The cleaning experts give us the best homemade tips and tricks to get the house ready before the holidays and not find any unpleasant surprises around the corner.
Every year before we go on vacation, the same story is repeated: packing our bags, watering the plants, leaving the house clean, and for the return…. An endless list of things to do to leave the perfect house before going on vacation prevents us from relaxing and disconnecting.
But all of the above is about to change. The cleaning experts at Helpling have put together a list of things to do to get the house ready before the holidays so that you don’t come across any unpleasant surprises. Take note!
Cleaning begins on the balcony
It is best to start cleaning outside structures, so you don’t bring dirt back home. If you have an iron railing, it is best to clean it with a little water and ammonia. Also, if you add a few drops of oil, they will help prevent metal oxidation. In some terraces, we can also find marble floors, a difficult material to clean. To make it look new, get a good brush, water with Marseille soap and wax for the finish, it will stay clean and shiny until your return!
Don’t forget the flowers
If you have a neighbor that you get along with, it is certainly best to ask them to water your plants during your absence. If you don’t have it, a very effective option is to put a bucket full of water at a height slightly above the plants and connect it to them with filter paper or knitting wool so that it touches the bottom of the pot. In this way, a certain degree of humidity will be maintained, and the plant will absorb the necessary water from the bucket without drowning. Another good method is the inverted bottle, which consists of inserting a 2-liter water bottle in the plant’s soil.
Unplug the fridge and clean it with a 100% natural homemade solution
Did you know that there are 8,000 bacteria for every square centimeter of your fridge’s vegetable drawer? Various natural remedies can be used to prevent odors and mold inside the fridge. First, remove all the shelves and soak them in 2 liters of water with a glass of vinegar for about 1 hour and a half. Then moisten a cloth in vinegar (or in water mixed with baking soda) and wipe it on the inside and surfaces to clean them. This method is ideal even for cleaning supermarket food coolers. To finish, rub the entire surface with a mixture of water and lemon juice to disinfect everything. Don’t forget to unplug the fridge and leave it open with a cloth to absorb the drops derived from condensation.
Check that there are no leaks and discover the best natural plunger
Before you go on vacation, you can not forget the bathroom, or you will find some unpleasant surprise when you return from vacation. Standing water is the main focus of bacteria and mold buildup. There is a most effective method to unclog drains using common ingredients that can be found in every home: 500 ml of white wine vinegar, 1 liter of water, and five tablespoons of salt. On the one hand, heat the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan and, on the other hand, pour the vinegar down the drain. Next, add the water with boiling salt after it. It is a foolproof natural plunger!
Remember to throw away the trash
Is there anything worse than coming home after the holidays and encountering a horrible smell because you forgot to throw away the trash? In summer, heat is the best friend of bacteria found in the garbage can, so before you go on vacation, make sure you remove the plastic bag from the bucket and that there is no moisture. Also, keep in mind that there is not only the kitchen trash, you should also throw the trash out of the bathroom and take a tour of the house to ensure you do not find surprises upon your return as undesirable bugs.
Don’t leave dirty dishes
Whether you have a dishwasher or not, if you don’t leave all the dishes clean before going on vacation, you will surely have to throw them around. If you do not complete this task, the food will remain embedded in the dishes, and it will be much more difficult to clean it and remove all the remains when you return home after the holidays. All this, without considering that the sink contains more bacteria than the bathroom since the sponge alone has more than 50 million bacteria, is not it enough to overcome laziness?
Do the laundry
Why should we worry about it? The more dirt accumulates in the washing machine, the more bacteria there will be, and the odors will become stronger. In fact, in each wash load, there are more than 100 million bacteria, and if we leave our clothes unwashed, they multiply. If you want your washing machine to be clean and disinfected, add a glass of white wine vinegar and start it, it will look new!
