DIY Cleaning Hacks for Indian Homes

Your DIY cleaning hacks kit: five things from the kitchen

You do not need ten bottles of cleaner. Most jobs in an Indian home need only these five, and you probably have all of them already.

Hard water taps, tiles and shower glass

Hard water leaves white chalky rings on taps, buckets and shower glass in many Indian cities. The minerals dissolve in mild acid, which is why vinegar and lemon work.

1. Vinegar bag on the tap. Fill a small plastic bag with white vinegar, slip it over the tap spout and tie it with a rubber band. Wait about an hour, then scrub with an old toothbrush and rinse. The white crust inside the spout comes away easily.
2. Lemon rub for steel. Rub half a lemon over steel taps and the sink, wait five minutes and wipe with a damp cloth. The juice lifts water spots and leaves a fresh smell.
3. Shower glass spray. Mix equal parts white vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle. Spray the glass, wait ten minutes and wipe with a squeegee or newspaper. Do this weekly so the marks never build up.
4. Tile grout paste. Make a thick paste of baking soda and a little water, spread it on dirty grout lines and scrub with a toothbrush after fifteen minutes. It is gentle enough for most bathroom tiles.
5. Bucket and mug rings. Soak plastic buckets and mugs in warm water with a cup of vinegar for an hour. The white scale wipes off and the plastic looks new again.

DIY bathroom cleaning hacks for a fresh bathroom

Bathrooms in Indian homes are often wet all day. Damp corners grow black mould and smell musty, so the goal is to keep things dry as well as clean.

1. Squeegee after every bath. Keep a floor wiper in the bathroom and push the water to the drain after each bath. Dry floors stop slippery green patches and the bathroom smells better.
2. Baking soda in the drain. Pour half a cup of baking soda into a slow drain, then a kettle of hot, not boiling, water. Do this weekly to break down soap scum and hair grease.
3. Old toothbrush for corners. Keep a used toothbrush only for the bathroom. It reaches the edges around the tap base, the jet spray and the commode hinge that a big brush misses.
4. Cotton pad on the ventilator. Wipe the exhaust fan grill and ventilator mesh with a damp cotton cloth once a month. A clean fan pulls out damp air much better.

Life hacks with toothpaste and lemon

Plain white toothpaste is a very mild scrub and lemon is a mild acid. Together they handle many small jobs around the house. Use white paste, not gel or striped paste.

1. Toothpaste on sneaker soles. Rub a little white toothpaste on the rubber edges of white sneakers with an old toothbrush, then wipe with a wet cloth. School shoe soles look fresh again in minutes.
2. Crayon marks on walls. Dab a pea sized bit of toothpaste on crayon or pencil marks and rub gently with a damp cloth. Test on a hidden spot first, because it can dull glossy paint.
3. Shine up silver anklets. Rub silver jewellery with a soft cloth and a dab of toothpaste, then rinse and dry. Do not use it on pearls, stones or gold plated pieces.
4. Lemon and salt for chopping boards. Sprinkle coarse salt on a wooden or plastic chopping board and scrub with half a lemon. It lifts turmeric stains and onion smell.
5. Lemon steam for the microwave. Heat a bowl of water with lemon slices in the microwave for three minutes and leave the door shut for five more. Dried food on the walls softens and wipes off easily.
6. Toothpaste tube squeeze. Roll the empty end of the tube around a pencil or use a binder clip to push paste forward. You get many more days out of each tube.

DIY carpet cleaning hacks and everyday stains

Act fast on stains. Blot, never rub, and work from the outside of the stain inward so it does not spread.

1. Baking soda carpet freshener. Sprinkle baking soda over a dry carpet or durrie, leave it for an hour or overnight and vacuum or shake it out. It soaks up smells from feet, pets and food.
2. Cold water for blood and milk. Rinse blood, milk or egg stains with cold water first. Hot water sets these protein stains into the fabric for good.
3. Haldi stain in sunlight. For turmeric on white cotton, wash with soap and dry the cloth in strong sunlight. Sunlight fades the yellow a lot. This works on cotton, not on silk or coloured fabric.
4. Oil stains with chalk or talc. Cover a fresh oil spot on clothes or a carpet with white chalk powder or talc. Leave it for an hour so it soaks up the oil, then brush off and wash.
5. Tea and coffee on the sofa. Blot with a dry cloth, then dab with a mix of a few drops of dish soap in a cup of cold water. Blot again with clean water so no soap is left.
6. Pillow sunbath. Put pillows in direct sun for a few hours each month, turning them once. Sunlight and air dry out sweat and reduce the stale smell.

Life hacks for home cleaning: kitchen, laundry and car

Quick fixes for the places that get dirty every day. For keeping these spaces tidy after cleaning, see kitchen organisation ideas and organization hacks for the whole home.

1. Burnt kadai soak. Cover the burnt base with water, add two spoons of baking soda and simmer for a few minutes. Let it cool and scrub, and the black layer lifts off.
2. Gas stove grates overnight. Soak stove grates in hot water with dish soap overnight in a tub. Most of the grease falls off before you even scrub.
3. Vinegar in the rinse. Add half a cup of white vinegar to the last rinse of towels in the washing machine. It removes leftover soap that makes towels stiff and sour smelling.
4. Socks on the car dashboard. Pull an old cotton sock over your hand to wipe the dashboard, AC vents and steering wheel. It picks up dust from every small gap.
5. Car smells good with coffee. Keep a small open jar of ground coffee or a cotton pouch of cloves in the car cup holder. It soaks up food and damp smells on long trips.

Sustainable life hacks for cleaning

Cleaning greener also saves money. These small habits cut waste and plastic.

1. Old t-shirts as dusters. Cut worn cotton t-shirts into squares and use them as dusters and wiping cloths. Wash and reuse them instead of buying paper towels.
2. Refill, do not rebuy. Buy dish soap and floor cleaner in large refill packs and pour them into one sturdy bottle. Less plastic comes into the house.
3. Room freshener from the stove. Simmer orange peels, a cinnamon stick and a few cloves in water for ten minutes to make your room smell good. Stay in the kitchen while it simmers and turn off the gas after.

For tools and repairs made from old things, try our DIY hacks.