Top 5 House Cleaning Tricks You Can't Miss!

Pinterest has become one of the leading social media websites, especially for those who are interested in finding crafts and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) tips and tricks. It can be used to research a wide variety of topics, though, and is often used for researching and sharing topics like fashion, early education, party decorations, tattoos, parenting, recipes, DIY crafts, home-improvement remedies, and the list goes on.

Pinterest can be very addicting, yet it is often said that as many pins as users may post, they never actually try them out in real life. Today, I am going to share 5 of my favorite Pinterest household hacks which I have, indeed, tried--and love. These hacks can be found revolving all around the Pinterest world, posted usually by different bloggers, and I can guarantee you they have been used for many years before social media was ever even a thing.

Not one individual deserves the credit for these basic yet very interesting hacks, especially when you realize how easy they truly are. You'll find yourself asking, "Why didn't I think of that!?"

1. DIY Dryer Sheets

I make my own laundry detergent, but I never thought to make my own dryer "sheets." I'm a huge fan of dryer sheets! They get the static out of laundry and leave it smelling so nice and fresh. But I will no longer buy my sheets, because I found an economical way to make my linens and clothes feeling and smelling even better! This Pinterest idea is so simple it will knock your socks off.

Items You Need:

• A Plastic Container
• Sponges (I use four)
• Liquid Fabric Softener (any brand and fragrance you prefer)

Directions:

1. Pour your liquid fabric softener into the plastic container.
2. Place all of the sponges into the container.
3. Close the lid and let the sponges soak for 15 minutes.
4. Take one sponge out of the container, squeeze out all excess liquid, and throw it into the dryer with your laundry.
5. Start your dryer.

It's literally that simple.

2. Shine Your Sink

We live on well-water, which means we are constantly faced with the challenge of hard-water stains. Everywhere. My sink is one place I can't stand to see it in. After I cook and clean my kitchen, I want it to look sparkly. But no matter how hard I scrub my sink, it just won't get shiny! I found a solution on Pinterest with one simple ingredient. An ingredient that almost everyone has stored in their household.

Items You Need:

• A dish rag
• White Vinegar

Directions:

1. Wet one of the rags with the vinegar.
2. Wipe the sink down, thoroughly.
3. Take the second dry rag and buff out the sink with it.

BAM! You're done. The end.

3. Natural Dishwasher Rinse Aid

Once again, hard water is a pain in the behind. It often leaves our dishes with a film, after running the dishwasher. I have spent more money than I'd like to admit, trying to find a strong enough rinse aid to combat the hard water and the stains that are not getting lifted. Finally, I found the best solution yet with the help of my pal, Pinterest. I'm ashamed to admit that the ingredient is, yet again, a simple one which can be found in most homes.

Items You'll Need:

• A cup
• White Vinegar

Directions:

1. Fill your rinse aid slot with vinegar, then start your dishwasher (Yes, I basically just told you to replace your store-bought rinse aid with vinegar).
2. For additional shine on your dishes, pour a cup of vinegar directly into the bottom of your dishwasher.

Ta da!!

4. Brand New (MICROFIBER) Couches

This is my favorite hack of all time. Seriously.

I made the wise decision very early into my parenting days, that I would never invest in brand new couches until my children were well past their elementary years. That was 8 years ago, and I still have at least 8 more to go before my youngest gets past that stage.

Needless to say, the couches we own now are pretty badly stained.

However, after trying this hack I wanted to lounge for hours on that very same couch. If only my kids would've let me. I did manage to sneak in 5 minutes, though. It felt like I owned a brand new couch and was living a life of luxury! I can not tell you enough how much I love this simple trick.

Items You'll Need:

• A spray bottle
• A sponge (or two, or three, if your couch looks anything like mine did)
• Rubbing Alcohol
• A bristle scrubbing brush

Directions:

1. Pour the rubbing alcohol into the spray bottle.
2. Spray the stains on the couch until they are thoroughly soaked (work in one area of the couch at a time, do not spray the entire couch all at once).
3. Use the sponge to rub out the stains (use some elbow grease!).
4. Allow the couch to dry.
5. If you notice some of the stains are still there, respray and continue rubbing (if your couch looks anything like mine did, you may need to do this process 2-3 times before all of the stains are gone -- but I promise, you will get them out and after the initial time of doing this the upkeep will be soooo much easier and quicker).

Once the couch has fully dried, if it feels hard and crunchy then use the bristle brush to fluff it back up by brushing in circular motions (I personally found that I did not need to do this part. My couch didn't get hard, but apparently Pinterest reports that some people do have this problem. A minor issue that can be fixed with a brush!).

BOOYA! There you have it! The awesomenest of awesome hacks for all you homemaker freaks just like me!

5. Carpet Stain Remover

We have only lived in our house for about 7 months. The flooring is mostly tile, but the bedrooms have carpet in them. I don't understand how, in such a short span of time, our carpets have gone from clean and fluffy to stained-up and dirty!? Oh yeah, that's right... kids. And a dog. Duh.

Eventually, my goal is to put wood flooring down at least in our bedrooms. But until we can afford to do so, that pipe dream will have to remain just that; a pipe dream. I'm not content living with stains all over my carpets until that day, though. This little trick didn't work perfectly (for me, at least) but it certainly made the floors look better than they had been looking before!

Items You'll Need:

• Warm Water
• Ammonia
• An old cloth or dish towel (Some people say to use a white one so as not to have any color bleed from the towel onto your carpet, but I used the green towel pictured above and had no problems. I would say that as long as the towel is not brand new; it has been used and washed a few times since you've owned it, it should be fine no matter what color it is. But that's just me.)
• An iron
• A bottle or bucket

Directions:

1. Fill the bottle/bucket halfway with warm water, and the other half with ammonia.
2. You can either pour the solution onto the carpet or spray it on, as long as the stain is fully saturated with the solution (I found it to be much more effective when I poured it, rather than spraying).
3. Cover the stain and solution with the cloth, laying it flat across the ground.
4. Place the heated iron over the cloth and hold it there for 10-15 seconds.
5. Lift the cloth and check the stain. If the stain is still there then repeat steps 1-4, or try pouring a little more solution onto the stain and then scrubbing and/or blotting it out with the same cloth.

Every stain is different. I found that this solution worked on some stains better than others. Regular dirt and liquid stains cleaned up the best. Grease stains cleaned up a little, but not fully. Highlighter and marker stains, ha! Good luck! I have yet to find something for getting rid of those stains. Do you have any solutions you would like to share?

So there you have it. My choice of the Top 5 Cleaning Tricks from Pinterest that actually work! Don't take my word for it, though. Try these out in your own home, and let me know if they worked for you or not. Take photos and share them with me. Share your own tips and tricks! I am always interested in finding new short cuts for cleaning my house and saving money.