Home is where your heart is, so you’d better make sure to keep the place tidy, clean, and cozy. Most of us have been doing chores for years and years now, so we’ve all picked up some neat household tips and tricks. And I think that we wouldn’t be ashamed of sharing these with our family and friends. However, learning is a lifelong journey, whether we’re talking about philosophy, science, or housework!
Luckily for us, the internet is here to save the day once again. TikTok user Chantel Mila, aka Mama_mila, has an awesome video series about simple home hacks that you can easily try out for yourself. They’ll help you keep your home cleaner and fresher while keeping you happier.
We’re featuring some of Australian mom Chantel’s best home hacks and secrets that might just come in handy as we’re rushing towards the holiday season with lots of guests to impress. Scroll down and remember to upvote your fave tips and tricks, Pandas!
Bored Panda reached out to parenting blogger Samantha Scroggin, the founder of Walking Outside in Slippers, for her advice on keeping the house clean and staying on top of chores when raising kids. "Keeping the house clean is a moving target in my experience. But for me personally, an at least somewhat clean house is tremendously important to my mental health," she said about the importance of keeping things neat. "A tidy house helps me feel more in control of my life, and able to handle the curveballs that often come our way as busy parents."
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Dry it..? I just slam it a few times on the edge of the crapper, and shove that bastard back in its holder...
That's how we all get watery gunk on the bottom of said holder.
Load More Replies...been doing this for years. my 42 yr old son came in when i was finishing up and was 'what a great idea!' where the hell was he for the 18 yrs he lived in my house?
I'm also confused with this. I thought the brush always comes with a holder to put it in.
Load More Replies...The brush part stays over the water while dripping.
Load More Replies...THIS IS SO SMART AND SO SIMPLE I feel stupid for never thinking to do this before.
Samantha, who runs the Walking Outside in Slippers blog, told Bored Panda that she makes small mental task lists every day and tries to complete those housekeeping items each and every day. "The tasks could be as simple as emptying the dishwasher or putting away a load of laundry. Maybe most importantly, I invest in a professional housekeeping service once a month," she told Bored Panda. "That helps keep the house in a manageable state to the point that I can keep the house from getting totally out of control in-between visits. That said, I think parenting comes with a certain degree of clutter to be expected."
I was curious to find out what Samantha's philosophy for a happy and warm home was. She revealed to Bored Panda that kindness lies at the core of her family values. "My house is always a little bit chaotic because we all have big personalities and are a loud and busy bunch. But I stress to my kids the importance of us being kind to one another. Kindness and love are at the root of a happy home for me, even when things get crazy and we slip up and say things we don't mean."
That's a good tip. I'm an adult, and I still don't know how to sew a button back on.
It's really not hard. It's not like you have to do a neat line of stitches. The button lines them up for you.
Load More Replies...also if you wear jewelry, clear nail polish will keep it from tarnishing!
So then you have irregular shiny blobs that eventually crack and peel.
You shouldn't ever store glass on its rims. Makes them much more likely to break.
yup, and putting them upside down directly from cleaning could mean trapped moisture inside, which could lead to other stuff growing on the inside
Load More Replies...If you have that many, you need a rack to hang them. No way you should be tetrising your glassware.
Alternate and "alternate" are the same word. I hope you read that the way I "read."
Not everywhere 'a roach' is an expected visitor.
Load More Replies...While the bottom and top generally do, the middle is wider in most wine glasses. So not useless.
Load More Replies...Samantha also gave some tips on how to settle any arguments that family members might get into over chores. We've all been there, I think! Samantha said that there is no simple answer to this and that she herself struggles to get her kids involved in household tasks at the moment. "I have a terrible time getting my kids to do chores, so I don't have much advice in this department. Sometimes, with lots of praise and often with a small monetary payment, I can get my kids to help with chores they don't mind. I do insist my kids clear their plates after every meal, and clean their rooms," she added.
Chantel from Melbourne is a mom of two who has created a huge following for herself with her insightful and easy-to-follow videos on TikTok. She has over half a million followers on TikTok, as well as 263k fans on Instagram. And it doesn’t look like her popularity is bound to stop any time soon. For Chantel, her family and her home are the two most important things.
“I’m a busy mum of two beautiful and crazy kids. I’m the kind of person who loves lists and gets excited by organizing, cleaning, and making a home beautiful,” she shares on her YouTube channel. She shares a bit of everything, from tips and tricks about styling and organizing your home to cleaning hacks that will save you a lot of time (and will probably help impress even your mother-in-law, too).
