Having a tough time staying on top of your cleaning? It doesn’t have to be difficult to find the right cleaning product for the job. Ammonia or bleach-based cleaners like Domestos can make light work of some heavy household tasks, and make smaller tasks a breeze. How? Read on for some cleaning hacks that will save you time and effort.
Ammonia and bleach are powerful cleaning agents, so make sure you wear rubber gloves when using them to protect your skin. Use them in well-ventilated areas, and never mix them together.
Clean tarnished metal with ammonia
Looking for home hacks for silverware that’s seen better days? Try cleaning it with a soft brush dipped in a little ammonia, then wipe away any excess liquid with a soft cloth or chamois. That’s it – good as new!
This also works on gold and silver jewellery, unless there are pearls on the piece. Soak your trinkets in a solution of 125ml ammonia to 250ml water for 10 minutes, then rub with your soft cloth or chamois and leave them to dry.
Oven cleaning hacks that get rid of burnt on dirt
Need some easy household hacks for stubborn oven grease? Try laying your oven racks out on an old towel and placing them in a large wash tub (or your bath, if you don’t mind some extra cleaning afterwards). Fill the tub with warm water and drop in 125ml of ammonia. Let them soak for about 15 minutes before rinsing them well and wiping away any remaining grime.
For more oven cleaning hacks, why not see if your oven can clean itself. Yes, your electric oven can help you shift the dirt if you heat it to 65 degrees Celsius and then turn it off and place 125ml of ammonia on the top shelf and a large pan of boiling water on the bottom shelf. Leave this steam bath overnight, then remove the containers and air the oven. Finally, use warm water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid to wipe it down and see how easily the dirt comes off.
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CAUTION: ammonia is highly flammable, so this method isn’t suitable for gas ovens.
Home cleaning tips for clothing care
125ml of bleach in a machine wash of white clothing is one of the most popular cleaning hacks around, but did you know that ammonia is useful for cleaning stains out of clothes, too? By soaking stains in a half-water, half-ammonia solution, you can get rid of most sweat, urine, and even blood stains. If you use clear ammonia, this will even work on colourful fabrics.
The half-water, half-ammonia solution is also great for cleaning white shoes and trainers. Dip a cloth in the liquid and simply rub it over your shoes, and the stains should come right off.
Plant care with household chemicals
Hold on – plant care, with cleaning fluid? Stick around; these household hacks aren’t as mad as you might think. Some types of garden plant, like clematis, lilac, or cucumber, thrive in alkaline soil. You can perk them up by giving them an occasional refresher by diluting 65ml of ammonia in 3.7 litres of water. This is the same quantity used for removing bathroom mould and mildew, so you can even save water this way!
As for bleach, adding a few drops to a vase of cut flowers will keep the water and keep those blooms looking fresh for a little longer. It also helps stop that weird scum from developing at the bottom of the vase.
There you have it: four life hacks for homes using things that are easy to get hold of (if you don’t already have them in your cleaning cupboard). For a lighter, brighter household, all you need to do is follow these simple home cleaning tips – and then put your feet up.
Wear gloves when handling ammonia and bleach.
Never use ammonia and bleach together.
Ammonia should always be diluted. A half-ammonia and half-water solution should be enough for most household cleaning.
Always rinse surfaces thoroughly after washing with ammonia or bleach.