When you picture your grandma’s house, do you instantly think of how tidy it always seemed to be and how good her cooking always was? Visiting grandma’s house was always a treat, but did you ever stop to think about how she kept it so clean all the time? Here are several genius cleaning tips she probably used, and you can try them, too.
1. Clean Streak-Free Windows and Mirrors
Windex has been around a long time, but back in your grandma’s day, she probably combined a few household products to clean her windows. Try this old recipe for the cleanest, most streak-free windows and mirrors you’ve ever seen.
16 oz. water
½ cup white or apple cider vinegar
¼ cup rubbing alcohol
To really get that glass shining, use wadded-up newspaper instead of paper towel to remove all traces of the cleaner.
2. Get Rid of Coffee Stains
You probably got your love of coffee from your grandma, so use her stand-by coffee stain remover trick the next time you spill coffee on your clothes.
1. Rinse the stain immediately under cold water.
2. Apply a couple of drops of dish soap on the stain, rub the material together and rinse again.
3. Soak the stain with a diluted vinegar/water solution and toss into the washer.
3. Vanquish Smelly Microwave Odors
Not everyone’s grandma had a microwave, but if yours did, you can bet she used this easy trick to keep it clean and fresh.
Get the biggest microwave-safe bowl that will fit inside your microwave. Fill it with water. Add cinnamon, lemon juice, or your favorite essential oil. Heat the water to boiling and then let it cool back down. Once cool, remove the bowl and wipe the inside of the microwave clean.
4. Stop Mildew on Shower Curtains
There’s nothing more unsightly than mildew on the bottom of a shower curtain. It’s enough to drive a grandma crazy. Back in the day, your grandma would cut the bottom seam off the shower curtain to stop water from collecting there.
She also took the shower curtain down periodically and threw it in the washer with a towel and soap to remove any major grimy buildup.
5. Restore the Shine to Old Wood Furniture
When old wooden furniture loses its original shine, thoughts of restoration come to mind. If you’re not the DIY type, this may be easier said than done. Before you begin scouring YouTube for furniture restoration tutorials, however, give this old trick a try.
Combine three parts olive oil to one part lemon juice. Use the concoction on a soft cloth and a little elbow grease to polish that old wooden furniture shiny once again.
6. Shine Those Countertops
While most people reach for a spray cleaner and a sponge, grandmas of yesteryear used a slightly different method to get their kitchen countertops sparkling clean.
Slice a grapefruit in half and smear it all over the surface of your countertops. Sprinkle salt over the grapefruit juice and then rinse away with hot water and a sponge. Not only will your countertops be sparkling clean, but the room will also smell fresh, too.