Instead of a rack for potentially useless lids, why not store the lid with the box and then you know you have both a lid and a box and don't have to play a guessing game as to which lid fits which box.
Came here to say this. Put your lids on your containers, and you'll be forced to get rid of all extraneous food storage, plus containers/lids that have no mate. It's the best of all possible worlds.
Load More Replies...If you are handy with wood, make a larger one of these to store your cookie sheets, splash screens, and cake racks vertically too.
Depends what kind of sink you have. The acid in the fruit will erode some surfaces.
Well it won't corrode mine, as it is porcelein, but it's not going to leave it shiny either!
Load More Replies...Cut your leftover citrus peels into strips and feed them down the garbage disposal, helps clear some of the gunk and releases a nice scent! I love doing it with grapefruit :)
It just so happens that my dishwasher needs topping up with rinse aid, and I've run out. Furthermore, I have used lemons in the fridge. I read this on the right day 🙂
this replaces the "rinse aid", it does not replace the soap.
Load More Replies...Sometimes you have leftover cut lemons though that don't have much juice but are not to be thrown either so it's a nice use of them
Load More Replies...Don't forget to remove it atfer, it will eventually rot and leave a bad smell (PS : one day i forgot to take out lemon slices from my water bottle)
I saw this tip about a year ago, and have been doing it ever since, every time I have a used lemon or lime. There is so much limescale in the water where I live, and the lemon/lime really helps. It also makes the kitchen smell really nice
Load More Replies...Very recently, I had an in-depth talk about homes and cleanliness with relationship and dating expert Dan Bacon, the founder of The Modern Man project. He told Bored Panda that we should focus on making ourselves happy instead of trying to impress everyone with our homes. It’s impossible to make everyone happy with our home, so we should focus first and foremost on what brings a smile to our faces.
“A man’s home is part of what people initially use to judge his social status and character. However, how he behaves and acts with the people who come over to his place says so much more about him," Dan said that how our homes look forms the first impression, but our character, behavior, words, and actions are more important.
Simmer apple cider and a cinnamon stick until it's reduced to a thick syrup. Home smells incredible for a day or two, and you can use the syrup for apple cider donuts. I like this recipe, and make little fritters/zeppole instead of cutting rings: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-apple-cider-doughnuts
What about those of us that feel quite ill at the smell of coffee. LOL
Could you use vanilla essence as well? Since real vanilla is quite expensive?
you can use any oil or alcohol based extract. I like coffee and clove personally. Though I tend to boil a cinnamon stick, orange peels (from oranges I eat) and clove oil the most.
Load More Replies...Hey this sounds like a good idea since l can do something about the the jars of instant coffee.👌
Bottom left, like as if you are laying in the bed, that left? Not when you are standing and looking at the bed kind of left, correct?
Bottom left when you are laying in bed. Looking at the bed standing at the bottom it would be bottom right.
Load More Replies...It's the top sheet I have the problem with.....it seems to be square. I put a safety pin in the upper right corner so I always know which way the sheet goes. The lower fitted are not square to easy to put on.
Any tips for finding a way to fold these damn things would be appreciated.
How to Fold Fitted Sheets Like a Pro: https://youtu.be/CAZlm9jn7ho
Load More Replies...If you have ever struggled to get a sheet on only to find that you put the long side across the shorter side, you get it. Helps you orient the rectangular sheet correctly on the rectangle shaped mattress.
Load More Replies...it's at the bottom right on the picture. AND most of my sheets fit better if i use the bottom right rule
I recently bought new sheets. The fitted ones had the words "Top or Bottom" on them. I've never been so thankful for such simple advice!
It's usually hidden behind the white panel that runs along the bottom of the machine. All my old washing machines and my new eco friendly washing machine has this.
Load More Replies...Fridge running a lot? Vacuum the dust bunnies away from the cooling fins on the back or bottom location.
Also wipe the inside of the rubber dry and leave the machine door open to prevent mold. :-)
My Mom taught me that years ago. Always leave the lid open to prevent mold. Of course always check it if you have a cat.
Load More Replies...Washing machines have filters? I need to check if mine does. It must be a science experiment by now. Maybe I can publish it on "Nature".
Just called Whirlpool. As suggested here, not all washers have accessible drains or filters, including mine. The poster probably thinks that because theirs has these features, they all do. Same mistake people make about regional things being universal. ( Never saw a hamburger with mayonnaise till I traveled down south in 1957.)
