Home-cleaning top tips from RSA

You already use toothpaste twice a day in your bathroom but did you know that it can be used for more than just cleaning your teeth? There are lots of everyday products around the house that can be used for deep cleaning tasks. Read these ten tips below from our home insurance provider, RSA, to help you make your house so clean it sparkles! 

1. Toothpaste can be used to bring back the sparkle to your taps and remove watermarks from wooden furniture.

2. To make your kitchen sink clean and shiny, rinse it with water, sprinkle baking soda on the surface, and then line the sink with kitchen towels soaked in white vinegar. Allow everything to sit for 20 minutes. Rinse the sink with warm soapy water.

3. Oven in need of a clean? No problem! Combine 5 teaspoons of baking soda, 5 drops of washing up liquid and 4 teaspoons of white vinegar in a bowl. Mix into a paste and coat the inside of the oven with a sponge. Close the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes. Tackle stubborn grease with half a lemon coated in salt and use this to scrub on your baking soda paste. Wipe clean using water and a sponge.

4. De-scale your taps by soaking a few kitchen towels in white vinegar and place them on the offending areas. After 20 minutes, remove the kitchen towels and scrub off any remaining scale with an old toothbrush. Warning: Do not use white vinegar on marble counter tops or other stoneware as it can cause the stone to corrode.

5. Use toothpaste to repair CDs, games or DVDs with minor scratches. Dab some toothpaste on the back of the CD or DVD and gently spread in a circular motion. Delicately rinse with water and a tissue.

6. Stains on your glass hob? Start by mixing baking soda and water in a small dish. Spread the paste over the stained area and leave it to set for 10 minutes. Pour lemon juice over the baking soda paste to release tougher stains. Use a dry cloth to wipe off any remaining streaks. 

7. Use cream of tartar to get rid of any stickiness on your extractor fan and cooker hood. Mix a tablespoon of cream of tartar and a few drops of water. Rub the solution onto the area firmly with a sponge and wipe with a damp paper towel. Cream of tartar also works well on metallic appliances such as toaster - who knew bread could make such a mess?

8. De-scale your kettle with cola. Put 750ml of the fizzy drink into your kettle and boil it. This should be sufficient for most kettles but make sure you don’t fill beyond than the ‘max’ level. Pour away the hot liquid and rinse thoroughly with water. Repeat this until the limescale has gone. You can also do this with white vinegar if you want a more aggressive treatment.

9. Dried on food that won’t easily wipe off inside your microwave? Cut a lemon in half, squeeze the juice into a glass bowl containing half a cup of water and pop the squeezed lemons in as well. Place the bowl inside your microwave and turn it on for 3 minutes. After the ping, leave it for a further 5 minutes before removing the bowl. Now wipe clean those pesky food splashes with a damp cloth for a sparkling interior. Warning: never place anything metal inside a microwave.

10. Take a small saucepan, fill to about two-thirds with water, slice a lemon and add a few sprigs of rosemary. Add 1-2 tablespoons of vanilla extract and let it simmer for a marvellous smell around your house.

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