One minute doesn’t seem like a very significant amount of time, does it?
You can’t even make a decent cup of tea in one minute, but you can try these handy cleaning hacks.
We challenge you to complete these tidy tasks in less than 60 seconds.
1. Place a microwave-safe bowl of water with a few drops of lemon juice in the machine and microwave for one minute, then wipe with a damp cloth.
Lemons
2. Rub your chopping board with half a lemon to clean it.
3. Dust your computer keyboard with an old toothbrush.
Lift grime from the fine grooves of jewelry with a toothbrush dipped in a baking soda solution. Picture: Getty
4. Grate a raw potato to clean your grater.
5. Run out of steel wool? Use a scrunched up ball of aluminium foil with some dishwashing liquid on your glass lasagne dishes.
6. Fill your blender with water and a little bit of dishwashing liquid and blend to give it a really good clean.
7. Wipe dusty old candles with stockings to make them look as good as new.
8. Clean saucepans by boiling 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder in each pan for one minute.
Cleaning agents don’t have to be toxic. Picture: Getty
9. Fold up aluminium foil and cut through it with scissors to keep each pair nice and sharp.
10. Roll a sticky lint remover over lampshades to keep them clean.
11. Put your hand in an old, damp, clean sock like a sock puppet and run your hand along Venetian blinds to clean them.
HDB Bathroom at Boon Tiong Road. Picture: iProperty
12. Pour a few inches of toilet cleaner into the pot where you store your toilet brush. It keeps it sanitary in between proper bathroom cleans.
See more: How to clean bathroom tile grout until it sparkles
13. Place any jars in your fridge inside old jar lids to prevent leaking.
Organized fridge. Picture: Ross Campbell
14. Sprinkle baking soda on any spills on the couch and leave the mixture to soak up the moisture. Give it a quick vacuum when you think it’s ready.
15. The next time you vacuum, take a minute to sprinkle some cinnamon on the carpet. It will deodorize the area and make your home smell sweet.
16. Squirt a little shaving foam on bathroom mirror smears and wipe with toilet paper.
17. Pop a rubber glove on your hand and quickly rub it over furniture to remove pet hair.
See more: Pets you can own in a HDB vs Private residential
18. Dry wet shoes by placing crumpled up newspaper inside each one and leave overnight. The paper will absorb the moisture.
19. Line your fridge shelves with plastic wrap. The next time you go to clean your fridge, you can simply remove the plastic wrap and throw it away.
20. Clean your smelly coffee grinder by grinding some plain, uncooked white rice in it.
Andrew James Coffee Grinder. Picture: Amazon
21. Set a timer – set yourself a challenge to put the groceries away in under one minute – you can do it!
22. Remove pilling from clothing by gently shaving the affected area with a razor.
23. Use baking paper every time you cook something on a tray in the oven. It takes five seconds and will save hours of cleaning.
24. Dab a little bit of vanilla extract on a clean cloth and wipe over your benches and cupboards. It will make your kitchen smell like cupcakes.
25. Once you’ve vacuumed up shards of broken glass, press a fresh piece of bread around the area. Any little tiny pieces of glass will stick to the bread.
26. Take the rubbish out – if you run, it’ll only take a minute.
See more: How to up your recycling game in 2019
27. Get rid of all your old magazines. Every time you leave your house for the next week, take a stack of ten magazines with you and pop them into the recycling bin. It won’t take long and you’ll get through the pile in no time.
28. Do a quick tidy up around the house. Get a basket for everyone who lives in the house and place the items left in communal areas in the right basket. Then put each basket in the corresponding bedroom. This is a great way to deal with clutter.
29. Take two plastic bags to the car to give the vehicle a quick clean before work. Put any rubbish and old pay slips or tickets in one bag. Place shoes, clothing and other household items in the other to take inside when you get home from work.
Originally published as 29 one-minute cleaning hacks to transform your home by Carly Jacobs. Author at realestate.com.au