Duke’s for the win! To be fair, I’ve found The South likes to cook a burger until it surrenders, some kind of holdover from the War Of Northern Aggression. Mayo is needed.
Load More Replies...Probably, but as someone who works outside and actually gets clothes pretty darn dirty, I’ve never found HE front-loaders to be very good even on the “Heavy Soil” setting. And they definitely get funky.
Mine's fantastic - my husband gets filthy sometimes on some jobs and we've not had a problem. The trend for cold washing does make machines smellier if you're not careful. More maintenance washes (or hot washes for certain items) and cleaning goes on than I used to do. My machine is ancient though.
Load More Replies..."A man might have a perfectly tidy, well-designed, and stylish home, but be very nervous and try too hard to impress people who come over. So, rather than seeing him as a cool, confident, successful man they can admire and look up to, most people just perceive him as a nervous, insecure guy with a nice place. Alternatively, they may see him as a guy who tries hard to please others with material things because he's insecure about himself and doesn't feel good enough in their eyes,” relationship expert Dan told Bored Panda.
I didn't have denture tablets, so I had to use toothpaste. My clothes came out minty fresh !
Because it’s not a before-and-after photo.
Load More Replies...Microwave at my new job was gross. Poured a bit of water on the glass turntable. 30 sec on high. Wiped out the steamy wet interior gunge with paper towel.
People literally heat up liquids like coffee and tea all day and the metal in the microwave survives just fine.
Load More Replies...I don't mind if essential oils are used for essential oil things, like good smells!
No! Find out WHY YOUR WARDROBE SMELLS MUSTY. Nearly always humidity / dampness. Resolve the damp problem (be sure to wash walls, ceiling, carpet, and all fabric items that absorbed musty smell).
Even if you find the problem is not always easy to solve it! Humidity and dampness will keep come back no matter what you do if the house has issues
Load More Replies...I just put baking soda with a several drops of essential oils into a mason jar, cover it with cheesecloth, then put only the lid-ring on.
Rid musty odors... and cure all diseases. But then, when pulling things out of your closet you spill rice all over the place.
Yeah, that glass really needs to be covered with muslin or something.
Load More Replies...Instead of the essential oil, add chicken broth, some garlic, and a little bit of thyme and rosemary. You will get rid of the musty odor, and smell good enough to eat.
This is a lie. Rice doesn't absorbs the moisture from the air (even from cellphones). This is just a poor man's sachet
Rice is hygroscopic. That’s why restaurants will sometimes put rice in their salt shakers it absorbs water from the air and prevents the salt from clumping.
Load More Replies...When having guests over, it’s best to avoid talking about yourself too much. The less ego-centric you are, the more the people who come over to your place can speak about what’s important to them. "Remember that most people care more about themselves than other people. So, allow people to talk about themselves, rather than always trying to be the center of attention," Dan pointed out.
I did that to the lock I use at the gym! I can't always remember which locker I used so this helped me a lot!
I used pink and brown. Front door (pink) and back door (brown). 😳😳
I use this trick to remember which key goes to which car I own. So far I have 1 white key.
Personally I drill one, two, or three holes in them. Can tell the difference by feel alone.
Interesting. Can that be removed years later? (If they are not your own keys?)
Boiling lemons smells a lot nicer than boiling vinegar ;)
Load More Replies...Or use vinegar for all your descaling jobs. Vinegar+water in kettle, boil, rinse. Drench a cloth in vinegar, wrap around shower head/faucet etc for an hour, rinse.
A kettle? Like a tea kettle? Sorry I was trying to figure out what this was by looking at the picture but I still don't...
I use white vinegar. I keep the vinegar in a flagon under my sink. I use it monthly for six months, then use it as a bathroom cleaner.
A cap full of vinegar instead is easier and doesn't leave behind sugary juice.
All the world's problems, easily solved with vinegar and/or lemons.
2 tablespoons of soap is way more than you need, a couple drops should suffice just fine.
I read 2tbs as 2Ibs and was very confused as to why you'd need 2 pounds of dish soap
"Also remember to not try to oversell yourself or your place, to hopefully gain people’s approval. Be confident and secure in who you are as a person and let your surroundings provide additional clues about who you are and how you approach life."
