Mom Shares Genius Hack That Will Keep Your Tiles Looking Pristine

Now that our Christmas trees have been taken down, fairy lights carefully put away, and the wrapping paper we tore off with reckless abandon taken to the landfill, many of us will be starting to think about giving our homes a spring clean. Sure, it does not quite spring yet, but a clean house is a great way to say out with the old and in with the new.

But as we all know, cleaning can be an arduous process - and that's putting it mildly. When I moved into my apartment last summer, I realized just how messy the previous tenants had been. Even though the landlord had paid a cleaner, I still had to give my room another once-over before it was suitably clean.

However, the true horror that the previous tenants had left behind didn't become apparent until I entered the bathroom. Behind the sink, there was enough hair to make at least three wigs, and I contemplated buying a mask before removing it. Think of the scariest spider you've ever seen, make it ten times bigger, and that will give you some idea of the monstrous fur ball that I encountered. And a smaller, but equally tricky problem I faced was the grime between the bathroom tiles.

But thanks to the internet, people have been sharing their genius hacks for keeping bathrooms and tiles clean, and it's safe to say that my cleaning game is never going to be the same. This is how you can get better results than ever in a fraction of the time...

1. Never again find grime between your bathroom tiles...

Little did I know then, but they can be kept permanently clean with this incredible cleaning hack: 

As the video above demonstrates, if you simply purchase a long, white candle and run it along the cracks between your bathroom tiles, it will create a protective layer which stops grime from forming. Now, I don't know about you, but I think that's genius!

This incredible cleaning hack, however, is far from the only household cleaning tip that you need to know when giving your abode a spring clean this year. Here are a few others which will take the pain out of getting a squeaky clean house for 2019...

2. Get your floors to sparkle with tomato sauce and a $10 spray

Yes, you read that right. Ketchup. While in most instances it's what makes floors dirty, unbelievably, it also has the ability to clean them too. This hack went viral on Facebook after one mom showed how it had her floors gleaming in minutes.

"This was done in minimal time and with minimal effort," she wrote alongside before and after photos. "I had no idea they were that filthy. I love it. I used Bunnings Long Life Grout Cleaner and applied it with an empty sauce bottle."

Credit: Facebook

This $10 cleaning solution promises to "restore and revitalize grout between ceramic tiles, slate, terracotta, brick and masonry surfaces."

After seeing the impressive result of this hack, another mom asked how long the stem brush (it too was purchased from Bunnings for $9.90) helped clean the floors.

Credit: Facebook

"I poured the liquid into the empty, clean sauce bottle and followed the directions," the Melbourne mom explained. "I then squirted into grout, left for a few minutes, lightly scrubbed with the long handle brush then mopped up residue with hot water and vinegar. It was very easy."

So how long exactly did this take? I hear you ask. The results in the pictures above took a total of 10 to 15 minutes to achieve.

3. Permanent marker isn't permanent with this hack

As any parent will attest, there's nothing more devastating when a child takes to flooring with a permanent marker. Within minutes, their artwork can result in a situation that leaves you hundreds of dollars out of pocket, but that doesn't have to be the case. One mother, however, found a $7 solution that's absolutely genius.

In a Facebook cleaning group, she shared the removal and people were floored by the results:

"Who knew?!?! Little miss 5 decided to draw on the stone bench with a permanent marker," she wrote alongside the video. "Watch how easily I removed it!! Aerogard to the rescue."

In response to the video, several other moms shared their solutions to the same problem.

"Hand sanitizer does the same," one wrote.

"I use hairspray just like this works a treat for all kinds of stains," another added.

Credit: Facebook

Others also took the popularity of the video as an opportunity to point out that Aerogard can be used to remove permanent marker from walls, tables, and leather sofas - the more you know, eh?!

So, the next time you find yourself staring hopelessness at dirt and grime in your bathroom and/or on your floor, take comfort in the knowledge that you know exactly the right hacks to have it sparkling again in no time!