8 Brilliant Cleaning Tips From Grandma
Cleaning is a skill that needs to be honed. No one comes into the world from the womb knowing how to get a red wine stain out of a white shirt, so it stands to reason that most of us have learned a lesson or two from more experienced family members. The most common example? The grandmother. Here, the matriarchs of the family reveal their best tricks.
1. Pour boiling water on berry stains.
When you pour boiling water over berry stains, the stains go away immediately. It's always best to treat a stain as soon as possible after it occurs, and this trick is easiest to use in the bathtub to avoid spills. No matter where you do it, be careful to avoid burns!
2. Clean glass with newspaper
To clean mirrors or windows streak-free, my grandma recommends using newspaper instead of paper towels or microfiber cloths. Bonus points if you drink a Bloody Mary with a beer while you are at it!
3. Clean your fireplace screen with ashes.
Newspaper is a surprisingly helpful tool for cleaning glass, but this trick has another unique component. My grandmother used to clean her fireplace glass with wet newspaper dipped in ash. Just rub it over the inside of the glass in a circular motion, and watch the soot disappear!
4. Use lemon water to clean refrigerator shelves.
My grandmother used lemon water to clean the glass surfaces of the refrigerator and kitchen windows. Lemon not only dissolves grease and grime, but it smells much better than any chemical cleaner out there!
5. Scrub pans with baking soda and vinegar.
Another useful tip from my grandmother: if you have a pot or pan with caked-on food or hard-to-remove grease, take your favorite sponge or brush and scrub the affected areas with a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar. Rinse, dry and enjoy your like-new cookware!
6. Remove limescale with vinegar.
My grandma also likes to use vinegar to clean everything, including soap scum and lime deposits in the kitchen or bathroom. Simply soak a cloth in a vinegar and water solution and wipe the affected area. The acetic acid will break down the lime!
7. Clean stainless steel with lemon and salt.
Use lemon and salt to clean stainless steel sinks. Sprinkle salt on the sink first, then cut the lemon in half and rub it all over the surface. The salt will soak up the stains, and the acid from the lemon will break down grease and grime, disinfecting and deodorizing the sink.
8. Use the same ingredients (plus ice) to remove coffee stains.
Coffee tends to stain ceramic mugs over time, but there's a clever solution: add lemon juice, salt and ice and shake the mug for a few minutes until the stain is gone.