House Hacks

I have a confession. I’m addicted to Pinterest! For those of you not familiar with this website/tool, members indicate what interests they have when they sign up and then Pinterest feeds article to you on those items for free. The articles are “pinned” by other members. If you want to hang on to an article you can save it in a category.

It’s a timesaver if you’re searching for something. Admittedly, it can also be a time waster too as you may find you’ve spent an hour looking at articles just because there is so much out there. You also have to use some discernment with some of these articles because there aren’t many restrictions and people being people will post some pretty absurd information. However, there are many other articles that fill me with amazement at how talented some people are.

Some of my favorite types of articles are about household tips for cleaning because I hate to clean but I like a clean house. Most of these articles are how to do something quickly or with common household items. Today, I want to share with you some of the tips or house hacks (To Hack something is to change something.) I’ve found for keeping a clean house-

The microwave
The solution for a clean microwave is in your refrigerator (or maybe in the produce section of the grocery store). Microwave a cup of water and a few lemon slices, and then use a sponge to clean the microwave with the warm water.

Grease Stains
This one works on clothes as well as surfaces. Rub white chalk on the grease stain, let it sit for five minutes, and then wipe it away with a wet rag.

The Television
Screens on HDTVs are delicate, and you want to avoid liquid cleaners, especially on LCD screens. Instead, take a dryer sheet and use it to clean the screen. The sheet will pick up dust and reduce static, and won’t damage the TV.

Air Vents
It is always tough to thoroughly clean air vents because the spaces are so small, but they attract a ton of dust. Wrap a small towel around a butter knife, and then use the knife to clean the openings in the vent.

Dishwasher
Place a dishwasher-safe container with white vinegar in the dishwasher and run the dishwasher on the hottest water cycle available to get rid of grease and the musty odor. Then sprinkle a cup of baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher tub and run on the short cycle. It will remove stains.

Furniture Dents in Carpet

Have you ever moved a piece of furniture to another place and then had furniture dents in the carpet where the furniture used to be?  Place ice cubes on the dents and the dents will disappear as the carpet dries.  You may have to do this more than once to completely remove the dent.

Do you have some house hacks you’d like to share? I'd love to hear them.