It can sometimes feel like you could spend the rest of your life trying to clean and organize your home and never actually cross every item off your to-do list. However, just because you're short on time doesn't mean you have to ignore those projects you're eager to get done.
1. Unclog a stuck drain with coffee.
"Coffee grounds can be mixed with dish soap and boiling water to unclog drains," says Alex Azoury, founder and CEO of Home Grounds. Azoury recommends mixing the grounds with soap and adding the mixture into your drain, following it up with a lengthy pour of boiling water, the combination of which will break up whatever's clogging your pipes.
2. Or use coffee grounds as a degreaser.
"Rub some coffee grounds into the grease or soap and it'll gently buff off any residue," says Azoury. Rinse off the mixture with warm water afterward and voila! A squeaky-clean tub.
3. Use essential oils to polish furniture.
"You can use lemon essential oil to quickly polish any dark wood and effectively clean stains and spots." Wilson also notes that tea tree oil is another effective furniture polish and has the added benefit of being a bug deterrent.
4. Or remove small scratches on furniture with toothpaste.
We all end up with small scratches in the finishes of our furniture from time to time. However, before you go spending hundreds of dollars to get your couch refinished, try using some toothpaste to get those marks out. Using a pea-sized amount of non-gel paste, rub the scratch in a circular motion until it buffs out, and then clean the remainder with a damp towel.
5. Use a hairdryer to get crayon marks off the walls.
If your kids like to use your white walls as their personal crayon canvas, all hope is not lost. Simply heat the offending portion of the wall with a hairdryer for a few seconds to soften the crayon's wax and then wipe any marks away with a soft cloth.
6. Clean your HVAC vent registers in the dishwasher.
Those grimy HVAC registers can easily be cleaned in your dishwasher! Just pop them off, run them through a quick rinse cycle, and dry them thoroughly before reinstalling.
7. Limit the amount of water your toilet uses by putting a heavy item in the tank.
Is your water bill outrageously high? On overly full toilet tank could be the problem. To help reduce the cost, put a brick or other heavy item inside the tank.
8. Keep your toothbrush off the dirty countertop with a clothespin.
Your bathroom counter is teeming with germs, so it's the last place you want your toothbrush to be. And if you don't want to spend money on a whole slew of new bathroom accessories, a clothespin is just as effective at holding up your toothbrush, far away from all that bacteria.
9. Clean a messy ceramic cooktop with a Magic Eraser.
Ceramic cooktops may seem like a convenient alternative to gas ranges, but they're not always easier to clean. Fortunately, a Magic Eraser can come to your rescue. This gritty sponge can remove those caked-on messes in just a few swipes without doing any damage to your cooking surface.
10. Use a magnetic rack to keep spices tidy.
If you're like most people, your spice cabinet could probably use some serious reorganization. Fortunately, a magnetic spice rack can kill two birds with one stone by both making your spices more organized and giving you something to put on your fridge other than bills and grocery lists.