A better solution. What I do is rinse every container or packaging thing before I throw it away, e.g. takeout containers, microwaveable meal containers, etc., so they do not stink. Organic waste, like fruit peels etc., I keep in a dedicated bowl (like a large fruit bowl), and once it fills, I take it outside for composting. If you live in a flat and can't compost, you can still keep the organics separate like that. Obviously, if you don't eat lots of meat then this is less horrible.
But never put meat in the compost. It attracts maggots and becomes unusable
Load More Replies...More like WD40 if an essential oil must be used ?
Load More Replies...When you change your bags/bin liners, WIPE OUT THE CONTAINER. Allow to dry. Replace bag/liner. No need for other strange rituals.
Speaking of bins, I keep the entire roll of bin liners in the bottom of the bin, then when it's time to put a new on in, they are right there.
I read that advice but my bag ripps sometimes and this way all the other bags would be ruined.
Load More Replies...It's almost impossible these days to find bin liners/trash bags that aren't already scented.
I use a piece of cloth, it's easier to wrap around and used less vinegar.
That's hell of a lot vinegar for no reason! With some cotton with vinegar around the tap you have the same result
As with every other post in this thread, pour half a cup of vinegar in a sandwich bag, and add a sliced lemon. Place the mattress in the sandwich bag and let soak overnight. Let air dry the next morning and your mattress will be like new !
I have a regular good old vacuum. It has no attachments. I can't see wrangling that big thing up there and standing on my mattress as I try to vacuum. My husband would be sure I'd lost my mind and marbles!
So not to be a spoil sport but when I was a very small child, I had an allergic reaction to dust mites that were from a vacuumed mattress. It was super bad. The vacuuming didn’t get rid of the mites, just brought them up to the surface
Leaving your sheets turned way down works too. No trapped moisture for the micro beasties to feed on.
Dyson cordless vacuum with a small motorised head for stairs/car/etc. Just bought the same model for my MIL. Also has a larger head for floors and the usual crevice and upholstery attachments. Has a wall mounted charging station so that it is always ready to go. That model has a 30 minute runtime. Later models have 60 minutes, but are hellish expensive. Bought it because it is a lot easier than lugging the old fig bucker up and down the stairs.
Load More Replies...They make a UV vacuum specifically for mattresses and pillows, works great!
The expert noted that different people thrive in different environments. While some feel confident only if everything is in order and perfectly clean, others can feel right at home living in a messy house. In Dan’s view, it’s best to “always do whatever we want” when it comes to the cleanliness, furnishing, and decorating of our homes. The number one lesson is to stop trying to impress others just for the sake of reputation. Our own happiness should be paramount.
It works, but you have to keep reapplying. If you don't do the entire mirror, there are tiny droplets outside the spot you put the shaving cream on. Just keep the door open
Yep, but the spray cleaners don't keep them from fogging up and this does! You can even do it on the inside of your cars windscreen.
I am going to try that today. The off-gassing of the plastics in my dashboard deposit a film that is difficult to clean. This might help.
Load More Replies...I keep orange peels in the freezer for this very reason. I place about 2 cups of water in a small pan, some orange peels, a few cloves, a cinnamon stick and some allspice berries. Let simmer & in ten minutes the house smells amazing.
You can do this for your washing machine too. Just run it on a short and hot program with 2 cups of vinegar.
I use vinegar instead of fabric softener. It is supposed to brighten and rid the clothes of any leftover detergent. So far, so good and the clothes do not smell of vinegar. It also seems to keep my machine clean at the same time.
Load More Replies...Or just buy a dishwasher cleaner which is designed for the job. But do clean the filter.
I can buy several bottles of vinegar for the price of one bottle of dishwasher cleaner.
Load More Replies...OK now I need to find the dishwasher filter... My poor appliances... Haha
Lemonade powder works too. It’s better as dishwasher cleaner than lemonade.
"If you enjoy placing a lot of importance on your home because it means a lot to you, then do that. If you only see it as a place to live and want to focus your attention on other things, you should do that. You can never impress or please everyone, no matter what you do. Just look at celebrities as an example. They have millions of people who love them and millions who hate them,” the expert said.
because the person is a hippie and puts essential oils in everything.
Load More Replies...Gotta be careful with it tho, nail polish remover can damage some things!
Load More Replies...i used to clean old computer monitor with a plain white eraser and works great
I've done that too, but it's not very effective with sticky adhesive residue from stickers.
Load More Replies...If it's not a vinyl sticker, you can actually wrap a wet washcloth on the item, let it sit for about 1/2 hour and the label will come off. The vinyl stickers are harder to remove.
