com for easy tutorials and free square and spiral crochet cloth patterns.
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Use lavender to ward off insects
Dried lavender has been used for centuries to add scent to homes but did you know it also repels moths, fleas, mosquitos and even scorpions? Sprinkle a trail or place tied bouquets and linen pouches on windowsills to keep those unwanted creepy crawlies outside.
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Cut sponges in half
Here’s a thrifty tip: make cleaning sponges last twice as long by cutting each one in half before use. Not only will this keep costs down but it’s also better for the environment and the smaller sizes will help reach into awkward angles and corners. To increase longevity further, pop them in the dishwasher to sterilise.
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Shorten the shower curtain
Increase the life of a shower curtain by trimming off its bottom. Whether it’s made of polyester, nylon cotton or linen, a long wet shower curtain stuck to the bath in a warm environment will breed bacteria and mould. To eliminate the problem cut and re-hem the fabric so it falls a few centimetres into the bath or shower tray. Genius!
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Water plants with yarn
Make sure houseplants are consistently watered with a watering system that keeps the soil moist even when you are away from home. Feed a shoelace or piece of yarn (known as a wick) into a potted plant’s soil and submerge the other end in water. Water will flow up the wick to water the plant with just the right amount of moisture. This is what’s known scientifically as a ‘capillary action’.
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Sharpen scissors with aluminium foil
It sounds impossible but it works! Fold aluminium foil lengthwise several times to get a thick folded strip of foil. Working lengthwise cut the foil with a full cut so the entire blade is sharpened. Repeat several times and test the sharpness by snipping a piece of paper. Wipe down and dry.
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Reflect heat with aluminium foil
Grandma had a few tricks up her sleeve when it came to using aluminium foil; this one helps to keep the home cosy. While you can buy radiator reflectors to reduce heat loss from your radiators, a cost-savvy method is to put tinfoil behind the radiator as a way of reflecting radiant heat away from the wall. The foil will reflect heat back into the room and will reduce energy costs. Clever!
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