Glistening glasses, shiny pots and pans, sparkling bathrooms a pristine house not only lifts your spirits, but it looks a million dollars, too. Yet there's no need to spend a fortuned on cleaning agents, as readers of The Australian Women's Weekly have proved over the years.
Aluminium windows
Aluminium window and door frames will regain their shine if you rub with a cloth dipped in ammonia.
Banish rust
Rust on metal furniture can be scrubbed off with turpentine.
Beautiful bamboo
Scrub bamboo or cane furniture with warm soapy water and borax. Rinse unpainted wicker and bamboo with salt water to stiffen and bleach it.
BiCarb blitz
Benchtops can be cleaned with a plastic scourer and pure soap, or with bicarbonate of soda. Saturate a cloth with bicarbonate of soda and leave it on caked-on spots for half-an-hour or so. Then simply wipe off.
BiCarb Blitz
Benchtops can be cleaned with a plastic scourer and pure soap, or with bicarbonate of soda. Saturate a cloth with bicarbonate of soda and leave it on caked-on spots for half-an-hour or so. Then simply wipe off.
Blind faith
A soft eraser can remove some stains from Holland blinds.
Bold as brass
When cleaning brass handles on timber furniture and doors, put a cardboard collar around the fitting. Brass cleaner eventually takes the colour out of wood.
Brighter brass
Boil small brass objects in water containing salt and vinegar. Wipe dry and polish with a commercial brass cleaner for a sparkling result.
Bucket brigade
Put your dusters, polish, chamois, cleaning products and any other cleaning utensils in a plastic bucket. Carry it with you while working; this saves going back and forth to the cupboard.
Buff up chrome
Brighten chrome by rubbing over with plain flour. Otherwise, use a cloth dampened with ammonia. Wash off and polish with a clean cloth.
Burnt plastic
To remove burnt-on plastic from the toaster, rub over with a little eucalyptus oil on a clean cloth.
Camphor cure
Push a few blocks of camphor down the back of your lounge to prevent mustiness and to keep away moths and silverfish.
Chair coasters
Should you need to replace furniture on a freshly cleaned carpet before it is quite dry, place drink coasters under the legs to prevent stains, indentations or rust marks.
Clean ruffles
You can clean ruffled or pleated lampshades quite easily with an old shaving brush.
Cleaning fridges
Once the power is turned off, refrigerators and freezers should be wiped out with warm water and pure soap. Wipe down with vanilla essence or leave an open packet of bicarbonate of soda in the fridge to absorb odours.
Cleaning wood
Cold water and soap will remove grease and dirt from unpainted pine. Hot water turns wood yellow.
Crystal clear
For chandeliers, you need a bucket of warm water with a squirt of washing-up liquid, plus a quarter of a cup of ammonia. Put a cotton glove on your hand, dip in the solution and clean chandelier section by section.
Cut 'n' polish tops
Restore the lustre to dull laminated benchtops by polishing with a cut-and-polish car cleaner.
Dash of ammonia
Windows will be much harder to clean with dam or bore water. To help, warm the water and add ammonia, then rinse and wipe over.
DIY polish
Make your own furniture polish with one-third of a cup each of purchased boiled linseed oil, turpentine and vinegar. Mix and shake well, then apply with a soft cloth. Wipe dry and polish. Do not try to boil linseed oil yourself - it is not he same. Buy it at a hardware or paint shop.
Dull day work
Don't wash windows on sunny days - they dry too fast and streak.
Fitting covers
After laundering, make sure you replace piped loose cushion covers while still slightly damp; otherwise the piping may tighten or shrink.
Flyscreen dust
To clean dust from flyscreens without removing them, put on a pair of rubber gloves and, from the inside of the house, rub all over the screen with both hands. Dust will come free and fall to the outside windowsill for easy collection.
Get a grip on yourself
Before you move heavy furniture, such as refrigerators or washing machines, slip on a pair of rubber gloves. They'll give a good grip and make the job much easier.
Get a grip on yourself
Before you move heavy furniture, such as refrigerators or washing machines, slip on a pair of rubber gloves. They'll give a good grip and make the job much easier.
Glass cleaners
To clean glass tabletops, rub with lemon juice, dry, then polish with crumpled newspaper. Deal with small small scratches on glass by rubbing with toothpaste.
Glass doors
Clean the glass doors on your wood burner with a couple of paper towels soaked in brown vinegar. Spread the paper on the glass, leave for about 15 minutes, then wipe the doors. This also works on oven doors.
