Home hacks to save the day
WE have been in a long lockdown for more than a year, and it’s more important than ever to save money however we can. Here are some quick home hacks and fixers if you ever need them when the time comes.
Make your own anti-slip hangers
Sometimes the clothes we have slip off the hanger at home due to the material out of which it’s made. Luckily, you can make your own antislip hanger without the need to buy anything new to fill your wardrobe.
Take two large rubber bands and wrap one around each end of a hanger. Wrap it around as many times as you can to keep it in place, covering as much area as possible. The friction from the rubber band will keep your shirts from slipping off!
DIY plastic bag dispenser
Tired of seeing plastic bags in another bigger plastic bag? Just stuff some plastic bags into an empty paper towel tube to create your own plastic bag dispenser.
When you need a bag, just pull one out from the tube. You can make a few of these dispensers and store them all lined up in a drawer to keep things neat and tidy.
Another cool thing about this trick is that it doesn’t take up a lot of space, and you can help mother nature by reusing the paper towel tubes instead of tossing them out with the trash.
Remove wax from carpet with steam
Did you accidentally spill hot candle wax on your rug during a party? Just put a paper bag over the wax and lightly run a steam iron over the surface. The steam will help lift the wax from the carpet and cling to the bag instead.
Use vinegar and lemon juice to deodorise the microwave
Does your microwave smell less than fresh after several uses? If cleaning and airing the microwave doesn’t work, try using this handy hack to get rid of the funky smell.
Mix one cup of vinegar, one cup of water and two tablespoons of lemon juice in a microwave-safe bowl. The lemon juice will provide additional grease-cutting power while toning down the strong scent of the vinegar.
Once the time is up, just wipe the insides of the microwave.
Use shadows to find dropped items in narrow corners
All of us have been there before. We accidentally drop a small item into a tight crevice between the car seats and struggle to find the item.
A tried and true trick is to use a flashlight and lay it on the floor. Turn the light in a circle so it skims the surface of the floor, and keep an eye out for the shadow. The shadow cast by the lost item will help you pinpoint the location for easy retrieval.
Organise the vacuum accessories
Bend an ordinary wire clothes hanger into an inverted V, squeeze the arms together and insert into the open end of the vacuum accessory.
The tension from the bent hanger will hold the vacuum nozzle in place and can be hung on the wall. Do the same for the other accessories.
Get streak-free surfaces
Don’t like the streaks on your mirror, windows or computer monitor after wiping? Here’s a cleaning solution you can make at home for streak-free home surfaces.
All you have to do is to mix white vinegar and cold water in a spray bottle.
To clean, spray the solution on the surface you want to clean and then wipe the same surface clean with a microfiber cloth.
Get rid of nasty toilet bowl stains with mouthwash
You finally get motivated to do some cleaning around the house (especially the bathroom) but you’re out of toilet bowl cleaner! Don’t panic, your bottle of mouthwash is all you need in a pinch!
Pour a capful of mouthwash into your toilet bowl and let it sit for half an hour. When the time’s up, give the bowl a scrub and the grime should come off easily.
Use a rubber band to control soap dispensers
Some soap dispenser bottles shoot out a little too much liquid soap even when you’re just giving it a light push. To prevent wastage, loop a rubber band around the neck of the dispenser a few times.
The width of the rubber band loops will help slow the flow of the dispenser and you’ll get the appropriate and consistent amount of soap with every pump.