If you’re like me and spend way too much time doing endless chores, you might find some of these easy hacks helpful.
Steam the Microwave – Hack #1
Gross microwaves give me a slight form of PTSD. I remember from back in the days when I’d take my Weight Watchers frozen meal to work for lunch.
Ready to pop a delicious meal of some rat-size serving of so-called “chicken” dinner of one sort or another into the lunchroom microwave.
And voila! Several other employees’ exploded leftovers.
Crusted on the turntable or slimed over the roof.
Am I making you sick yet? Sorry.
But perhaps you now understand my need for a clean microwave and one of my crazy triggers.
Note: I no longer eat processed frozen meals, so no need to lecture me on that.
The best way to let the microwave nearly clean itself is to boil in a microwave safe bowl, a cup of vinegar and a splash of dish soap. I set the time for 1 minute and if the liquid isn’t close to boiling or hasn’t begun to steam the inside, I give it another 30 seconds.
On industrious days, I add a cleaning rag and use the hot liquid to wipe down cupboard fronts and handles.
Remove Light Wrinkles – Hack #2
For items that are lightly wrinkled or creased and don’t quite need an iron or steamer, I let the dryer do the work.
Especially good for tablecloths out of the linen closet, I use 10 or so ice cubes and place the items and ice into the dryer on the “steam refresh” mode and let it go for a few minutes.
It will make a big ol’ clinking noise for a minute or so, so don’t be alarmed. It’s nothing quite as loud as the time I put my brother in the dryer for a carnival ride. I’m not even kidding about that. Luckily my mother was home.
Some fabric, such as my kitchen tablecloths will never be crisp and completely wrinkle free, so this hack works perfectly fine.
Freshen the Disposal with Citrus – Hack #3
Lemon or lime compliments my water or seltzer daily, so I almost always have used citrus. And why throw it in the trash when I freshens up the disposal so nicely.
It’s best to cut up the citrus if it’s in big hunks, but otherwise, it chops up smoothly and flushes a lot of odor right down the drain.
P.S. I’m still using the little triangular sink drying rack from Amazon. It works great.
Freshen the Guest Room with Baking Soda – Hack #4
I’m sure everyone knows the benefits of baking soda, but did you know you can buy giant boxes or bags of it?
We have hosted quite a bit lately and it’s nice to freshen up the guest bed, bedding and towels with backing soda in between uses.
I love to use those laundry fragrance beads, but they can be an allergy trigger and not everyone wants to sleep with a strong scent.
Soda tends to leave everything smelling just fresh and clean.
Another hint for smaller containers of baking soda used for actual baking. If you’re not as active in the kitchen, you can store your soda in the freezer to lengthen its life.
In fact, I keep all my baking supplies in the freezer. Expiration dates are no longer my enemy.
Another note. I bought this guest room bedding from Walmart two years ago and it still looks brand new and stylish. Some colors and sizes are still available if you’re interested.
Mini Dusting with Microfiber – Hack #5
The gigantic package of microfiber clothes we got from Costco have been an excellent cleaning purchase.
Water spots on your crystal? Quick rinse and dry with a microfiber.
Dust on your glass coffee table? Easy swipe with a microfiber.
Sink full of drying dishes too much for a simple tea towel? Whip out the microfiber.
Bathroom mirror splashed with who-knows-what? Use a little spray of glass cleaner and wipe with microfiber.
Honestly, I have microfiber cloths stashed in every room. I don’t need to wait for a big dusting day to do everything. Just a spot clean, and the chore is done.
When I’m doing a lot of dishes or food prep, I keep a dry cloth on hand in the kitchen to open the fridge door to keep pesky smears off the stainless.
I do wash the cloths frequently. It seems as if almost every laundry load contains used microfiber cloths.
Use the Dishwasher for More than Dishes – Hack #6
For bulky items such as kitchen vents or baking racks, consider using the dishwasher. Back-breaking work really does become simplified.
I use the dishwasher to deep clean the reservoir on my Waterpick and my toothbrush holder.
After travel, the dishwasher is handy for cleaning out the reusable travel bottles. All ready for the next trip!
Barb got great results with her range hood filter I shared last year.
Squeegee Your Shower – Every. Single. Time. – Hack #7
When you keep a squeegee in your shower front and center, there is a constant reminder for whoever is the last to shower to wipe down the glass doors.
Just do it. You’ll thank me later.
Put the House to Bed – Hack #8
Spending between 2-5 minutes every night “putting the house to bed” means I wake up in the morning to a tidy house and a fresh cup o’ joe waiting to be made.
I like to fold up throw blankets, tidy couch pillows, dry any dishes still on the counter and of course, clean out the cat boxes.
I start putting the house to bed relatively early so I’m not too tired to do it before I crash.
So if my 2-5 minutes turns into a little putzing situation, I can ease into the night and wake up to a fresh day.
This is really my #1 hack and one I don’t skip. Starting my day without old chores staring me down makes a big difference.
Wrap Up
Thank you for joining me today and I hope these hacks give you some inspiration to simplify your chores for a more enjoyable day.
Do you have any tips to share with the rest of us?
As always, I so appreciate you and am sending prayers and blessings your way.