Handy tips to make household chores easier

Nowadays, I’m all about simplifying things for our family.

Whether it’s meals, organizing or cleaning, I love the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing a task, but it’s also gratifying when I can effortlessly accomplish many tasks in a day and that’s all because I like to try and keep it simple.

I’ve found some handy household tips to help simplify your daily routine. Hopefully you’ll find a helpful tip or two from those listed below.

Use non-gel toothpaste to remove crayon marks from your walls. It happens, your 2-year old is out of your sight for a few seconds, all is quiet, you turn the corner to see what she’s up to, and you see she’s proudly created her very own masterpiece on your dining room wall for everyone to enjoy. To remove the marks, use a small dab on a cloth and wash with water. The marks should remove effortlessly.

Use nail polish to secure a screw.

If you’ve got a screw that’s coming loose on a cabinet, put some clear nail polish on the threads of a screw and then insert the screw back into place.

Use tape to protect the paint on your walls when using a hammer and nail. Place the tape where you are going to hammer the nail and your paint will remain intact and unchipped.

Use a dryer sheet to keep the soap scum off your shower walls and shower door. Simply rub the dryer sheet on the walls and/or door of your shower and the soap scum will steer clear.

Use cornstarch to remove cooking grease from walls. Put some on a damp cloth and rub the grease spot until it’s gone.

Use petroleum jelly to remove water marks from furniture. Let a dab sit on the water spot for 24 hours then wipe away. You can use furniture polish as usual afterward.

Use wax paper to polish a faucet.

After cleaning the faucet, rub with wax paper to prevent water marks and fingerprints.

Use chalk to remove stains from the collars of dress shirts. Rub chalk on the stain and wash as usual.

Use a ZipLoc bag to remove buildup from shower heads. Pour some vinegar in the bag then secure over the shower head with a rubber band and let sit for about a half hour. The vinegar will remove unwanted buildup.

Use vinegar to clean your coffee maker. Fill the reservoir with one part white vinegar, two parts water and brew. It’s suggested that you repeat this once a month to remove stains and mineral deposits.

Use baking soda for a multitude of cleaning purposes. You can use baking soda to clean your shower/ shower door, toilets, dishwasher, microwave, washing machine and grout. Baking soda is also great for keeping things smelling fresh and clean, like your refrigerator.

So whether you’re like me, a mom constantly on the go, looking for any way to simplify things or you’re just looking for a few handy tips to help shorten your daily routine, hopefully you’ve found some helpful tips and you might even find yourself with a few extra moments to spare at the end of your day.

Sara Thomas is Mrs. Fix-it.

She is originally from Louisiana and is a mother of two, Ryker and Reese.

Her husband, Jason, was born and raised in Texas and very proud of that. E-mail Sara at [email protected].