We're spending more time than ever at home, and a lot of us are putting that time to good use with a bit of Do It Yourself (DIY) and vigorous house cleaning. Without easy access to handymen, specialist equipment and cleaning products, here are 10 amazing household hack to make your projects still do-able and fun during these difficult times.
It might seem strange but using shaving foam really does work to stop the mirror from steaming up. Simply apply a thin layer of foam all over the mirror and wipe away with a dry cloth until you can see the mirror normally. This should work for about a week or two and when it begins to be less effective simply apply this method again. Try not to add too much though, because it WILL leave streaks and won’t give the same results.
Right now we can't hire a professional to clean any stains out of our carpets, rugs or other upholstery, but there is another solution. Instead, wet the affected area then try rubbing a little bit of shaving cream (anything but the gel kind) into the stain, let it sit for 30 minutes or overnight, and then blot it dry.
Just make sure that you test this method out on a hidden area of your material before actually putting it to use, as there is always the small chance of damaging the fabric.
If you're already prepping for your post-lockdown party you might want your glassware shine as much as your freshly lockdown-renovated home. Get rid of those hard water stains once and for all by washing your glasses in white vinegar.
There's nothing worse than oily fingerprints or splatters on your walls, even if you paint over them they tend to come back. But this household hack from Merry Maids will help you to overcome these stains without the need to keep priming and painting each time.
You can fix greasy finger marks on walls by rubbing with chalk and then removing the chalk with a damp cloth. Get the full guide on removing hand marks from walls by Merry Maids here.
Dog and cat hair seems to get engrained into carpets, car linings and upholstery. No matter what vacuum you buy, it's never quite powerful enough. But did you know, you can make life much simpler by investing in a cheap window squeegee. To save time and get into all those hard to reach places, watch the video.
New to DIY and still forever measuring the distance you need between your screws to perfectly hang those pictures? Every now and again it goes wrong and the screws are slightly off, but with this foolproof trick, all you'll have to worry about it getting it level. Follow these simple steps:
Do you ever get to the bottom of your jeans draw and come across those amazing pants you totally forgot you even had. That's because all this time you've been storing your clothes wrong. It's time to celebrate your clothes by putting them all in plain view when you open your draw.
Marie Kondo's Basic Folding Method is absolute GENIUS, meaning you can stack clothes on their side. This means you can see everything you own and take out what you want to wear without having to disturb the rest of your items.
Did a guest forget to use a coaster on your polished wood table? Before you banish them from your house forever, try this super-nifty hack to get rid of the left-over marks. Apply some mayonnaise to your wooden table, let it sit for a while, then buff it with a soft cloth helps to minimise the appearance of watermarks, imperfections and wear.
Check out other ways mayonnaise can be used to restore wood here.
Think dropping a loaded paintbrush on the carpet meant replacing the carpet? Think again, a former foreman shared a little tip to getting it out. Pour some methylated spirits onto a rag and scrub away the paint. Use a rag that is as close in colour to the carpet, as the alcohol can transfer some of the rag’s colour to the carpet.
Always try hacks like this in a section of carpet you don't see first of all! We haven't tried this ourselves, so do test it first.
If you do a lot of freehand sanding, without a sandpaper block this could be a top tip for you. Finer grits are usually bonded to thinner paper and often the paper is really thin and ends up tearing long before the grit wears out. So try applying duct tape to the back of the sandpaper. The sandpaper is still flexible enough to sand a tight radius and it’s far more durable. You can use this super-strong sandpaper like a shoeshine rag