Most people spend a lot of time and money on doing their household chores. It doesn’t matter whether you rent or own your own home, you are likely to spend around $2000 every year on home maintenance and over 13 hours every week on chores. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. If you want to look at saving time, money and energy take a look at these 15 great DIY home hacks.
1 Use old wipes containers to store plastic bags neatly
This is a cheap and easy way to make sure you don’t end up with piles of plastic bags in the corner of your home. Once you have used a container of disinfectant wipes reuse the container to store plastic bags. You can pull the bags out as you need them and you can even keep a supply neatly in your car.
2 Ice Cubes can clean candle wax from furniture
Anyone who has ever had a candle wax spill knows it can be hard to remove. If it is on an expensive item of furniture the last thing you want to do is start trying to scrape it away. If you put some ice cubes in a plastic bag and place that on the wax for a few minutes. The wax will harden and you can then simply pick it up and throw it away.
3 Steam irons can remove wax from carpet
Another common accident is a candle wax spill onto the carpet. If you place a paper bag over the wax and then gently use a steam iron the wax will lift and come away stuck to the bag.
4 -You can use toothpaste to get rid of small scratches on your furniture
Our furniture is subject to a lot of wear and tear so it is not surprising that we can end up with small scratches. It can cost a fortune to have furniture professionally refinished but some toothpaste could be just the thing to get those small marks to vanish. You need to use non-gel paste and taking a pea-sized amount just rub any scratches with a circular movement. Eventually, you will see the scratch buff out. Clean any remaining toothpaste away with a damp cloth and you’re done!
5- Dusty blinds? Use tongs wrapped in towels
It can be a time-consuming chore trying to get the dust off of blinds. To make it super-easy all you need is a couple of dish towels, some tongs and some elastic bands. By securing the towels to the tongs with the bands you can create the perfect duster to clean the blinds in double-quick time.
6- Sticky labels come off in a jiffy with simple cooking oil
If you peel a label off a jar and end up with a sticky spot a simple cotton pad and some cooking oil will save the day. Rub the oil on the sticky spot and leave it for a few minutes. When the oil has sunk in the residue on the jar will be easy to wipe away.
7 -Support wilting flowers with drinking straws.
Make your sad wilting flowers last longer by placing a plastic straw around the stems. This means the plant stays upright, it looks better, and it can still take advantage of the water in the vase.
8 -Clear nail polish can fix your window screen
If you find a small tear in your screen door or window don’t panic! Adding some clear nail polish to the nick or tear and you will be able to continue to use the door effectively without having to replace the whole thing.
9 -HVAC vent registers get squeaky clean in the dishwasher
HVAC registers can get grimy fast! However, if you simply pop them off and put them in the dishwasher they come out as good as new. Just run them through a cycle, dry them and reinstall.
10 -Use vertical magazine racks to keep your pot and pan lids in line!
Pot and pan lids take up so much room in cabinets that it is no surprise that someone discovered a cheap easy solution. Adding a vertical wire magazine rack to the inside of the cabinet door keeps all those lids in line and stops them from taking over the whole cabinet.
11 -Magic Erasers can work magic on messy ceramic cook tops
Ceramic cooktops are a great alternative to gas but they can be difficult to clean. A Magic Eraser can help – caked-on messes come off easily and keep the ceramic tiles looking great. You could say they are really magical!
12 -Reorganize your spices with magnetic racks
Spices soon get out of control but fortunately, you can easily organize them by using a magnetic spice rack that sticks to your fridge. It is not only decorative but it is functional too.
13 -Alka-Seltzer tablets will spruce up your pans
If you have ended up with your dinner stuck to the pantry using Alka-Seltzer. Just pop a tablet in the pan, fill with hot water and leave it for about 15 minutes. When you come back you will find that the mess wipes up more easily.
14 -Illuminate your world with stick-on LED lights
If your kitchen could do with a little more light LED lights are a cheap and easy way to solve the problem. Buying a few stick-on lights can help illuminate that dark cabinet or countertop immediately with very little cost.
15 -A risk-free way to clean your blender
Blenders are a great labor-saving device but cleaning them after use can be quite scary – no one wants to put their hand into a bowl of knives. A safe and easy way to get your blender squeaky clean is to add a couple of cups of water and some dish soap. Blend away until all the grime is gone.
