AT ONE STAGE in your twenties, you will probably wake up and decide you don’t want to live in your own filth any more. It’ll happen.
If you’re living in a rented house, your eyes will be opened to all the stains, dusty corners, and sticky spots you’ve inherited from the people who went before you. You’ll want to clean like you’ve never cleaned before.
Here’s how to do it – and you’ll only need lemons, cooking oil, baking soda and vinegar. Lots of vinegar.
1. Get the layer of sticky gunk off your steel appliances
Y’know when you grab on to your toaster to get the bread out, and it feels…sticky? You don’t have to live this way.
Acquire some Cream of Tartar (€1.49 in Tesco), mix it up with a bit of water, then rub it all over the appliance. NO MORE STICKY TOASTERS.
2. Blitz your disgusting microwave with some water and a lemon
One of the most daunting jobs EVER, but it doesn’t have to be.
Kim Christensen of the blog A Real-Life Housewife suggests half-filling a microwave-safe bowl with water, squeezing a whole lemon into it, and microwaving it for five minutes. Everything should wipe right off.
3. Clean your bath with more lemon, and a bit of salt
Simply cut the lemon in half, dip it in salt, and rub it all over the nasty soap scum that builds up around the tub. You can use the same method to clean glass shower doors, too.
4. Use vinegar to get the dirt off your gas stove
Keep an old spray bottle to fill with a water/vinegar mixture, then spray it all over the stove top. See full instructions here.
5. And oil to clean oily stains
By now you’ll know that anything that is kept near the stove will end up with a film of oily residue over it. Combat this by putting a few drops of cooking oil on a paper towel, then wiping everything down. It’ll work. Swear.
6. Make your sink drains smell less like a toilet
We have identified the three main sources of smells in any given kitchen: the fridge, the bin, and the sink drain. To combat the drain stink, sprinkle some baking soda down the drain, followed by some vinegar. After five minutes, flush it out with boiling water.
7. Properly clean your oven with a baking soda/vinegar paste
You’ve probably never, ever cleaned your oven, but you should. This method makes a horrible job quite easy – follow the instructions here.
8. Use the same products to do your bathroom grout
You’re definitely sick of looking at that grimy black stuff in the grouting by now. Get at it with some baking soda and vinegar.
9. And sort out your greasiest pans with it, too
Lots of burned bits and greasy spots? Boil a mixture of white vinegar and water on the stove, then add two tablespoons of baking soda.
