When normal detergents fail
Back in the day before we had supermarkets and DIY stores offering rows and rows of detergents for everything and anything you can think of, we made do with what we could get our hands on at home.

By mixing together a couple of ingredients from the kitchen, you can have a very good natural cleaner, at a fraction of the cost of store-bought ones.

You’d be surprised how effective some of these homemade cleaning agents can be. Here are some cleaning hacks to make your life easier.

1. Natural polish

Wooden chairs and tables look rustic and attractive in a kitchen, giving it a country feel. But given our tropical weather and high humidity, it can get mouldy and dull all too soon. Instead of buying expensive polish or wax, try using coconut oil to upkeep the furniture. Wipe the table or chair with a slightly damp cloth to remove dust or debris, then rub with a piece of clean cloth with coconut oil.

Clean wooden furniture with coconut oil. — Filepic

Move in circular motion and after leaving it for 15 minutes for the oil to be absorbed, wipe it off with a clean cloth. Much like how you would wax your car, it involves a bit of elbow grease but you’ll be happy with the results!

Coffee machines too need to be cleaned once in a while. — Filephoto used as general illustration only.

2. Coffee machine flush

Rather than buying expensive descaling products to clean your coffee machine, just use white vinegar. Fill the water compartment with a 1:1 ratio of water and vinegar, then let the machine run as you would for a cup of coffee. Do this one more time with plain water to flush the vinegar from the system. You can repeat this step until you get clean water.

With a homemade solution, faucets can look as good as new. — Filepic

3. Faucet cleaner

Does your faucet look grimy and sticky? Mix half a bottle of Coca Cola with some vinegar and dish detergent and fill a spray bottle with this solution. Spray this on the faucet, leave it on for a bit, then wipe it clean with a damp cloth for a sparkling finish. You can also use this cleaning solution for other stainless steel handles.

4. De-mould chopsticks

If your chopsticks are made out of wood and left in the drawer for a long time, they might pick up black spots which are actually mould spores and look blackened. What you could do is fill a pot with a little toothpaste, white vinegar and dish detergent, and boil the chopsticks for about 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat. Take out the chopsticks and dry them properly – they should be nice and clean then.

5. Clean fridge mould

Even if you are quite fastidious and regularly clean your fridge, sometimes you just can’t prevent mould from forming, especially along the hidden edges in between the rubber seal. Try mixing some toothpaste together with a few drops of vinegar and dish detergent, and use this solution to clean the mould.

Remove coffee or tea stains by soaking mugs in vinegar water. — Filepic

6. Stain cleaner

If you’re an ardent coffee or tea drinker, after a while you might find your mugs stained and no amount of detergent seems to be able to clean it off. Add a solution of equal parts warm water and white vinegar to a large plastic basin, and soak the mugs and glasses, and even your teapot, in this mixture for 30 minutes or more. Rinse the mug and the stains should come off, if not, soak some more.
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Use your own homemade cleaning solutions.