Go for the gloves
To clean venetian blinds, wear an old pair of fabric gloves. Dip fingers in warm soapy water then draw each slat between the fingers.
Go Gothic
Disguise cracks and chips on black furniture and ceramics with black nail polish - it works wonders.
Great poker hand
Cleaning under a refrigerator that's too heavy to move can be done with a long, straight stick. Sweep the stick from left to right underneath the fridge and any loose dirt will come out of the sides. Then soak a piece of cloth in a floor-cleaning product, wrap it around the stick and continue with the side-to-side sweeping until the cloth comes out clean.
Hiccups
Drink a glass of water from the back of the glass or suck on a sugar cube or lemon wedge. Or, briefly apply ice to the side of your neck to interrupt the reflex that causes hiccups.
Hi-lo, high hose
To clean high windows outside using a ladder, try a spray bottle attachment that fits on a garden hose.
Hot plate tip
Before cleaning a gas stove top, remove burners and clear any clogged holes with fine wire. Soak them in detergent, scrub with a plastic scourer, then rinse and shake out water. Replace after wiping stove top.
Hot plate tip
Before cleaning a gas stove top, remove burners and clear any clogged holes with fine wire. Soak them in detergent, scrub with a plastic scourer, then rinse and shake out water. Replace after wiping stove top.
Ice 'n' easy
After defrosting the freezer, wipe it over with a little glycerine before turning the power back on. Next time you defrost, the ice will peel off easily and quickly.
In the bathroom
Shower curtains - Plastic shower curtains will stay soft and pliable after washing if you add a few drops of mineral oil to the rinse water. Wash nylon shower curtains by hand and drip dry.
In the bathroom
Whiten porcelain - To give new life to a porcelain bath that has yellowed, brighten it by rubbing with a solution of salt and turpentine.
In the bathroom
Bath bleaching - For removing any stubborn stains from a porcelain enamel bath, apply a paste of cream of tartar and diluted hydrogen peroxide with a couple of drops of ammonia added. Leave this mixture to sit on the bath for two hours, then wash off.
In the bathroom
Great grout - To freshen white grout, cover it with white liquid shoe polish. Any polish that gets on the tiles can be wiped away later.
In the bathroom
Sparkling showers - Apply silicone glaze car polish every few months to your glass shower recess. Make sure the last person in the shower each morning gives it a quick wipe-over with a window-cleaning squeegee, and it will stay sparkling clean.
In the bathroom
De-fog mirrors - A rub with a cloth dipped in glycerine or equal parts glycerine and methylated spirits will help stop a bathroom mirror fogging.
In the bathroom
Bathroom blotter - Line the shelves of your medicine cabinet with blotting paper to absorb medicinal and cosmetic spills.
In the bathroom
Nylon scrubber - A pad of nylon net can be abrasive enough to clean off bathtub rings.
In the bathroom
Loo with lustre - To get rid of lavatory rings, flush to wet the bowl sides, then apply a paste of borax and lemon juice. Leave for two hours, then scrub.
In the bathroom
Slimy sponges - Loofahs and natural sponges can become slimy with soap residue unless they are cleaned regularly. Rinse well under cold tap, then soak for an hour in two tablespoons of vinegar per litre of water.
In the bathroom
Stained tiles - For extensive stains on tiles, make a paste of bicarbonate of soda and bleach. Scrub, then rinse tiles thoroughly.
In the bathroom
Stained tiles - For extensive stains on tiles, make a paste of bicarbonate of soda and bleach. Scrub, then rinse tiles thoroughly. .
In the bathroom
Plastic showers - Moulded fibre shower recesses should not be cleaned with abrasive substances. Instead, use a mixture of equal parts of brown vinegar and kerosene.
In the bathroom
Soak your head - Plastic shower heads should be soaked in equal amounts of hot vinegar and water. Do not boil.
In the bathroom
Removing mildew - Use a paste of bicarbonate of soda or a mild solution of bleach and water to remove mildew from shower curtains. Rinse.
In the bathroom
A fine spray - Clogged metal shower head? Remove head and boil in half a cup of vinegar and two litres of water for 15 minutes.
In the bathroom
Acrylic baths - Acrylic or fibreglass baths should never be treated with harsh abrasives. For general stains, rub with washing-up liquid or liquid soap. For stubborn stains, gently rub with very fine sandpaper until surface is smooth, then rub with silver metal polish. Rinse well.
