Secret Cleaning Tricks You Didn’t Know

When you’re already running late and you realize that something needs to be done but you don’t have the products to do it, it can be a frustrating situation. Perhaps you are on your way to a dinner party for work only to realize that your favorite silver necklace is a little dull or your coffee pot is a mess and you need to do something to clean it quickly so you can brew a pot before work. Not having what you need can be problematic. Fortunately, a few things you definitely have lying around the house will do the trick.

Toothpaste – Not Just for Teeth

Not only does it make your teeth sparkle and your breath fresh, toothpaste is your jewelry’s best friend. Plain toothpaste – not a gel toothpaste with whitening agents – will buff your dull silver into shiny silver in a matter of minutes. A little tarnish is nothing toothpaste cannot handle.

Vinegar

Vinegar is great for any number of things. You can remove the sticky mess from decals on mirrors and other hard surfaces with vinegar. You can remove tough grease from kitchen counters and film on anything made of glass with vinegar.

Baking Soda

The best way to thoroughly clean your coffee pot is with vinegar. However, you don’t want to have that bitter taste mixed in with your morning coffee when it doesn’t rinse completely out during a good wash. To make sure all the vinegar is removed from your coffee pot – along with that vinegar smell – pour baking soda in the carafe while it is filled with water. If the baking soda fizzes there is still vinegar in the pot and you will need to run it through another rinse cycle.

Shampoo

Tough stains in clothing can be a nightmare to remove, which is when shampoo comes in handy. It’s as gentle on your clothing as it is on your hair. The trick here is to place shampoo on tough spots while the clothing is in the sink. A pea-size drop onto the stain and in a sink filled with water will remove stains easily. Remember not to put shampoo on items in the washing machine, however, or you will have one heck of a mess to clean.