Five DIY Cleaning Recipes Our Grandmothers Taught Us
They say, “old is gold,” for a reason. Everything that has been passed down to us throughout generations has a mystical nostalgic quality – be it an heirloom furniture piece, an old piece of jewellery, or even those secret cleaning recipes. In fact, some of the best things we know and own are a vintage – and that is especially true when it comes to cleaning hacks. So without further ado, we’re looking at some of wise grandma’s cleaning formulas that work like magic even today.
- Lemon Juice For Battling Stains
Whether you’re fighting the good fight against those pesky rust-marks on valuable metal objects, are sick of trying to scrub away those terrible stains on your chopping boards, or are simply trying to wash off a spot from your precious dress, lemon juice will always have your back. Lemon juice has natural bleaching qualities and is excellent for getting rid of stubborn stains.It works especially well on rust marks. You simply have to apply some lemon juice and salt to a rusty stain, leave it out in the sun for a bit, and voila – good as new! Similarly, you can rub lemon juice on your chopping board and leave it overnight to remove stains from its surface. In the case of laundry, you can add half a cup of lemon juice to the wash to brighten up your load!
- Maintaining Solid Wood Furniture
If you’ve inherited a furniture heirloom of any kind from your grandma, you’ll know instantly that there’s a secret to taking care of it. You can achieve a fine sheen on your solid wood furniture by polishing the surface with a home-made concoction. All you need to do is mix up one cup of olive or vegetable oil with 1 teaspoon of lemon essential oil. Mix them thoroughly together and apply to your furniture in small doses. Afterwards, you can wipe it with a clean cloth, and you’ll instantly see that all the dryness has been replaced with a buffed, gorgeous gleam.
- Fighting Gunk In Plugholes
Getting rid of the gunk that accumulates in the kitchen sink plugholes is a constant fight against grossness, but grandma’s left a great solution for you. All you have to do is pour a tablespoon of bicarbonate soda, instantly followed by a cup of white vinegar to let everything dissolve. The mixture will rise up in an angry fizz for a minute or two. After it has settled down, you have to pour a kettleful of boiling water to get rid of the remnants. Hot water is more effective than cold water in a number of ways – and using it is especially recommended in this case. Our grandmothers probably didn’t have kettles but we can cheat a bit here!
- Battling With Shower Head Gunk
Over the years, even the shiniest of shower heads can accumulate a wealth of calcium deposit gunk. It can hinder its functionality a lot, but don’t worry – grandma’s got you covered. You can get rid of this deposit by using straight vinegar. Just pour some in a plastic bag and tie it around the head of your shower for a few hours. Them remove the bag and scrub off the remainder of the gunk with a toothbrush. It’ll have a shiny new sheen!
- Deodorizing Carpets
Carpets are a major décor object every home interior design needs, but it can be hard to keep them looking fresh and appealing – especially if you’ve got pets and children in the house. Grandma knows this dilemma, and she’s got you covered with this easy-peasy home deodorizing formula. You’ll need to mix one cup of baking soda with approximately 16-18 drops of essential oil. After sprinkling that on the carpet, let it sit for at least 10 minutes, then vacuum away!The cleaning technology has developed so much lately with all the vacuums, cleaning solutions and supplies, but we still rely on lots of tips and recipes our grandmas used 50, 60 years ago. And, they often work much better than any modern solution. 
Anita Edwards is a professional writer and editor. She works as blog editor at Spekless, where she shares her own and her colleagues' tips for cleaning. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and going on day trips with her children.