In the bathroom
Polish the tiles Furniture polish applied to clean ceramic tile walls will keep soap film from accumulating. Don't treat floors, though, as they will become slippery. Smooth, then rub with silver metal polish. Rinse well.
In the bathroom
Cleaning doors - To clean glass shower doors, sponge with white vinegar.
In the bathroom
DIY detergent - this laundry detergent will give you a fresh wash: mix a quarter of a cup of dish-washing liquid with a quarter of a cup of bicarbonate of soda. Make up to one cup with cold water, add two drops of cologne and stir well. This washes two loads in most machines.
In the Bedroom
Electric blankets - Electric blankets can be stored between the mattress and the red base when winter is over. This keeps the blanket clean and flat and stops the wires getting twisted - and you won't have to look far when a cold snap arrives.
In the Bedroom
Blanket static - Use a fabric softener when washing synthetic blankets. This will help reduce static and make blankets lovely and soft.
In the Bedroom
Vacuum bedding - Freshen any bedding that is difficult to wash by placing it in a large, strong plastic bag. Insert the vacuum cleaner nozzle in the neck of the bag, gather the plastic tightly around it and turn the cleaner on. This helps get dust and mites out of pillows, wool underlays and sleeping bags.
In the Bedroom
It's a breeze - Chenille bedspreads should be washed on a sunny, windy day. Hang them inside out so that they blow in the wind, the chenille on one side fluffs up the pile on the other.
In the Bedroom
Drawer liners - When lining drawers, cut three or more thicknesses of paper to line each one. Then, when they need relining, simply remove the top layer and there's already a clean paper lining underneath.
In the Bedroom
Fluff up blankets - Blankets will stay soft and fluffy after washing if a very little olive oil is added to the final rinse. Dry outside on a windy day or tumble dry on a cool setting in a large clothes drier.
In the Bedroom
Noisy bedsprings - When spring cleaning bedrooms, spray lubricant on bedsprings to silence squeaks.
In the Bedroom
Hose-off rinsing - The best way to rinse blankets (after excess moisture has been removed) is to hang them on the line and hose them. After rinsing, spin on the machine's gentle cycle and hang in the shade.
In the Bedroom
Mattress makeovers - Mattresses can be vacuumed or briskly brushed with a broom. Surface washing can be done with almost-dry detergent suds applied to a small area at a time and wiped off. Air thoroughly.
In the Bedroom
Net and lace - Put life back into net or lace curtains after laundering. Re-hang them, arrange the folds, then take a can of fabric finish (an ironing aid) and spray them lightly. Stand just under a metre away, so the spray won't penetrate the curtains and dull the windows.
It works, by gum
Clean dirty marks off electrical cords with a clean cloth and a few drops of eucalyptus oil.
Lather it off
Use a soapy cloth to wipe the top of a gas or electric stove - scouring powders or steel wool will leave scratches. A plaster scourer and liquid detergent are best for stubborn spots.
Let there be light
Fabric lampshades should be vacuumed lightly. Dust paper and parchment lampshades with a feather duster. Rub soiled spots with a piece of dry bread. Turn off the power, then wipe light bulbs clean with a damp cloth.
Linseed lustre
A capful of linseed oil added to the washing water will improve the appearance of wooden floorboards - it leaves a lovely shine and a pleasant smell as well. Wooden floors should be washed with as little water as possible.
Love that leather
Clean leather furniture with saddle soap, using very little water. Allow to dry, buff with a soft cloth. Rub dark leather once a year with castor oil to prevent cracking. Use petroleum jelly on pale leather. Wipe excess off with a soft cloth.
Marks away
White correction fluid can be useful for touching up chips in white paintwork. It works very well covering vacuum cleaner marks on white skirting boards.
Metho mop-up
Cork floors, if sealed, should be mopped, but never made too wet or the cork may crack. Do not use a detergent; instead, add a couple of tablespoons of methylated spirits to the bucket.
New role for roll
Small gaps, such as those between a stove and the cupboards, or the fridge and the wall, collect dust and often a vacuum nozzle won't fit in. Attach a cardboard roll from plastic wrap or aluminium foil to the vacuum cleaner hose, flatten the end of it enough to allow it to fit into the gap and the dust will soon be sucked away.
