Your tried and tested cleaning tips

You need a dishwasher for this one.

Take shelves out of the fridge and leave them in the kitchen for a couple of hours or however long it takes to get them to room temperature.

Pop as many as will fit into the dishwasher and I usually set my machine on the fastest cycle which is 30 minutes. Pop in relevant tablets etc. The end result is sparkling clean shelving with little input by the owner. I normally do two washes because not all fit in at the same time.

Top tip Charleygirl. Thanks

To clean the base of an oven- maybe try this out on an inconspicuous spot first but I have a plain electric oven so I wet a dishwasher tablet- but not too wet and rub the base of the cooker with that and any dried on "stuff" will loosen and it will be easy to wipe away.

Charleygirl - why do we need to get the fridge shelves up to room temperature? Will they crack in the dishwasher if too cold?

I love those white sponges that literally rub out marks on practically any surface. I have even got grubby marks off wallpaper round light switches - you just damp them and squeeze out really well, then gently rub. They do not actually remove dirt, just loosen it, e. g. on plastic or glass. You have to clean those surfaces afterwards in the usual way, but the marks and stains have been dealt with and the rest is a doddle.

What are these white sponges please?

GrandmaMoira I would think once the dishwasher heated up they may well crack because they would still be very cold- I have not tried it.

I use one of those too, it’s made by Flash and is called a “magic eraser” sponge.

For those of us who live in hard water areas where limescale in and around taps and kettles is a problem, ordinary household vinegar can resolve problems.

Brushed around taps and then "dabbed in" for a few minutes will resolve the limescale, while in kettles a 50/50 dilution and then boil will produce a shinning lime-free interior.

Soda crystals will also clear the pipes and interiors of washing machines leaving a lovely "sweet-smelling appliance after a few applications.

Cheap and. Cheerful solutions that I have applied for many years. ?

I put practically everything (other than fabric) in the dishwasher to clean them rather than spend ages scrubbing- dirty toys from the garden, bits out of the shower tray drain away, plastic combs-anything plastic really, the rings off the cooker, cans/bottles for recycling and so on.

Lego in net bags in dishwasher along with any other plastic toys, obviously nothing mechanical or battery operated.

Quick wash cycle, sorted!

Apologies should be dissolve and not resolve in my above post. ?

I’m with you JackyB. They’re often called ‘magic sponges”and are really good on kitchen sinks especially tea stains!

I got a magic sponge from Aldi some time ago.
It was half the price of a Flash one and works as well.
I cut pieces off and after use just throw.
It worked wonder on the garden table which had been left out uncovered all winter.

Ooh that’s a good one charleygirl yep got a dishwasher

A mixture of equal parts of white vinegar and olive oil is a great reviver for real wood surfaces. It removes, or diminishes scratched and ring marks.

Thanks Grandad1943 yes we live in hard water area

quizqueen I am like you, if water will clean an object and it fits in my dishwasher- it goes in. I have a round pretty metal tray which looks like new after adding it to a wash. I also pop in coffee jars etc for recycling- it is easier and cleaner than me doing it.

Sluts corner is alive and well here with me.

My old dad used to swear by biological washing powder to clean everything from oven shelves to getting tar or oily marks off fabric or carpet.

Smear toothpaste on Chrome taps. Leave for about 10 minutes and rinse off. Your taps will sparkle. Toothpaste has also worked on our bathroom sink when it has become a bit discoloured.

I put a few drops of essential oil on a piece of cotton wool and pop in the vacuum cleaner dust bag. After vacuuming the room smells lovely.

Don't have a dishwasher but although some of these might not qualify as "cleaning" tips, (although I wholeheartedly endorse the use of soda crystals for umpteen uses) if you HAVE to iron things like curtains, position your ironing board parallel to your bannisters/stair rail, and as you iron, feed the ironed bit over the banister to avoid crumpling.

I buy 8 steel scouring pads from the Pound shop and use with The Pink Stuff. It does everything that Brillo does.

lilypollenThe pink stuff??Am I missing something?