Heating the area up with a hair dryer works, too. The sticker comes right off. Though, you may still have to clean a little residue after.
Load More Replies...Margarine works on spruce gum, pine sap, tar, and grease. Haven't tried it on sticker goo.
It will work, just about any vegetable oil generally will.
Load More Replies...I assume she meant headboard, but to me bedhead = the bizarre mess of a hairstyle you have when you wake up. If you have mites in your bedhead, see a doctor after vacuuming.
Load More Replies...I wanted to comment a lot on the others too about those bloody oils. But decided no to waste my time Hahaha.
Load More Replies...For the inside it helps if you regularly wipe the glass with kitchen towel while you're cooking (not baking - something that can stand the door open for a minute) and anything on it should come off fairly easily. Just mind your paws on that hot glass!
If it's growing hair you definitely need to clean it more often!
Load More Replies..."The same applies to your home. You will never make it, furnish it or arrange it in a way where everyone loves you for it and wishes they had it. Some people will love it, others will like it and some will hate it. So, just enjoy doing what you want to do. That’s the only way you’ll truly be happy."
Once again, the baking soda will absorb the oil and leave it useless. The oil will just be washed away instantly because of the chemical interaction with the soda. There is no function for fancy expensive oils in this trick. You'll just waste money.
Or, OxyClean. (And eucalyptus oil, since this person seems to really, really love that stuff)
Instead of dryer sheets, I use the real wool balls that look a bit like tennis balls. I let some drops of my favourite oils soak into those balls, and all my laundry smells fabulous. Don't ever put too much oil in a dryer though. Oil... heat... fire, you know how that goes.
could it be *possible* that the WASHING MACHINE is the thing making the clothes CLEAN? No? oKKKKaYYYY?
Baking soda will work but washing soda is both stronger and cheaper.
Load More Replies...Yeah and the soda will absorb the essential oil and get vacuumed away anyway so I don't see the point in adding the oil in the first place here.
Load More Replies...What is this obsession with essential oils? They are completely non-essential. Just use the bicarb
So much this! And several of them are highly toxic to cats and dogs. Eucalyptus and tea tree oil are fine for humans, but both can kill or harm dogs and cats.
Load More Replies...what's with the essential oils crap, is this person an MLM person trying to hawk it?
Essential oils smell nice. And they're usually non-irritating if you have allergies or are sensitive to strong smells.
Load More Replies...Please don't put oils on your carpets. It will attract dirt and cause staining.
Again with the essential oils. I feel like I am in Judea in the first century CE. Any use for Mir and Frankincense?
Don't. Fine powders can be really difficult to clean out of a vacuum, and can clog the motor if they get to it ... which they might well. I had a housemate try a tip like this, and good grief what a mess. Plus that stuff got way down into the carpet fibers. (Fortunately it was without essential oils. What is it about essential oils? They're too strong, and too much isn't good for pets. Or us. Just open a window FFS.)
I'm sure the dust mites appreciate getting that water! Take away with one hand, give with the other
Maybe I am just failing at adulting, but why would I want to iron my sheets? They will get crinkled after one sleep and my Duvet/Comforter covers it up anyway? Oo
Why would anyone even iron a sheet that is only going to get wrinkled on the first use of the bed?
So 1st we vacuum the dust mites and then we water them? Don't water your sheets, who looks at your sheets?
I think BP is secretly funded by the ILC (International Lemon Council).
Load More Replies...It turns out these oils are, indeed, essential.
Load More Replies...Got dirty glass on your woodstove. Partly dip crumpled newsprint paper in water. Touch it to cold stove ashes. Rub on the smokey tarry glass. Repeat as necessary. Rinse with just wetted paper.
I don't know why you got downvoted. This is how people cleaned before soap was invented. Soap was/is made from ash and fat.
Load More Replies...Seriously no! I've used this long before TikTok has been around.
Load More Replies...I think BP is secretly funded by the ILC (International Lemon Council).
Load More Replies...It turns out these oils are, indeed, essential.
Load More Replies...Got dirty glass on your woodstove. Partly dip crumpled newsprint paper in water. Touch it to cold stove ashes. Rub on the smokey tarry glass. Repeat as necessary. Rinse with just wetted paper.
I don't know why you got downvoted. This is how people cleaned before soap was invented. Soap was/is made from ash and fat.
Load More Replies...Seriously no! I've used this long before TikTok has been around.
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