No more scuffs
Scuff marks caused by shoes on vinyl floors can be removed easily by wiping with a small quantity of eucalyptus oil on a cloth.
Non-slip handles
A strip of foam or a piece of sponge around the tops of broom and mop handles will prevent marks when they are rested on walls, and they won't slip to the floor.
Orange blossom
Any bad odours left by the oven cleaner will disappear if you put some orange peel on an oven tray and bake it for a few minutes.
Orange blossom
Any bad odours left by the oven cleaner will disappear if you put some orange peel on an oven tray and bake it for a few minutes.
Out, damned spot
Treat spots on carpets with half a cup of white vinegar mixed with one-and-a-half cups of lukewarm water. Squeeze on spot, let stand a few minutes and blot with a damp cloth. Apply clear water and blot with a clean, dry cloth. Repeat till clean.
Oven overhaul
For really dirty ovens, commercial cleaners - which are sprayed or brushed on - may be needed. Wear rubber gloves to protect against caustic burns and cover floor with newspaper. Don't get caustic spray on paintwork. Wipe over surfaces (rinsing cloth often in hot soapy water) in this order: top, back, sides, bottom, door.
Perfect pleats
Net, and other light curtains, are easier to arrange in pleats and folds if re-hung while slightly damp after you have washed them.
Polish residue
A small brush dipped in ammonia will clean old polish from engraved or ornate brass.
Put it on the slate
To keep slate looking its best, wash with hot water and a capful of carwash. It brings a lovely shine to the slate and gives it a slight wax coating.
Quarry tile
Maintain quarry tiles with a damp mop and an occasional application of a good non-slip wax.
Salt 'n' vinegar
Your fireplace will stay cleaner if, once in a while, you throw salt on the logs to reduce soot. White vinegar cleans brick tiling around the fireplace. Dip brush in vinegar and scrub. Use a sponge to absorb excess moisture.
Saucy solution
For a really clean and shiny finish on copper bottles, pots and pans, nothing beats brushing with an old toothbrush dipped in Worcestershire sauce. After scrubbing, rinse well and dry with a soft cloth.
Seal of approval
Moisten a cloth with methylated spirits and wipe it around the rubber seals in your fridge. This will clean them and prolong their life.
Shoes for chairs
To stop chair legs marking floors, fix felt or rubber pads to feet.
Smelly carpet
To deodorise the carpet, mix two parts of cornflour with one part borax. Sprinkle liberally on carpet, leave one hour, then vacuum.
Spruce sponge
Lengthen the life of the sponge on your squeeze mop. Rinse the sponge well after use, then tie a plastic bag over it before storing the mop.
Stop cane cracking
When polishing cane, wipe over with lemon oil or cedar oil to prevent it drying out and possibly cracking.
The good oil
Warm furniture oil is easier to apply and works into wood better than cold oil.
Vanilla spray
Keep handy a spray bottle of water, with a few drops of vanilla essence added. It's great for spraying where odours may accumulate, such as the bin cupboard, the sink after washing up and the dishcloth.
Vibrant vinyl
To clean vinyl furniture, sprinkle vinegar or bicarbonate of soda on a damp cloth and apply. Then wash with a mild liquid soap. Never use oil on vinyl - it will harden it.
Vinyl tiles
Vinyl-coated tiles should be mopped sparingly with a detergent solution or, alternatively, half a cup of vinegar in a bucket of water.
Warm to the job
Clean the oven while it is still warm and the job will be easier. Wipe soft grease off with a sponge and liquid detergent; rub scorched food with a soap pad. Rinse cloth in ammonia and water, and wipe out again.
Wax on wood
Candlewax can be removed from wood by first softening the wax with a hairdryer. Wipe with paper towelling and wash down with a solution of vinegar and water.
White shoe shuffle
Curtain, blind and light cords can be cleaned by rubbing white shoe cleaner along them with a sponge dispenser. They will stay clean longer and can be refreshed in seconds.
Window cleaner
Clean your windows with a solution of two tablespoons of vinegar in a small bucketful of water. Apply with a chamois and buff with crumpled newspaper.
Wood stains
To remove water marks from wood surface, rub with toothpaste on a damp cloth. For stubborn stains, add bicarbonate of soda to toothpaste. Table salt mixed with a light oil often works, too.
Wool Mix windows
Save the cost of window detergent by using a mixture of one part wool mix to 10 parts water in a spray bottle. It gives a perfect result and is very economical.
