Milk on a houseplant’s leaves – who knew?

The daffodils and crocuses are starting to peek from beneath the ground and there have been a few glimpses of sunshine across the South West these last few weeks. It’s staying light longer in the afternoons so it’s reassuring to know that Spring is on the way.

Are you a ‘Spring Cleaner’? Some people love an opportunity to give their home a really good ‘bottoming’ as my Grandmother used to call it, whilst for others it’s a case of doing what needs doing.

According to Wikipedia, the origins of Spring Cleaning may date back to Iranian Norouz which is the Persian New Year, falling on the first day of Spring. Iranians continue the practice of khooneh tekouni which translates literally into ‘shaking the house’. Whether you love or hate housework, nothing is more valuable than tips and hints passed down from generation to generation, or shared amongst friends so the Beehive girls have compiled a list of some of our favorites to share with you:

 

1.       Nothing is more frustrating than a smear when cleaning windows. To locate the smear more easily simply wipe horizontally when cleaning the outside of a window, but vertically when cleaning the inside and that way you will be able to tell at a glance whether the smear is inside or outside!

2.       If you mix 20 drops of lavender oil (or lemongrass oil) in 100ml of water and use from a spray bottle, it’s a great way to wipe grime from window frames and it leaves the house smelling fresh. As an added bonus, lemongrass and lavender are also known for their fly repellent properties!

3.       Limescale can easily be removed from shower heads – just remove the showerhead and leave in a bowl of white vinegar overnight.

4.     WD-40 is great for removing sticky marks or adhesive residue left by labels on items such as plastic.

5.      Brass and copper has a real shine if rubbed with a cotton wool ball that has been dipped in ketchup and then buffed with a soft cloth.

6.       Stained toilet bowl? Leave fizzy cola in the bowl overnight and then flush for a gleaming loo!

7.       Diluted or neat lemon juice can be used to remove stains (or rust) on plastic.

8.      Eliminate water marks from wooden surfaces with a small amount of mayonnaise or toothpaste on a damp cloth – test a small area first!

9.      Rubbing the leaves of houseplants with a small of amount of milk on a soft cloth will make sure that they shine for weeks!

10.   Glass bottles and vases can become grimy in the bottom with use and are often difficult to clean. Place uncooked rice in those hard to reach receptacles with a water and vinegar solution. Leave to soak for 10 minutes and then (with your hand firmly over the opening) shake heartily, finish by giving them a rinse with cold water.

We really hope that some of these ideas are useful to you and we’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestion if you have any you’d like to share.

Milk on a houseplant’s leaves – who knew?

Photographs courtesy of Petr Kratochvil