cleaning tips and tricks

Here are the best cleaning tips and tricks that I have discovered!

Most of you that know me probably read that title and started laughing.  Like you want to take cleaning advice from me?  I totally get that – but don’t stop reading.  These are not tips + tricks I came up with, but rather ones I found on Pinterest that I decided to give a try this weekend.  Is it totally clear that I was bored while my husband was out of town?  I resort to cleaning?!?

Now, I am about to warn  you that the before shots are freaky.  Even downright embarrassing.  But, they go to prove how effective these tips really are.  I’m actually kind of freaked out now looking at the photos and the conditions we were showering in!

Cleaning Tips And Tricks

First up – cleaning our shower head.  I don’t know what the water in Omaha is made of but it is clearly not water.  It leaves really bad white and pinkish/orange buildups not only on the shower heads but also in the toilets if you don’t clean them frequently {not that I have ever witnessed this personally….}  I didn’t actually read the directions on this one, just the ingredients and I whipped up a batch.  Watch out – this is like a scary science experiment.  Once the vinegar hits the baking soda it creates an eruption!  So, if you pour it in slowly, you should be good.  Our bathroom shower head must be much larger than the one on the demo because the bag barely fit over it and then the liquid didn’t go up high enough.  I left it on overnight, but would go in every hour or so and mix up the bag with my fingers {you can see the baking soda would settle}.  The after pics are without being wiped off, watered, etc.  Not bad!!

Next up – cleaning the soap scum and water spots off a shower door – using Bounce dryer sheets!!  Now, I have tried every possible cleaning solution under the sun and had finally given up.  Nothing would clean the glass doors.  I was at the point where we would have to buy new doors if we ever were to sell our house.  But these suckers worked like a charm!  I found that the damper I got them, the better they worked.  In between {once I got a lot of soap scum moving around} I would then use Windex and paper towels to clear off the soap.  This took some elbow grease, but after about 45 minutes, I was able to finish the right door.  I started on the left but gave up and figured the husband could wrap that one up when he got home! 🙂  Now, there were some water spots left, but again, my arm got pretty tired, so I think with more effort, these could look like new {in fact, the area I first started is perfectly clear!!}

Before {I think its funny you can’t even tell what is in there – embarrassing I know!!}

The afters {the middle one was before I did the preliminary work on the left side door – the right photo shows once I cleaned it up a little}.  I think my favorite part was that there were no harsh fumes to deal with!

Not only did I find that Bounce dryer sheets are miracle workers for shower doors, check what else they are good for.  I plan to try them on our baseboards and couch next to remove dust/cat hair.  I also want to try it as bug repellent – looks like it is good not only for mosquitoes but also ants and bees!

1. It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.
2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.
3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don’t get opened too often.
4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.
5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.
6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling..
7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.
8. To freshen the air in your home – Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.
9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.
10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.
11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.
12. To freshen the air in your car – Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.
13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan..
14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.
15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.
16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds.. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.
17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.
18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.
19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.
20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.
21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.
22. Wet a Bounce sheet, hose down your car, and wipe love bugs off easily with the wet Bounce. FABULOUS!