Tried And Tested Tips For Undoing Years Of Damage Done To Your Worn Cleaning Tools

Every year when January rolls around, people take stock of their lives, and more often than not, their humble abodes. After all, studies have proven that a clean home can affect your work and personal life in a positive way. But in order to give your house an effective once over, you need to have the right tools at your disposal.

And, after all the ironing and vacuuming which the festive period requires (even more so if you've hosted a party or two), your cleaning utensils can be left looking a little worse for wear, which makes them less effective.

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However, there's no need to invest any of your hard-earned cash on replacements - if, of course, you know the right hacks to give them a spring clean before you even think about touching your house. So, without further ado, here's how to transform your cleaning utensils!

1. Clean your burnt iron with a paracetamol tablet

Is the picture on the left a familiar sight? It's easy is to get scorch marks on our irons and while we might think they're impossible to remove, in reality, it's actually incredibly simple - with the right hack, of course. All you need is a Panadol tablet.

Credit: Walgreens

"A Panadol tablet held in a pair of tweezers and rubbed on the hot iron plate," one woman suggested on Facebook. (Many people have also said that regular non-brand paracetemol also works just as well.)

Credit: Facebook

For this to work, your iron is going to have to be on its maximum setting. As you rub the tablet along its surface, you'll see the burn marks begin to slide off. It's as simple as erasing pencil from paper. Rub the pill across the surface (with caution) until all the scorch marks have been removed.

2. Spring clean your vacuum cleaner's head

One of the most frustrating things about vacuum cleaning is how easy it is to get debris stuck in your cleaner's head. After New Year's Eve, I had a pretty big clean-up operation on my hands, and because more than a few women did their hair in my bedroom, there was a lot of hair to hoover up. Needless to say, this quickly clogged up my vacuum cleaner.

Credit: Clean My Space

Luckily, I knew the perfect hack for removing it. Simply get a pair of scissors and trim away any hair or yarn that's become entangled in it - just be careful not to cut the bristles themselves. Once you've done this, use a toothbrush to scrape away any remaining debris. Soak it in a bucket of warm water for a day and voilà, it will be as good as new.

3. This is what you need to deep clean your washing machine

A little-known fact about washing machines is that, in order for them to run effectively, they have to be deep cleaned at least once a year. Otherwise, they could leave you with clothes that aren't as clean or as fresh as you'd like.

Thankfully, there's a simple hack out there which will give your machine the deep clean it needs using common household products. Namely, bleach, baking soda, and vinegar, and, of course, some hot water.

To discover just how easy it is to deep clean your machine, check out the video below:

4. Make DIY all-purpose cleaners

One of the biggest problems of store-bought cleaning products is that they often contain a lot of chemicals, and, more often than not, aren't particularly effective at doing their jobs. This is not only bad for the environment but your health.

When it comes to cleaning, simplicity is often the key, which is why it's such a good idea to invest some time in making DIY all-purpose cleaners. Some common and safe ingredients that you can use are baking soda, alcohol and lemon juice.

A recommended all-purpose cleaner recipe from The Seasoned Mom involves combining vinegar, essential oils and baking soda.

Credit: theseasonedmom.com

So how exactly does it work? I hear you ask. Well, the vinegar is the cleaning base which is what does most of the work for you and the baking soda is adds a grit component which means it won't damage your counters. As for the essential oils, they're what make it smell nice, so you can choose them based on your favorite fragrances. I recommend lavender.

To make the solution, simply combine a cup of white vinegar and a tablespoon of baking soda to an empty spray bottle. After you've done this, add a cup of water and essential oils. Then boom! You have yet another effective cleaning utensil.

So, before you clean your house from top to bottom this New Year, you might want to take a close look at the tools your working with (after all, an artist is only as good as what's in their toolbox) and utilize these easy and quick hacks as necessary.